Time Out at 40

See all Time Out's 40th birthday London heroes

Who are your London heroes?
‘John Keats, Harold Pinter, Bobby Moore and Winston Churchill. Pinter came out of Hackney; a tough Jewish immigrant society. Keats was known as "Cockney Keats", but the literary society of the time was incredibly snobbish. Bobby Moore – we won the World Cup under his captaincy and he exemplifies certain things. And Churchill.’

What’s the biggest thing that’s happened in your field in London in the last 40 years?
‘If there’s one thing, it’s free entry to museums – a phenomenal Labour Party achievement. The worst thing is the dispersal of people to estates which have been designed in such a way that they cannot support collective social life, which is an absolute fucking disgrace.’ Feature continues

What’s the future for your field in London?
‘Per capita, the creative indutries in this country are the most developed in the world. The theatre always seems to be in trouble but always thriving. It’s deeply comical to me that we agonize about our crap football teams and indifferent Test sides when in front of our noses is a great world success story that no one’s interested in apart from those who work in it. More people go to Tate Modern than watch the Arsenal.’

What does Time Out mean to you?
‘I respect it. It was a brilliant idea and it’s still very well executed and keeps its vim. It works and it suits the city.’

See all Time Out's 40th birthday London heroes