The fantastical shop front for the children’s literacy charity, the Ministry of Stories – which offers one-to-one writing tuition for local kids. The shop sells ‘Bespoke and Everyday Items for the Living, Dead and Undead’, including Thickest Human Snot, Compacted Earwax, and Tinned Fear. (And all their products make perfect presents for humans.) All proceeds go to the charity.
A multi-disciplinary art and project space in White City. Designed by architects Liddicoat and Goldhill, Elephant West is a new venture from Elephant Magazine - an online and print art publication
Also the Queens back garden, these beautiful grounds are great for a Sunday stroll to see the pelicans or to feed the squirrels. Duck Island Cottage is worth a look too, a idyllic little cottage situated in the grounds which was specially built as the bird keepers home.
This painted of the shopping centre by my brother, Leo Verhoeven, shows a rather idyllic vision of the shopping centre we both share. Its pretty rough, full of budget shops and funny cafes and framed by a shanty town style open air market. I have a real soft spot for it as the classic under dog, thats so often slated and condemned but lives on.
There are not many places in London like it. On a Saturday during market hours it heaves with stalls and visitors for a good mile or two. Great place to pick up some bric-a-brac, genuine oddities and a great bite to eat, or just enjoy the hustle and bustle vibe of the place.