Cambewell Grove, south London

Running in a straight line for about a kilometre up hill from inner city Camberwell towards the more genteel suburb of East Dulwich, Camberwell Grove, lined with large mature trees shading distinguished eighteenth century terraces, is one of south London's most atmospheric roads. At the north end, a developer has sympathetically converted a Victorian school into apartments, while also building some imitation Georgian terraces alongside it. Further up the hill, the original four or five-storey Georgian terraces are interrupted by a small modern council estate, but much of the road looks pretty much like it would have done two hundred years ago. Towards the top, the brown bricks and cast iron balconies of the Georgian architecture give way to elegant Regency houses, painted various shades of white and, in some cases, pink. The grandest residences sit on Grove Crescent, a rough private road that curves around a wide grassy border next to the main drag. Camberwell Grove sees a fair bit of traffic, but it is calmed by a series of speed humps and some traffic lights, where the road is supported by a weak bridge over a railway line. Neighbouring Grove Lane also boasts a handsome eighteenth century terrace set well back from the road and partly hidden by very mature front gardens. 7/10

The Canteen, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, central London

An onslaught of clean, modern lines and right angles, this branch of The Canteen, embedded into the back of the modernist Royal Festival Hall, has rows of sturdy wooden tables, mostly flanked by uncomfortable seats or benches with virtually no back to them. There are also tables outside sheltered by large parasols, but the floor-to-ceiling glass windows ensure that the interior is flooded with daylight. At pains to stress the authenticity of The Canteen's free-range ingredients, the menu is made up of unashamedly British fare, covering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Staples include a large leg and thigh of golden roast chicken with a great pile of chips and some garlic mayo (for about a tenner), smoked haddock, spinach and mash (£13) and walnut, tarragon and roast chicken salad (£9.50). The specials might include a modest chicken and mushroom pie, with light fluffy pastry, some delicious creamy mash potato and appetising buttery cabbage, for about a tenner. If you are still hungry, one of the classic deserts, such as treacle tart and cream, will set you back between five and six pounds. Coffees include a good, strong latte. Although service by the young multinational staff can be painfully slow and even forgetful, the fine food is good value and the The Canteen buzzes on a Friday lunchtime. 7/10

Oliver, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, central London

It would be difficult to ask for more from this extravagant all-singing, all-dancing production of Lionel Bart’s adaptation of Charles Dickens' renown novel about the grim underbelly of Victorian London. Together, the cast and orchestra number about 100 and, during the big set piece songs, such as Consider Yourself At Home, the stage is a whirling mass of carefully choreographed activity that will have you trying to watch four cameos at once. Some of the individual performances are also from the top drawer. Two parts humour, one part melancholy, British-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili, who has taken over from Rowan Atkinson, plays Fagin to near perfection. The comic noises Djalili makes in between sentences, his languid dance moves, mimicked by the smallest of his gang of pickpockets, and his rich repertoire of facial expressions will have you chuckling out loud. Another standout is Tamsin Carroll, the "alternative" Nancy, who has a fine voice, gusto and a fluid, convincing acting style. Ross McCormack is full of sparkling energy as the Artful Dodger and Steven Hartley's Sykes is hoarse, but suitably menacing. The standout scenes include a rousing chorus of Oom Pah, Pah amid the drunkeness and debauchery of the ale house and the amusing introduction to Fagin in his intricate, multi-level underground lair, which is a maze of cubby holes, adorned with rows and rows of silk handkerchiefs.

National Express train, London to Newcastle

Book well in advance to get a reasonable price for a return ticket on the fast and busy east coast line from London, up through Peterborough, York and Newcastle, to Edinburgh. Fortunately, your advance booking comes with an automatic seat reservation or you might end up sitting on the floor in the luggage-strewn corridors between carriages. Although there are electric sockets next to most seats and free WiFi on board, the connection is intermittent as the train speeds its way north. The landscape on route is mostly flat and dull, there is no longer an on-board magazine and the drinks, snacks and mediocre sandwiches, available from the buffet car or trolley, are pricey. Still, the train is the fastest and most convenient way to get from central London to Newcastle. 6/10

The Cannon, Earsdon, Tyne & Wear

The Cannon is an old-fashioned, well-kept pub surrounded by stone nineteenth century houses, opposite a distinguished church in the endearing village of Earsdon. Inside, there is maroon upholstery everywhere, while the tables can be cramped and the stools small, so be choosy about where you sit. The walls are lined with prints of very dated paintings of pastoral scenes in ornate gold frames. But what pulls in the dozens of elderly regulars is the keenly-priced food and hand-pulled beers. The real ales include Directors (a fine, smooth pint) and Pedigree, while there is the usual array of lagers.

