Completely London

Love a two-wheel tryst
Love cycling in London this summer

If you need an incentive to get on your bike, the Mayor of London’s public bike sharing scheme to get more people cycling round the city has finally got off the ground. For a joining fee, anyone can pick up a bike from one of 400 docking stations around the city, use it (paying a charge based on how long the bike is used for), then return it to a station of their choice. And if you’d rather give the tight neon lycra a wide berth, check out Caz Nicklin’s smart range of Cycle Chic – a collection of clothing, helmets and panniers that cut a more flattering dash. tfl.gov.uk, cyclechic.co.uk

Love furtive flicks
London film-lovers get together in secret

It’s time to become enamoured with a new kind of cinematic experience, and we’re not talking 3D. On the last weekend of every month Secret Cinema invites film lovers to an unknown location to watch a film. Clues are given to the film’s identity through a series of cryptic codes and secret instructions on how to dress. At a recent event members were invited to meet Joey the violin player under a railway bridge before being taken to the venue, where gangsters and their molls mingled with guests and the film ended with a giant real-life custard pie fight. You’ve guessed it – Bugsy Malone. Sign up online, secretcinema.org

Love park life
Meet the woman behind this year’s Love Parks event

London has more than 3,000 leafy green spaces, making it one of the greenest cities in the world… but now your park needs you. Emma Donaldson, who is organising this year’s Love Parks event, explains that although our parks are protected spaces, their maintenance is under threat by continuing budget cuts. She says, ‘We want to raise awareness of the importance of parks and call for continued investment. Open spaces are essential for our personal wellbeing.’ So get involved. There’s a huge programme of fun events to get you loving your London park that little bit more. Love Parks runs from 24 July to 1 August. loveparksweek.org.uk

Property for sale in the Hampstead area
Property for sale in the Hyde Park area
Property for sale in the Blackheath area
Property to rent in the Wandsworth Common area
Property to rent in the Hyde Park area
Property to rent in the Regent’s Park area

Soft on the City
Michelle Mason's London-inspired fabrics and gifts

Product designer Michelle Mason came to London from Yorkshire at 19 to study art, and she loved it so much she stayed. Now she’s captured her favourite city in fabric. Her cushions, tea towels, picnic ware and gifts feature graphic scenes of the Capital – from London at Night to Flower Market, a scene inspired by the famous Columbia Road flower market. ‘The illustrations were inspired by a couple of old postcards of London in the 1960s,’ says Michelle. ‘To this day it holds lots of inspiration for me. I love the parks, the markets and the buzz that comes with a capital city.’ michellemason.co.uk

Knickerbocker Glory
Make your own burlesque underwear

You don’t have to spend a fortune on luxury underwear to introduce a little burlesque into your bedroom – just head over to The Make Lounge, where you can have a go at making your own. Craft a pair of saucy, swirling nipple tassels at one of their unique workshops, using the array of ribbons, crystals, tassels and other trimmings. Or transform your dowdy drawers into a seriously sassy pair of smalls at one of their Fancy Pants classes, where you’ll be taught how to apply appliqué motifs, use Swarovski crystals and other techniques to help lift your lingerie. 020 7609 0275, themakelounge.com

Dearly Beloved
Discover London’s top spots to get married

Get hitched at one of the quirkiest and most quintessentially London venues across the Capital. For the ultimate ‘wow’ factor Ben Shaw, wedding specialist at off-the-wall events company Blue Strawberry, recommends tying the knot on the top floor of London landmark The Gherkin, with its towering views across the City. You can also say ‘I do’ among the dinosaurs of the Natural History Museum, beside classic aeroplanes in the Flight Gallery of the Science Museum, under the watchful eye of the Beefeaters at the Tower of London or simply use the Tower as a backdrop and have a bit of a do on HMS Belfast. bluestrawberry.co.uk