I completed a tour with Context this morning (From Shakespeare to the Globe: the evolution of theatre in London), which was, in a word, fantastic. My guide, Jim, displayed incredibly detailed knowledge well beyond what I would reasonably expect his remit to have been, painting a colourful picture of the city's theatrical present and past while also sharing a great many enlightening facts about London itself in the process.

www.contexttravel.com/

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Look out for the beautifully restored Art Deco facade and the white on black lettering reading 'Electrical Engineers' as you head up Peckham Rye for a stroll around the park.
Visitors are tempted inside this former electrical and hardware store by the beautiful furnishings, comfortable sofas, giant sanded dresser behind the bar and the collection of paintings by local artists adorning the walls. This cafe and art gallery hosts different exhibitions and private views every month. The cakes are all home-made and the menu includes some mouth-watering items such as smoked haddock, baby spinach and lemon fishcakes. The cafe/gallery opened in November 2010 and French manager Julie plans to incorporate a large deli, with meats, cheeses, home-baked bread and a vast range of tempting treats and there's an arts and crafts fair every Saturday morning on the leafy terrace, over the road from the Common. It's a wonderfully sophisticated, cultured yet friendly place to hang out in south Peckham.

The Gardens
184 Peckham Rye, London SE22 9AQ
+44 (0)203 490 3039
Open Mon-Sat 09.00-17.00, Sun 10.00-17.00
Evening openings and website coming soon
Bus No. 12 to Peckham Rye
Google map: bit.ly/p6WAxc

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The Clock House is an amazing pub located right on Peckham Rye Common. It's a traditional inn, with polished wood and brass, many great bitters from Young's of Wandsworth, gorgeous stained glass windows, plenty of clocks and timepieces - obviously - and there's even a tiny cinema, where you can watch new releases in a friendly, 'front parlour' atmosphere. The menu is extensive with tapas and some great pub favourites: steak & ale pie, North Atlantic crab cakes, linguini with clams. The batter is made with best bitter and - joy of joys - there's home-made gravy! There's a 'snug' room at the back and outdoor seating on benches overlooking the leafy common. A real find.

The Clock House
196a Peckham Rye, SE22 9QA
+44 (0)208 693 2901
www.clockhousepub.com
Food served Mon-Fri 12.00-15.00 & 18.00-21.00, Sat-Sun 12.00-22.00
Bus No. 12 to Peckham Rye
Google map: bit.ly/qGCCBF

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All Fired Up is a really lovely little cafe where visitors can choose a piece of ceramic art, a teapot, a plate or a cup and saucer and then paint it themselves to create a unique, individual work of art and an unusual gift for a friend. At the same time, sustenance is available to aid the creative process, with all manner of home-made cakes, sandwiches, Italian coffees and teas on offer. The shop/cafe stocks wrapping paper and cards and is a great destination for birthday parties and nursery visits.

All Fired Up Ceramics Cafe
34 East Dulwich Road, London SE22 9AX
+44 (0)207 732 6688
www.allfiredupceramics.co.uk
Mon-Sat 09.30-18.00 (late opening to 22.00 on Thur), Sun 11.00-17.00
Bus 12 to Peckham Rye
Google map: bit.ly/nmVYDY

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When I tell friends I know of a haven of peace and tranquility in Peckham I am often met with raised eyebrows, but it does exist! Peckham Rye Park is a beautiful oasis located to the south of the bustling, noisy streets.
Peckham was mentioned in 1087 in the Doomsday Book, when it was called Pecheha, an Anglo Saxon word meaning 'village among the hills'.
During the reign of Henry 1, Peckham was a farming village and the land was used for growing crops and fruit. By the 18th century it was famous for its melons, figs and grapes.
In 1767, William Blake visited Peckham Rye and had a vision of angels in an oak tree. The ''Angel Oak', as it was later called, has since disappeared
The park's original layout opened to the public in 1894. There is a large lake and several smaller ponds alive with noisy ducks and geese, a Japanese garden, arboretum, bowling green and woodland walks. My favourite spot is in the Sexby Gardens where plots of lavender give off a wonderfully soporific, mid-summer ambience.

During the Second World War, temporary huts were erected to detain Italian prisoners of war. One still remains, located next to the café.

Peckham Rye Park
Peckham, London SE22 0LR, +44(0)20 7525 1052
Open until 20.30 during the summer
Bus 12 to Peckham Rye
Google map: bit.ly/nBHHNT

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Situated on the edge of Peckham Rye Park and right in the middle of Peckham Rye Common, this cafe is a fantastic place for a bite to eat, an ice cream or a sit down in the shade. Gone are the days of stale, curled up sandwiches and lukewarm coffee, now there are pitta, ciabatta, all-day breakfast butties, Rye burgers and tasty wraps. The ice cream comes from Jude's in Hampshire and I tried a divine blackcurrant crush sorbet. Very refreshing.

