Whipps Cross boating lake is a true hidden East end gem. Located on Whipps Cross flats midway between Walthamstow and Wanstead.

Hotter than hell, but always a good night had. It can be whatever you want it to be - restaurant, pub, or club, has good outside space and rentable rooms, and plays an interesting mix of music to an interesting mix of people. The building is actually kinda beautiful too.

I go to the Heath every weekend (often via the wonderful Waterlow Park which skirts Highgate Cemetery) and during the week too if I’m working from home; it helps to put things in perspective when I’m thinking about my work. It’s great in the summer for obvious reasons but I love it the most in autumn and on those rare days it snows so much London grinds to a halt (which doesn’t take much). Everyone heads up there to make giant snowballs/cats/creatures and surf down Parliament Hill on anything they can get their hands on. Grown ups turn into kids for the day. My husband and I made this snow yeti last year, it was sad to leave him behind but he soon made friends and even made it into the Camden New Journal.

Love to visit this place at least once every couple of months, can't afford most of the stuff but at least I can take a picture of myself wearing just for a few seconds this beautiful Comme des Garçons Mickey Mouse Hat!

SOAS university has a small gallery space dedicated to exhibitions about Asia, Africa and the Middle East. There's a small but beautiful Japanese zen garden on the rooftop (currently closed for refurbishment)