Anthony Emms is a sociology student at Goldsmiths College in south London. He lives on Shell Road, Lewisham with four other housemates in one of the most talked-about student residences in the city.
Vice: That’s an interesting sofa. Where did you find it?
Anthony: We came back home one night really drunk from the union and we thought it would be funny to carry it back home. There was a lot of shit in the lining like coins and broken glass but it doesn’t actually smell too bad.
It complements the table.
We like to have a social atmosphere in the house and we’re thrilled when people drop by and enjoy the ambience we’ve created here.
You must have some wonderful memories of those times.
Yes, I remember once, the five of us spent 13 hours straight watching the Live 8 concert on TV. It showed unity within the group at the time.
You’ve got an amazing collection of old console games scattered on the floor.
We like to appreciate culture and history. We’ve got the Sega Megadrive for old classics like Streets Of Rage, the N64 for Goldeneye, and of course, the Playstation Two for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
What’s the story behind the bus stop sign?
We were wrecked and I came up with the idea that if we stole it we wouldn’t have to walk to the bus stop every morning. Rather, it would come to us! We all thought this was an hilarious juxtaposition!
Hmmm. Can’t you at least clean the toilet?
No. There’s a real sense of authenticity there. It looks like somebody really used that room for something. We’ve all argued whether we should clean it up but it’s taken a good two and a half years to get it like that and changing that now would ruin its character. It’s like the bottles on the floor in the front room: they were put there for a reason. Whether the person passed out on the floor with it in their hand or they were too lazy to put it in the bin, they were still there for a reason. Understand?
DICK SNIFFER
