God's Own Junkyard

Walk into God's Own Junkyard on a Friday night and you're hit with pure neon overload - wall-to-wall vintage signs, glowing tubes, and salvaged advertising relics crammed into an old warehouse in Chingford. It's part gallery, part installation art, entirely mental in the best way. Founder Chris Bracey has spent decades collecting these battered beauties, and they're all switched on. The colours alone are worth the trip: hot pink, electric blue, acid green bouncing off every surface.

This isn't somewhere you'll spend hours contemplating your feelings. You're here for the visual rush, the Instagram moment, maybe to feel nostalgic about kebab shop signs you haven't thought about in twenty years. Kids will go bonkers for the brightness, though younger ones might find it overwhelming. It's genuinely free, which feels impossible given the effort involved in maintaining all those neon tubes.

Open weekends only (Friday to Sunday, though hours are tighter on Sundays), so you'll need to plan accordingly. Give it an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're thorough. The warehouse vibe means it can get a bit warm and cramped when busy, so go early on a Friday if you want breathing room.

If you're staying at Lee Valley Camping and Caravan Park near Edmonton - only 3.5 miles away - this is a proper addition to a park holiday. It's different enough from the usual attractions to break up your week without demanding a massive time commitment.