Melvyn in Hackney is 61-70 and is a mature student.
Melvyn is a mature student who resides in a narrowboat along the River Lea. Primarily based in the North-East stretch of the Lea, Melvyn describes his home as a “miracle place”. He loves the wildlife that the nearby marshlands offer, and the affordability of city living that his boat provides him with. A lover of education, he’s recently finished a Masters degree in Creative Writing, and has embarked on another course in the field of Psychodynamic Therapies and Counselling. He spends his spare time either volunteering with local conservation groups, studying in the library, or having a beer with his boat-side friends.
We meet Melvyn as he reflects on his way of living, the stereotypes attached to those who live on boats, and how age should never limit or restrict you from what you want to do.
Related articles across the web
Film Maker: Harriet Jones
Questions & Answers
- What's your first memory of London? Fog.
- What do you miss when you're away from London? Choice.
- What's your favourite neighbourhood? Clapton.
- What's your favourite building? Freud Museum.
- What's your most hated building? Euston Station.
- What's the best view in London? Up-river from Canary Wharf.
- What's your favourite open space? Walthamstow Marshes.
- What's your favourite bar, pub or restaurant? Wetherspoons.
- What's been your most memorable night out in London? Kings Road, Chelsea, New Year's Eve,1967.
- How would you like to spend your ideal day off in London? Richmond Park with a pair of binoculars.
- What's the worst journey you've had to make in London? Walking downhill when my knees are playing up.
- What's your personal London landmark? Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
- Who's your favourite fictional Londoner? Timothy Cratchit.
- What's your favourite London film, book or documentary? A Clockwork Orange.
- For you, who is the ultimate Londoner? JMW Turner.