Strakers Road, Peckham Rye Common, London, SE15 3UA
+44(0)208 693 9431
www.cafeontherye.co.uk
Open Mon-Thur 09.00-17.30, Fri-Sun 09.00-18.00
Bus 12

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Flat Iron Square is almost too tiny to be marked on any map, however it can be spotted if you study the pages of your A to Z, or take a ride in a helicopter over Southwark!
This tiny square (well, triangle really) has been renovated recently and there's a little cafe hut in the middle offering all sorts of tasty nibbles, and several other great eateries in the shade of the Shard.

The Island Cafe
1 Flat Iron Square, (off Union Street) London SE1 0AB
+44(0)20 7407 2224
Nearest underground: Borough
Google map: bit.ly/n5Atqw

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In February 2011, Camberwell reopened after years of renovation work.
Now painted bright white inside, Camberwell’s pool has balconies lining the high walls, recalling those ancient, darker, brick-walled Victorian pools where I did my bronze medal life-saving awards many moons ago. The re-tiled 25m pool has very warm (for my chilly Atlantic and Irish Sea childhood training!) water and the clean, but damp changing rooms are also a little overheated. One drawback is the incredibly complicated opening time system, to cope with all the different sessions on offer, from aqua aerobics to ‘splash and floats’ to swim school. There are also many opportunities for lane swims, women-only swimming and general watery mayhem. When the lane system is in operation, some go clockwise, some anti-clockwise; I'm not sure why this is ... an anti-wave idea perhaps?!
The Victorian public baths first opened in 1892, and the grade II listed façade is in the Flemish Renaissance style, which explains why I always had a vaguely Antwerpian feeling when walking past!
There is also a friendly café, a gym and a sports hall within the historic, buffed up walls.

Camberwell Leisure Centre
Artichoke Place, off Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8TS
+44(0)20 7703 3024
www.fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/Camberwell_Leisure_Centre
Buses 12, 36, 436, 345, 171, 68, 468 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/ptl0Fi

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The longest running organic bakery in London started out in 1982 in a disused post office in Clapham. The bakers use the best quality flours to produce divine breads, pasties, pastries and cakes. The aroma of fresh bread draws in customers from all over south London, and there’s even a home delivery service. Scrummy.

www.oldpostofficebakery.co.uk/
76 Landor Road, London SW9 9PH
+44(0)207 326 4408
Google map: bit.ly/iAQSqo

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Greensmiths is an amazing food emporium, café, cheese heaven and bakery.
The aroma from the cheesemonger’s section reminded me of old fashioned speciality shops last smelt in my early childhood. So evocative. I was offered a tasting nugget of Coolea cheese made by a Dutch couple who moved to Cork, Ireland, it is a bit like a hard, tangy Gouda, and very moreish!
Fresh meat is delivered from the Ginger pig farm in North Yorkshire, while bread, pastries and cakes come from the superb Old Post Office organic bakery in Clapham’s Landor Road.
The Waterloo wine merchant provides the bevies, and the Solstice fruit and veg department looks like something out of Harrods food hall, with every aubergine polished to within an inch of its life and every grape gleaming in the sunlight.
The café is located upstairs and outside on the pavement. My friend enjoyed the all-day veggie breakfast and I wolfed down a roast beef and horseradish ciabatta sandwich, refreshed with specialist coffees and other brews from Caffe Antica.

www.greensmithsfood.co.uk
27 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RG
+44(0)207 921 2970
Google map: bit.ly/lv6Hte
Open Mon-Fri 08.00—20.00, Sat 08.00—18.00, Sun closed
Overground train or Northern Line underground to Waterloo, Bakerloo Line underground to Lambeth North, bus 12, 53, 148, 159, 453, N109, 171

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Radio Days is an Aladdin’s cave, crammed to the rafters with vintage clothing, memorabilia from the 1920s to the 1980s, piles of hats, Bakerlite telephones, radios, jewellery, old advertising boards, plaques, retro packaging, old clocks and watches, sheet music, Art Deco objects and large dollop of kitsch.

www.radiodaysvintage.co.uk
87 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AB
+44(0)207 928 0800
Google map: bit.ly/jy6ydb
Open Mon-Sat 10.00—18.00
Overground train or Northern Line underground to Waterloo, Bakerloo Line underground to Lambeth North, bus 12, 53, 148, 159, 453, N109, 171

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Charlie Chaplin learned to tap dance on the wooden board covering the shoot down to the cellar outside his uncle’s cavernous yet cosy Jolly Gardeners public house.
Chaplin’s dad used to tinkle the ivories at the 120-year-old inn and scenes from the film ‘Snatch’ were shot on location here
Situated in the historic Black Prince Road, London’s first German gastro-pub has 16 great German beers gushing from gorgeous ceramic draught taps and 32 bottled brews. There are lots of 'weiss' (white) wheat beers and I sampled a version called 'Hell'....which was heavenly.
The kitchen serves up lots of sausages, schnitzels and Bavarian specialities. Two big screens show the German Bundesliga and we watched a medley of Wimbledon matches and live performances direct from Glastonbury. I won’t even mention what a great atmosphere there was during the football World Cup…!

