Day Out

I live in Oxford, but my ideal day out would actually be to go to London, where I used to live until a few years ago. It would be a sort of nostalgia trip, taking in Hammersmith and Kensington. However before getting on the coach I'd go to Brown's (0865 511995) to read the papers and have a proper English breakfast.

The first thing I would do on arriving in London is walk across Hyde Park, which I used to do a lot. After a couple of hours or so I'd end up in a pub called The Britannia, on Allen Street off Kensington High Street, W8. It's the only pub I can think of which doesn't have a juke box or any sort of piped music. It's just beer and talk. I'd probably meet a mate and we'd swop our favourite dole office stories. Then I'd wander round Waterstone's and feel obliged to buy a couple of historical text books, because I read history at university. These would miraculously end up on the shelf at home, never to be read.

I'd go to Light of Nepal, Indian restaurant, King Street, Hammersmith, W6 (081-741 2057) for lunch, before going to see my old flat near Brook Green. It's not a particularly lovely area, but it's going back over old territory. The last thing before getting the coach back would be to go to a restaurant called Ernesto's (071-602 2758) Blythe Road, W14 nearby. It's a very quiet, reasonably priced Italian place.

If I were tied to Oxford, that wouldn't be a bad thing because it is well served by pubs. The White Horse, a great old pub off Broad Street, is my favourite. Get there early because it's very crowded by one o'clock. For a romantic meal I'd recommend the Cherwell Boathouse (0865 52746). The pace of life in Oxford is much slower than London and, apart from the Inspector Morse trail, really quite pleasant.

John Benfield plays Prison Officer Barker in 'In the Name of the Father'