Property

 By Steve Taggart Property buyers across large parts of the UK have confessed to ‘never hearing of the Help to Buy scheme’ or have admitted to ‘hearing the name but not knowing what it was’, according to a new report. The research, carried out by Bishop’s Move, surveyed 1000 people and found exactly a quarter (25 per cent) of homeowners and current buyers in the North East had never heard of the scheme with a further 28 per cent in...

By Steve Taggart Mayfair has long been the playground of the rich, the royal and the renowned. So, it’s no wonder that it is the most expensive square on the Monopoly board. But, Mayfair hasn’t always been the capital’s most desirable place to live. In fact, had Monopoly been around three centuries earlier than its introduction to the world in the 20th century, the priciest piece of the board would definitely not have been Mayfair. The May Fair The area...

“I Dreamed of Kensal-Kensal Kensal raise, whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh Kensal Rise”, is what Chris Martin should have written, if he wasn’t preoccupied with his “conscious uncoupling.” Well Coldplay’s loss is Kensal Rise (and my cover bands) gain. NW10 is so hot right now; ok it has been for a while. I am not about to “discover” this slice of North West London, much better journos have done that. I prefer standing on giant’s anyway; better view. However, just to clear...

It doesn’t have a train (well it sort of does) or a tube, so it can often be overlooked on the map. But for anyone who has visited the place will know Camberwell is one of the best places to live in London at the moment. There are no chain restaurants (ok there is a Nandos and do chicken shops count?), great eateries and one of London’s best gastropubs. It is also a creative part of town, with Camberwell College...

When I think of North London the names Highgate, Camden and Belsize Park trickle through my mind like a babbling brook. When I think of South London the names Catford, Brockley and West Norwood feel like a conker slapping against my cranium on a blustery November morning. But it doesn’t need to be that way, conkers used to be fun remember? The area has some great and affordable properties, a brank spanking new leisure centre and the West Norwood Feast...

The thing about Bounds Green is there isn’t really a great deal to say about it. Not that everyone wants to live somewhere edgy. In fact, most people don’t. It just happens that a lot of journalists do, and try and coax you into moving to an area where the odds of getting robbed or getting an organic micro-brewery pale ale, are about even. The area was originally a popular overnight stop-over for travellers, and you get the feeling the slightly...

My Girlfriend is from Sarf East London and always reminisces about the times gangs came down from Thamesmead and beat everyone up…Oh happy days. Also A Clockwork Orange and Misfits were filmed there, just to add to the mystique. My hands were actually trembling as I drove over there for a nose about (public transport is almost impossible from where I live, also in SE London) The area was built on marshland on south bank of River Thames, but oopsy...

When I think of Bermondsey I have visions of Ray Winstone’s terrifying role in Nil by Mouth, and Millwall fans throwing rocks at horses. It is also another place where I have lived, albeit for one night. An old uni friend said I could stay in his flat, as long as I behaved. On the first night (a Tuesday) I went out, didn’t come home and left the front door open. So I was ungraciously ejected from the flat. But...

I used to live in Finsbury Park, North London (to be fair I have lived in lots of parts of London, well apart from the posh bits, natch) and it was vaguely affordable then. Two things happened to me there 1, I dislocated my shoulder whilst very very drunk and 2, I got thrown out of my flat for failure to pay rent (anarchist/pauper….delete as appropriate) So you would think I would look back with a certain sense of anger at Finsbury...