Laura, first stop Paddington: fresh air in W2, straight off the Heathrow Express

Green eyes first, bright and amused, and then the rest of Laura comes into focus: light brown hair worn long and lightened by summer, a toned, athletic build and 169 cm of energy held nicely in check by a well-cut dress. Her style is breezy, the elegance of a summer garden party, pale linen, a floral print, flat sandals swapped for heels at the very last moment. She looks as though she has just come in from a long walk and would gladly head straight back out with you.

Adventure is her natural setting. Laura rides whenever she gets the chance, skis every winter with more enthusiasm than caution, and talks about Italy with the fondness most people save for old friends, especially the hill towns where lunch lasts until four. She is warm, energetic and properly interested in people, with fluent English and a laugh that carries across a terrace. Tell her about the best trip you ever took and she will ask exactly the questions that make you remember it better.

Her London is the leafy western edge of the centre, around Paddington and Little Venice. She loves an evening that begins at a canalside table at The Summerhouse on Blomfield Road, narrowboats glowing along the water, followed by a stroll past white stucco terraces toward W2 2TY above the park or W2 1EE by the station. On a clear night she may steer you through Lancaster Gate to see the fountains of the Italian Gardens before the park gates close.

Laura is based in Paddington and just as happy meeting guests in Marylebone or Bayswater. The fares are laid out on the rates page, and booking is a single WhatsApp away.