Notting Hill and its surrounding environs of Maida Vale and Ladbroke Grove form an area of London with stark contrasts. Parts are affluent and fashionable with terraces of desirable, large Victorian townhouses populated by young and affluent stereotypical ‘Notting Hillbillies’ and ‘Trustafarians’. However, turn the corner and there are ugly blocks of social housing. This has long been an area with a large immigrant community and past tensions have led to race riots. Thankfully, that appears in the past, replaced by Bohemian charm and the annual Notting Hill Carnival, which takes place in August.

Notting Hill is a great shopping district, with wares that appeal to a wide audience. From old record shops to fashion boutiques and niche bookstores to speciality food and drink purveyors, it really is a special place. As an added bonus, it is also home to the Portobello Road market. Held on Saturdays this is a strange hybrid of vintage clothing, ethnic froufrou, flash antiques and fruit ‘n’ veg stalls.

Notting Hill is one of London’s main pub and bar areas, partly driven by the numbers of wealthy, cool, young things that live there. The scene runs the gambit from old traditional boozers through to world-leading cutting edge cocktail lounge bars.