Track: Summer Camp - Better Off Without You
East End Girl
Film maker Shimmy Ahmed gets in front of the camera to
show us all her favourite places in East London.
Find out where she likes to eat, drink, dance, and shop.
About Shimmy
Name: Shimmy
Hometown: Holyport, Maidenhead - Berkshire.
Current location: Hackney, London
What do you do? Online Film Maker and Producer.
Website: www.shimmy.biz
What is the most fun aspect of being a film maker / producer?
Being able to live out my voyeuristic tendencies and get paid for it.
Seeing different places and learning about new people and things.
Who or what inspires you / your work?
Music is a huge inspiration to me, and I am also inspired by anyone who takes risks and goes their own way - "The misfits, rebels and troublemakers"
Do you have a 'uniform' for when you are out working / filming?
Jeans and a t-shirt with penny loafers / brogues / ankle boots. If it's gonna be a long day, trainers.
Describe your style:
Mainly I just try to dress as if I'm in a band or a character in a film.
Any other information you'd like to share?
British brand Mulberry named a collection of bags after me.
About London
What do you love most about London?
The people that reside here. It is filled with a vast array of different people, from all different spectrums of life, who are all as equally as fascinating and/or amusing as one another.
Describe London in 3 words:
Epic, hectic and eclectic.
Most memorable moment in London:
Walking across London Bridge one late summer evening not long after I moved here from Brighton, it was all very new and exciting... that, and seeing Fleetwood Mac at Wembley 5 rows from the front!
What is your favourite part of London and why?
I love Hackney because it feels like a little village within a gritty urban landscape. It has lots of independent shops and spaces to explore. I love the community here, it's diverse and creative, and lots of fun to be part of. Contrary to popular opinion it is not just full of hipsters and Nathan Barley types.
What would be an ideal day for you in London?
A lie-in, followed by a sunny bike ride along the canal to get brunch with friends. On to an art gallery or two. A stop in at the Cowshed to get a massage / facial, dinner at a great restaurant, followed by a film or gig.
A day eating, laughing and looking at interesting things with great friends.
What do you think London has that no other city in the world has?
Errrmmm... Over 100 languages spoken within a mile radius.
Places To See:
Tate Modern
Vyner Street Gallery
The Wellcome Collection
The Hackney Picture House
Hampstead Heath - Great Views Of London Town
Places To Shop:
House of Hackney - For the best wallpaper and furniture homewares
Columbia Road Flower Market - For flowers and garden stuff
The Grocery - For Groceries
The Party Shop, Ridley Road Market
Spitalfields Antiques Market
Paper London
Places To Eat:
The Green Papaya
Bistrotheque
Shanghai
Midnight Steak Out
The Tow Path
Places To Drink:
My faves are as follows...
Off Broadway - Excellent Mexican
The Palm Tree - The best DJ and House band in London + picnic space by the canal
Efes - Pool Hall
Royal Oak - cosy and amazing roast dinners
Dalston Roof Garden
Places To Dance:
My bedroom
Shacklewell Arms - Indie disco/ace gigs
XOYO
Sink The Pink - Dance class/club nights
Alibi
