A true rarity amongst an ever increasing, all consuming swarm of commercialisation.
Haggle Records is one of a kind, a visit to this record shop is essential to any vinyl enthusiast or music afficionado passing through London.
The owner, Lyn, is a truly captivating man. Always with a story to tell, always offering advice when it is requested. A quintessential English gent - with a wealth of knowledge of all genres, in particular, jazz.
I have spent hours in Haggle, on my hands and knees, (trying) to trawl through as many of the 40,000 plus titles as possible. Everything from Rock to Soul, Jazz to Dance, Classical to Punk - and everything in between!
If you're looking for a second hand record shop experience, you will not do wrong by checking out Haggle records.

www.hagglevinyl.com/
114-116 Essex Rd, Islington, London, N1 8LX
Opening hours: 9-7pm Monday-Saturday
9.30-4pm Sunday
+44(0)207 704 3101
Google map: bit.ly/lrX7XO

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Wilton’s is old. In fact it’s the oldest music hall of its kind in the world. If that isn’t enough reason to visit it’s totally charming and has a programme of delightful theatrical events to entertain us all. I have seen short films of London before the Second World War (there is a cinema club) and I have seen a Victorian styled cabaret show which was both frightening and hilarious. They have also had award winning plays with top notch actors. If you’re not into theatrical experiences then you could just stay in the bar, there’s a piano, low lighting, many alcoholic drinks and a feel of gay Paris.

www.wiltons.org.uk
1 Graces Alley, London, E1 8JB
Closest tube: Shadwell (Overground), Tower Hill (District and Circle lines)
Open at various times: Check the website before you visit and print a map.
Google map: bit.ly/fMo0si

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Festivals in London have been cropping up more frequently in recent years. Mostly they're one-dayers, like the O2 shows; or events that run in a series of venues on back to back days, like the Stag and Dagger festival or the Camden Crawl. In a sense these aren't really festivals, more a string of back to back gigs in a typically uptight London gig going atmosphere.

The upside of London festivals is how little it will cost you to get about if you're in and about London. That benefit is massively outweighed by watered down, over-priced festival beer.

My favourite London festival is set away from the centre of town, near Hainault Forest. It's a two-dayer, with super-early bird tickets coming in at £35 (and sadly sold out) and early bird tickets going for £45. The line up this year is pretty solid. A Certain Ratio and The Slits playing amid a veritable horde of young talent, and the vibe of the festival is much more laid back than you get in the centre of town. Being out somewhere green and connecting with nature overnight does tend to chill people out, comparing favourably to being stuck in a grimy, too familiar city setting, wondering if you'll get in to see the band that everyone wants to see in a venue that's probably much too small for the entire festival crowd to squeeze into. Some of last years Concrete and Glass patrons were heard to remark that that was all they saw when trying to get in to TV on the Radio at Koko last year.

Also, while Offset still falls into the weak, expensive beer trap, you can drink as much as you like of what you can bring in to the camping area of the site, which is well served for water and toilets too. If last year's experience is a guide, the campsite isn't a Reading/Leeds style warzone either.

It's on over the 5th and 6th September, near the temperate end of the scorching festival season. In my opinion, it's a cheaper, better alternative to the major festivals. Give it a look.

offsetfestival.co.uk/

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Fantastic, small-scale festival in London's East End, marking its third year in 2009. I've been to the last two and, despite teething problems in 2007 (not enough toilets and hour-long queues at the bar) and the rain in 2008, I'm predicting that 2009 will see these issues ironed out.

Both years had an exciting line-up of new music, with Bat for Lashes (2007) and Jeffrey Lewis (2008) my highlights. Final Fantasy is my bet for 2009.

The Palm Tree pub in Mile End park is a great venue for a few warm-up drinks.

Hackney's Victoria Park
www.fielddayfestivals.com/

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It is a good way to see how a weekend festival will pan out. Great for children of all ages. If the kids hate loud music, big crowds and mud maybe wait a few years.
Bring picnic, water bottles - lots of wet wipes and waterproofs!
For younger children ensure they have your mobile number on their arm, or on a sticker.

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...walking along Southbank is one of the most beautiful ways to see various sites of London.

