I rediscovered this place recently having not been for years and now I keep returning. The geological galleries are my favourites.

Not been in many years, but spent a large part of my childhood watching people row and sail back and forth. It freezes over in winter and in February 1893, Jack Selby drove a coach and four horses across the reservoir.

A winding side street that links hectic Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, Hanway Street, with its odd mix of old-style Spanish flamenco bars and second-hand vinyl stores, is a bit of an anomaly. I’ll be surprised if they all withstand the Tottenham Court Road redevelopment but I hope they do.

P Franco, wine shop, bar and restaurant. Amazing wine, delicious small plates (guest chefs) in a very lively atmosphere. The wait for a spot to sit down is worth it. 

Founded in 1828 the museum houses around 67,000 specimens many of which are now extinct or endangered. My favorite is the skull of a Bottlenose Whale from 1860.