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

One or two screenings a day, a few days a week; less is more at Close Up. The library is a great resource too, for work or pleasure.

The nicest little shop for ceramics and glassware. The selection is lovingly curated by the shop's owner Momoko Mizutani who has impeccable taste.

Getting lost is an age old suggestion but a good one. Put away your cell phone or your A-Z and just wander around. I still do this regularly even though Ive lived here for nearly 10 years. London is a big city and it drip feeds you its secrets sometimes. You will come across things you wouldn't usually, in amongst the Starbucks and pret a mange there are some amazing sights. Just 'being' somewhere is a great experience and one no guide book can help you find.

Hidden away in the backstreets of Finsbury Park, I used to share a house opposite this pub, where it assumed the role as our second living room. A real north London gem, I still go there these days for the tree-house-like, leafy terraced beer garden, which is perfect for summer evenings.