Zeitgeist @The Jolly Gardeners
49-51 Black Prince Road, London SE11
+44(0)207 840 0426
Google map: bit.ly/j19D2I

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This delightful garden was originally laid out by social reformer Octavia Hill.
Hill (1838-1912) was an amazing woman and way ahead of her time. She was a pioneer of affordable housing and many consider her the founder of modern social work. She campaigned tirelessly for the environment and open spaces and co-founded the National Trust, which today protects over 300 historic properties and keeps 250,000 hectares of land open to everybody.
Hill believed in humane housing conditions and arranged for the construction of two rows of pretty cottages and a community hall, designed by Elijah Hoole. The garden predated the buildings and was laid out in 1887. It was created to provide ‘an open air sitting room for the tired inhabitants of Southwark’ and had an elaborate layout of curved lawns, flower beds and serpentine paths, an ornamental pond with fountain, bandstand and covered children's play area. There were once two mosaics in the garden. One showing ‘The Sower' was restored in 2005 and can still be seen.
Bankside Open Spaces Trust used Heritage Lottery funding to restore the garden to its former glory, complete with pond, bridge, fountain, flower beds and paths winding through this lovely Victorian garden.

50 Redcross Way, London SE1 1HA
Jubilee Line underground to Southwark
Google map: bit.ly/jsTIXR

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A store in Hackney that is full of interesting films, posters, projectors, batteries and old cameras - EVERYTHING is Super 8 or Super 16 and you can even get the owner to come round your house and project a film the old fashioned way!

35 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, E5
+44(0)20 8985 1766
Google map: bit.ly/iPHf7y

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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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You might have thought Boris Karloff was born in a creepy castle somewhere in Eastern Europe, but, in fact, if you go to East Dulwich you can see a blue plaque on the wall of the house where Frankenstein's monster was born William Henry Pratt on 23 November 1887.

Boris Karloff birthplace
36 Forest Hill Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 0RR
Google map: bit.ly/kot5og

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Excellent Indian restaurant serving all the favourites in a stylish yet casual setting. The lamb chops malai and tandoori chicken are particularly tasty. Plenty of vegetarian and seafood options. Take away also available.

22 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8QU
+44(0)207 701 6004
hungryhouse.co.uk/safa
Google map: bit.ly/mROqhj

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Sophocles is one of the best bakeries in south London and knocks all other Camberwell cakey places into a cocked hat. Where else can you try a kolokotes: a Cornish pasty-shaped sweet pastry case hiding an unusual and surprisingly tasty mix of pumpkin, raisins, cous cous and spices? It sounds strange but one of these is worth a journey on the number 12 bus alone. This Greek-owned bakery and patisserie tempts me inside daily, with its irresistible, fresh bloomers, whose fluffy white (or brown) bread, with a crisp sesame and aniseed dusting, cries out to be slathered in butter. There is a vast range of sweet pastries, creamy cakes, fruit tarts and almond pies dripping with honey. I only recently spotted the savoury section at the back, hidden behind the small café area, where elderly Greek gentlemen sip sticky coffee. However, I’ll be back soon to try a feta and spinach pastry, a crimson slice of pizza or a made to order sandwich. Tasty.

Sophocles Bakery
24 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8QU
+44(0)20 7252 6316
Bus 12, 171, 345, 36, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/lF8fAn

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Eleven years ago, two Italian brothers opened Camberwell’s GXgallery in a painting frame shop, which still occupies the front space. The art-loving brothers bought the pet shop behind and expanded the arty area to include an exciting exhibition space in a former bakery in its cellar. I am as guilty as anyone of walking past, gazing into the very bright, white ground floor gallery and thinking ‘I might pop in next time…when I feel a bit more confident’, but now I am kicking myself for being such an art-wimp. It turns out the GXgallery is a friendly and welcoming space for artists: they encourage young talents and foster new masters. On the rainy Wednesday when I visited, the manager was out at a degree show in Wimbledon. Every August, the gallery shows a selection of degree shows from art schools in Wimbledon, Chelsea, Camberwell and beyond.
The ground floor gallery is a modern, clean white space, but downstairs in the cellar, a former bakery has been converted into a wonderful venue for art: the old bread ovens give a glimpse into the spooky world beneath the street, a beautifully-restored, original dumb waiter almost gives off the scent of freshly-baked biscuits and little nooks and crannies provide intimate areas for artists to show their work.
Stop press: on 15 July, artist Peter Blake brings his Art Bus to Camberwell, and parks outside the GX for one night only.

GXgallery
43 Denmark Hill, London SE5 8RS
+44(0)20 7703 8396
www.gxgallery.com
Overground to Denmark Hill
Buses 68, 468, 35, 45, 171, 36, 436, 345, 12 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/mJiWhw

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My family and I went here. The food was nice and well priced in good sized portions and with a friendly atmosphere. Delicious Spanish food, perfect wine and reasonable prices. I highly recommend it.

www.sangriatapasgrill.com/
232 High Road Leyton, E10 5PS
+44(0)203 417 0363
Google map: bit.ly/kWwAVB

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