All eyes on SoHa: the NW London enclave in the Amandaland spotlight

It’s no enjoyable to be the punchline of a joke, however that was the suspicion at information that the spin off to wincingly correct mum-com Motherland was migrating from Chiswick to ‘South Harlesden’.

Co-created by Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh, Amandaland, which debuts on BBC One on February 5, sees Lucy Punch’s egotistical alpha mum come down on the planet post-divorce — gamely styling out her transfer to vibrant ‘SoHa’.

As anybody who lives on this sprawling Victorian neighbourhood — divided by the unlovely A404 — will inform you, there’s no such place.

A fast skim of filming areas reveals Amandaland was shot within the extra upmarket Islington, and Muswell Hill, which needed to be artfully distressed.

One excited Islington resident posted on Threads: ‘The manufacturing designers have determined to make our road very run down, with discarded buying trolley and so forth! Amanda has clearly fallen on arduous instances.’

‘Ooh’ says one other, ‘Is that Joanna Lumley hiding behind a camper van? OMG it’s!’

Then: ‘I simply learn that Amandaland is supposed to be set in South Harlesden so am now deeply offended they’re utilizing our streets.’

Even when Amanda’s ag-ag mum Felicity performed by Lumley, and punchbag pal Anne (Philippa Dunne) by no means made it to Harlesden Excessive Road, the native WhatsApp teams have been blowing up — simply glad the world’s getting any point out that’s not about violent crime or medicine.

One native property agent snorted with laughter after I known as about Harlesden’s promoting factors — then put me on maintain and reduce me off.

Clearly he thought it was a prank name.

However James Jooste of Churchill Mathesons, which has three many years expertise and a presence on Manor Park Highway, loves the world’s vibe.

“It’s tremendous pleasant, I just like the tradition,” he says. “A few of Harlesden hasn’t modified or gentrified however it’s transferring. I’ve offered an excellent few flats to younger professionals.

“It’s a busy, blended neighborhood in Zone 3 with good transport connections, and actually good worth. You possibly can nonetheless get a three-bed Edwardian on a pleasant road that wants a bit of labor for £630,000.”

Jooste advises Amanda to contemplate the prime roads Longstone Avenue, Sellons Avenue, Harlesden Gardens and Wrottesley Highway, the place homes can fetch north of £1million, though she’s stated to be residing in a flat, which vary from £350,000 to £500,000 for bigger ones on Minet Avenue or Fairlight Avenue.

“Individuals nonetheless need conventional Edwardian and there’s an excellent unfold of funding properties and enormous, well-built household houses with excessive ceilings and delightful options,” provides Jooste.

The community-spirited open house, the place actors Ben Bailey Smith, Tamsin Greig, and Samantha Spiro have been noticed strolling their canines, has play areas, a picket chalet-style café and gardening undertaking.

It’s prime bumps and infants territory — though Amanda’s teenagers Manus and Georgie would possibly favor hanging out on the adjoining skate park.

For down-scaling divorcees or up-scaling North Londoners, Jooste recommends the Previous Oak Widespread Conservation space.

“It’s slightly triangle of small however quaint cottages usually with extensions that go for £620,000 to £650,000 proper subsequent to a transport hub,” he stated.

Movies like Eddie the Eagle, Insanity’s Our Home, and Pulp’s Widespread Individuals movies had been shot there and the tightknit neighborhood swimming pools filming charges to fund day journeys and civic enhancements.

A nexus of Overground traces, plus the Bakerloo, imply Amanda may have double glazing towards the noise from Willesden Junction — or the endless HS2 works.

However someday after 2029, she’ll be one of many few to learn from a super-fast connection to Birmingham — or extra handily a hook up with the Lizzie Line.

College-wise, Amanda might need to contemplate paying or praying. The sequence blurb says Manus and Georgie at the moment are teenagers and Amanda is ‘coping with trendy motherhood horrors like teenage consuming, pretend Instagram accounts and eco anxiousness’.

In the event that they’re too outdated for Excellent St Joseph’s Catholic Major College, she would possibly gather sufficient factors from weekly worship to get into Excellent Twyford C of E Secondary in Acton, or the native comp of selection, Queen’s Park Neighborhood College, is choc-full of the offspring of well-known broadcasters, DJs, music and movie business sorts.

Brent has a famously numerous neighborhood the place 149 languages are spoken, and if Amanda needs to entertain her new neighbour Mal on her decreased finances, she ought to head to Excessive Road grocery retailer Means 2 Save, an Aladdin’s cave of worldwide substances at a fraction of the costs in Chiswick Waitrose.

As Amanda builds her life-style influencer model, she may get inspo at Nilly Flowers in Park Parade — which hosts a Sri Lankan supper membership on Fridays, or from the makers markets in Normal Highway, Park Royal, the place she will be able to slip into the speak-easy type Normal Bar afterwards for a craft gin.

For meet ups with new associates Della and Fi she will be able to swap her Gail’s reward card for brunches, and submit faculty Pizza at Rubio on Park Parade, whereas ditching the yoga mat to hang around at Elmwood Garden Tennis Membership off Wrottesley Highway, the place the bar runs common Friday knees up s for fogeys letting their hair down whereas the youngsters run amok.

A brief spin will deliver her to Chamberlayne Highway with unbiased cinema The Lexi, and a string of first rate pubs in The Chamberlayne, The Whippet, Paradise and Parlour.

Faculty Highway with its Italian deli L’Angolo, and pub The Island can also be Kensal Rise territory, however café bar Morty & Bobs would deliver Amanda neatly again full circle.

It was as soon as the much-lamented Gracelands Café the place the Motherland pilot was shot again in 2016.