Reporter Daisy Clague heads to Exmouth Market for a margarita

A WRITER says he is leaving Clerkenwell because it has become full of “party people”.

Oliver Bennett penned an opinion piece for the Daily Telegraph with his analysis of the Exmouth Market area which he said he and his wife had moved to in the late 1990s.

It was then a “dusty backwater of old print­works” and “London’s secret village”.

But Mr Bennett, a former editor of the EC1 Echo website, has divided local opinion with his view that it is now a destination for “woo girls” and “braying bros” arriving for nights out.

Miguel O’Connor works in the Exmouth Market kiosk, which sells books and posters – as well as stocking our own newspaper.

He told the Tribune: “It’s not a cheap night out, for sure. This area is beyond gentrification and it has been since the early 2000s.

The parade in Clerkenwell

“But I think it used to feel like the little secret of locals and people who worked nearby, whereas now, it’s a place that you know about even if you don’t have any of those connections.

“If you mention Exmouth Market to anyone in London they probably know where you’re referring to, so it might start to resemble what you expect from more central locations, like Soho.

“But I think it’s still a little corner of its own that has an air of familiarity.”

Manuel Santos, who has worked in the Spanish deli Furanxo for five years, said that while Exmouth Market is definitely lively, the rest of Clerkenwell is “pretty dead”.

He added: “Yes, the terraces are busy and in summer it’s busy – there’s a lot of outdoor seating so it has a European vibe, but that’s the character of the street.

“Since I’ve been here it’s always been like that, and I think it has been for 15, 20 years. There are a couple more wine bars, but it’s not like it was a residential street that turned into a club, it’s a market street full of premises.”

The Exmouth Arms

The Exmouth Arms is open until 1am at weekends, but bartender Jorge Ceasar disagrees with the idea of the street as a “nightlife zone”.

He said: “I know one local who’s moving away but that’s because he’s had enough of this life – he doesn’t feel like it’s getting worse, it’s the same, they’re just getting older.”

Other nightlife includes Ninth Ward opening on Farringdon Road closer to the station with a 3am finish.

Lorraine Ferguson, who has worked in Exmouth Market off-licence Anand News for nine years, hasn’t noticed a dramatic change.

She said: “I would say there has always been quite a mix of people, as long as I’ve been here – from the people counting their coppers to buy a drink, to the people who come and buy cigarettes and don’t even look at how much they’re tapping.”

She added: “It can be quite lively Thursday, Friday, Saturday when the weather’s good. I would imagine it’s hard for residents as I know the noise can go on past midnight.

“But I guess it depends on the individual and what you like. Some people love the noise, the hustle and bustle.”

The Tribune contacted Mr Bennett but he said he did not want to add further comment to his article at this time.