The Gilbert and George guide to London life

They are East End legends, and two of the capital’s greatest living artists — here they share their favourite spots from pubs to galleries to palaces

- PED MILLICHAMP

1) The East End Gilbert: London is the place for artists, and especially east London. We have lived and worked in here since 1968 and at the time there was huge excitement in the area. The Whitechapel Gallery, in particular, was very important at that time. World famous. Now there are so many other galleries as well. The East End is still full of artists, and it’s still the centre of London art.

George: Here in London we’ve felt like we were in the middle of the world.

2) Spitalfields George: The first thing you find out when you arrive in London, is where is the cheapest place? And the cheapest place when we arrived was Spitalfields.

Gilbert: It’s been an amazing journey for us to make this crazy art and go out in the world from here. We’ve done more than 105 big museum shows. It was important that it was cheap, that we were able to live here as artists because we were poor.

George: It’s a historic centre of the world as well. Our street, Fournier Street, is a French-built street on a Roman cemetery. It’s extraordinary, the whole bloody world is here. There are Jewish history tour groups, Huguenot tours, Jack the Ripper tours too, sadly.

3) Westminster George: To us the Palace of Westminster is freedom. So many European visitors come to the Houses of Parliament and think, ‘My God’. Not just because of the building but what it represents. Many see it as this great example of democracy and freedom.