Meet the Locals

John Stenton BBQ favourite: New season butterflied leg of lamb! 1 leg of lamb, approx 2.25kg (5lb) weight, feeds 6-8 people. For the marinade: 2tbsp chopped fresh rosemary. 2tbsp chopped fresh thyme. Zest 2 lemons. 6 garlic cloves, crushed. 130ml (4½fl oz) olive oil. 3 fresh bay leaves. – Mix…

Some locals have given less-fortunate locals support delivering groceries, taking them to the doctor, cleaning their home, driving them about… Your locals won’t blow their own trumpet so if you see the hound blowing his trumpet it means someone local is making an effort. Curious?

Jo Reynolds talks to local artist Paul Donnellon. When did you move here? 2000. Before, I lived all over London, from Lewisham to Islington to London Bridge, but my wife Diana lived in Hammersmith Grove. I didn’t know people could live in Hammersmith because I thought it was just a…

Andy Nyman (above) talks about acting, writing, directing – and magic. You were born in Leicester in 1966. Are you a football fan? No, but my dad was the dentist for Leicester City Football Club. How long have you lived in the area? I moved here in 1987 and have…

Kate Fishenden & Jonathan Mercer tell Jo Reynolds you should never turn your hobby into your job. How long have you been in the area? Jonathan: Since 1985. We moved here from Belsize Park, which sounds very smart but we were in an attic. Kate: We bought a friend’s flat…

Caroline MacMillan tells Jo Reynolds why she loves Askew Road. How long have you lived here? Over 30 years. What brought you here? My husband and I ran a book distribution company, and when we moved it to Park Royal we needed something this end of London. We lived in…

Contrary to our welcoming promise to introduce you to your neighbours, there’s one you definitely would not want to meet: Kate Webster. Mind you, there’s little chance you will meet her because she died in 1879. That was the year she was executed for murder. Don’t worry. You can sleep…

Ex-Hot Gossip dancer Alison Hierlehy tells Jo Reynolds that dancing for charity is great for the libido. How do you pronounce your name? Her–le–hee. There used to be an O’ at the start but we lost that many moons ago. What or who is Hot * Flush? I got the…

Alice Peterson tells Jo Reynolds why she gave up tennis to write a hit. When did you move to the area? 2004, so ten years ago. What do you most like about it? I love the park, and I love my neighbours. For people unfamiliar with your writing, what have you…

Margaret Langleben tells Jo Reynolds about what she’d do to bankers and politicians. When did you move to the area? 1969. Has it changed? Ha! Back then, some people I know considered this the slums of Hammersmith. It was all workman’s cottages. We all had outside toilets. Most people had…