West London Wonder: Strawberry Hill House & Garden

I love exploring London but one thing I'm not nearly doing enough off is going beyond zone three to discover the wonderful things the outskirts of the city have to offer. Especially West London is an area I don't tend to venture to much as the journey from my North London home can be on the longer side. However, there are many awesome places to discover, which have been handily combined into the West London Wonders trail. The first one I got to experience recently is Gothic Revival castle Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham.

A Local's Guide to London on a Budget

London is often perceived as an expensive city by tourists and locals alike. But having lived in the English capital for 8 years almost to the day (oh my god, where has the time gone?!) I can tell you that while on the surface some things may seems unreasonably expensive (and one thing that REALLY is are the rent and house prices, yikes), there are plenty of ways to enjoy all the great art, culture, food and drink London has to offer on a budget too. Whether you love to stroll through a museum, enjoy a quirky pop-up, are a die-hard foodie or you're a bit stagey, you'll find something in this guide by a local filled with top tips and experiences on how to enjoy London on a budget!

London in Spring: The Columbia Road Flower Market

We may have had snow in London as recent as this past weekend, but meteorologically speaking spring has already started. Sure, we tend to go by the astronomical calendar but even then it's only another few days until the season of daffodils and blossoms kicks off. With the unseasonably cold weather recently it's been even harder than normal to find spring in London (Wisteria Hysteria is a little while off yet), but there is one London staple that you can visit all year around and looks particularly delightful in spring: The Columbia Road Flower Market.

How to Spend a Rainy Day at London Zoo

London Zoo is the perfect summer holiday outing, strolling through the park with an ice cream in hand with friends or family while admiring the exotic animals is pretty idyllic. But what if it rains all day and some of the animals are in hiding? When we went for a visit last week it was the one miserable day sandwiched between 28 degrees summery ones, but that didn't stop us from exploring London Zoo and making the most of it; we just had to be a bit creative (and no, this didn't include a swim with the penguins, though by the end of the day we did slightly look like we had done just that...).

A Photo Tour of Colourful Notting Hill

Notting Hill is an iconic part of London. Being the star of a film by the same name and the location of the annual Carnival as well as the famous Portobello Road Market, it's a wonderful area to wander into and explore without having a destination in mind. It's vibrant neighbourhood filled with eclectic shops and a ton of independent places to pick up drinks and snacks to keep you going, making it the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon. And with its pastel houses, eye-catching street art and flower-covered pubs, it's also very photogenic as the colours pop around every corner.

Candy Crush Board Game Café Pop Up

One of the things I love about London is that there is always something new and exciting to explore, whether it be a new theatre show, festival, exhibition or a discovery of the food variety. Particularly fun to check out are temporary pop-ups, usually trials for a concept or shop that only run for a few weeks to a few months. Though sometimes you have to be especially quick to not miss out as a pop up can last for only a few days! That was the case with the Candy Crush Board Game Café earlier this month, which was four floors of candy-coloured gaming fun on Greek Street in Soho that was open for just two days – and we of course had to check it out.

A Photo Tour of Wisteria Hysteria in London

If you follow any London-based Instagram accounts you can't have missed the wisteria hysteria sweeping across everyone's photos. This gorgeous purple rain cascading along the walls in mostly West London, not only leaves a gorgeous fragrance in its wake but it also looks incredible pretty (especially when a picture-perfect pastel-pink door peeks through the flowers). The wisteria season is unfortunately almost over already, but if you didn't have time to check it out for yourself don't despair, I spent a sunny Sunday wandering through the Kensington and Notting Hill areas, capturing some of the best #wisteriahysteria moments for you to enjoy.

Top 5 Places in London for Pokémon GO

Are you tired of seeing nothing but Pidgeys, Drowzees and Rattatatas (an eerily realistic depiction of the animals, and drunks, found 'in the wild' in London) on your Pokémon GO sightings? There are some great places in the city to find the much-coveted starter Pokémon, evolutions, an abundance of Magikarp so you have plenty to grind up and get a Gyarados, and even a location that spawns Pikachus like clockwork. I've spent the last few weekends exploring London through my Pokémon GO app and am sharing my best finds with you below.

Christmas in London: The best of the South Bank festive markets

There are many iconic things to do in London at Christmas time, including ice skating at the Natural History Museum and Somerset House, a trip down to Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, a visit to the Ideal Home Show at Christmas and admiring the festive window displays on Oxford Street.

One of the areas in London that easily get overlooked, though it's just a short walk away from the West End, is the South Bank. This year is a particular cracker with not only the South Bank Winter Market being bigger than ever before, but also the additions of the London Bridge Christmas Market and the Christmas Market at the Tate Modern.

So let me take you on a stroll along the Thames' South Bank, pointing out some great spots for food and retail shopping this festive season!