Get on the list for tickets and surprise someone who will appreciate the 'village of books' upstairs in particular.

The AA is Britain's oldest school of architecture, but anyone can take advangte of the great work going on there. You can catch really interesting public lectures and free exhibitions throughout the year. There are also occasional installations and event launches, a bijoux cafe and brilliant bookshop. A great place to hang out with the builders of the future.

Fantastic selection of magazines ! 

A fantastic fresh handmade pasta shop and restaurant in Shoreditch. If you are looking for authentic Italian cooking, look no further!

I love the Brixton markets, they are about as far from the food aisle of any multi national supermarket as you can imagine. One minute you can be in Thailand, then Jamaica via Turkey the next. Franco Manco is pretty busy, but it’s very special to me.