15 May 2025
We ask a different figure from the local community to choose 10 questions to answer from a list of 50. This week: Harpenden author and folklore historian Natalie Lucy, whose young adult fiction novel Searching for the Remarkable Things is published by ZunTold next month.
Who was your first best friend?
A girl called Alex when I was five. She had just moved to our school and I (literally) bumped into her in the playground. We loved a lot of the same things but we didn’t know that at the time. I think there’s a kind of instinct with some people and children are often more in touch with that.
What TV did you watch as a child?
There were only three channels so we watched pretty much everything. I liked Grange Hill and Little House on the Prairie (although the real story behind it is much more interesting than the tv show). Everyone watched the same programmes so you talked about them at school. And my Mum loved Sunday matinees so we watched films with Cary Grant and Doris Day which seem old fashioned now but were often funny and charming. But TV definitely got better by my teens with miniseries like The Thorn Birds.
If you could travel back in time and offer your younger self some advice, what would it be?
Sometimes at school everything feels like it’s how well you do at exams. But those things only show a small part of you. Some of the most interesting, successful people I know didn’t stand out at school. And you can change your path. Lots of times. So, try different things, make mistakes and keep moving forward, exploring the world and finding out what you love.
What’s your favourite place to have breakfast in Harpenden?
I love Okka and The Silver Palate but there’s also a lovely café in the park. It has massive windows and you feel like you’re surrounded by greenery and light.
What’s your favourite hidden gem in the district?
I don’t know if it’s a hidden gem exactly but we love walking through the woods down to Verulanium Park and round the lake to Ye Olde Fighting Cocks. I really like the roads nearby too especially Fishpool Street. During one lockdown we liked to walk past the houses with their amazing Christmas decorations into the town centre and then sit listening to the buskers with hot coffee. It definitely made the world feel nicer.
Odyssey or Netflix?
I love the Odyssey. Especially during the day you see groups of friends who obviously go every week. I always think it’s a really nice habit. Sometimes I go on my own and it feels really civilised to sit under a blanket watching a great film.
What are your preferred pizza toppings?
We’re trying to be plant based so are a bit more limited but the Pizza Stop in Redbourn does a great vegan pizza on a Friday night.
CD, vinyl, download or streaming?
Download. And vinyl. There’s a great vinyl shop in St Albans. When I was growing up my parents constantly played records. Even now a particular piece of music can conjure up vivid memories of those times. But both my children are very into music and I love a lot of what they listen to so I like to think I’m a bit more eclectic now.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs…we had a very lively and loyal border collie when I was younger but, until a few months ago, we had a cat. He wasn’t always the most affectionate but appeared beside the car every time we got home. And cats are really intriguing, with incredible skills and agility – so sort of both…
Do you have any phobias?
I don’t like heights…or snakes. I had a friend with a massive phobia of spiders but I grew up in a really old house with cracks in the walls and had tons running round our house so never minded them.