Proper mushy peas
Most of the main courses (around six to eight pounds) are served with a choice of chubby chips, decent new potatoes or a jacket potato. On a Saturday lunchtime, the corn-beef hash pie sells out quickly, but the hungry will find the mediocre Highland sausages, served with melted cheese, bacon, proper mushy peas, onion rings and sweet corn, is quite an appetising combination. There are also several different variations on fish, chips and mushy peas. The fish tends to be wrapped in light and relatively-healthy batter, while the flesh inside is succulent. Or you can opt for a large, crisply-cooked baked potato with a prawn mayonnaise topping, a substantial side-serving of tuna, and stacks of fresh salad. There aren't any children's meals and, oddly, the staff insist that you pay in cash straight after your food arrives, rather than when you order. 7/10

Skyride, central London

It only comes around once a year, so it is well worth taking this opportunity to ride past many of central London's most famous landmarks on traffic-free roads. Unfortunately, you'll be joined by tens of thousands of other cyclists on the route from Buckingham Palace along the Mall, which then skirts Trafalgar Square before swooping down Northumberland Avenue to the Victoria Embankment. It is tempting to watch the cruise boats on the river, but you'll need to keep your eyes trained on the kids swerving around in front of you and the human traffic-lights who frequently raise their stop signs to let pedestrians cross the road. A mile or so downstream, the route turns up to St. Paul's Cathedral, before looping through part of the City, where the mass of cyclists thins out a little. You pass an enthusiastic band of drummers as you enter the "noise zone" inside the Upper Thames Street Tunnel where all the cyclists ring their bells and shout - a lot of fun. Then you head to the Tower of London where you do a sharp turn into the return trip directly along the river, making for a 15 kilometer round trip.

Red Lion Inn, Stathern, Leicestershire

On the outside, the Red Lion Inn is an unremarkable pub with pebble-dashed walls painted a slightly garish cream. But on the inside, this is a busy seventeenth century inn with low ceilings, wooden beams and plenty of character, serving decent grub at a leisurely pace. There are several rooms each decorated in country kitchen-style with checked table cloths, checked serviettes tied up with string, flowery cushions and wooden spoons hanging on one of the walls. The extensive a la carte menu lists British dishes sometimes with a twist, such as smoked haddock, bubble and squeak and Welsh rarebit.

Smells and tastes great
On a Sunday, the set lunch (£18.50) is made up of three courses with three choices per course. The starters include a small, but tangy and ultra-fresh salmon terrine, with a crisp salad, spring onions and capers. One of the best mains features chunky slices of fatty, but delicious, beef served with a stilton hollandaise – a lovely combination. It comes with tasty al dente mini-carrots and fine roast potatoes, let down by dry, tough Yorkshire puddings, all doused in gravy. Vegetarians will struggle as even the sea bream is served with salad laced with chorizo. For pudding, the hot apple and blackberry crumble in a white ramakin dish, next to a miniature bowl of tepid, runny custard, served on a wooden board, smells and tastes great. The portions are just big enough to fill you up. On the kids menu (£6.75), is a selection of four dishes, such as battered fish and chips or cheese and tomato pizza. To follow, there is a selection of three deserts, including sticky toffee pudding. Reassuringly, all the kids food is billed as home made, using fresh ingredients. The Red Lion's beers on tap include London Pride and IPA, as well as lager stalwarts, while the young staff are friendly and exceptionally polite. Children can work off their lunch in the large, well-equipped playground in this pretty village with a handful of Georgian buildings. 7/10

Notting Hill Carnival, West London

An enormous Caribbean festival held every August bank holiday in streets lined with beautiful Regency and Georgian mansion blocks, interspersed with arty shops, cafes and the occasional brutal council estate, Notting Hill Carnival is surreal, absorbing and overwhelming. Even on the more laid-back, less-crowded and child-orientated Sunday, this swanky suburb is awash with party animals blowing whistles, swigging beer and inhaling the odd joint. In amongst the gangs of teenagers and twentysomethings, you'll spot groups of bemused tourists, a few families and even the odd haggle of pensioners without their hearing aids. Get to Notting Hill before noon if you want to secure a front-row spot to watch the parade of decorated floats, fantastical costumes, towering puppets, throbbing sound systems and charismatic MCs that edge along the mile-long route, which encloses a grid of streets dotted with scores of sound systems, food stalls and Red Stripe vendors. As the floats pass, the music can be loud enough to make your rib cage vibrate. This memorable, and sometimes magical, parade is marred only by the mundane support lorries and the scarcity of steel bands - the original Carnival soundtrack.