Visitors usually have an image of London as conservative, reserved, tidy and well-ordered. It isn't. What is historically preserved, for example, is not always the grand. On the contrary it includes 'primitive huts' such as these London cab-driver shelters constructed around London's streets at the end of the C19th. They where meant to be no larger than a horse and cart, but could be located in all kinds of location without planning permission, providing sustencance, shelter and comradeship for the cabiies. Only 13 of these remain (adding to the traditional red post boxes and telephone kiosks).

if the areas to the west of the centre of London – comprising the West End, Holborn and the City – typify London's wealth, then the areas to the east typify its relative impoverishment. But cultural richness is not so simply defined and it is in areas such as Hoxton, Spitalfields and Whitechapel (as well areas further east) that one finds kinds of architectural creativity that are hardly imaginable in the west of London. This instamce is Village Underground – a mix of warehouse, containers and old underground train carriages just north of Broadgate, where bankers make their millions.

Architectural endeavour comes in all kinds of guises, such as public monuments and art. Here are two recent meorials designed by architects in one of the largest of London's parks: one to Lady Diana and the other to the 52 people who died from terrorist bombs in July 2005. Other such objects and places of interest range from street alterations in Kensington and at Old Street, to older examples such as the Prince Albert memorial and recent works by Thomas Hetherwick. These draw attention to the art of streets and other public places, contrasting with buildings themselves. In addition, such places feature as a part of London's current 'Better Green and Water Places', including: the Thames Barrier Park; Rainham Marshes; Potters Fields; the South Bank and a list of others that will be completed in the next few years (especially for the 2012 Oylmpics).

The outstanding examples of attempts to create significant urban places and spaces include: the Barbican; the South Bank; the Economist group; Broadgate; Canary Wharf; Regents Place; Paddington Basin; St Pancras and Kings Cross; Paternoster Square; and More London. The model for some of these is the typical Georgian square; for others such as the Economist group is more picturesque and ancient models. In addition there is an on-going programme of up-grading smaller places, such as the current 'Better Streets' programme that includes: Acton Twon Square; Old Street; Kensingon High Street; Oxford Circus; Barking town centre, and others.

Denys Lasdun was one of the finest of post-war London architects, a man responsible for the National Theatre on the Southbank (whcih prince Charles likened to a nuclear power station!). He came on the scene with a block of private (and expensive) maisonettes just of St James' (the first of this type after WWII, just opposite a fine work by Peter & Alison Smithson), later doing something similar in the public sector in the east end, at Keeling House and Sutcliff House.

Strictly by Underground: a tour to what is near London Underground stations, enjoying some of the stations themselves. Pop up here and there and enjoy what we find! Do you like Piranesi? Then you have visit the Jubilee Line at Westminster. Fancy dropping into a bangladeshi community and seeing theri recent library by Adjaye? Then go to Whitechapel. (Where there is also the Whitechapel Gallery.) Interested in the Olympics stie? Then it's off to Stratford. Wren? Then to St Paul's. The Gherkin? Then to Bank .... Take one of these tours and suprise yourself – all you need is the ticket.

London is a suitable place to compare and contrast how its museums and galleries have recently made modern additions and alterations. These institutions include: the Tate Britain (changes and additions by John Miller and Jim Stirling); the Royal Academy (Norman Foster); the British Museum (Norman Foster); the Kensington Museums, especially the V&A; the Tate Modern (Herzog & de Mueron); the Wallace Collection (Rick Mather); the Brunei Gallery (Nicholas Hare); the Wellcome Trust (Michael Hopkins); the National Maritme Museum (Rick Mather); the Dulwich Picture Gallery (Rick Mather); the Horniman Museum (Allies & Morrison); Camden Arts Centre (Tony Fretton); the Gagosian Gallery (Caruso St John); Victoria Miro Gallery (Trevor Horne); INIVA (David Adjaye); White Cube gallery (Mike Rundell); he Whitechapel (Robbrecht en Daem); the Saatchi Gallery (AHMM), and other .... Some of these comparisons are especially interesting – for example between the Sackler Galleries and the Great Court at the British Museum ... or the three examples by Rick Mather. Our tour wil make a slection of these depending time available, transport and what is going on.