My London Interview
| Paul Carter |
 |
| |
Where are you originally from?
I am originally from Gosport in the south of England, although I have f amily in France as my mother is French. I grew up in England and spent most my holidays in the Loire Valley, where the French side of my family lives.
When did you first arrive in London?
I'd visited London a few times as a child. I began working in Regents Park in August 2001, and moved to Pimlico, in Westminster, the following April.
Why did you come to London?
I was offered an interesting job. It was also convenient as my girlfriend was working here too.
Where do you live and why?
 I currently live in West Ealing. It's in zone three and the flat is larger and cheaper than both previous flats in Pimlico and Clapham. Ealing is handy to get to work from as I very recently moved office from Regents' Park to Slough. It is a young area and the high street is filled with lively bars, cafes, restaurants and good retailers. Central London is only a few stops down the Central Line or District Line from Ealing Broadway tube. There's also a mainline service to Paddington and Slough. So although I technically no longer work in London, I don't have to give up the pleasures of living here.
What’s your occupation and where do you work?
I'm a software engineer in a digital radio software company called Radioscape based near Regents Park. I now work in their Slough office.
What was you first impression of London?
I remember thinking it was quite smoky and a bit of a rat race. People were rushing around on the tube. It was tiring and the pace of life seemed frantic.
What was your first memorable London experience, e.g. an interesting faux pas or a good day out?
Sunbathing in Regents Park for the first time during my lunch break at work. It's really nice to be able to walk out of your office and straight into a great London park.
Do you have a favourite pub/restaurant/club?
I love Bento, a sushi and noodle restaurant in Clapham. The Green Man opposite Great Portland Street tube was my favourite after-work pub as it was just opposite my office. It's not too busy or too loud, so even on a Friday you can have a fairly quiet pint and a chat.
What are your favourite shops?
I like browsing around Borders, it's got a good variety of books and a wide music and DVD selection. You can also just sit with a coffee or use the loos for free!
What’s your favourite London landmark/place of interest e.g. building/park/museum?
The Tate Modern is really impressive. They've made really good use of the space in the former power station, especially the entrance hall, which houses special exhibitions. There are excellent views of the North Bank and St Paul's from the top floor.
What was the last play/movie/musical you saw and did you enjoy it?
I went to see Bombay Dreams in December. It was a really lively show with an interesting twist on the classic ‘rags to riches' story. I thought the set design was very striking, especially the water fountain that was used during the dancing sequences – something I'd not seen on stage before.
How often do you go home?
Although I consider England my home (having grown up here), I often travel to France to see my family, usually at least three times a year. I normally take the Eurostar, as it's possible to change at Lille onto a TGV, which goes direct to Angers.
Do you know many compatriots here?
I don't really know any French people in London, but have friends here with whom I worked in Paris during a placement year at university.
Tube or Bus?
I prefer the tube, but only when it's not the rush hour. At the weekends it's nice to use the bus to take in the sights, especially going past Piccadilly, Trafalgar square and parliament.
Soho or Covent Garden?
Soho has some great restaurants and pubs. I especially like a Malaysian restaurant on Windmill Street called ‘Melati'.
North London or South London
I don't really know north London, but I certainly like south London from what I've seen of it. Clapham is great for going out, Wimbledon is obviously excellent during the tennis tournament, and Battersea has a very nice park.
What do you miss most when you are out of London?
It is easy to get accustomed to the variety of things you can do in London at the drop of a hat, and when I am not here I miss this.
It’s great to be able to meet up with friends in central London and go out to one of the many restaurants, shows or museums.
What would make living in London more pleasant for you?
A more reliable, cleaner and faster tube system would make London life a lot more pleasant. One of the things I like the least about working and living here is having to commute on crowded and slow tube trains.
What has been your favourite Euronet event?
Actually I've not been to any Euronet events as yet because I only recently joined Euronet. The wine tasting events sound pretty interesting though, as I like a drink or two, and I have my French roots of course.
What advice would you give to a new London settler?
Explore as much of London as you can before choosing a place to live.
Get a tube pass and go and see as many places as possible, because London is a really varied place with many areas of completely different character.
Don’t forget that you can also walk. London is really pretty if you take the time to stop and look around, and central London is surprisingly small to walk around. Sometimes it’s actually quicker to walk than to take the tube between two stops. |
