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There’s an extra reason for Londoners to shake their clenched fists in excitement about the imminent release of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ – the film’s star is one of us. That’s right, John Boyega (interviewed here), who plays defected Stormtrooper Finn, was born and raised in Peckham. So it’s sort of fitting that his hometown bears a striking resemblance to one of the saga’s most memorable locations – the dusty, sketchy Mos Eisley spaceport. Seriously, the similarities are uncanny – even the #moSE15ley hashtag fits perfectly.
Both deliver one hell of a sunset
A wretched hive of scum and villainy it may be, but thanks to Tatooine's twin suns, we'd imagine Mos Eisley looks pretty dreamy come dusk. In fact, the only place in the cosmos that comes anywhere close is Peckham, as anyone who’s sunk a campari cocktail at Frank’s around sundown will tell you. If only Luke had been on Instagram – even cold, emotionless Boba Fett would’ve surrendered a like.
Both will get you places
Mos Eisley spaceport: gateway to the galaxy. Peckham bus garage: gateway to er, Lewisham. Now, we’re not saying the No. 12 bus could do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, Millennium Falcon-style, but if the driver’s late for his lunch, you’d swear there’s a gigantic hairy beast in the cockpit. Occasionally, there actually is.
Both have a thing for hoods
Between Obi-Wan and his mind-tricks and those light-fingered Jawas, Mos Eisley is overrun by folks in loungewear looking shifty. Hang around Rye Lane past midnight and it’s a similar story, although at least if you run into some aggro at the chicken shop there's no need to worry about some beardy berk lopping your arm off with a magic sword.
Both have a legendary hipster nightspot
People drinking out of plastic beakers, an irritating house band and a guy in the corner casually vaping – the Mos Eisley Cantina is basically the blueprint for SE15’s rapidly accumulating art student hangouts. It’s only a matter of the time before Bussey Building regulars start transplanting massive gonads onto their faces.
Both are full of chancer cabbies
Given its lack of tube connections, getting out of south-east London in a hurry sometimes means relying on the local cab firms, most of which have clearly been to the Han Solo school of negotiation. Eighty quid to Stanstead? You could almost buy your own Prius for that! Well, a mid-'90s Fiesta, at least.
Spotted any other similarities? Tweet us with the #moSE15ley hashtag.
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▶ Watch this video of 'The Force Awakens' droid BB-8 rolling around London
▶ The 50 greatest Star Wars characters
▶ What we've learned from the SWTFA behind-the-scenes footage