The Diggers Guide To... LONDON, Part 1: Central London (Page Five)

The Diggers' Guide To London, Part 1: Central London

Northern Line tube map for Central London digging route

STOP 5: Old Street

Old Street, Hoxton, Shoreditch and Spitalfields. On the fringes of the East End and the City, these areas were neglected until the last ten years or so. When the Internet bubble was at its peak, many New Media companies moved into these areas and brought cash with them, rejuvenating these old parts of town. There are now plenty of great bars and good nightlife to be had, although sadly the Blue Note on Hoxton Square (the club that kick-started it all) has closed.

Old Street tube station is complex - it sits under a major road junction and has eight exits. Take the exit signposted 'Old Street / Moorfields Eye Hospital'. Walk down Old Street, away from the tube station. In a quarter of a mile, take a left turn into Whitecross Street, where there's a vibrant little old-school market on certain weekdays.

Golden Grooves, 201 Whitecross St, London EC1Y 8QP. 020 7253 4550

Golden Grooves is one of those rare London spots that not too many people, even seasoned London diggers, know about. It's completely off the tourist track in an area of town without any significant sights or landmarks (other than the cemetery at Bunhill Fields!) Allegedly London's only vinyl-only shop, the owner Ricky is a mad Arsenal fan so expect to hear Gooner songs at full volume over the sound system! Prices are completely by-the-book but cash and haggling works wonders. A great selection of all different genres, plus a basement full of 45s. Ask for 45s titles as you can't see them: they're catalogued on the shop computer. Lots of tasty wall items that don't move much - the real heat is in the racks. Lots of obscure finds for good prices.

Street map

Go back to Old Street tube and get on the Northern Line (Bank Branch) and head Southbound one stop to Moorgate.

STOP 6: Moorgate

Get out of Moorgate tube station and look for a huge Marks And Spencers store. Walk towards it and take a right immediately in front of it, then follow this road round until you reach Liverpool Street station in a few hundred yards. Go past Liverpool Street, onto Bishopsgate, then take a left up Bishopsgate then a right after a hundred yards, at the foot of a major banking building. You'll see Spitalfields Market (or rather, what little is left of it) and the Georgian church at the end of the street.

Old Spitalfields Market, London.

Spitalfields Market used to be a huge space which contained many small stalls selling anything from clothes to books to furniture. Sadly, it's too close to the square mile of the City so the money men have knocked three-quarters of it down and will redevelop it into offices. Luckily that leaves a quarter of the original space for records! Plenty of good, cheap vinyl in a great, low-key friendly atmosphere. All the stall holders know Russ the Rustler, one of the original Funk 45 demons. His stall is stocked with amazing goodies from five quid obscurities right up to top-whack funk 45s and northern soul for hundreds of pounds - ask to see the expensive stuff as it's kept in a lock-up elsewhere in the market. You need to be lucky - Russ is there most weekends and some days in the week but not always, so keep your fingers crossed. He's a top bloke and will let you spin as much as you want on his knackered old stereo. There is plenty of other heat on the other stalls, although more of the rock (and on LP) variety. Stalls vary from day to day so have a wander, grab some of the excellent regional food (Thai and Caribbean is particularly good here), buy some of the local organic produce and you could even try the excellent American BBQ grub at the back of the market too.

Street map

Once you're done at the market, head back towards Moorgate tube but stop at Liverpool Street this time. Catch the Central Line tube (red) Westbound to get back to Tottenham Court Road. The Central Line is currently closed so use replacement buses from outside each Central Line tube station instead - your travelcard is valid on these buses.

Come out of the tube and walk to the bottom of the Centrepoint tower to grab that much-needed pint at Point 101, right underneath Centrepoint itself. Good grub and great soul, jazz, reggae and funk on the sound system with DJs like Jazzman Gerald and Russ Dewbury - the perfect end to a perfect day's digging!