Flat in north London, I live with my boyfriend and a lot of spiders and have been there for a few years. Sometimes I stay at my parents’ house which is still in south London. My mother left behind an old OK magazine from the 1990s and a small tea set. Convenient.
Where was your first flat in London?
I share a flat with friends in Mile End. I love it there so much, I will cycle round Stepney on the bike and shake through all the old back streets. The pub is good and the Genesis cinema is great.
What was your first job in London?
My first paid job in London was probably singing in a vocal harmony group I joined when I was 17. Fun fact – unpaid work experience aged 15 was in London at a casting agency and I had to shred actor headshots. I think they just moved everything online but held a gloomy symbolism for the industry I was hoping to be a part of.
Where in London would you recommend for a first date?
If you drink and it is autumn or winter, I will do a little journey visiting old pubs in east London – Prospect of Whitby, Bunch of Grapes and all that. And if you happen to be at The Prospect at low tide and stand on the gravel by the Thames, ideally in the evening. Prepare some cool facts, for example, Rotherhithe is named after the Viking pier there. If you don’t drink, maybe the bungee trampoline stuff in town – do they still exist? A bit of fun. And there’s nothing wrong with a good art gallery visit! Worked for me!
Prospect from Whitby
Ashley Coates
Five London shops you trust?
I shop Harvest across north London for TOP quality food bits, I go to Cex for the second has electronics all the time. Mainly headphones/charger missing. I go to Rokit for clothes and Nordic Poetry in Shoreditch is my go-to if I need something for a special occasion – both are vintage shops with high-end vintage designers. If I get a chance I get sourdough and pain au chocolat from Dusty Knuckle Bakery.
What’s the best meal you’ve had in London?
I really love Kiln in Soho, I sat in the bar with my girlfriend. So many delicious dishes and delicious flavors. That’s good sitting at the bar (I just went to America and do as often as I can) Sitting side by side more sometimes, you can have a little watch from the chef, talking about the great things in life with the ease that comes from not face to face.
What would you do if you were Mayor of London today?
Since I was little Ive wanted to have a day where the floor was a trampoline. So maybe do it? Or open all the empty buildings in London and put an act in music, comedy or theater in each one, give anyone who is not performing today and do a mini festival. The owner of the place then has fun, feels happy and is happy to offer the property to anyone who needs a place to live. Convenient.
Who is the best Londoner in history?
A man riding a bus down Clapham High Street on a giant white horse.
Where in London do you go to let your hair down?
I used to love Corsica Studios in Elephant and Castle, but they haven’t opened recently. The Shacklewell Arms is wonderful. And the last time I danced properly was seeing Goldie at Koko.
Corsica Studios
Fresh to Death
Who do you call when you want to have fun in London?
I recently started playing soccer. I played at the local Gym which was better, then had a beer and I didn’t know I was missing.
What is your biggest splurge?
I bought a very nice expensive sourdough bread from that Dusty Knuckle. And that’s the best. And I have five Ferraris.
What do you do now for work?
I’ve just finished a project in New York and I’ve got a potential filming project in the not-too-distant future but others are doing fun creative things like reading plays and voice-over animation (by an artist named Anna Ginsburg – look her up ) and audio books. So happy to be able to do it all.
Who is your professional hero or heroes?
I recently started seeing an acting coach – Sandra Jennings Guskin. He is insightful, full of life and inspiring. I have learned a lot from him this summer. An hour with him and you will feel like everything in life seems to be beautiful. And left me talking like “shimmering with potential”.
I’m on my way to becoming a hoarder. I find it really hard to throw things away, so it’s like I’m hoarding everything.
Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Charlotte Ritchie in Ghosts
BBC/Monumental Television/Guido Mandozzi
Are you currently obsessed with podcasts?
The people who knew me at BBC Sounds were great. I’m currently listening to The Gatekeepers also on BBC Sounds, about big tech companies, social media and our brains.
What is your favorite piece of art in London?
I know it’s gone but I often think of when David Blaine was in the box in Trafalgar Square. I still can’t really believe it.
What was the last thing you googled?
I checked and the last search was “red stuff”. I was a little neice trying to describe her favorite shade of red.
What app can’t you live without in the city and why?
Spotify and City Mapper and the Lime Bike app. If I have a walker, I’ll have a good day.
Charlotte Ritchie appears in Aurora Orchestra’s The Rite of Spring, available to view now on Marquee TV
