A station, a stop or two away from London sits a shop that is only open once or twice a year – its specialty are books but it also sells things.

Coming here as a child and even now the collection is utterly astounding I can spend hours in the fossel and mineral room. Plus the architecture of the building is completely unique and breath taking.

London is so vast I am forever coming across new hidden gems. Walking around the streets and getting lost is the best way to find London's best kept secrets.

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.

London is blessed with many fine parks, but Brockwell is a real jewel in south London. A short walk or bus ride from Brixton, or right by Herne Hill overground station, the park includes large grassy areas, the fantastic Brockwell Lido (a vast open-air pool – hectic mid-summer unless you get in early - a 7am swim is utterly blissful), tennis courts, a bowling green, a BMX track, a mini-railway, a secret garden, and a few newly landscaped ponds. Perfect for a lazy summer day.