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.

This is one of the only platforms on the London Underground that is not bombarded with billboard advertising. It's a reminder to myself of how an uncluttered environment can give you so much more room to think.

In 1936 Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists attempted to march through East London in what was an attempt at an intimidating show of strength. Like today, this area was home to a large number of ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Jews. 300,000 people came out to oppose the march and blocked the route. The battle that followed was actually between the protesters and the police who tried to clear the route so that the march could take place. Seeing that they faced a losing battle and possibly a riot Mosley called off the march. The artist Dave Binnington began this mural in 1976 to commemorate that day, and it was eventually finished in 1982. The mural and the battle of Cable Street are both perfect examples of Britain at its very best.

Being an East London boy at heart I am partial to an occasional fix of café culture. Pellici's has been running since the start of the last century, to which me, my father and my father's fathers have all enjoyed its mix of tasty Italian/London grub and energetic atmosphere. If you're visiting, make sure you drop by, as it will provide a valuable, forever-depleting education into what East London is really all about.

Outside of the major players (Tate, V&A, RA) this is probably the best programmed gallery in London