Leave it to Anna

18/08/2026

As we are now freshly back from a week in Menerbes, the summer holiday hangover is in full swing around here. However, by procuring local wares wherever you go, you are able to extend your vacation and enjoy it way past its unfortunate end.

I find pleasure in small things that I brought home from France by incorporating them into my daily routine back in London. Pour yourself a glass of rosé and let’s debrief on what came home with me this time.

Link in comments ➡️

Les Colorades Lugnina Luberon Le 104 rdm Boutique Concept Domaine du Moulin Saint Augustin

17/08/2026

Two years ago, Valerie of Valerie Rivera moved into a stone house in Castillon-la-Bataille, a town of 3,400 people in southwest France.

A retired Air Force veteran who’s lived in Hawaii, Maryland, and Germany, she and her husband looked at Spain, Portugal, and Italy before France bubbled up to the top of the list.

And on their last day of househunting in the region, they found their dream home along the Dordogne.

Read more about her French adventures in this Coffee Talk (link in bio ➡️)

15/08/2026

Deborah Moore, CEO of Dents Gloves, has been with Dents for 36 years (after she met the owner back in 1990) and she graciously invited me to visit her at the factory in Warminster.

What I expected was a morning of brand history and beautiful leather. What I got was one of the best conversations about British manufacturing I’ve had since starting this newsletter.

Besides being a kind and welcoming person, Deborah is a razor sharp retail professional with astute observations on manufacturing, what sells, and how to orient a heritage business towards staying relevant in the future.

Read more here:

https://leaveittoanna.substack.com/p/leave-it-to-anna-people-water-and

13/08/2026

Jonnie is the founder of Bowl of Chalk, who has been running walking tours since 2011 and lands on Time Out’s list of London’s best year after year. He’s a Midlander who’s spent 25 years discovering London, a former TV and theatre writer who now shares his best material on street corners, and a published author. Why Is Downing Street Painted Black? and 364 Other Fun London Facts came out last September and it’s a must read for any London enthusiast.

I recently went on Jonnie’s Holborn, Smithfield & Clerkenwell tour and really enjoyed learning about the history of London through his walking storytelling. So I asked Jonnie to sit down for a Coffee Talk and chat about his favorite London stories and underrated spots… and he graciously agreed!

Let’s go for a coffee walk together through the back streets of London. Link to the article in bio ➡️

https://leaveittoanna.substack.com/p/coffee-talk-group-tours-and-ghost

09/08/2026

Last year I visited an amazing, family-owned pottery shop in Lourmarin, Atelier Buisson-Kessler. The owner enthusiastically told us how his mother started the business in a workshop in their family home, where all of the pottery they sell is still made. I loved the bright bursts of color, the different pieces they sold, and the palpable pride expressed by the owner for his family’s legacy.

When we were visiting the Friday market in Lourmarin this year, I had to pop back in, of course! I loved seeing the owner again, who was just as friendly this year as he was before, and ended up picking up six two-toned colorful bowls and a small pitcher in Provençal blue. He bubble wrapped everything very nicely and my husband ended up delivering the loot safely back home in his suitcase.

08/08/2026

Here are my top suggestions on what to do with your girlfriends on a quick getaway to London, whether it’s a milestone birthday celebration, a mother-daughter trip, or a college reunion.

My list is organized by theme rather than by day since every group contains different interests and bucket list ideas. For every royal enthusiast there is an avid shopper or a theater aficionado.

I have recommendations for all types and the best part of traveling with friends is getting to see each designation through their eyes. Let’s dive right into it - link in bio!

07/08/2026

Jennifer of Jennifer Greco is an American who moved to France over twenty years ago and has been eating her way through the country’s approximately 3,500 cheeses ever since.

She’s tasted more than 500 so far, and she’s keeping count!
Her Substack is one of my favorite reads as it provides me with cheese education alongside honest dispatches from expat life in Paris. Let’s get into it (link in bio➡️)

06/08/2026

A walk through my favorite part of London.

Seven stops, all within about a mile of each other, taking you from the City’s oldest church to its oldest house, through a Victorian memorial to ordinary heroism, past the ruined shell of one Wren church and around the most famous of them, past the home of the man who lived there with his beloved cat and defined the English language, and ending with a pint where Dickens used to write.

Allow three to four hours for the basics, or make a full day of it if you want to visit St Paul’s. I did this walk on a Sunday afternoon and most of the places I visited were empty of usual London crowds (besides St Pauls, of course, which is always a popular spot).

02/08/2026

This week I wrote about my conversation with Dents CEO Deborah Moore about the art of glove making, drawers full of royal and Hollywood history, and the castle that gloves rebuilt.

Dents

A conversation with CEO Deborah Moore about the art of glove making, drawers full of royal and Hollywood history, and the castle that gloves rebuilt.

01/08/2026

A coffee chat with tour guide and author Jonnie Fielding about leading walks through London's back streets, one bestselling book of fun facts, and surprising stories you won't find in any guidebook.

A chat with tour guide and author Jonnie Fielding about leading walks through London's back streets, one bestselling book of fun facts, and surprising stories you won't find in any guidebook.