Filmmakers have long made a beeline for the buzz of London's streets in order to make their movies, and if you're looking to fall in love with them from the comfort of your armchair, then you've come to the right place. Here's our list of must-watch London viewing.
Sherlock
"Anderson, don't talk out loud, you lower the IQ of the whole street"
Nobody knows London better than our Sherlock. He's rather apt to lead you on a wild goose chase , but you'll very much enjoy a snoop round his home at the museum at 221B Baker Street. And if that exhausts you, how about a snack at his favourite haunt, Speedy's Sandwich Bar & Cafe on 187 North Gower St, Camden?
Harry Potter
JK Rowling may have been sitting in a cafe in Edinburgh when the idea for her Harry Potter series came about, but she actually did a lot of her writing from Clapham. It's no wonder so many of the scenes from her wizarding world take inspiration from London's magical streets. It doesn't require a huge leap of the imagination to find oneself transported by Leadenhall Market's glowing alleyways into the wondrous world of Diagon Alley that she creates from it. If you look hard enough, you'll even find the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron at the optician's in Bull's Head Passage.
Paddington
Now, we don't want you to go getting as lost as poor Paddington feels when he first arrives from Peru, alone at the station he is named after with only his suitcase and a label around his neck. But, we do recommend a trip to the colourfully painted Portobello road as featured in the film as well as the beautifully presented Chalcot Crescent on Primrose Hill, where this marmalade-loving bear finds such a loving home along with many more escapades around London with the ever-patient Brown family.
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a delightful place to roam, full of quirky bookstores and coffeeshops, and a market full of antique trinkets and flower stalls to boot. However, if you know your 90's rom-coms well enough, you can explore a number of locations famed for the endearingly awkward exchanges between Hugh Grant's William Thacker (owner of the Travel Book Shop at 142 Portobello Road) and Julia Roberts as American actress Anna Scott. Head to 280 Westbourne Park Road to pinpoint the locations of that all-important blue-door scene, to Rosmead Gardens for the park railings that Anna scaled far more gracefully than William, and if you're feeling fancy - they do also wind up at the Ritz and the Savoy on their adventures!