Shop: Wardrobe by Wilkinson-Wyke

A biased bit of blogging here but not without some satisfaction. I have a dear friend Soraya, who has a knack of always finding something gorgeous where others fear to shop and who delves into her deep and magical wardrobe and adorns herself with something beautiful and stylish in a way that the rest of us can only drool. Until now, she's used her talents for friends who need something spectacular to be sourced. I've been on at her forever to turn it into a business and now it seems my nagging might have worked! Finally she has done it!

So (drumroll please...) ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you....

Wardrobe by Wilkinson-Wyke.

Soraya specialises in Art Deco and early 20th Century pieces - clothing, accessories and homewares. Happy shopping!

Shop: Clifton Nurseries

Yep I know, an oldie, but such a goodie. This little gem is hidden behind houses in Little Venice, Maida Vale and houses a garden centre, cafe, shop and flower shop. Its not massive but always full of new and unusual plants and they do lectures and courses. They also sell great water features such as the Medusa fountain I had in the garden of my last flat. Amazingly, they are currently selling old wooden crates for £19.99 which is unheard of. Many a time I've just popped in for something and spent a fortune on plants for my window boxes. They aren't cheap here but they do seem to last for ages.

Its a bit of a bugger to park nearby, so don't - far better to walk along the canal which is so gorgeous near there. Whilst in the area you can also visit the pretty tea dress shop Suzannah, just round the corner.

Clifton Nurseries

5a Clifton Villas

London W9 2PH

Tel: +44 207 289 6851

Shop / cafe: Petersham Nurseries

Yes I know its much blogged about. I'm not even sure these photos are much cop but its always on my regulars list and it never fails to disappoint. This time, it was a visit with my sister and her 8 month old daughter, who gurgled in her chair as we sat in the courtyard eating courgette pasta and drinking rose-flavoured Fentimans lemonade. After that a lust around the shop and a drool over the plants that I can no longer buy, followed by a quick lap round the Thames walkway outside.

Shop: Suzannah

I parked outside Suzannah whilst visiting Cliften Nurseries, one of my regular haunts for pot plants. Suzannah is Suzannah Crabb who was once a trend forecaster but now makes beautiful tea dresses to order, from her shop in Maida Vale. She now also makes wedding dresses, of which I'm on the hunt.

Suzannah Boutique

6 Bristol Gardens

London W9 2JG

Cafe: Morito, Exmouth Market

Meeting my designer friend Paul in Clerkenwell gives me a good excuse to go to Exmouth Market for lunch. This time we visited Moro's new baby, Morito which is a tiny tapas bar next door to the original.

Its fairly traditional tapas and after knocking back a couple of pomegranate juices, we shared squid, olives and patatas bravas, walnuts and other tiny plates of deliciousness. Paul, who was once a vegan but now is a rare meat lover, managed to squeeze in a tiny hamburguesa too.

Morito

32 Exmouth Market

London EC1B 4QE

Tel: +44 2072787007

Hampstead Women's Pond

One of my most favourite places is the Womens Pond on Hampstead Heath. Its such a special, almost secret place and it makes me know I'm at home when I visit. When I lived in London, I came often, summer and winter. A quick dip in winter gets your heart pumping and staves off colds like nothing else. I always tried to shy off, but then saw the older ladies who braved the ice and realised I had no excuse. Summer is pure delight. Kingfishers early in the morning. Ducks, moorhens and geese nesting messily on the life rings, then proudly showing off their young, who trailed behind them across the meadows.

I love the wildflowers on the paths and the heathrobinson-esque shower arrangement, involving a hot water tap and buckets when the warm shower stops. I love the chat of the regulars in the mornings and the welcomeness they show to newcomers, offering spare costumes and towels. I even love the school girls in large groups who lounge lazily on the meadows in the summer holidays, talking at the top of their voices then shriek as they enter the water.

My favourite thing to do is come early, with a friend and, after a big stomp around the Heath, and catch our breath every time at the top of Parliament Hill, use our swim as a good catch up. Then scrambled egg breakfast at either Kalendar (was Cafe Mozart) on Swains Lane, or a walk to Kenwood to sit outside in the pretty garden and read the paper in the sun.

Shop: Kokon Tozai

My beloved collects toys. Small Japanese dolls in plastic bottles, china rabbits, little kissing dutch kids, anything really that is bright and ever so slightly unusual. Out shopping with my sister then on Golborne Road couldn't say no to the brightly coloured Pluto which was made in 1962. After an earthquake in Macedonia around that time, the Americans apparently sent lots of toys and he had been wrapped in tissue ever since.

From the same collection, I bought my nephew Pinocchio, with strict instructions to his mother that he be placed on a high shelf with no Sharpies to hand.

What a great shop though - housed in an old oxblood red tiled butchers, a marble counter runs from one end to another, filled with treasures. China, jewellery and antique lamps. There are also hand crocheted shawls and spectacular sparkly clothing which is the mainstay of what they do.

This part of Portobello is still my favourite and whilst the shops are changing slowly, places like Kokon Tozai are welcome. There's still not a chain in sight.

Kokon Tozai

86 Goldborne Road

London W10 5PS

Tel + 44 208 960 3736

http://www.kokontozai.co.uk

London Design Festival

Naturally I'm gutted to have missed the LDF this year, being so far away and all that. I'm a bit biased, having been involved a while back, but I think its one of the drivers in demonstrating Britain's designs talents and has set London way up front of any other city in terms of design. Luckily they have been very proactive on social media and I've been able to see lots of the highlights. Including this, featuring two of my favourite people, Jon Snow sitting in one of Thomas Heatherwick's spun chairs.