Animal activist Meg Mathews became famous in the 1990s as the socialite wife of Oasis star Noel Gallagher, who she divorced in 2001. She used to work as an interior designer but now campaigns for PETA and works as the animal rights organisation’s celebrity liaison.

What brought you to the area?

I moved here in 1996. The estate agent showed my ex-husband (Noel Gallagher) and me a house, and that was it. David Walliams lives there now, but I’m not telling you where it is.

What makes it such a special place?

I’ve been in Primrose Hill for so many years now, so I know everyone. It’s fantastic, and I just feel at home. It’s like a little village – a community to itself. I’m especially lucky to live on the hill. Primrose Hill is also really good for me, as a vegan. I love the vegetarian café, Café Seventy Nine, and, of course, Manna.

If you had £100 to blow in the area, how and where would you spend it?

I’d spend it in Yeomans on juices. I get a juice from there every morning. The green juices are particularly good – for the body and the soul!

As guest editor of the Ham&High for a day, what one local issue would you most like to see reported?

I’d like to see more animal-focused stories that are relevant to the area, such as about the suffering of designer dogs. Every year, I help organise an event on Primrose Hill which draws attention to the production of puppies purely for profit and without a thought for their welfare or happiness. I share my Primrose Hill home with a gorgeous Boston terrier named Oscar.

Like many people, I was seduced into buying my companion animal from a breeder, without knowing about the debilitating health problems or the death sentence handed out to dogs in animal shelters. Little Oscar has had myriad health issues, as is typical for “pedigree” dogs, and now I’m always encouraging people to adopt from shelters, rather than buying from breeders or pet shops.

Who is the most inspiring person you have ever met?

Ingrid E Newkirk, the managing director and founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the animal rights organisation I work for. Last year, I heard her deliver an inspiring speech on the future of animal rights to a sell-out crowd. Her sharp wit – as well as her dedication to the alleviation of animal suffering – makes it easy to come into work.

If you had to write your own epitaph, what would it say?

“Vegan. Proud mother. Animal activist. Meg made a positive difference in the lives of animals.”