Every neighbourhood needs a restaurant like Ida. Small and family run, with white tablecloths and handmade pasta and gnocchi – it truly is a local gem. Book in for a sunlit lunch, or intimate dinner, and choose from their fuss-free, seasonal menu, which is largely recipes from the owner’s mother, Ida.

The Jacksons, co-founded in 1998 by costume designer Louise Jackson and her sister Joey Jackson, have a boutique on All Saints Road in Notting Hill stocked with accessories and clothing from across the globe. Best known for their sustainable jute woven bags, these totes are made with artisans in Bangladesh who they pay directly, giving them independence through employment. They began working with 100 women and now employ over 1,500 people year round, with a further 4,000 being offered work opportunities.

Fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, known for her bold prints and forward thinking approach, showed her A/W collection at the magnificent Pillar Hall in October 1980. Her show celebrated individuality and cultural diversity in the 80s, with pieces that merged ethnic influences with contemporary style.

Image from Trinity Mirror

Here are three west London restaurants for you to try.

Believe the Hype – Crisp Pizza, Hammersmith

People love this pizza! Straight out of a pub in W6, Crisp is open Wed – Sunday (check times), and takes ‘dough reservations’ – it’s that good – by phone or text (+44 7515 930 582). They have thin and crispy, and also sometimes thicker pizza pies, all with fresh ingredients, served at a pub, with walk-in seats only.

New – Vori Breakfast, Holland Park

Taking inspiration from the Greek island Andros, Vori’s new breakfast features Kataifi pastry with wild thyme honey and pistachio, grilled wild boar sausages, homemade spanakopita, and, of course, Greek yogurt with walnuts and cinnamon.

Constantly referred to as one of the best yoga studios and communities in London, The Life Centre, a converted chapel close to Notting Hill Gate, has yoga and pilates classes, workshops, and numerous different therapies, like acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, and physio. They have two light-filled studios, treatment rooms, a wellbeing shop, and an intro offer of 30 classes over 30 days for £55.

If you haven’t heard, Bayswater is changing. Gone is the Whiteley’s shopping centre, and incoming is a Six Senses hotel and spa, complete with a social and wellness club that they claim will be quite pioneering. They will also have a bar/lounge, restaurant, coworking spaces, meeting rooms and an extensive wellbeing offering. Additionally, there will be a new Everyman Cinema – they are saying the grandest one yet – in Whiteley’s, along with several new restaurants. And around the corner, Jeremy King (ex-Wolseley) is back with a new grande dame, The Park, opening just opposite Kensington Park Gardens. If there’s one thing that looks certain, prices in Bayswater will definitely be on the rise.

Two new(ish) local hotels for your radar. The Locke hotels have opened Ember Locke in Kensington. Rooms are design led, many with small kitchens and banquettes; and for central London, the rates are quite reasonable, too. The Inhabit Hotel in Bayswater encourages you to make wellbeing a priority and now has three new wellness experiences at their spa, as well as yoga, reiki, and sound healing.

Like cartoons? With over 6,000 original cartoons and comics, and a library of 8,000 comics and books, rotating exhibitions and events, The Cartoon Museum is good for anyone at any age who likes hand-drawn animation. On until 16 April 2024 is an exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of the classic Aardman Animations film, The Wrong Trousers. Also, if  you want to give back to the arts and have time, volunteers are essential to the running of the museum, so do get in touch.

Did you know that Bayswater has a little pocket of amazingly authentic Malaysian restaurants? Warung Putera Puteri is a small Malaysian café by the Mallay Fellas, only steps from the Bayswater tube station. Almost next door is the atmospheric Med Salleh Kopitiam in the Berjaya Eden Park Hotel – here you’ll find kitsch knick knacks, snacks, and Malaysian street food. Normah’s in Queensway, run by Normah, is legendary, and she’s just re-opened her small spot after a refurb. We encourage you to read her story, which is a reminder of how preparing food and eating together bonds us. A bit further, on 179 Queensway, is the larger sibling to Warung Putera Puteri, called Putera Puteri. Here you’ll find a similar menu, but a larger restaurant with outdoor seating.

If you have energy and positive thinking, and want to make a difference in a child’s life, apply to become a mentor at the Volunteer Centre of Kensington and Chelsea. Children are between 8 and 11 years old, and your support will help them prepare for secondary school. The Centre is especially looking for men to apply.

Image from @sigmund

Is there anywhere better than London in the autumn? We’d argue no, especially when the weather behaves. Here are five west London events for your calendar this autumn.