39. Discovering Treasure in London Charity Shops

For me it’s definitely the thrill of the unknown! The unexpected excitement of discovering something, anything, you never knew you wanted but now don’t know how you could ever live without it! And I am of the opinion that you don’t find it, it finds you. I am an eclectomaniac and charity shopping is possibly my favourite past time!!

I realised the joy of charity shopping in earnest when I did my first stint of community service, a very bright silver lining to a pretty dark cloud. Every Thursday for a year I would go along to the Salvation Army charity shop and help out, and as well as the glow of helping others, I would always leave with at least one bag of treasures.

38. Diverse Dining In London

One of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, London’s vibrancy is reflected in its wonderfully eclectic dining scene. We’re not satisfied with sitting down to a good old British classic in a normal dining room, and are constantly looking for ever more weird and wonderful ways to enjoy our 3 meals a day. From undiscovered international cuisines to weird and wonderful dining concepts, sample some of my favourite restaurants in London for deliciously diverse dining.

37. Grand Days Out in Coram’s Fields

Playing on the site of the world’s first incorporated charity, in London’s first public children’s playground. It seems fitting that in a week when even more allegations have surfaced in the ongoing Jimmy Savile scandal, we should take a moment to consider the legacy of someone who worked tirelessly to advance the cause of deprived and abused children: Thomas Coram.

36. All the little London things in between

• Some shop names just make you laugh.

There are, of course, certain places I consider my little London gems. Places I go back to time and again.

Scooter caffe on Lower Marsh Street, for example, for it’s quirky décor, cosy basement, resident cats and decadent hot chocolate. There’s the melt-in-your mouth sushi at Sushino on King’s Road and the Latino lounge, Azteca, nearby where I had my first mojito (and the one after that, and the one after that…). And there’s Souk Medina in Covent Garden - my favourite Moroccan cave of tantalising belly-dancing, low tables and delicious tagines where the mint tea is poured from an unbelievable height without spilling a drop. Don’t get me started about all of my favourite places to eat!

35. On Your Bike, Dahling: A Little London Cycle Ride

I like to moan. After six years of trudging my way around London using her myriad of slow bus routes, crammed and overheated tubes and delayed national rail connections, moaning about public transport became part of my daily life. “Sorry I’m late, the tube…” is often enough to guarantee kindly glances from fellow tube warriors.

When my mother finally called my bluff and bought me a tinsel-clad, basketed bicycle for Christmas this year I worried. Then I moaned again. The realization that I would actually have to take to the roads myself made me feel ill. Moaning and being late is one thing, but the certain death of roundabouts, main roads, buses – good god!

34. Trendy, Cool, and Sooo London: Soho

Soho London Pictures from 1973 John Hutchinson

Soho is one of my favourite areas of London. Its history stretches back hundreds of years, however, it is the period during the second half of the twentieth century when it really became the London’s cultural hub that catches my imagination. Back then it was a hot bed for aspiring artists, writers, musicians and fashion designers seeking success and inspiration. People looking to push against the conventions of their times - and explore new ideas in art, music, theatre - mixed together in and around the streets of Soho.

33. Friday Nights Piano Night in London

I first came across the Piano Bar a year ago. After a rubbish day at the office a friend suggested we go for a quiet drink. Several bottles of wine and a rendition of Rocket Man later, we resurfaced on High Street Kensington! With charismatic players, fantastic tunes and decent priced drinks (£16 for bottle house wine) the piano bar has fast become my “go to” location for post work drinks, girly catch ups and first dates.

32. London Eats, for Science!

What's better than food science?

Food made with science.

Molecular gastronomy was an "in" thing thanks to Heston and the Catalan restuarant (sadly closed) El Bulli. Now, I think it's steadily becoming an "out" thing as we turn our attentions to more frugal food, sustainable modes of eating and good old fashioned cookery. You know, like your mum makes.

But because living in London is a little like living in the future, and sometimes a good trend is worth keeping we don't have to entirely wave goodbye to the awesome fusion of science, technology and things to eat and drink. Now, obviously you could buy some NASA space food to eat at the Science Museum, or get tea after seeing an exhibiton at the Wellcome Collection if you wanted to be inspired by science whilst eating, but we can do better than that in the Capital.

31. The East End: The Colours, The Stories, The Songs of London's Life

London's East End, famous the world over for serial killers, slums and venereal disease (and it used to be even worse). But everything I love about London can be seen and felt, not just in its East End, but on this very corner of Whitechapel High Street...

30. Flat Caps at the Ready London: A Night at "The Dags"

Greyhound racing. It’s hardly Ascot is it? Yet it’s a wonderful, authentic part of London that’s slipped gradually away along with jellied eel and the fried egg sandwich. The largest one in Walthamstow, far beyond the perceived edge of civilisation for most of today’s Londoners, shut in 2008 and just three of these once ubiquitous stadia survive in London today (Crayford, Romford and Wimbledon).

Ok so if I’m going to sell this to you it’d better be good, right? After all greyhound races either brings up visions of celluloid gangsters screaming “dags, get the dags!” (a la Brad Pitt in Snatch) or grimy visions of an elderly relative, a sea of flat caps and childhood boredom (a la my actual childhood)...

