I love swimming and I love being outside. London is great if your into both these things. I swim at London Fields Lido which is heated all year round. Its best in the winter when the steam rises from the water and if your lucky its snowing a little on your head. If your brave you can also go for the unheated option of the Serpentine or Hampstead Ponds.

The warehouse in Stockwell has an extensive range of papers and boards, the perfect place to source the ideal surface for drawing or printing. Knowledgeable and helpful staff make John Purcell’s the best place to stock up on art papers in London.

I love how much you are aware of the changing seasons out of the city; there are numerous beautiful forests around Hertfordshire to go for a run, a walk or have a picnic. One of the best destinations for a day out from London might be Northaw Great Wood. The main entrance is located on the Ridgeway, the B157 from Cuffley to Brookman's Park.

In terms of materials and form, these galleries offer so much. On an abstract and typographic level, so useful. This is a section of an altar frieze, from the Eye Temple at Tell Brak (N.E. Syria), dated 3300–3000BC. The Egyptian rooms take the tourist weight; these spaces are much quieter and amenable time spent drawing and thinking.

South London is largely underrated considering at times it's a treasure chest of gems; Battersea Park is one of those big sparkly ones. An interesting mix of faultlessly pruned gardens, displaced architecture, shape, form and colour generate a delightfully influential weekend stroll. With views of the almighty Battersea Power Station and the river dividing you from the Chelsea Embankment.