Douglas Young is managing director of GOD, the lifestyle fittings company. He travels to London at least three times a year. london Time difference: Eight hours behind Hong Kong in winter; seven hours behind during British Summer Time. Visa details: Few restrictions for short visits. Check with the British Consulate (tel: 2901-3000). Peak hours: 7.30 am - 9.30 am; 4.30 pm - 6.30 pm. Shopping hours: Most shops open 9 am - 5 pm from Monday to Saturday, with late closing at 7 pm on Wednesday or Thursday. Many shops now open on Sundays. What's the best way to get there? I go business class on British Airways or Cathay Pacific. The Mileage programme on Cathay is good and I often get upgraded to first class. You must have a favourite hotel? Browns, which is on Albemarle and Dover streets. It's very friendly and convenient - and the smell of bacon and eggs and coffee wafting out of the dining-room in the morning is just delicious. Where do you go to: Put your feet up? The Tate Gallery. Or I just buy a copy of the listings magazine Time Out (fascinating in itself) and leaf through the shows and entertainment on offer. There's a huge range and you can always find something interesting. Grab a snack? I have this thing about Marks & Spencer prawn-cocktail sandwiches. There's usually a special food counter by the door so you can nip in and out quickly. Do last-minute shopping? Zwemmer the art book shop on Charing Cross Road. Let off steam? Definitely the cinema. There is always something good on, not just Hollywood blockbusters but different and unusual films too. How do you get around? Cathay provides a car to meet business class travellers at the airport. Otherwise you can take the tube from Heathrow or there's a train from Gatwick. In London, I use buses, but the taxis are very good. Where's your favourite place for: Breakfast? Browns Hotel. At weekends I like to go to Portobello Road and have a chip butty. Lunch? Mash on Great Portland Street - it's a fun, East-meets-West place, serving sandwiches and noodles. Dinner? The Riverside Cafe in Hammersmith, which has a lovely location by the Thames. It's not the least bit fussy and you can feel the passion in the cooking. The chef comes out of the kitchen to chat with diners. It's hugely popular so you need to make reservations well in advance. How much do you tip: Taxis? I once had a tip thrown back at me as it wasn't enough! London cabbies tend to be fairly strict about their tip, which should be 10 per cent. Bellboys? I usually just give them a fiver (HK$63) at the beginning of my stay. Waiters? 10 per cent or so. Hairdressers? I used to go to Trumpers on Curzon Street, which was inexpensive and ?1 tip was fine. Communications? I use my mobile phone with GSM. E-mail is readily available. What gifts/corporate giveaways do you take? I try to take something from GOD - maybe lacquerware or celadon dinnerware, or something fun like a travelling mahjong set or a teddy bear. I always try to pick something Asian that is not readily available in the West. What do you wear: Suits if you're in finance or something similar, but in my line of business smart-casual is acceptable. I wear the same after hours but I put on a tie if I go to someone's house for dinner. Business etiquette? The British are fairly polite. You shouldn't be too pushy, asking point-blank for sources or something like that. If you are invited to someone's house, flowers always go down well with your hostess. Can you recommend: An unusual sight? Brick Lane Market, which has a tremendous, bustling atmosphere with all sorts of things for sale. Or the Flower Market, in Columbia Road. Both are best first thing on Sunday mornings. A pick-up joint? I'm too old for all that! Stringfellows nightclub near Leicester Square is where the out-of-towners go; Annabels in Berkeley Square is for members only but if you can get in it's worth seeing. How would you sum up doing business in London? It's still the coolest city on the planet.