My London: Lynda La Plante

Where do you live and why? I live in Kingston because it's close to my favourite place, Richmond Park. I take walks there every day.

Do you have a local restaurant? No, but I go to The Ivy a lot. The salmon fish cakes are delicious.

What keeps you awake at night? My plots.

What's your earliest memory of London? Going to audition for RADA when I was just 15. There were so many people and we all had to wait in an anteroom before doing our pieces on stage. I'd never been on stage before so you can imagine how frightened I was. It was terrifying.

What's the most beautiful London landmark? It's got to be St Paul's. No matter what you build around it, you can't detract from its beauty.

And the ugliest? The Dome. It's an absolute atrocity. I think it should be made into a young offenders' institute.

What's the last play you saw in London? Did you enjoy it? I went to see my friend Lynda Bellingham in Marry Me, You Idiot, at Jermyn Street Theatre. I loved it, she's brilliant.

When and where did you last get drunk? Last night, actually. The Queen gave this wonderful party at Burlington House. I had one too many glasses of champagne. There were hundreds of people there. In fact, everyone was drunk.

Where is the most intimidating place in London? Soho. From 10.30pm through till 12 o'clock at night it's a Mecca for junkies. It can feel like a very inhospitable place. There's been a rape in broad daylight on Wardour Street, by my offices.

What don't you leave London without? My wallet.

What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done? I once posed as a prostitute in LA to research for a script I was writing. They have what's called a 'choosing room' where the girls are picked out and I was made to strip down to my underwear. I'd never done it before and it was very nerve-racking.

What's the one thing you've done in London that you've never told anyone before? I was in the Groucho, and I'd ordered a steak and kidney pie. The crust was a bit tough, so I stuck the knife in, lifted it up and it flew straight into this woman's handbag on the table next to me. She didn't find it until she left, thankfully.

When did you last blow £2,000 and what was it on? A return flight to New York on Concorde. I was having some work done to my house in the Hamptons and only had 24 hours to get there and back because I was filming.

What's the first piece of advice you'd give a London tourist? Keep your hands tightly on your bag.

What was the last conversation you had with a London cabbie? A cabbie turned to me and said, 'I know exactly who you are, you're a writer, aren't you? I think Band of Gold is the best thing I've seen on TV.' I didn't write it, but I said thank you anyway.

If you were invisible for a day, where would you go? The Queen's chamber at Buckingham Palace. I would have liked to have been there while she was getting ready for the big jubilee celebrations.

Give us your best tip for overcoming depression. It's the simplest thing, really. Go and walk in one of London's many parks. Preferably as early in the day as possible. The clarity at dawn is just so beautiful. It clears the mind.

What do you miss most when you're out of London? My two dogs, Bates and Minny the Moocher. Minny is a poodle and Bates is a Great Dane - he's named after my granny's butler.

Name a song that you associate with London. 'My Old Dutch'. It reminds me of the Pearly King and Queen.

Which shop could you not live without? Asda. I'm obsessed by its bras - they're the best in London.

Have you ever been refused entry anywhere? I was refused entry to Broadmoor Prison once when I was doing some research for the series The Governor.

What's the most expensive meal you've had in London and who did you eat with? One of the most expensive and most delicious meals I've had was at Claridge's with Cilla Black and Pat Booth. We ate shank of lamb with lots of champagne. Luckily, Pat picked up the tab. Funnily enough, the Prime Minister was in the kitchen celebrating his birthday so we all wished him well.

What's your favourite meal to cook at home? Oven chips and steak and kidney pie. My local butcher does a great steak and kidney pie.

What is your favourite view? The best view in the whole of London is from the press office at New Scotland Yard in Westminster.

Where in London would you have your ashes scattered? Richmond Park. Just not by the gates where the dogs pee.

If your house were on fire, which three things would you rescue? My two dogs, and I suppose I'd have to go back for my elderly mother.

Lynda La Plante's new book, Royal Flush (Macmillan, £16.99), has just been published and her latest TV drama, Trial & Retribution V, is on ITV this month