A couple of weekends ago, I finally managed to escape my mundane routine and hang out with my friend and her 2-year-old daughter at the Selfie Factory O2. I was excited to check out the quirky interactive pop-up experience that promised to up my Instagram game.

As soon as we walked in, we were transported to a world of vibrant colours and funky decor. It was like stepping into a candy-coloured dreamland. My friend's daughter was in awe, and she was ready to show off her best poses and steal the show.

We started off in the pink replica tube train, which was a bit of a tight squeeze for us adults. But who cares about personal space when you're trying to capture the perfect shot? We all squished in and struck our best poses while my friend's daughter showed us how it's done.

Next up was the doughnut wall, and we were all drooling at the sight of the colourful confections. We grabbed some to pose with, but let's be real, we were more interested in devouring them. The pink supermarket was another favourite, and we pretended to shop for imaginary groceries while posing like fashion models.

My friend's daughter was a natural in front of the camera, and she had her angles down pat. We were all trying to keep up with her and failing miserably. But that didn't stop us from having a blast and snapping ridiculous photos.

3. Gorilla Sanctuary

4. People

5. Food

If you’re into art installations, I would highly recommend seeing the Out of Order sculpture, a work of art by Scottish artist David Mach. The red phone box is an iconic UK symbol so this fun interpretation of 12 phone boxes toppled over like dominoes, is epic.

My friend and I decided to visit when we were in the area to see it for ourselves, to enjoy a photo friendly landscape. Located on old London road in Kingston Upon Thames, this landmark was originally installed in 1989, and refurbished in 2019 to celebrate its 30^th anniversary.

Considering there are only around 7000 of the original red phone boxes left in the UK, this modern art sculpture has become a tourist (not to mention instagrammable) favourite. David Mach, one of the UK’s most successful artist, is known for his large-scale installations and the idea behind this piece was to celebrate the quintessentially British icons, before they become extinct. I remember life before mobile phones when the red phone box was your only window to communicate with friends and have privacy. Nowadays, going into a one would scare me as most of them are filthy and unkept when once upon a time, they were my lifeline.

The fashion branded pop up (previously The Fount), boasts a 14-seat champagne bar within the Selfridges accessories hall, and is inspired by the new FENDI ROMA holiday collection. The Caffe décor displays the powder pink and signature FENDI yellow classic colour palette, along with an exclusive curated menu. The FENDI Caffe menu offers custom cocktails and bites, along with the FF logo branded on ice cubes, champagne flutes, and personalised cappuccinos.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend and I went to the beautiful Dalloway Terrace restaurant for lunch.  I can’t tell you how good it feels to be doing things like this again. Situated at The Bloomsbury Hotel, this indoor-outdoor space is one of London’s best hidden gems, constantly taking you to whimsical worlds with their seasonal installations. I was lucky to see this spring inspired décor with its vibrant floral arrangement in a picture-perfect summer setting.

Though their afternoon tea offering was very tempting, my friend and I decided to have a good hearty lunch. Lunch or dining out in general has become so rare these days, I was not going to miss out on some decent grub. I went for the beer battered seabass fish, chips and tartar sauce with a large glass of wine. I was not disappointed and pleased to say that the food is as good as the ambiance.