An oasis of peace in London's frantic atmosphere.

The best live jazz band I ever heard was at a packed out night in Brilliant Corners. I was happy to be squashed.

Just above the Dorfman Theatre lobby at the National Theatre, is the entrance to the high-level walkway, a public walkway that overlooks the National Theatre props and scenic workshop. It's free and is a unique chance to get a glimpse of what happens backstage. I love popping in when I'm on the south bank, as you get a completely different sight each time, depending on which production the workshops are working on at the time.

The V and A houses a public collection of prints and drawings of every kind imagineable from old master drawings to photographs, playing cards, fashion plates and wallpapers. You have to select what you want to see from the collection http://collections.vam.ac.uk/and book in advance. The behind-the-scenes route up to the study room of v and a is a treat alone (pictured)

Founded in 1828 the museum houses around 67,000 specimens many of which are now extinct or endangered. My favorite is the skull of a Bottlenose Whale from 1860.