REVEALING LONDON

Emma Bevan makes it her business to know London inside and out. Having explored all its special nooks and crannies, she gives us her own guided tour of the capital

I’m always led by culture and the experience of doing something different – be it a guided tour, an exhibition or discovering something new.

Usually, I like to have a focus, with a specific place or something to do in mind. But sometimes it is fun just to wander and see where you end up.

Whether you live in London or are just visiting, we are all tourists. So here are my top places to go and things to do…

@littlelondonwhispers

Whether you have thirty minutes or five hours, this affluent pocket of London has something for you to do. My favourite museum is the V&A: they always have an exhibition running. For the next few months, Fabergé will captivate you for hours. A ten-minute walk will take you to Kensington Palace and, if you time it well, you can cross over to Hyde Park and catch the Household Cavalry taking their daily walk for the changing of the guard.

Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution, V&A, until 8 May, vam.ac.uk

“WHETHER YOU LIVE IN LONDON OR ARE JUST VISITING, WE ARE ALL TOURISTS”

At the weekend, I really enjoy spending time wandering through Portobello Market and along the surrounding streets. The pretty coloured houses, the great coffee shops and restaurants, and the excellent shopping make it a destination that keeps giving.

Antique, decorative modern and vintage shop Alice’s, 86 Portobello Road, @alicesportobello

Cutty Sark museum, rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark

Jump on a Thames Clipper at Embankment Pier and take the river boat to Greenwich, enjoying a tour of London along the way. Disembark at the Cutty Sark, one of the last tea clipper vessels. Next door you have the Old Royal Naval College, the Painted Hall, the Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House and, a short hike up the hill, the Royal Observatory, where you will find the best views of Canary Wharf. Top tip: always check the times for your return journey when you get off the boat. There is little worse than arriving back at the pier, seeing your boat speed off into the sunset and having to wait forty-five minutes for the next one!

The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College, ornc.org

Royal Observatory, rmg.co.uk/royalobservatory

At the incredible and splendid monument to history that is Westminster Abbey, I enjoyed one of the best tours I’ve ever been on. There is more British history in this single spot than you can imagine. No sooner had our tour ended than I wanted to do it again! Around the corner, you can admire the shining glory of Big Ben after its major renovation. Then walk halfway across Westminster Bridge to get a good view of the Houses of Parliament from the river. Top tip: book your guided tour of Westminster Abbey well ahead – this is a history lesson not to be missed.

Westminster Abbey, westminster-abbey.org

“THERE IS MORE HISTORY IN THIS SINGLE SPOT THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE”

Spitalfields is home to the oldest market in London. Take a stroll in the surrounding East London and you will find the original homes of the Huguenots and step back in time. Dennis Severs’ House is a time capsule: an eighteenth-century townhouse restored to show what life was like for a family of Huguenot silk weavers. Pop by Fournier Street: home to the artists Gilbert & George, who describe themselves as ‘two people, one artist’ and see the area they hail as a microcosm of the world. Top tip: book lunch and make a day of it, adding a visit to Brick Lane for vintage shopping and impressive street art.

Sumptuous dining and street vistas in Spitalfields

Chila Burman (@chilaburman) art installations; (top) the Royal Opera House; (right) Floral Street

Shopping? Art? Food? Entertainment? Covent Garden has it all. A night at the Royal Opera House is magical but, if that isn’t your thing, take in a West End show – London has some of the best theatre in the world. Within a fifteenminute walk, you have several exquisite museums to choose from: Sir John Soane’s Museum, the National Gallery, Somerset House and the refurbished Courtauld Gallery.

Mayfair ticks the box for so many ‘very British’ things to see and do: beautiful hotels for afternoon tea or fabulous cocktails; luxury shopping, from Oxford Street to Piccadilly. And over the past few years it has become home to some of the most interesting art galleries in London, including Halcyon, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Unit London and Pace.

(left) Andy Warhol at Halcyon (halcyongallery.com); (above) fine dining at Claridge’s (claridges.co.uk); (below) the Red Room at the Connaught (the-connaught.co.uk)

“MAYFAIR TICKS THE BOX FOR SO MANY THINGS TO SEE AND DO”

Halcyon (halcyongallery. com); (below) Burlington Arcade (burlingtonarcade.com)