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.

Quick, easy, cheap thai food. It's fairly new to me, but easily makes this list.

They describe themseleves as a 'village shop in the City' and sell everything 'typically english' you could dream of, from homemade scotch eggs to english meade, this tiny shop is the reason I cross the road early every morning, just to see what treats they've got in for the day.

Slightly biased as this is where I live, but Stoke Newington is great place to spend lazy saturday / sunday afternoons getting sloshed with friends. There are 10 + pubs within walking distance who all are great places for one reason or another. I'll pick out the White Hart for its huge beer garden...

There is a rather beautiful faded glory to these mythical creatures, which flank the steps guarding the ruins of the Italian Terraces in front of the former Crystal Palace, which dramatically burnt down in 1936.