Emma Finamore

What’s the deal with Peckham?The beating heart of Peckham – home to Del Boy, road rap hero Giggs, national acting treasures Olivia Colman and John Boyega, and a much-photographed pink staircase – is Rye Lane. It’s a throng of colours as stalls sell fruit, veg, clothes, handbags and trainers, jumbled up with the smells of saltfish and raw meat. Walk past the kiosks playing Nigerian pop and the Chinese supermarket inexplicably blasting dance bangers and you’ll reach the Rye: a sprawling patch of green that stretches all the way to East Dulwich. But Peckham isn’t all about Rye Lane’s rickety shopfronts, crowded arcades and creative endeavours in looming warehouses. The side streets are leafy and low-rise, with cast-iron bollards by artist Antony Gormley. The railway arches house mechanics, breweries, bars, a tattooist and even a foundry. To the east, the streets around Queen’s Road station have started sprouting bars and cafés. And past the landmark library you’ll find shockingly good Filipino restaurant Filishack just round the corner from M Manze Eel & Pie House, where you’ll still see the Pearly King of Peckham tucking in to his lunch. If you only do one thingDrop in to The Prince of Peckham pub. It’s a great community boozer where you’ll find all walks of Peckham life and incredible Caribbean-British fusion food. Go off the beaten trackDon’t walk past Rye Lane’s many arcades and alleyways. Shop for fruit and secondhand books down the passage opposite the station; hit Holdr

Most of us barely register the tube trains or stations we pass through every day, but for London photographer (and former graffiti artist) Harry F Conway, these are spaces of social significance and beauty. As a life-long north-west Londoner, the Bakerloo line has a special place in his heart as a portal to the city – almost a second home. But as Harry’s Kensal Green neighbourhood started gentrifying, he felt the line was changing too – from the seat upholstery to the passengers. So he started taking photos. We asked Harry to pick four images from his new book ‘Bakerloo’ and explain how he came to capture these subterranean moments of London life. Photograph: Harry F Conway ⬆ ‘Greg Cosens is famous in London as “the tube punk” – you can catch him vaping outside Oxford Circus (where he works on the Underground) most weekdays.’ ⬆ ‘Chris was hesitant to let me take his picture. But eventually he said, “Do you want a real photo?” and pulled back his bandanna to expose this huge tattoo.’ ⬆ ‘One day, Noel Gallagher sat down opposite me. I think he thought I was an Oasis fan, misunderstanding me in the noisy tube. But he was really chilled – we just chatted about football.’ ⬆ ‘I spotted this gentleman at Kensal Green, on his way to the cemetery in his best suit. The flower in his jacket caught my eye and he told me he was an accountant. I gave him directions, before snapping a few more frames inside the ticket hall.’ ⬆ ‘Just before the doors shut, I saw an old geezer on the p

Tens of thousands of Londoners head to Notting Hill Carnival every year to be wowed by its sights and soundsystems. But how much work does it take to be part of one of its iconic troupes or ‘bands’ of masquerade dancers? We asked a London masquerade troupe what it’s like behind the scenes and sequins. RECOMMENDED: read our full Notting Hill Carnival guide Azaria, Makesha and Simone Gairy-Newbolt and their childhood friend Barbie Munro have all been Carnival regulars since childhood. Now they run the Trinity Design Collective, combining their love of costume and colour with a deep connection to their Caribbean roots by putting together a Carnival troupe every year. Here’s how they do it. Many thanks to The Tabernacle, a Carnival Village venue.