Listen to a Londoner: Marguerite O’sullivan

Listen to a Londoner is a weekly interview with a Londoner – someone who lives in this city, born here or elsewhere. If you want to be interviewed, email littlelondonobservationist@hotmail.co.uk. Always looking for new volunteers.

Marguerite O’sullivan with daughter Zia

Marguerite O’sullivan lives in West Kensington with her 4-year-old daughter Zia.
She is currently a freelance writer and publishes her own blog Mythreefootstylist.

LLO: What brought you to London three years ago?
MO: I came over from Australia with my daughter to accompany my then partner who was working on a UK film project.

LLO: You recently completed a voluntary internship with the award-winning GAIL’s Bread, one of the few remaining independent bread shops in the UK. Why should we stop in? What have they got to offer?
MO: Wow, that is a hard one; there are so many delicious treats on offer! If I really had to choose it would definitely be GAIL’s amazing chocolate brownies. I would recommend anyone to stop by GAIL’s to experience true artisan food that not only tastes great but (because it’s all handmade and free from all the nasty stuff) is healthy too.

LLO: What are your other favourite independent shops in London?
MO: Their Nibs is great for stylish children’s clothing; Yates Buchanan has great vintage accessories; The Cloth Shop has the most unusual array of contemporary and vintage European textiles.

LLO: Tell us about your blog, My Three Foot Stylist.
MO: I’ve always had an interest in design, textiles and style which I inherited from my mother; because I also have an interest in scribing, it seemed natural to put the two together in a blog. I gave it that title because my 4-year-old daughter has taken to styling me each morning!

LLO: What’s the best thing about living in your postcode?
MO: The gorgeous parks, including Holland Park and Kensington Gardens, the child-friendly cafes and the quirky shops.

LLO: Who are your favourite London-based designers?
MO: Margo, which is  great for stylish but original pieces; Petra Boase, for eclectic framed prints and T-shirts; Stella McCartney, whose current line of children’s clothes for GAP is stylish yet affordable.

LLO: Describe your perfect London day.
MO: I’d start by heading to GAIL’s on Portobello Rd for a dairy-free muffin and fresh OJ; I’d then wander down to Portobello Green market to nab a bargain. Weather permitting; I’d then make my way to Grand Union canal for a leisurely walk towards the gorgeous Cafe de Ville restaurant in Little Venice where I would stop for a light supper as the sun sets.

LLO: Working in the food industry, can you recommend a few favourite London restaurants?
MO: If I had my choice I would eat at L’etranger every week, but with a 4-year-old child to cater for, my usual haunts are GBK and Prezzo because of their wonderful children’s offerings.

LLO: What’s your favourite London discovery?
MO: The little park and stream near Station Road in Barnes.

LLO: If I had one day in London and wanted to wander off the beaten path, where would you send me?
MO: I would direct you to Richmond Park for a spot of deer spotting followed by a picnic at Pen Ponds.

Thanks Marguerite!

For more Listen to a Londoner posts, click here.

Listen to a Londoner: Flora Tonking

Listen to a Londoner. This is a weekly post where people who live (or have lived for a while) in London answer a few questions about the Big Smoke. If you fit the bill and want to be interviewed, give me a shout at littlelondonobservationist@hotmail.co.uk. Always looking for new victims volunteers….

Flora Tonking (aka The Accidental Londoner), 25

Brought up the The Midlands, Flora always vowed she’d never live in London, but somehow after university she found herself job-hunting and flat-hunting in the city. Over two years later she’s still here and secretly loving it.  She works in research for an engineering company, blogs about life in London (http://theaccidentallondoner.blogspot.com/) and fills up her precious free time studying for a Masters degree.

LLO: Best thing about London?
FT: So much to do and see!  You could live here for years and still be surprised and entertained.

LLO: 2012 Olympics – stay or go?
FT: I confess I wouldn’t mind leaving the city for the duration of this event; I dread to think what it’s going to do to our already overloaded infrastructure.  That said, it’s hopefully going to do great things regenerating areas of East London.

LLO:  How do you spend your time on the tube?
FT: Listening to my iPod and people-watching.

LLO: Best place to catch a gig?
FT: The Roundhouse in Camden – fabulous music venue without the sticky floors and sweatiness.

LLO: Best place to spend a Sunday afternoon?
FT: A leisurely (sometimes hungover!) walk down the river followed by a big Sunday lunch at The Sun Inn at Barnes with the newspapers.

LLO: Best museum or gallery?
FT: The V&A, Knightsbridge – great temporary exhibitions and fabulous permanent collections; you always discover something new everytime you go.

LLO: Best London magazine, newspaper or website?
FT: The Evening Standard – even better since it became free!

LLO: If you were to dress up as one of the tube station names for a costume party, which would you be?
FT: My housemates and I once covered ourselves in leaves and green face-paint and went to a Tube station party as “Green Park” – we left foliage all over South West London that night!

LLO: Best time of year in London?
FT: Summer – Wimbledon tennis, Pimms outside the pub and afternoon’s lying in a park somewhere.

LLO: What would you change about the city if you had the power to do so?
FT: Make more of the centre pedestrianised, and maybe create a two-speed pavement system, so people who are late for work don’t get stuck behind lost tourists!

Thanks Flora!

For more Listen to a Londoner posts, click here.