Today we welcome Richard Osley, ‘that guy from the Camden New Journal’, writer of the forthright Richard Osley blog and stalwart of North London life, to undertake our formidable London Grilling.
From current politics to Kentish Town’s Roman baths, cheering on Arsenal at the Emirates to the safety of our city’s cyclists, Richard’s got every angle covered as we aim to extract the juiciest nuggets of London life from a Londoner very much in tune with the city.
1. As deputy editor of the Camden New Journal, what’s your favourite secret spot in Camden?
You will have to change the question from spot to spots. For a bit of time-out, have a sit down in Pond Square or Waterlow Park in Highgate – feed some squirrels, spot some celebs. For something a bit more energetic, visit the beautifully restored Prince of Wales Baths in Kentish Town – there are not many refurbished Victorian baths like that – and the rooftop lido at the Oasis Sports Centre in Holborn. For lunch, Mario’s Cafe in Kentish Town, go here. And of course: don’t forget the view from the top of Primrose Hill.
2. You write a lot about politics, so what changes would you make if you were Mayor of London?
The top priority should be for the Mayor of London to hold developers to account in terms of the amount of affordable housing they build. All too often developers will effectively tell the city through local authorities that the only way a site will be viable for them is if we cut back on the amount of social housing. Do we always believe them? In the sites still available for development in London – not many big ones, now – we should be thinking more wisely about creating the thing we need the most: affordable homes.
Also, I’d make the city safe for cyclists. We are not the only newspaper which has repeatedly reported on serious accidents and sadly deaths on London’s roads. The lingering concern is that the speed of traffic flow has in the past been placed ahead of sensible safety improvements.
Finally, I’d take some of the Olympic tickets reserved for commercial sponsors, advertisers, government people, and assorted hanger-onners and give them to the families who had the least chance of securing tickets through the roulette of a ticketing system. Those who were able to bid the most for tickets had a far greater chance of success. The Olympics shouldn’t just be the preserve of the wealthy. A lot of people who helped pay for the Games are missing out and it patently wasn’t fair.
3. What’s your biggest gripe about London?
People who only care about their local newspaper when they want something and are patronising about them for the rest of the year. You’ll miss them when they’re gone – and those higher up the ‘food chain’, nationals who borrow so heavily from places like the Camden New Journal, the Ham&High, the South London News and so on will be duller as a result.
4. Who are your top five London tweeters?
My long-term colleagues @tomfoot1 and @dannycarrier. One of the first dedicated area tweeters, @whampstead. For south London gear, @darryl1974. And @dawnhfoster, from The Guardian, for rants about the inequalities in our city.
5. Is London the best city in the world?
Almost certainly not, but if you pay for me to visit all the other contenders I can check for you. Truth is, one day you can be in love with London, the days when you are looking across London from Alexandra Palace, or taking a boat down the river to Greenwich, watching Arsenal at the Emirates or seeing tennis at Wimbledon. The next, you can completely detest it, the days when you are squeezed into the rush hour trains and tubes or feel your lungs being choked on Euston Road.
In response to Richard’s thoughts with regards to affordable housing, we wanted to note that there will be 1,379 affordable homes at East Village, as well as 675 new social rented homes, providing much needed high quality affordable housing for the capital in London’s newest neighbourhood.
