It paces a Londoner's life. When the tide is low I like wandering on the "beach" and discovering tunnels that take me to the centre of the Earth.

Excellent gallery. It has big rooms which often feature large pieces and admission is free.

Not the most exciting place inside, but a lovely rooftop area which not all that many people seem to know about, 2 mins walk from Old St station. If it's packed then The Red Lion is just up the road.

This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Good nightmares. A perverse Aladdin's cave of treasure and artefacts.

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.