My first year in London: Moya Lothian-McLean

Since the launch of The Londoner, our team have been sounding out a fundamental question: What makes someone a Londoner? A person can move to the capital and, within only a few years of living here, become a local. Some of history's greatest Londoners weren’t actually from London (Dickens was born in Portsmouth, Dr Johnson was from Lichfield). By contrast, if a Londoner were to move to Glasgow or Liverpool, how long would it take for them to become a Glaswegian or a Liverpudlian? Would they ever?  

It’s a complicated question, and, in an effort to explore it, we’ve developed a new series: My first year in London. Each edition will dive into someone’s first year in the capital, featuring everybody from moneyed young professionals to overlooked migrant workers. After all, once you’ve grown used to it, it’s easy to forget how overwhelming this city can be and the contortions involved in becoming accustomed to London’s chaos, anonymity and speed.

We know Moya Lothian-McLean because, as an editor at Mill Media, we work with her. But she’s also a prime example of what makes London such an interesting place. Having grown up in rural Herefordshire, she’s managed to make London her home, and, in turn, the capital has adopted her. She even moved cities, moving to Glasgow to man our sister paper, The Bell, but London called her back. We thought we’d start with her, and how she and her favourite city got to know each other. 

The Londoner: So, Moya, why did you move to London?

Moya Lothian-McLean: I moved to London because when I was ten years old, my mum took me to see the mummies in the British Museum for my birthday. And I remember staying in Peckham in my mum’s friend’s house and the smell of Rye Lane. It was the smell more than anything: the butchers and the fishmongers and the noise and the people. I fell asleep that night listening to the traffic and thinking, “this is the place.” 

And practically, when did you move? 

I moved to London in 2013 because I was starting a history degree at King's College London. 

Did you have any assumptions about London before you moved? 

One thing about Londoners is that they’re spoilt… I’m glad I wasn’t spoilt until later in life.