What baffles me about London is the amount of fly tipping, I don’t get it. Just go to the dump.
London’s best-kept secret is Brooks, which is my local butchers in Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise – I love my meat.
When I want to chill out I head to Hampstead Heath. I can’t believe such a vast area is still intact in the middle of London – it’s glorious.
Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met? I’ll tell you the most interesting person I never met. It was Jennifer Worth, author of Call The Midwife. I’ve just finished shooting the dramatisation based on her books. She sadly passed away not long before we started filming. Her books really put you right in the epicentre of post-Blitz London. I feel as though I know
her and have met her, as I’ve been living with her stories for months now.
My favourite place for a drink is French House, Soho.
For when you’re hungover in London you can’t beat a bacon and egg sandwich with a peanut butter milkshake from Jack’s Cafe in Queen’s Park.
My perfect weekend would start with vintage shopping with girlfriends followed by dinner at Bob Bob Ricard (beef Wellington is my favourite). I’d then go for a long walk to Kenwood House with my Yorkshire terrier and fiance. He and I would then watch a movie and drink champers at the Everyman cinema, finishing up with Sunday lunch at The Wells, Hampstead.
What I most look forward to at Christmas is … everything! I love the markets, decorating, getting a tree, making cakes, ice skating at Somerset House. I love watching the Dudley Moore movie Santa Claus. It’s my favourite!
The last naughty thing I did was showing Prince Charles my knickers on the Palace stage. I was doing a show there and he came to meet us all, he was asking about my costume and I got nervous and started babbling on about how hot it was under all of layers and ended up flashing him. I don’t know who was more embarrassed.
Five words that sum up London … best city in the world.
Helen stars in Call The Midwife, BBC One January 15th
