One of my favourite record shop in London! The iconic Rough Trade, in the heart of Ladbroke Grove, just off Portobello Road.

There is a rather beautiful faded glory to these mythical creatures, which flank the steps guarding the ruins of the Italian Terraces in front of the former Crystal Palace, which dramatically burnt down in 1936.

Mei Leaf is a lovely little tea/health shop based in Camden with a friendly staff that are always happy to assist and give advice. I love exploring the many different teas and some of my personal favourites are the: Silk Oolong, Duck Sh*t Oolong, Amber Mountain and Silver Needle. Mei Leaf was established in London in 2006 to represent true tea culture. Don and his team tirelessly explore the mountains of the East to find the most delicious teas on the planet. These are pinnacle teas made by masters from the perfect terroirs and picked at the perfect season.

The majority of the shows I tend to go to are in East London so it was refreshing to be invited to a show opening at a gallery in the centre of London and I have to say the caliber of the work is astounding. I don’t think I’ve been to a single on of their shows without being inspired in someway, definitely worth checking out.

They mainly sell art and cultural theory books but they also have a good selection of small press and self-published zines. It’s a great place to browse and get ideas.