Nicola Baird, right, with nutrition writer Ursula Arens at Islington Town Hall earlier this year

INTERVIEWER Nicola Baird, the face behind Islington Faces blog, celebrated her 365th interview earlier this month.

Islington Faces is a blog where Ms Baird, who has lived in Islington since leaving university, posts interviews with local people who live or work in the borough.

The mother of two started her blog in 2012, and recent interviews include the lighthouse keeper John Burton, retired deputy lieutenant Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes and actor and producer Shereener Browne.

Her first interview was with Ron Pace, a man who she would stop and chat to about horses on her way to pick her children up from Drayton Park Primary School.

Reaching 365 interviews is a huge milestone for Ms Baird, who explained she had “been looking forward to hitting 365 interviews because it is the equivalent of doing one interview every day for a year”.

Ms Baird said she started the blog, which became a charity in 2019, “because I’m naturally inquisitive and wanted to find out more about people’s lives. I’ve always loved interviewing people. It’s great finding out what other people love about Islington.”

She added: “It’s not difficult to find people to interview. I look out for people who have a real interest in the borough. I always say that everybody has a story, I’m so privileged to be the one to tell so many.

“Islington is a real village. I often meet people who I’ve interviewed in the streets. Walking around with me can be slow because I’ll always find people to chat with. It’s lovely!”

The Finsbury Park-based author and journalist celebrated her 40th interview with a show and live interview panel at The King’s Head pub in Upper Street in 2014.

Her 200th interview celebration took place at The Lamb pub in Holloway Road.

“I’m looking to have a celebration for my 400th interview early next year. Of course in another local venue,” Ms Baird told the Tribune.

An environmental journalist, she has worked at Friends of the Earth, EarthMatters and The Pavement. In addition, Ms Baird has written books such as Save Cash and Save the Planet and Homemade Kids: Thrifty, Creative and Eco-Friendly Ways to Raise Children.

An exhibition featuring photographs by Kimi Gill, who takes pictures of people interviewed on the blog, ran in 2019 at the Islington Museum in Clerkenwell.

“She’s really talented,” said Ms Baird of Ms Gill, who added: “Islington Faces started off as a journalism project but it’s given me new friends and acquaintances and it’s really reinforced for me that Islington is a wonderful place to live”.

However, she was stumped when asked which interview was most memorable.

“Every interview stands out for me,” she said. “I couldn’t pick a favourite one. I interview normal people.

“It’s wonderful to see how much people have gained from living in this tiny borough. I want people to see my blog as a platform that gives voices to ordinary people with extraordinary stories”.

• See the stories of people who live and work in Islington at www.islingtonfacesblog.com