Lydia and her family live in a beautiful, sun-filled home full of creative touches. Fresh flowers and original Victorian fireplaces sum up some of the contrasts in this wonderful space, where you can enjoy being amongst a real English family whilst also retaining total independance at the top of the house in a gorgeous guest suite. Wifi, TV/DVD and your own kettle with coffee/tea mean you have all the essentials for a cosy night in after exploring London. New Cross also lends itself to socialising, the local bars are full of art students from nearby Goldsmiths college, and hipster east london is just a few tube stops away in Shoreditch. Twenty minutes to all the tourist hotspots, in central London, or a five minute bus ride in the other direction will lead you to the delights of Greenwich, home to the Royal Observatory, London's only Planetarium and the origin of "Universal Time".

British Rail train one stop to London Bridge, or the London Overground tube line which connects easily with the Jubilee line into central London. Ten minutes away from leafy Greenwich, where you can catch a river boat all the way down the Thames and up to Westminster itself.

Gatwick airport extremely accessible with the Gatwick Express train, changing once at Croydon station.