Record shops, markets and outside toilets. This is Terry Farley's London.
As far as the London nightlife pecking order goes, Terry Farley doesn't answer to many. A respected DJ, co-founder of cult fanzines Boy's Own and now Faith, and protagonist of the UK club scene since the acid house days, Farley is clubbing royalty. We chatted to the Chelsea fan about his experiences of London, past and present.
Where did you grow up in London?
I grew up in Latimer Road in North Kensington in the 1960s – all very post war, with an air raid shelter in the back garden where my Nan kept her chickens, outside khazi, tin bath in front of the fire on a Friday night – proper Oliver Twist turnout. My earliest memory is walking down to buy wood for the fire with my Nan (I worked it out – I was four) and London was under about a foot of snow – up to my waist!
If you could go back to a club for one night only, where and when would it be?
Crackers – Friday lunchtime session 1976 in that long hot summer. 500 kids dancing to US funk, high on testosterone and lemonade and black.
When you're away, what do you miss about London?
Mates, family, Chelsea games (well the pub before) and walking around town – apart from the top deck front seat of a bus it's the best way to travel.
How would you spend a chilled Sunday afternoon in town these days?
I love markets. Columbia Road flower market, Broadway Market in Hackney, Portobello, even Spitafields is interesting.
London's best ever record shop?
Contempo records W1 – down an alley off Oxford Street and up the stairs of a Victorian terrace above some old shop. It's one small room packed with Friday's imports straight off the plane from NYC. You could hear a new track at Crackers on a Friday lunchtime then bowl up Oxford Street a few hundred yards and get it still hot from Contempo
Name something that's better about London now than when you were growing up?
Housing. No one has to endure that 3am walk out the back garden to have a shit surrounded by spiders and fucking mice. My poor old Nan was up every morning in the winter making a fire before we all came down.
And something that was better back then?
The fact most people lived near their family and you honestly did know everyone in your street.
If you could have a party in any building in London, club or not, where would it be and why?
The old Diaorama space in Regent's Park, it's an amazing hall inside one of those classic Nash terraces. Post acid house they had legendary parties there run by Wayne Shires and his partner Rod. You had a real mix of London people there – gay, straight and everything in between. Rampling had the first UK acetate of 'Where Love Lives' and played it at one party – amazing scenes.
Tell us a secret.
I was a QPR fan till I was 12 years old – I jumped ship to the enemy.
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