Around Town

Skint mate from college | Grandparents | Teenage relative | Party animal | Friend with kids | Mum and dad | Long-distance lover | Seen-it-all-before cynic

Mum and dad
Walk
At morning stroll across Hampstead Heath will give them a good taste of London’s greenery, with a visit to Kenwood House (Hampstead Lane, NW3) – particularly the magnificent library in the east wing, designed by Robert Admas. Poet John Keats’s house is nearby too in Keats Grove.

Lunch
For quality British and French bistro fare take them to Gun (27 Coldharbour, Isle of Dogs, E14), Time Out’s best gastropub of 2005. After a solid lunch with views across the river, you can nip through Greenwich Foot Tunnel to the park, and the National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, SE10). Alternatively, you could introduce them through the delights of Borough Market (Borough High Street, SE1).

Landmark
How about a walking tour such as those arranged by Original London Walks (www.walks.com)? Their tours cover a cornocupia of interests, from Mayfair to Greenwich, Sherlock Holmes to old Jewish London. Alternatively, try any of these.

Shop
Park them over in Chelsea in Duke of York Square. If they’re tired they can have a nice sit down in the leafy square, mum can get her hair done at Richard Ward (82, Duke of York Square, SW3), dad can browse the menswear shops and you can run off down Kings Road.
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Bar
The under-rated pubs of St James’s: Golden Lion (25 King St, SW1) and two Red Lions (23 Crown Passage and 2 Duke of York St, SW1) are some of the best, smartest and most historic boozers in London.

Evening
There are regular free classical concerts and organ recitals at the Barbican and at various churches round town (St Dominic’s Priory, Southampton Rd, NW5; St Luke’s, 161 Old Street, EC1). Check listings for details. Or if they’d prefer something slightly more modern, on Sundays 7.30-11pm you can see up and coming artisits at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s (47 Frith Street, 08700 600 100).

Skint mate from college | Grandparents | Teenage relative | Party animal | Friend with kids | Mum and dad | Long-distance lover | Seen-it-all-before cynic