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)

Everyone who works at Daunt Books seems to have the answer to any question you might have, watching my large dog carefully navigate their narrow aisles is always fun too.

I vaguely thought about leaving London recently and the British Library came to mind as somewhere I’d miss. It’s an essential resource because it has almost everything. It also has some interesting exhibitions.

Behind Markfield Beam Engine is the River Lee which travels from the Chiltern Hills all the way to the Thames via Tottenham Hale. There is a special light along this stretch of the river possibly due to there being about 10 massive reservoirs behind the levee on the other side of the river, offering an amazing sense of space. A great place to walk, cycle and feed the ducks, swans, geese and coots.

Sager & Wilde is a small wine bar on Hackney Road, close to many other amazing places on Hackney and Columbia Road. The perfect place for an aperitif or a nightcap.