Double room in lovely townhouse near Victoria Park

The available room is on the top floor of my home, an attractive Victorian townhouse in the heart of the vibrant inner London borough of Hackney. The house is well maintained and characterful, and forms part of a lovely 19th century Conservation Area which is extremely peaceful despite its urban setting. The buzz of Hackney is just around the corner - world-class restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, markets and art spaces can all be found down the road from the house, along with excellent transport links (10 mins from Bethnal Green Tube station; 15 mins to Hackney Central overground station). But the house itself is on a quiet road with no through traffic, and several lovely green spaces (e. g Victoria Park) are only a 3-5 minute walk away.

The house (150 sq m approx) is arranged over 4 floors, with an open plan diner/kitchen/lounge occupying the whole lower ground level (along with a small washroom), a double reception room on the ground floor, and 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the upper floors. There is a small but pretty back garden and all the usual amenities, including a fully equipped kitchen and good broadband. The available bedroom is at the top of the house, across the landing from a newly renovated shower room (containing a WC, shower and sink) and next to my now rarely-used office room: there are no other rooms on that floor. It measures roughly 12ft x 10ft and is furnished with a double bed, small wardrobe, desk/chair and chest of drawers. It has a nice view across neighbouring gardens and rooftops.

I’m a retired academic, now fulfilling long-held dreams of independent travel and exploration. I’m friendly and gregarious and like nothing more than good conversations with interesting people, but I’m also happy in my own company and need to be able to choose when to interact with others and when to have private time on my own. My house is organised in such a way that two people with similar preferences in that regard could very easily share it: there are lovely communal spaces, but also plenty of private space, and the 4-storey layout makes it easy to maintain different zones on different levels.

I’m looking for a short-term (5-7 month) lodger who is trustworthy, mature and comfortable in their own skin: at ease with others but also respectful of privacy, sociable but preferring a quiet home. S/he must be happy to spend chunks of time alone in the house, as I expect to be away travelling a lot in the coming months. When at home I enjoy all sorts of music, film and literature, and take a keen interest in politics and current affairs, but also love to be outdoors exploring London and surrounding areas on foot or by bike. By my side at all times is my very sweet Cocker Spaniel, Lola. Please note though that Lola cannot tolerate other animals in her house (!), so unfortunately I’m unable to consider applications from anyone with a pet of their own.