Street piano in Herne Hill station

Eliza and I have recently become regular visitors to Herne Hill. I used to go there a lot when I first moved to London because there was a good bar there. Now, we go for Gymboree.

One thing that catches Eliza’s attention every time is the street piano in the station, a free piano that’s available for everyone to play. There have been street pianos across central London for the past couple of years, as part of the Play Me, I’m Yours artwork for the City of London Festival. This one is now a permanent fixture, and whenever we walk past there’s always someone playing it – today it was a man and some classical music – and it always makes people smile.

It has been years since I last played the piano (and I think my skills are permanently lost in the swirly mists of time). As any child who plays a musical instrument knows, the most boring part is being made to practise. But much fun would it be to practise on this piano? Parents, get your children down there now.