Lovely Japanese restaurant, secluded spot next to the canals. Amazing on sunny day

Half a mile from Markfield Park down the River Lee is Springfield Park. The park rises steeply up from the river and has an amazing array of tree species making it beautiful in all seasons. At the brim of the hill there is a line of park benches each one surrounded by box hedge offering a private view across the Lee Valley, Walthamstow and beyond. The park warden was nice enough to give me a chestnut log a couple of years ago from which I carved a bench and two stools.

If you like some nice cool beer, portuguese sweets (the once with yellow custard inside) tasty and affordable sandwiches, good strong coffee and football, at all hours. Max Snack Bar is worth checking out.

This uninspiring sounding place is a disused railway line that runs along the roofline from Finsbury Park to Highgate. A great place to excerise and escape.

Set amongst one of my favourite housing estates in London – the Brunswick, Renoir cinema shows art-house films in it's two small but comfortable screens. I come here at least twice a month, and always on my own.