Primrose Hill is a hill of 256 feet located on the north side of Regent's Park in North London, England, and also the name for the surrounding district. The hill has a clear view of Central London to the south-east, as well as Belsize Park and Hampstead to the north. Quite simply it is the perfect place for new lovers, old lags and Eastern European ‘Trade Delegates’ and ‘Civil Servants’ to meet, greet and swap state secrets.
Like Regent's Park, Primrose Hill was once part of a great chase stolen by Henry VIII and became Crown property in 1841. In 1842 an Act of Parliament secured the land as public open space, so put that one in your pipe and smoke it. The built up part of Primrose Hill consists mainly of Victorian terraces. It has always been one of the more fashionable districts in the urban belt that lies between the core of London and the outer suburbs, and remains expensive and prosperous. Primrose Hill is an archetypal example of a successful London urban village, due to the location and the quality of its boozers.
Primrose Hill in sound, vision and print
• It is referred to in a poem by William Blake: "...The fields from Islington to Marylebone/To Primrose Hill and Saint John's Wood/Were builded over with pillars of gold/And there Jerusalem's pillars stood..." It was upon Primrose Hill which the poet-illustrator supposedly climbed and had conversations with the Spirit of the Sun. He also believed that this area would eventually be the foundation for one of the pillars of the biblical New Jerusalem and he was right about that!
• Musician Billy Bragg mentions seeing Angels up on Primrose Hill in his song Upfield "I dreamed I saw a tree full of angels, up on Primrose Hill". Bragg says he was inspired to write this song from William Blake. Nice one Bill!
• In H.G. Wells' book The War of the Worlds, Primrose Hill was the site of the final Martian encampment.
• Primrose Hill is referred to in the Blur song For Tomorrow. The lyrics "and the view's so nice", from the song, have been painted on a path leading to the top of Primrose Hill.
• Primrose Hill is mentioned in the Appleton single "Everything Eventually", with the line "Let's go fly a kite on Primrose Hill". The video for the song was shot there too.
• Oasis took the black and white photo for the cover of the single "Wonderwall" here where a girl is shown through a frame.
• Primrose Hill is referred to in "Emit Remmus" ('summer time' backwards), a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is off of their 1999 album Californication.
• Primrose Hill is referred to by Herman Melville in his "Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!" short story. It refers to "all London, from Mile End (which is no end) to Primrose Hill (where there ain't any primroses..."
• In "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul," by Douglas Adams, Kate Schecter lives in a flat on Primrose Hill.
• Primrose Hill is referred by Beverley Martyn in her song "Primrose Hill" on the 1970 John & Beverley Martyn album Road to Ruin, later irritatingly sampled in "North West Three", a tune by Fatboy Slim, on his 2004 album "Palookaville".
• The English popular beat group Madness released a song named "Primrose Hill" on their album The Rise & Fall. It starts with the line "A man opened his window and stared up Primrose Hill...". The album cover was also photographed on the hill itself.
• Primrose Hill is an underground station on the North London System in the novel The Horn of Mortal Danger (1980).
• A murder is committed in Primrose Hill by "The Avenger" in Marie Belloc Lowndes's 1913 mystery, The Lodger.
• Top of Primrose Hill shown in opening scene of "Bridget Jones Edge of Reason".
• The Emilíana Torrini song "Unemployed in Summertime" begins with the lyrics "Let's get drunk on Saturday, Walk on Primrose Hill until we lose our way".
• Parts of the British romance comedy Imagine Me & You was filmed on Primrose Hill, featuring Lena Headey and Piper Perabo
• In George MacDonald's fantasy novel At the Back of the North Wind, North Wind and Diamond briefly halt at the top of Primrose Hill during their first nightly voyage.
• American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III lived nearby for a time and wrote a song called "Primrose Hill" about the area – which is all we bloody need..
• Rupert Grint's character, Ben, walks down Primrose Hill at the end of "Driving Lessons."
• One of the scenes of 2006 movie Breaking and Entering takes place at the top of Primrose Hill.
• Two main characters from Bookends, by Jane Green, Cath and Si often visit Primrose Hill to walk a friend's dog, Mouse.
• Primrose Hill appears to be where Martha Jones teleports back to when The Master begins to take over the world in the Doctor Who episode, The Sound of Drums
• In Dodie Smith'sThe Hundred and One Dalmatians, the Dearly family live near the district, on Regent's Park's Outer Circle, with Primrose Hill itself forming an excellent location for Pongo to engage in the 'twilight barking'.
Primrose Hill Residents
• Adam Ant (born, Stuart Leslie Goddard), singer-songwriter and actor
• Alan Bennett, author and baker of exceedingly good eccles cakes
• Cameron McVey, Producer (Massive Attack, Sugababes, All Saints)
• Charles Brasch, notable New Zealand poet, editor, and cultural critic
• Chris Moyles, Crap & Fat Radio 1 DJ and borderline homophobe
• David Miliband, Foreign Secretary
• Enrique Iglesias, Spanish Singer (not sure about this)
• Eva Green, actress
• Ewan McGregor, An actor
• Finley Quaye singer-songwriter
• Friedrich Engels, Singer, songwriter, political philosopher and co-author of The Communist Manifesto
• Geri Halliwell, “singer”, “songwriter” and “children’s author”
• Helena Bonham Carter 2, actress
• Ian McKay, writer and academic
• Jamie and 'Jools' Oliver, celebrity chef and trophy wife
• Joan Bakewell Tart, journalist and broadcaster
• John McCririck, objectionable horse racing pundit
• Martin Shaw, actor, composer and organist of St Mary's, Primrose Hill
• Jon Snow, News Broadcaster, discoverer of the Cholera virus and former England fast bowler
• Jonny Lee Miller, actor and star of "Love, Honour & Obey"
• Jude Law, actor and star of "Love, Honour & Obey"
• Kate Moss, fashion model
• Neneh Cherry, singer and songwriter
• Rachel Weisz, actress
• Rachel Stevens, actress, singer, model, scientist
• Sadie Frost, “actress” currently between roles and co-owner of fashion label Frost French and bit part player in of "Love, Honour & Obey"
• Sean Pertwee, actor and star of "Love, Honour & Obey"
• Sharleen Spiteri, singer
• Sienna Miller, actress
• Simon Callow, An ACTOR/SHOUTER!
• Sophie Ellis-Bextor-Swing-Bacon, “singer” and songwriter
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