There are very few better places to be on a summer's day than the massive beer garden at People’s Park Tavern on Victoria Park

One of the few newsagents in London with the widest selection of specialist international fashion, media, art and design magazines. Just off Portobello Road.

An obvious choice but no 'best of London' list is complete without the Barbican

Half a mile from Markfield Park down the River Lee is Springfield Park. The park rises steeply up from the river and has an amazing array of tree species making it beautiful in all seasons. At the brim of the hill there is a line of park benches each one surrounded by box hedge offering a private view across the Lee Valley, Walthamstow and beyond. The park warden was nice enough to give me a chestnut log a couple of years ago from which I carved a bench and two stools.

It's really close to my house and one of my favourite pubs in London! (I even went before it was close to where I lived!) It is London's first cooperatively owned pubs and has lovely events and workshops, exercise classes and great parties, and good beer! It's lovely in the beer garden in the hot summer and equally great in the winter, next to a real fire.