Starting from the London Eye, overlooking the Thames, Houses Parliament and Big Ben.

The Royal Festival Hall in particular, is an excellent meeting spot and place to chill... sometimes you get art or music for free in the foyer :) and there's a cafe and bar for refreshments!

There are plenty of tourist-friendly/child-friendly restaurants around here, big chains such as: Waggamama, Strada, Giraffe, also a pretty big "eat" (with great sandwiches, juices etc,.) a bookshop and music shop too... plus a regular book market outside the BFI, in the summer various free events outside, well worth checking out this area and just walking, walking, walking...

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

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Just a short walk away from the Camden Lock and the tube station is the buzzing Jazz Café. You can enjoy a perfect evening either dining upstairs, or chill out with friends, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the bands and performers that play here every few days.

I have been on a number of occasions and never had a bad time, mostly due to the music! They play a variety of genres, from jazz to hip-hop to blues, and for some of the bigger nights you may have to book in advance, but it's definitely worth it. Drop by if you fancy a night of relaxing with a few beers and some melodic jazzy tones.

5 Parkway, Camden, London, NW1 7PG

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This is a karaoke place where you can rent a private room with your friends and sing your favourite songs. It's much better than doing it in front of a crowd of strangers. It can't remember the last time I laughed so much!

Queens,
17 Queensway,
Bayswater
www.karaoke-at-queens.co.uk

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Intimate underground music venue in the heart of Dalston. Sounds and styles may shift night-on-night, but it seems all of the promoters have their fingers on the pulse of their respective scenes. A local sweatbox that parades hyped acts at least six months before they truly blow up... but then can't afford to them back once they have. I admire that in a venue though.

38-44 Stoke Newington Road. London N16 7XJ

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Now I know it's a church but it also doubles as a fantastic music venue. I've been to a lot of London venues and this is my all-time favourite, great acoustics, good ambience and it also has the benefit of not being too big or impersonal.

Nearest tube: Highbury and Islington

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It's a tiny space - decked out in retro burlesque style, entered by a dramatic (if small) glass entrance just in front of the Lyceum. A former men's loo it is now rammed with high-tech stuff (sms jukebox, automatically opaque loo doors) and ambitiously holds shows (can't imagine how) every night at 10.

We went in for an early evening cocktail - all drinks 1/3rd off before 8pm. Cocktails strong but chemical, though the wine list looked okay. To be honest it's just feels like a pleasantly odd place to be drinking - huddled beneath the pavement sitting on leather seats which are shaped like buttocks. Maybe I wouldn't go back, but if you are in the area it's worth a visit.

Zero Aldwych
London WC2r 0HT
www.cellardoor.biz

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Walk into the museum and some huge, colourful, hanging fish point you downstairs to a magical world of masks, music and even a mermaid (well, actually a sort of monkey I think, but that's another story).

The fabulous music room has interactive tables where you can listen to music from around the world, and from other centuries, whilst looking at a most extraordinary menagerie of instruments. You can then wander through a secret door into a space where you can play delicately on a dulcimer, or bash out a tune with flip flops on some special pipes.

Next door there are some darkened, mysterious rooms full of mummies, voodoo shrines and bizarre objects of intrigue from around the world.

Wander out of the galleries and into a fab new aquarium with real waves. There are sci fi-like jelly fish, haughty seahorses, and starfish like jesters' hats. Wonder at the groovy anenomes! Dress up as a crab!

Blimey! After that it's time for a spot of v yummy lunch in the very me friendly cafe, and perhaps a little something from the shop (please). And what about the bee room, with real bees, and the stuffed animals. Oh, and there are gardens with rabbits and birds. And a big polar bear upstairs........

I love the Horniman!

From Xavi Maddison (age 10).

