A treasure trove in the The City of London. The Archive of London. Strongrooms hold kilometres of shelving; boxes of matter that has somehow been catalogued and categorised in a traceable manner by the public, for academic, genealogical and other research. This beautiful book is from a box on Epping Forest. On the same visit, I looked through photographs of Blitz singsongs in Bethnal Green Underground station, 1980s anti-Thatcher / pro-GLC gig posters and paper concertina optical models of the Crystal Palace.

Lots of traditional charming country pubs around the area, but it can a bit hit and miss. A really friendly one with amazing food (and a unusually large veggie selection…) is the Beehive in Epping Green; close to the Great Wood. It's friendly enough you dare going there by yourself with the paper and are not at the mercy of local rubbernecks ("the rubberneck" = person who stares at strangers without any sign of guilt)

Small little Rose Garden in a beautiful neighbourhood. All the houses surrounding the park have a dutch appeal to them.

A gift from Kyoto - a beautiful hidden Japanese garden in Holland Park 

As London’s oldest food market, Borough Market has been serving the people of Southwark for 1,000 years. Located next to London Bridge, the market is an easy location for breakfast or lunch. Favourite is Börek with home made hummus or a freshly made pasta dish.