29. Indulgent And Virtuous: A London Spa Day

Like millions of people in this city I work at a computer all day, hump heavy bags all over London and successfully store all angst and worry in my shoulders and back.  And, like most, I need a way to decompress from time to time, a way to get rid of all that frustration and tension. No, I’m not talking about THAT! Honestly!

28. A Rich and Poignant Past: Wartime London

Showing the Imperial War Museum to a newcomer to London recently, I was reminded of how little attention most of us pay to the heritage of wartime London all around us.

With the richness of the 21st century city on offer and our ever-busy lives, it’s easy to understand why. Yet the spirit and the shape of this great city are so inseparable from its times at war, and there are so many opportunities to see and find out more, it can be really rewarding to spend a little time learning about the experiences of the city during wartime.

27. Celebrating British: THE London Tour for Visitors to Blighty

Last week London was named the world’s best destination by TripAdvisor, having already taken Lonely Planet’s ‘best city to visit’ title in October of last year. With the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics still to come, 2012 is likely to be a bumper year for foreign visitors to the city, if they can get out of Heathrow.

It’s more than likely that someone you know will be visiting London from outside the UK this year as a result. Yet I’ve always struggled when faced with that inevitable demand to “show me around London for a day.” My reaction is usually somewhere between unproductive cynicism (“how about experiencing some record-breaking April rainfall?”) and a distinct lack of imagination (“London Eye it is then”).

So, here are some ideas for impressing your visitors on their trip to London with a truly British experience.

26. The Best Seats in London: Eating on the Bar

They may be the only seats left in the restaurant when you try to call up for a last minute reservation, but I think counter top seats are the best in the house. Whether it is at Riding House Cafe, my personal favourite, Bocca di Lupo or Mishkins, counter-top seating offers the same menu but with that little bit of added atmosphere and entertainment. What’s more, you’re more likely to get the waiter’s attention faster and therefore have your second (third, fourth....) cocktail in hand in next no time.

24. London's 'Ripping' Yarn: Jack the Ripper Tour

I know it sounds naff, touristy, and outright geeky, but the Jack the Ripper tour by London Walks deserves a place as one of the 100 Great Things About London. Please keep reading. I’ll explain; if you love London, which you do, and you don't mind a bit of history then it will interest you. Parts of London which you walk past every day suddenly come alive with meaning and significance; if that pushes your buttons then it’s a must. If you're not that into history, then please it you may even enjoy it more.

The Maguiver-esk tour guide thunders through his pre-rehearsed lines, gory detail after gory detail with as much empathy as the shipping forecast. As a hardened veteran of Victorian London he is no stranger to the blood stained cobbles of the East End and spares no expense in recounting each of the ripper’s murders to a mob of blood thirsty tourists. This is hilarious.

23. Lights, Stars, Music: A Date at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

For an atmospheric night of theatre, entertainment and romance you cannot beat the Open Air Theatre at Regent’s Park. Because of the glorious British weather, the Open Air Theatre only runs during the “summer” months (May to September) but it is a must for anyone who hasn’t been. Last year’s Crazy for You was an all-singing-all-dancing extravaganza and I loved every minute of it. The show wasn't something I usually would jump at to go see, if it was showing in the usual West End theatres, but at Regent’s Park it was an absolute treat!

22. No Timid Thames: An Amazing Slice of London's River

That big blue (sometimes dank) streak of water which runs through London: where the boats float by, modern high rise apartments fill the banks, and tourists climb on top of one another to get the best photo of Big Ben! Yes, we all 'know' the Thames. But do the majority of people know what lies beyond East of Tower Bridge and West of Vauxhall Bridge?

Having spoken to many...it seems not. And there is one slice that deserves a closer look. A part of the Thames that is untamed, naturally protected and provides ample opportunity for various daytime and nighttime activities. A part you wouldn't know unless you reside in close proximity to it.

21. The Magnificent Seven: London's Beautiful Crypts

“You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig.”

No, not spaghetti westerns: London historian Hugh Meller used the phrase ‘the magnificent seven’ for the first time in 1981 to refer to the group of large Victorian cemeteries established between 1832 and 1841 to deal with the problem of overflowing graveyards in inner London.

20. A Great Saturday AM Ritual: Pottering about Borough Market

Here's my $.02 (£.01?...) on one of most obvious-but oft overlooked places in London that makes London such an incredible place: Borough Market....

I have a confession:  I get up earlier on Saturday morning than I ever do during the week for work.  Crazy, I know-but this is what you do when want to be at Borough Market before 8.30am on a Saturday!  This is what you do to get the best pick of the fruit and veg, guarantee that the queue at Monmouth Coffee won’t be around the block, and ensure that the crowds are quiet enough to where you can actually have a chat with the traders without feeling like you're bothering them.

19. Oasis of Calm in London’s heart: Picnic in Phoenix Gardens

When you are stuck in town on a sunny day with hot pavement beneath your feet and air full of exhaust fumes, it all can get a bit too much.  Luckily tucked behind the Odeon on Shaftesbury Avenue, close to the hustle and bustle of Soho and the exhausting entertainments of Covent Garden is a little oasis of calm. Phoenix Gardens are the ideal place to take a picnic (or just a coffee or book) and relax for a while.