London Living

Walk around central London: try and look above street level to discover many aesthetic surprises, such as beautiful Victorian stonework above a fish and chip shop or pub. Check out Battersea Park and Hyde Park as these are arguably the best green spots, but remember London's dotted with green in unexpected places.

For nightlife try out some of South London's less expensive and better facilities. For example Brixton has a great arthouse cinema and many good restaurants and bars.

Quick Tips:

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Walk everywhere within central London. Never get into a minicab in town which isn't a black cab, or isn't a cab you've ordered. The mainline trains are the best way to get around south London, but terrible everywhere else. Try and avoid the Northern Line, it's the slowest, grimiest tube line and the trains don't come as often.

This is a great little Thai place, very near to Google Street Tube station. The decor is very clean and modern, although there are only a few tables. It is a great place to go for lunch if you're exploring the glories of Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Street, as both are near. The menu had all the usual favourites, but was especially good for vegetarian options. You can get pretty much anything on the menu as a veggie dish. I had the phad thai, which was really tasty, and some veggie starters which were perfect. The service was really friendly as well. This area has quite a lot of Thai restaurants in, but many of them don't stay open for lunch. You can stroll down Windmill Street and Charlotte Street afterwards and check out some of the little art galleries.

This is a beautiful park: it's actually quite small, but with the Thames on one side and the stunning apartments blocks of Prince of Wales Drive on the other, it is one of the prettiest places in the city. You can see Battersea Power Station and the Tate Modern, and the pink gas towers that supply south London from the park. The area around the peace pagoda is currently being renovated, so sadly one of the best things to do (evening walks along the Thames with views of some of the prettier bridges) is currently inaccessible. Still, ornamental gardens provide shade from the pollution and sun of a London summer. The area around the park is probably best left unexplored, unless you really want to get to know another side of London. Queenstown road is especially derelict (Prince of Wales drive is a small oasis of semi-decayed spleandor, but still houses the occasional celebrity).

The Imperial War Museum is not a fluffy museum; you will not come out hoping to buy a poster of a pretty picture. It is a serious and solemn memorial and historical information centre. That said, it is neither bland nor old- fashioned, with plenty of big guns (including the gigantic canons that loom in the centre of the formal approach to the building), and well-thought out, modern, exhibits.

The building itself is impressive enough, with its stark white facade and blue dome. The canons are complemented by a section of the Berlin wall, and it's all set in a small ornamental garden that complements the architecture.

Entrance is free, but you can buy guides at the entrance. I would advise against buying one, as it's unneccessary to have yet another thing to read. You come out into a tall hall, filled with tanks, WW1 and WW2 troop transport, and all kinds of vintage planes suspended from the roof. One interesting example is the shiny wooden rowboat that, as the plaque will explain, was used in the evacuation of soldiers from Dunkirk.

Go down to the basement for the WW1 and 2 exhibits and, for the rest of 2002, the reconstructed set of the 1940's house TV series. This is fascinating, only if in demonstration of the sheer contrast between the luxury of modern life and what was the norm only a relatively short time ago.

The main attraction, however, are the World War exhibits. Walk past a row of shocking war images, brilliantly accompanied by carefully selected quotes. These are exhaustive and exhausting - hundreds of glass cabinets stuffed full of letters, newspapers, and government propaganda, from every period of both wars, and on all fronts. It's best to pick out a few things to really look closely at. The ‘story’ of the wars is summarized on the walls for all those who have long forgotten Arch Duke Ferdinand! Examples that caught our attention were: the evidence of the pressure put on men of the right age to join the army in WW1, including a postcard written to one guy by a girl scout troop, inviting him to join their group, as he obviously wasn't a man. The 'Trench Experience' follows this, and is genuinely affecting, simply in conveying the sense of the horror and fear which must have been a part of the soldier's daily lives. The less well-done 'Blitz Experience' was similar in concept, but not as emotionally involving.

If you have the emotional stamina when you have finished in the basement, go up to the Holocaust exhibit on the upper floors. With similar tasteful and well- thought out presentation of documentary evidence (such as filmed footage of the testimony of survivors), this is a truly excellent monument as well as an exhibition.

This is (or can be) a serious experience. The museum is well-run and extremely well-designed. Bear in mind that to fully appreciate what this museum has to offer, you will need stamina and quite a few hours!

Leicester Square is one of the main tourist hotspots in London. It is also where many Londoners go to see films.

The plushest cinema is the Odeon, where any film premiere will be held - the Harry Potter film, for example. It's quite modern inside, with decorations that are pleasingly kitsch. It only has one main screen though, and the smaller ones are very small.

The tiny Empire Cinema tends to show some really good films, and is very comfortable inside, even in the smaller screens. The giant Warner Village has the most screens, but mainly shows very mainstream films and the interior is soul-less and dull.

The Prince Charles Cinema, off Leicester Square in Leicester Place is another matter. The cinema itself is not as plush as the others, but the movies it shows are varied and interesting. Outside the cinema, which backs onto China Town you can pick up a leaflet with their films for the week. They tend to do a mixture of art house, classic cinema and mainstream films from about a month ago. They occasionally hold 24 and 48 hour film nights, which are great fun, but only for the serious movie buff. The Friday and Saturday night 'sing-a-long' shows are famous, and on a Saturday evening you're sure to see many people dressed as nuns strolling through Leicester Square on their way to the showing of Sing-a-long to the Sound of Music. They have a good website: www.princecharlescinema.com

The cinema in the Swiss Centre (you can't miss it - right next to the giant wooden thing with all the Swiss shields on it!)is even better: it generally shows around 4 uniformly good foreign films.

