My Friendly Village Life

“You won’t like it you know!” 

“They’re not very friendly!” 

“But you don’t know anyone!”

“Bet you’ll be back within the year!”

These were the comments I’d hear from friends and loved ones back in 1998, as I planned my move to London. As someone, who up until this point had spent most of their time in a suburb of Hull, where my friends, family, football team, pubs and night clubs were; where my whole world was; where I’d get a buzz from walking into venues all over town and be able to say hello to many of the patrons, happy in the knowledge that I knew them and they knew me.

I enjoyed knowing so many different people; from door staff to bar staff, to the cool kids standing near the DJ box, to the guy who always drank on his own at the end of the bar every night (who should really have been home looking after his wife and kids). This world that I had created for myself meant everything - and my peers simply could not understand why I was happy to leave it. They predicted that I would never be able to replicate the same satisfying experience in London, because… London was not friendly and just way too big.

Well, 22 years later, I am still here. I’m in London and enjoying ‘village life’ – or at least I was until lockdown put pay to it, but the world around me will open up once again. I say ‘village life’ as, really, that’s London life. It is often said that London is simply series of villages with unique identities that are all joined together. Mayfair adjoins Soho, but they have two very different cultures –almost a different dress code even – but, because of London’s village culture, I’ve never found London to be too big. What’s more, I have never, ever found it unfriendly. From my second week in the city in September 1998, I was able to walk into a few places in my favourite village of Soho and get the recognition, service and welcome that I had enjoyed and valued in Hull for so many years.

The reason is, I believe, that London is what you make it. I decided from day one, as I was sitting on a bus going over Westminster Bridge, that I would make this my home, give it my best shot and meet as many people as possible. I would showcase what I could give to the City, not what I could take from it. The interesting thing is that it was so much easier than I ever thought it would be and, I believe, much easier than many cities would be.

The reason I think that this is the case, and actually why I believe London is the friendliest place I have lived in, is that the majority of us are in the same boat. Over the years, I would suggest that only 10% of the people I have met in the city are Londoners born and bred. The rest of us are Londoners by choice. Of other great cities, such as Newcastle, Bristol, Hull or Birmingham, I would suggest the reverse is true; in these cities, residents and workers are born to the city and a smaller percent choose the city as their home. This choosing of a city, such as London, brings a progressive, inclusive and almost immigrant mentality to the city, where the average inhabitant, on arrival, is determined to roll up their sleeves, take a deep breath and integrate themselves with the rest of the migrants in the village.

At the time of writing, the country is holding its breath for information on how we will come out of the 3rd national lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Soon, I believe we will once again venture out from behind our front doors, flooding into offices, shops, bars and coffee shops. Within time, we will become less fearful of catching Covid-19 in the gym, hairdressers or beauty clinic, supported by the vaccine rollout. People up and down the country will be considering how best to live the next chapter of their life. Many people maybe, at this moment, considering a move to London, but may have heard or even believe the same comments that I heard back in 1998. My message, and my learning from 22 years of living is this great city, is the village of London - or the linked-up collection of villages that makes up London - provides a great, open-hearted environment for those who are willing to take a deep breath and to make their mark! London’s welcoming and non-judgemental attitude to allcomers should facilitate a confidence in your self-expression, so you can just be you and make your mark on ‘London Village’.