My favourite place to indulge in an afternoon all by myself is Winchmore Hill – a convenient ten-minute drive from my flat and a little haven in the very furthest reaches of North London-slash-Enfield!

First stop is Barker & May, run by super-sweet husband and wife duo, Andrea and Simon. Inside the light and airy shop, you’ll find a treasure trove of vintage, antiques and locally sourced artwork and handmade pieces. Sounds like a lot of places you might find in London, right? Wrong! From the moment you walk in it’s clear this is no junkyard masquerading as a boutique. Andrea and Simon are totally dedicated to sourcing real gems at very affordable prices, quite unlike similar but less soulful shops further into town. You’ll find plenty of pieces to seduce vintage-loving menfolk as well as womenfolk. I almost entirely cleared them out in one fell swoop during a recent Christmas shopping trip!

Once your shopping bags are fuller than you had anticipated, a tiny detour to Treacle’s Tea Shop is a must. It’s just around the corner at 14 The Green and boasts an irresistible array of handmade cakes from local home-bakers – all served up on mismatched vintage crockery. It’s an ideal place to bring friends or grab an hour or two of innermost closeness with your notebook.

Photos courtesy of Barker & May