This Red Cross Shop is hidden off the King's Road and hidden is truly the operative word. I've…read morevisited 3-4 times over the past couple of years and the things that you can find here never ceases to amaze me. There are actually two shops - a clothing store and a "everything else" store (you know, books, CDs, ornaments etc). Being a girl, I tend to be in the clothing store more often than not. It's generally quite quiet in the store and the staff are really friendly, sharing stories of people who have brought stuff in and generally having a chat with you, which is nice. I've had some great finds too - but you have to be prepared to rummage around. I've bought a few coats and one really nice Shanghai Tang dress, which I was super pleased with! If you like a bargain, then the Red Cross Shop is for you. From time-to-time, they also seem to have half price sales on the clothes, which is nice too. And you leave the store with a feel-good feeling - you are reusing something that somebody else didn't want, you can gift-aid your purchase so that the Red Cross gets the tax back, and a donation goes to the Red Cross too. It's nice to come here, even if it's just for a browse.

Great museum, always has at least one interesting temporary exhibit on, and has other things that…read morewill appeal to a variety of tastes. I personally love the fashion exhibits, but there are also many artefacts, sculptures, artworks, etc from many different periods. On Fridays it is open late- the exhibitions, the cafe and the shop. The shop has lovely gifts and things, bith related to the temporary exhibitions and from local producers (sculpturers, artists, designers, etc.) Would definitely rcommend a few hours in the V&A to any London visitors!

Looooved it! I was there three times and I haven't seen all yet :) There is something for every…read moretaste and you will never get bored. I especially enjoyed the latest interactive exhibition "Decode: Digital Design Sensations". Great fun for whole family ;)

In a beautiful building overlooking The Mall and St James lies the home of British Science. For 350…read moreyears a society of esteemed scientists have been meeting to share visions and learn from one another and you can visit their prestigous address to learn from them too. So...does this society have anyone you've ever heard of? Hooke, Newton, Pepys, Wren, Darwin, Huxley, Faraday, Babbage... Basically all the minds that shaped the path our country and world have taken... the minds behind the engineers of the industrial revolution. And right now The Royal Society is funding research, meetings and outreach to shape the 21st and 22nd centuries too. You can't join without first being nominated as like one of the best scientists ever or something. But you CAN visit the society for wonderful public talks, presentations from young scientists from around the country and for historical exhibitions in the disgustingly gorgeous libary. Have a look on their website for event schedules. I know I'm a geeky scientist, but trust me... I've only ever enjoyed my visits and so will you. Last time it was a Bill Bryson talk about his books, followed by getting pissed in the ICA bar below (although that wasn't with him).

One of the hidden germs behind the Mall, beyond the highness, lies the society of science, a…read moreFellowship of the world's most eminent scientists and the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. The Kohn Centre in the Society recently hosted a talk with Douglas Melton, the Head of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. The set up matched perfectly with the event, from the reception hall exhibition to the paintings on the Centre Walls. This led me to explore the venue hires... Surprisingly such a luxurious place, with 1500 fellows including 70+ Nobel Laureates, it has a modest cost for public venue hire, esp. those with charity status, compared with those of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Although a membership only working place, the Society opens to public with limited guided tours and a serious of interesting public lectures. These are the last days of the Exhibition: "The Royal Society: 350 Years of Science" featuring a number of treasures from the Royal Society's extensive collections of archives, rare books, artefacts, and portraits. I particularly liked the women scientists section. It is a fortune that the society offers library facilities (70,000+titles) free to public (registration required) and the reading rooms have wireless internet. Imagine one works there with full inspiration from the greatest minds :-) "To expand the frontiers of knowledge by championing the development and use of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet." (RS' Mission)