It’s all too easy to live in London and never appreciate the breadth and scope of cultural activities that can be done here. Which is precisely why I always welcome an enlightening day with my mum and stepdad, being shown around parts of this city I call home that I might otherwise never have explored. Today’s highlights were a guided tour through the history of painting at the National Gallery (which also included a delightful lunch of cheese and wine), a matinee at the British Film Institute on the South Bank (1960s film Nothing But a Man) and dinner at the Oxford and Cambridge Club on Pall Mall, where my stepdad is a member. I always feel a little out of place there, but nonetheless love the atmosphere and splendour, in particular the stunning dining room with its old school charm and chandeliers. After dinner we had a night cap at the Archduke jazz bar in Waterloo before heading home for an episode of Breaking Bad (we’re now up to season three and it breaks my heart to think that soon we’ll be completely up to date and will have watched them all). I even managed to add another 500 words to my NaNo novel this morning before venturing out – admittedly I haven’t achieved my word count for today but I’m not worried, the story’s going great guns so far and tomorrow is a brand new day with lots of opportunity to catch up. Anyway, in short it’s been a great and inspiring day, spent with the people I love most in the whole world. I’m a very lucky girl.