100 London Road, Forest Hill
Tel: 020 8699 1872
www.horniman.ac.uk

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I travel in central London a lot at weekends, buying games, clothes and various other things. I have always generally enjoyed London, for all its opportunities and tucked-away secrets. But I then found a place which doesn’t have clothes or games. There was a children’s show on there (and this was many years ago) and we decided to sit down and watch. The show itself wasn’t really that good, and I soon tottered off. I wandered around, looking for anything interesting, but just found dull concrete buildings. But in the midst of this wall of grey I found a most peculiar sculpture. It was very hard to describe, as it seemed to be a partly squashed bug. A large sphere of metal with wiggly antennae, with two large flat metal discs behind it and I found it very amusing to hop from one disc to another, as they weren’t very high, and made a loud clang, much to the annoyance of my parents. As I got older I would always visit that metal sculpture. There were several large buildings nearby the metal toy. We ventured inside one once, and found it very family friendly. It often had exhibitions, and had a constant feed of entertainment, such as live music and dance, as well as a cafe, and a well-stocked book shop. This was of course, the Royal Festival Hall, which is now under refurbishment.

As I grew older still we would move around London more, and me and my little sister would beg our parents to let us go to the South Bank instead of boring clothes shops. We soon discovered the far-off ends of the South Bank, which seemed to never have an end to the various forms of entertainment. There were several good restaurants, along the bank, including a Wagamamas we still often visit, a Strada (best Italian food in the world) and a pizza place at the end. In the summer, we regularly visit the South Bank, as it provides a way to take up a day, and make it a fun one. We often meet friends there, or go and watch a show, as well as having dinner.

The great thing about the South Bank is that there is always a place you haven’t been, some unturned leaf, which is always ready and waiting, and bursting full of energy and imagination. And these leaves are always falling, so regular visiting is always needed. Still things remain undiscovered to my family, so we shall keep on visiting, and so should you.

Angus Hegarty, Age 13, East Barnet

Embankment or Waterloo Tube Station

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A fantastic new restaurant in Golders Green, excellent Italian food, the best I have tasted for a long time, lovely relaxing atmoshpere with live music.

38 North End Road, London NW11 7PT.
Tel: 020 8458 6344
Opposite Golders Green tube.

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Brilliant, cheap little live blues joint right in the centre of town, fiver on the door and drinks promotions. Drinkable house red, horrid little loos, great clientele. Fight for a table near the band.

20 Kingly Street, Soho, London W1B 5PZ Tel: 020 7287 0514

www.aintnothinbut.co.uk/

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This fortnightly reggae/soul/dub club is unpretentious, friendly, fun and cheap (usually about £5 cover charge). But the best thing is, everyone goes there for the music, because the music is so good! The club is run by Soul Jazz Records which puts together some classic Studio One compilations, among other albums. But at the club you'll see the best of what's happening in this scene now - DJs, MCs and a crowd that happily skanks along in a cosy garage space.

Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens Street
Nearest tube: Angel

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If you're low on cash and keen on jazz, this family-run community arts space - located in a converted railway arch under Herne Hill station - hosts a free jazz night every Thursday. The musicians - of quite a decent calibre - usually play from around 9.30pm to midnight. The studio also hosts poetry nights, like Penned in the Margins, which include open mic sessions. There's a little bar, local art and lounges.

Milkwood Road, Herne Hill
Train: Herne Hill station
Nearest tube: Brixton

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This genuine 1950s coffee house has played host to Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon in its time, and it retains an artistic, bohemian buzz to this day.

The food is excellent, the atmosphere agreeably relaxed and the club beneath it has a huge range of comedy nights, poetry readings and live music. Highly recommended.

263-7 Old Brompton Road, SW5 9JA; Tel: 020 7370 1434; www.troubadour.co.uk

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An ideal place to sample the famous London nightlife. A cavernous bar/club under brick railway arches in Shoreditch, an unpretentious, friendly bar with an amazingly diverse music policy. Cargo is the place to sample some of London's amazing musical creativity from algerian folk to house nights, hotly tipped indie bands, MC battles and world music festivals Cago has it all.

If that's not enough you can recover on Sunday afternoons with brunch (their sweet potato chips are the best hangover cure around) in their garden.

Rivington Street
Shoreditch

Old Street tube
www.cargo-london.com

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OK, this place is full of Nathan Barleys and annoying haircuts, but for somewhere to sit and listen to (usually) decent music while eating cheap, massive slices of cake with your beer/coffee this can't really be beaten.

Cafe by day, club by night, there's a plethora of tables outside making for a very sociable vibe in summer. A good place to people-watch.

1 Dray Walk, London, E1 6QL (just off Brick Lane)

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