If you wonder round the backstreets you'll find even more cinemas - for example there is one in the Trocodero Centre, but they are generally not as good, and show worse films. Check out the magazine Time Out for full listings and great reviews.

Some other tips for surviving Leicester Square! Don't go to the clubs unless you're interested in very mainstream dance music (again check out Time Out for some better ideas - you can get it at any newsagent or news stand). As for eating: you are right next to China Town, so there are a whole load of great places to eat. If you go towards Covent Garden from Leicester Square tube you will find some pretty good independant Italians, and all the usual chains - The Spaghetti House is the best of the chains, but quite expensive. Leicester Square itself is dominated by the chain Mexican Chiquito's, which is done up in the 'theme pub' style, but actually does some really nice food. Take a moment to look above street level and you will see arguably some of the most beautiful buildings in the city (and least appreciated!) Especially the salmon pink building which houses the glorious Haagen Daaz ice cream parlour!

Look out for the fairground rides for kids, generally in summer. During the London film festival there is a booth in the Square where you can reserve tickets. You will hardly be able to miss the street entertainment, but look out for the guitarist who sits by the Warner Village - he's really excellent!

This is the real beating heart of tourist London (and also a place that many Londoners spend their time). It's a great place to start a walk around the capital.

Been to the Tower, seen the London eye, bought the t-shirt with the union jack on it? There is a lot more to London than the guide books (even the best of them!) will include. South London is generally ignored by the tourist industry: it has few tourist draws, but a trip of select parts will take you on a journey into what it's really like to live in London, work in London - it will give you an insight into what the city is really about.

Take the underground to Victoria tube station and follow the signs for Victoria mainline railway station. Victoria is the gateway into the south (as you may know if you've come to London via. the Gatwick express). The building itself is one of the many spoiled architectural pleasures of this city. Look up to see the dusty, dirty, but none the less beautiful Victorian roof. Best to ignore the mediocre shopping facilities, although if you explore long enough you'll come across a good cheese shop!

Find a train that stops at Clapham Junction station on the giant billboards: they come every few minutes so you won't be waiting long! Take the train, which should only take you a few minutes. Clapham Junction is, and always has been, one of the busiest train stations on the railway system: now it is depressing and crowded - pass quickly through the shopping centre to the exit. You are now on Lavender Hill. Take out your A-Z (indispensable) and find the station: Lavender Hill, St. John's Road leading onto Northcote Road and Battersea Rise are all worth an exploration.

This is 'Nappy Valley', an eccentric mixed-wealth area that betrays the stuttering process of gentrification that has taken over London south of the river. One highlight is eating on Battersea Rise - wonder up for a choice of generally good food from all corners of the world, but notice the art deco exterior of Arding and Hobbs, the department store on the corner of St. John's Road and Lavender Hill. Wander up Lavender Hill for a few minutes to find the 'Wrap Factory' for good healthy food. A good 10 minute walk up the hill will take you to the BAC, a great theatre. This area has a number of good bars pubs and cafe's to be explored as well.

Now find the bus stops just outside Arding and Hobbs on St. John's Hill. You're waiting to get on the number 37 or 35 buses, both which take nearly the same route. This bus will take you in a few minutes to some of the best places in south London.

Once you are on try and get a window seat. The bus will turn right up Battersea Rise, past the great restaurants, bars and on to Clapham Common. The bus route will take you through the common, giving you a taste of the informal pleasures the green space has to offer. Get off the bus to enjoy a walk around the park if you like. The bus route continues on to Clapham Common tube station, past some beautiful private houses, hotels (in case you want to stay on!) and large parkside mansions. Once you spot the tube station jump off (or ask the driver to let you know). Again, it is immediately obvious that this area is packed with good food. My recommendation would be the tapas bar Carmen. This area is also home to the Clapham Picture House - a brilliant cinema that shows some really excellent mainstream and arthouse movies.

The poverty/riches clash common to south London is as obvious here as ever, and a bit of people watching will reveal this. Once you have exhausted this area, carry on on the bus route on to Brixton. Brixton is an area with a mixed reputation: traditionally an impoverished, black community, and the site of famous riots, it houses the Brick Lane market - an experience of its own, and some beautiful, if neglected, architecture. It is also the site of a recent 6 month experiment for a more relaxed attitude regarding cannabis. The police did not arrest people they saw smoking.

The Ritzy cinema has as good a reputation as Clapham Picture House (check Time Out for listings before you set out), and opposite, a converted church has become the club Mass. The more chilled out Bug Bar is set in what was the vaults of the church, and with its sofas and decor is a relaxing place to hang out. The drinks are good and reasonably priced for London. The connected restaurant Bah Humbug is really excellent. It has a great vegetarian menu, but solid meat and fish options as well. I always have the Mock Duck, which is as delicious as the real thing.

Other notable establishments are the Dogstar and the Brixton Academy, a great venue, largely because it has a sloping floor meaning you can see the stage even from the back. Sticky floors and watered down drinks come as standard here as in most London music venues. Check listings to see whose playing. When you're done, you can hop on the Victoria Line at Brixton station and be back in the centre in 10 minutes, but you will have seen another London.