My London: Alan Sugar

How long have you lived there?
For 34 years. I grew up in a council flat in Hackney, then lived in Redbridge for a couple of years.

What advice would you give to a tourist?
Go to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and enjoy the West End, where you can walk from the luxury of Mayfair to Soho and Chinatown.

What have been your most memorable meals?
My most memorable London eating experience was when I was 17 in Topo Gigio in Brewer Street. It's not the glitziest of places but it's the greatest Italian restaurant in England in my opinion. When I first went there the son of the owner used to sit on the stairs as a child. Now he runs the place. If I want to go somewhere a bit more upmarket, then I'd go to Scalini, Momo or Le Caprice. I also like Cipriani. You end up seeing half the Jewish population of London there.

What do you miss when you're out of London?
Not a lot lately. It used to be easy to get into town, but the traffic these days makes it a bloody nightmare. I don't know what this bloomin' Ken Livingstone fellow has done with the C-charge. From my point of view, the journey into town has got worse. I leave home either at 6am or 10am to have the least frustrating journey.

What are your extravagances?
Flying and aeroplanes. I've got four aeroplanes in total.

What is your life philosophy?
Money is not my god. I was interested in making money when I was younger to be self-sufficient. Some people would do anything for money. I wouldn't. Happiness and health are more important.

What were the last books you bought?
I prefer non-fiction. I bought a reference book called Jeppesen's Private Pilot Manual to learn more about meteorology and flight instruments.

What items are in your spring wardrobe? Where did you get them?
A suit from Armani was my most recent purchase. My shirt-maker comes over from Hong Kong every now and again and does me six shirts or so. They end up just sitting in the pile of shirts that I never wear.

Which aftershave do you wear?
I don't shave, so none.

What are your current projects?
My TV show The Apprentice, of course. I'm also always trying to improve as a pilot.

Down memory lane - What is your earliest London memory?
Going to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London with my parents.

Globetrotting - Where were the last three places you went on holiday?
I've got two holiday homes, in Florida and in the south of Spain, but two weeks ago I went skiing in Courchevel in France, taking all the males in the Sugar family - two sons, one son-in-law and three grandsons.

Wheels - How do you get around town?
In my Rolls-Royce. I've got a vintage Bentley that I bought from Elton John. He did me up like a kipper. I paid far too much money for it.

Staying in - What are your favourite home comforts?
I practically read for a living, getting through hundreds of e-mails every day. So all I really want to do when I get in is put on the TV with a glass of J&B. I watch EastEnders, football and Law & Order, which is cleverly made. I like the way they just get on with things.

Dramatic moment - What was the last play you saw in London and did you enjoy it?
It was a play about the Carry On actors called Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick at the National a few years back. I only went to see it because the actress Samantha Spiro, who played Barbara Windsor, is the daughter of a friend. I'm not exactly a regular theatregoer - I go about once every 15 years. Before that, I went to see my friend Tommy Steele in Singin' in the Rain. That shows you how often I go to the theatre.

Black book - Who is in your secret address book?
I do most of my shopping abroad. But my wife shops at dress designer Ricci Burns and I go to Armani on Sloane Street a fair bit. I don't so much rely on those shops as they rely on me.