The Outer London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in East London was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. Voted one of the worst places to live in the UK in a 2015 survey of resident satisfaction, it has a long way to go, but improvements are continuous.

Population: 212K

Area: 36 km2

Interesting places:

• The Broadway Theatre - famous of its traditional East End variety shows, featuring top acts, tea dances and amateurs.
• The Becontree estate - was the largest council housing estate in the world at the time (built in 1921).
• Barking Abbey - the ruined Anglo-Saxon Abbey was built in 666AD.

Cushion styles

Barking and Dagenham cushion styles are casual, clean and warm.