A station, a stop or two away from London sits a shop that is only open once or twice a year – its specialty are books but it also sells things.

Every year I take my 25 year old mini on the London to Brighton run. The views from the start line are always worth the 4AM wake-up.

The Garden Museum and the Garden Museum Cafe are a welcome addition to an area of London that is slow to change. The food at the cafe is modern and seasonal, and the space is beautiful and looks out into a small garden by Dan Pearson. Christopher Woodward, the museum director, is active in improving and campaigning for local green spaces and creating space for the local community. The Museum lives inside an old 18th-century church and has a changing program of exhibits. Worth noting, it is a museum on the subject of gardening, not of gardens, so don’t expect many flower beds. Throughout the summer holidays, the Museum has lots of great events for kids, including cooking and drawing. Luke and I also designed the identity for the museum… the tote bags and visitor badges are particularly nice.

NFT1 Films are well selected but if by chance what is on screen does not suit your taste then the seats are very comfortable to nap in.

Seasonal British food at its BEST !