On arrival at the rooftop, six floors above Oxford Street, we were greeted by the sight of an emerald green boating lake, complete with small waterfall. We were invited to row across the lake in small boats and were given special crystals to exchange for cocktails.

It was lovely to enjoy this rare view of the rooftops and another random thing to add to the list of surprising things I’ve done in London.

This was the first time since the second World War that the Selfridges’ roof was opened to the public. Before the 1940s, the roof top was a very popular place to visit. It had included a café and even a miniature golf course, but until this recent boating stunt, had been closed to the public.

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On this occasion I was heading to The O2 Brixton Academy. I don’t know the area, and most of the places near the venue seemed to be the usual fast food suspects. 

So imagine my surprise when I discovered Brixton Village. Set in the market, there are food outlets offering a variety of cuisines to fulfil the most discerning palate and, best of all, some of the cafés even allow you to bring your own alcohol. 

On this occasion I visited Elephant Café, which serves authentic Pakistani street food. I choose the Thali, which was really flavoursome and fabulous value for money.

The staff were attentive and provided friendly service, to the degree that you felt that you were visiting their home. I am now just waiting for the next gig in this area so I can return.

On a recent sunny Saturday, I put on my best Sherlock Holmes hat and joined five friends to solve a murder mystery presented to me as”Murder Killed the Radio Star”  courtesy of A Door in a Wall.

The day started at the Vibe Bar in Brick Lane where about 100 people convened to get their briefing, including a list of possible suspects and clues to locations all across London.

This is where the fun started: having pinpointed certain areas to find clues about our suspects, we headed to the city. We covered great mileage including The Barbican, The British Library, The British Museum and Soho to name but a few.

The clues were hidden by ingenious methods of using shops or museums to display pieces of information. We also met with several actors throughout the day who offered gossip for some insights.

After about five hours of running around, with the occasional hop on a bus or tube to save our ailing feet, we returned to Brick Lane to write down our findings and to name our culprit.

We didn’t win, despite identifying the correct suspect, but to be honest after such a great day I don’t think people cared if they had won.

I can’t recommend this enough as this was one of the best days I have spent in London and the bonus was I have  discovered some hidden gems in the city. The company (A Door in a Wall) that organises the event set it up originally for friends but when they realised what fun they all had, they opened it up to anyone.

It takes about three months of preparation to make each day happen, which didn’t surprise me as the level of detail was amazing.  I won’t tell you how much as that might spoil the next event.

I will hopefully be solving the next murder sometime soon. Perhaps I will be Miss Marple next time and perhaps I will see you there. Find out more at www.adoorinawall.com