We challenge our contributors to reply to ten devilishly probing questions about their London and we don’t take “Sorry Gov” for an answer. Everyone sitting in the hot seat they will face the same questions ranging from their favourite way to spend a day out in the capital to their most hated building on London’s skyline to find out what Londoners think about their city. The questions are the same but the answers vary wildly.

My name is Paul Williams and I have been a London Taxi Driver since 2010. While working as a postman at Twickenham I became aware of the knowledge test taxi drivers have to pass. I couldn’t think of anything better than learning the whole of London and then getting to work there every day, so I embarked on 3 and a half years of blood, sweat and tears. In 2016 I became a qualified Taxi guide through the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers educational branch and started my own company, Cabital City Tours London. Now I don’t just drive people around, I also get to tell them everything about the best city in the world.

What’s your secret London tip?

Don’t follow the crowds. Everyone heads for the same attractions. The London Eye, Madam Tussauds, The London Dungeons. So many things are free in London. Speak to the Londoners. Where do they visit, eat, drink?

What’s your secret London place?

Pickering Place, just off St. James’s Street. It’s a completely unspoilt Georgian Square. Every group I take there on a tour always gasp in wonder. It’s like being transported back 300 years.

What’s your biggest gripe about London?

Prices. Just because you are in the centre of a city, why should a pint of beer be £4 more than anywhere else? I feel sorry for the businesses as their rates must be extortionate.

What’s your favourite building?

St. Paul’s Cathedral. You get teased by the dome from so many different angles, but once up close it completely overwhelms me. How it survived the Luftwaffe is a miracle.

What’s your most hated building?

The GuomanTower Hotel. Brutalism at its finest. How that was allowed to be built next to Tower Bridge baffles me.

What’s the best view in London?

It has to be Waterloo Bridge. The bend in the river gives you an unrivalled panoramic of the city. The London Eye, Big Ben one way. The futuristic city and St. Paul’s the other.

What’s your personal London landmark?

Waterloo Station. The number of times I’ve pulled into that station from the suburbs of west London, the gateway to paradise. As a kid, my mate Liam and I would have no plan and just explore. You feel like you are alive once you step out of the station.

What’s London’s best film, book or documentary?

I love the Sherlock Holmes movies, series and books. Especially the more recent Benedict Cumberbatch interpretation. I’m constantly pausing them and trying to work out which location they are using.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

The Regency Café. If you want a proper London eating experience with great food, this is the place to go. The way it works is mind-boggling. There is always a queue but also a place to sit. I treat myself at least once a month.

How would you spend your ideal day off in London?

I wouldn’t have a plan. I would just turn up and let the city lead me. I’m so used to following an itinerary when delivering tours. I would probably start at the Regency Café and then get lost.