My London: Justine Simons

The deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries collects Smurfs and goes vintage shopping at Spitalfields Market
Dave Benett/Getty Images
Lily Worcester10 May 2018

Home is…

Elephant and Castle with my fiancé, Darrell. I’ve been there for 18 years; there has been a lot of change in the area.

Favourite club?

The Union Club on Greek Street. It’s one of those really cool independent clubs. It’s cosy, quirky and full of artwork. I met Darrell there on a blind date, so it’s very special.

Where do you work out?

I do yoga at the Siobhan Davies Dance studios, which is my local. It’s just a really beautiful place, it’s got loads of light and sprung floors.

What do you collect?

I have a Smurf (right) collection but I haven’t added to it since about 1982.

Alamy Stock Photo

Last play you saw?

Julius Caesar at the new Bridge Theatre near Tower Bridge — it was like Shakespeare for 2018. During the play (below) you realise that half the audience is actually part of the show, so they become all the crowds — it’s really a clever production by Nick Hytner.

Where would you like to be buried?

I would probably be cremated. But there are these Victorian gothic cemeteries in London called the Magnificent Seven. They’re all on this national register of incredible heritage sites.

Who is your hero?

Vivienne Westwood because she’s absolutely herself. Whether she was pioneering creativity and fashion in the punk era or championing sustainability. She’s not afraid of what other people think about her and it’s inspiring. She’s uncompromising in who she is and I really admire that.

Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood
Getty Images for Zalando

If you could buy any building, which would it be?

A really special place called Harker’s Studios. It’s a hundred-year-old scene-painting studio — David Hockney’s Glyndebourne opera sets were created in there. I wouldn’t buy it to live in it, I would buy it to give it over to artists — it’s the last remaining scenepainting studio that exists in London. Getty; Manuel Harlan

Best thing a cabbie has ever said to you?

I’ve had lots of great conversations with cabbies about the Fourth Plinth [which Simons has overseen].

What makes someone a Londoner?

The great thing about this city is that it welcomes you from the moment you set foot in it. It’s such an international city — I think there are something like over 300 languages spoken here every day. Diversity is a real strength of London.

Which shops do you rely on?

Klasik for vintage sunglasses (below). It’s a great little stall in Spitalfields Market — the guy who owns it has got amazing attention to detail. A lot of places you go to for vintage stuff can be a little bit worse for wear, but he restores everything.

Most iconic Londoner in history?

You don’t have to be born here to be a Londoner — ‘it’s a state of mind’, as Zadie Smith said. I think Margaret Calvert is a really iconic Londoner. She wasn’t born here but lives here; she is the woman who designed all of the road signs. She’s someone you don’t really hear about but she’s had such a phenomenal impact on our public realm.

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