There are many great parks in London to choose from, but Hampstead Heath is by far my favourite; a lido, Parliament Hill with a great view of the city, ponds, woods and plenty of space. It’s a great place to hang out in the summer, but also presents a lovely walk in the winter. Address: (As it’s so big obviously it doesn’t really have a specific address but there are 2 main entrances) Entrances by Gospel Oak or Hampstead Heath Entrance.
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.
It is a music store in Brick Lane. You can spend there the perfect Sunday afternoon, listening to lot of new good music, thumbing through cool books while relaxing in their café. Oh, and the Rough trade photo-booth is a must if you go there!
The Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library, mostly dealing with medecine and social history. The exhibitions are unusual and engaging, and the permanent collection includes bizarre items such as medieval masks and human remains.