Whether it’s business or leisure, we develop our own habits in particular destinations, which means the same Ray’s Pizza in New York, the same pub in Notting Hill, the same Cantonese place in Hong Kong…

British Airways has taken three of the world’s great cities, which are also top destinations in its global network, and pressed a local in each about his or her hometown’s lesser known treasures and 'must-sees', how to spend a perfect twenty-four hours in the cities you’re convinced you know by heart.

Sometimes, when you fold your map and open someone else’s, everything is new.

This week we chat to Harry Edgington, a journalist and author, was born and raised in London and, despite living and working in many parts of the world, still considers it home.

"Twenty-four hours in London? Do the big stuff first, because you must. Take a boat trip along the Thames, from the Tower of London to Westminster, which takes in all the sights of the old city, including the tower itself, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the sweep of the river round to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

Skip the pigeons at Trafalgar Square, doff your cap to Admiral Nelson, and head straight to the National Gallery, the world’s greatest collection of European paintings, including works by da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Titian, Velasquez, Goya, Rembrandt, Monet, Renoir, Turner and Van Gogh.

Too massive an undertaking? Whizz through the National Portrait Gallery. The great and the good of British culture are represented here. It’s free, it takes no time to walk through it, and it’s a feast for the eyes.

Don’t skip Brick Lane in East London. Start with a bagel from the famous 24 hour Bagel Bake Brick Lane Bakery — it’ll keep you going while you walk along this endless street, where you’ll find exquisite silk saris and other unique clothing. There are so many quirky cafés and bars here it’s hard to pick just one, but I especially love the classic Bird Cage pub.

The Bird Cage is popular for its lock-ins and its bizarre décor, which hasn’t changed in decades — thick flock wallpaper galore, true East Ender folk, and umpteen bird cages (yes, with birds in them, but they won’t be singing…). The Lane is also home to more Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants than anywhere else in London.

Explore your expressive side by sashaying through the bohemian centre of Soho — where the gay (in every sense) come to cruise, drink, sip Italian coffee, jaywalk and be risqué. Soho is infamous for its erotica stores and kinky dance venues, and for its mouth-watering delicatessens. Soho has a great buzz — it’s always alive and kicking.

If you’re really addicted to books, there’s no better place than Charing Cross Road — there are more bookshops on this long street than anywhere else in London. First-hand, second-hand, antiquarian, art house, spiritual, graphic novels, crime stores... Charing Cross Road caters to all literary tastes.

Want an insight into the life of children in 19th century London? The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, London's first home for abandoned children and the city’s first public art gallery. It’s in beautiful Bloomsbury, near the British Museum, which displays artefacts from ancient Egypt, from ancient Greece and from the Roman Empire. Unlike the song says, the British Museum never loses its charm…"