Journalism
My first job out of university was as Assistant Editor of genealogy magazine Family History Monthly. If the mag lacked glamour and a massive budget, it taught me how to write clearly for a ruthless audience of serial nitpickers.
Since then I've written for a variety of magazines and other publications, and I'm normally happy to chip in on topics that interest me.
These are just some of the publications I've written for:
To fail them all their days?
As police investigate allegations of bullying at a top independent school, Ben Locker and William Dornan argue that public schools are snobbish anachronisms that do not equip pupils for the modern world.
Link to article »
Resident is delivered monthly to 54,000 homes and businesses in Belgravia, Chelsea, Fulham, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Mayfair/St James, Pimlico, South Kensington and Westminster.
Going public
Where we choose to educate our children remains a national obsession. Ben Locker, co-author of Swinesend: Britain’s Greatest Public School takes a wry look at the snobbery and inverted snobbery that governs our decisions.
Download article (PDF: 788kB) »
EASTeight is distributed to the 15,000 homes in the E8 postcode area of Hackney, London. It publishes a regular pub review, written either by me or Graeme Archer. The following are my articles:
The Pembury Tavern
“Nearly every bloke in here has a beard. And most of those are wearing ponytails. Do you think there’s a Levellers gig going on somewhere round here?”
“Nah, there’d be more of them. And I doubt they’d be playing board games with their kids. Look at the bar – I think we’ve uncovered the local CAMRA coven.”
“You’re right. What have they got on tap? Lots of Milton Brewery stuff. Sparta Ale...”
“Milton? Spartan? A bit puritanical, don’t you think? Do you think they do an Abstinence Ale?”
“Quite possibly – it does come from Cambridge.
Download article (PDF: 4.2MB) » | Online version »
The Kingsland
"I was of course waiting for a pint of Guinness. Besides, when I’m drinking, I prefer to pretend I’m Scottish, not Irish (unless I’m in Scotland, of course, where people understand my Fenland dourness in the same way they appreciate a bottle of Buckfast wrapped up in a copy of the Sunday Post)."
Download article (PDF: 4.2MB) » | Online version »
The Prince Arthur
"Are they from Hackney?"
"What, the animal heads?"
"No. Those photos."
Download article (PDF: 1.1MB) » | Online version »
The Dove
"Writing about a community pub like The Dove is almost as presumptious as reviewing The Godfather II: almost everyone will agree that it's brilliant, but they'll grumble if you don't mention their favourite bit."
Download article (PDF: 4.4MB) » | Online version »
Pub on the Park
"If I was much thinner in 2003, it wasn’t because I ate less or exercised more; I simply began each day squidged flat against the doors of a packed commuter train as it juddered and heaved its way between Stamford Hill and Cambridge Heath. With City-bound elbows gouging my kidneys, my rib cage pressed flat by bankers, and the abrasive aroma of sweat, Lynx and Listerine scouring my nostrils, conditions were perfect for squinting resentfully through the glass and dreaming of drink."
Download article (PDF: 3.6MB) » | Online version »
The King's Arms
"Whilst there’s no doubt its handsome façade could do with a lick of paint, don’t let that discourage you from enjoying the King’s Arms: the landlord and locals are sure to give you a warmer welcome than even the Dulux Dog."
Download article (PDF: 6.2MB) » | Online version »
The London Fields
"You’ll find two kinds of family pub in E8. The newer sort welcome kids and put chicken nuggets on the menu. The best ones are a stage on which every aspect of family life is acted out. The London Fields is one of the latter."
Download article (PDF: 4.9MB) » | Online version »
Hackney Citizen is a local, quarterly newspaper founded in 2008. I have contributed to the first two issues.
The Goy next Door
"I made my home in the heart of Stamford Hill in 1999 becoming, as I put my foot on the property ladder, goy next door to Europe’s largest settlement of Orthodox Jews. Over the years, I’ve observed the observant in this ‘square mile of piety’ and relished those moments where our lives collide."
Download article (PDF: 368kB) »
Marks of the Past
"If you can't quite put your finger on the true character of a London street, then take a close look at its flowerpots.
That's what social investigator George H. Duckworth did as he toured the capital's streets, accompanied by local policemen who knew every mews, court and alley."
Download article (PDF: 2.2MB) »
A bit extra…
I run two very popular weblogs, which both receive several thousand visitors weekly.
The first, Scorn and Noise, is the latest incarnation of my personal weblog, which I have been writing in one place or another since early 2004.
The second, Hackney Lookout is a photo blog, capturing - whether on camera or mobile phone - interesting and odd scenes from my home borough.
I have recently redesigned both blogs to share the same theme as this website.