I’ve always adored this city and felt it’s a natural home for me.  Though I grew up just outside its borders, one side of my family comes from the Isle of Dogs and has a past rooted in London’s streets.  I love living here, working here, and simply being in a place replete with so much history.

One of the most captivating things about London is the beautifully haphazard jumble of buildings from all ages – often resulting in a glorious juxtaposition of grand period architecture rammed against shiny new creations of glass and chrome.  Many of the iconic landmarks are Georgian or later (St Paul’s, the Bank of England, those gorgeous town houses that most of us can only dream of ever residing in…), partly due to the Great Fire of 1666 that swept through a large chunk of the city, and this whitewashed elegance is a perfect contrast to the newer additions to our skyline.

There is no better way to experience London than by simply walking around – you naturally uncover the sights that launched a thousand tour guides, and find much more besides. A tour guide can’t cater to your own tastes, but it can blind you to some of the intricate little details that might appeal to them.  This old/new contrast is one of my favourite things, and you will find it all over the city.