Spring always arrives earlier to London, and London shows its most beautiful face during the spring. If you live in London, or if you come to visit, bring your training shoes and take a morning run along river Thames in Chiswick. Between Barnes Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge, there's a great trail on both sides of the river. And if you take the run in March, you might run through this wonderful Alice-in-Wonderland cherry-blossom landscape.

If you've lived in North London then you probably know all about The Faltering Fullback and their legendary multi-level beer garden

The many book stores dotted along this strip can provide hours of inspiration. Aside from those selling new books, several specialise in second-hand and antiquarian books.

2 Willow Road designed by Ernő Goldfinger and completed in 1939. It has been managed by the National Trust and is open to the public. Goldfinger lived here with his wife and their children until his death in 1987.

Specialising in photography & fashion books and magazines, this independent shop can be a goldmine for rare and out of print books. Also if you’re lucky you’ll meet Otis, the lovely pug-cross resident.