Welcome to the second issue of NW1 Magazine, which, if the reaction to our first issue is anything to go by, is set to become the definitive voice of Camden Town.
We have received hugely positive feedback from our readers and advertisers. We distributed bulk copies to around one hundred and fifty shops, bars, restaurants, estate agents and other outlets in NW1 – as well as thousands of copies delivered door-to-door and to the main office blocks in Camden Town – and the response has been overwhelmingly favourable. If you missed it, or have mislaid it, our first issue is available on our website www.nw1mag.com. It seems that our blend of comment, features, news and reviews has not only filled a gap in the area, but also, in the opinion of many people to whom we have spoken, is putting us on course to become a local magazine which will unite the community and offer a forum for people from all groups and backgrounds to express their opinions and views on life in Camden Town. We are delighted with this, and we encourage you to write in and let us have your comments on your life and experiences in this complex, multi-cultural and exciting part of the inner city, with all its attractions, frustrations, intrigues and problems.
In this, our second issue, we again cover a diverse range of topics of interest to all who work, live in and visit Camden Town. As well as our extensive previews of forthcoming music and arts events, and our reviews of the area’s bars, galleries and restaurants, we explore local issues, fashion, history, business and culture, all written by people with a deep commitment to, and affection for, Camden Town. To repeat what we wrote in the introduction to our first issue, we are editorially led and, although the magazine is entirely dependent on advertising revenue, as a matter of policy we say what we think. We are again grateful for the support and encouragement of Camden Town Unlimited, although we are not in anyone’s pocket, and we hope you find this – what would be regarded in the music industry as the ‘difficult second album’ – just as refreshing and entertaining, if not more so, as our inaugural issue.
Please let us know what you think. As an independent enterprise we have no political or social axe to grind. We exist so that you can use us as a channel for your views and opinions, from the conventional via the quirky to the wildly outlandish. Our email address and phone numbers are on this page. We look forward to hearing from you.
With Ben Larsen
Camden High Street – hey, let’s dig it up... again!
Honestly, what the hell is it with our High Street? Can anyone remember a time ever when somewhere from Mornington Crescent up to the Lock Bridge and then along Chalk Farm Road wasn’t being dug up?
I’ve only lived here a few years but I honestly don’t think there has been a single week gone by when Thames Water, the Council or any other number of contractors and sub-contractors all clad in hangover-worsening orange vests haven’t been jack-hammering, digging, ploughing, mending, laying down and resurfacing some length of road.
Sure, maintenance needs to be done, but this is a joke, right? The BBC says that the High Street was dug up 144 times in a year. 144 times? What the hell for? This apparently makes it the most dug-up road in Britain. Screw the markets and the canal. This is what we should be selling Camden on. ‘Welcome to Camden Town - Home of Holes in the Road’.
Thames Water dug up my road twice in the last six months. Once, sure, that’s fine. Twice would be at best ok, except when they were done our water didn’t work. So, after a barrage of abuse from our lovely neighbours, back out they come and there we go – water. I’ve heard they’re even getting sued (not by me...). As long as they’re not expecting a thank-you hamper in the post, things will be all right.
Rock and Roll Walk of Fame - Camden Style
So where is Camden’s rock and roll history? Who, besides the 40+-year-olds propping up the bar reminiscing about the old Dingwalls, has much of a handle on it? Sure there’s the book (Those Tourists Are Money... A Rock and Roll Guide to Camden), but it’s hard to get your mitts on, and, though brilliant in detail, may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
So there’s this idea of the Rock and Roll walk of fame in Camden: sponsored paving stones telling us of the famous folks who’ve rocked, rolled, fallen down and died in Camden Town. And I’m torn about it. For one, yeah, great idea, commemoration and all that, especially these days when the face of the town is changing so much. On the other hand – paving stones? Nearly every big band to crack it in the UK has at some point played in Camden Town – that’s a given – but they’ve played so many other places, too. So, instead of just commemorating bands, let’s commemorate moments. Like the parents of Madness all jumping in the canal when they played Dingwalls, or Shane McGowan drinking a solid 24-hour session in the Marathon, or Elastica signing a publishing deal on top of Primrose Hill, or even mark where Bon Scott had his final few drinks. I think we all want to celebrate the musical history here - but paving stones? None of these people deserve to be walked over.
They are... sorry... they were the Mescalitas!
It has come to my attention that the fabulous band who have been gracing many stages both in Camden, from The Enterprise to Koko, over the last year or so, The Mescalitas, have called it a day, and it has filled my ears with sorrow!
They were adopted by Camden, and you can’t help but feel they were about to be adopted by pretty much everyone else. After a couple of national tours, a single deal with Rough Trade Records and seemingly the world at their feet, it must have been as hard for them as it was a shock to the rest of us. So, a posthumous salute to one of the finest rock and roll bands I’ve ever had the pleasure to have heard and seen live more than a couple of times. I’ve no idea what Gem is up to, but I hear that Gabi and Mel are becoming disc-changers in high demand. Good luck to them all from me, though, they were bloody fantastic.
Bless The Cuban – Curse My Liver...
So there we are, being all pleasant and social and couply, going on not just a double but, in fact, a freaking triple date. It would have been every single person’s nightmare – six people loved up (two of them recently engaged) talking about going on holiday... together. Or about buying a house... together. Or even about having kids... together. As part of a happy twosome I commit these sins daily with great pleasure and delight, not a small portion of which comes from seeing the singletons in our group of friends roll their eyes or just outright squirm at the idea.
So, as I was saying, we’re sleazing it up on Inverness Street, which, by the way, has somehow, with the help of a few coloured paving stones and some new lamps, gone from being the filthy old bird who’d let you feel her up for a fiver in the loos at the Mixer to being a botoxed, liposuctioned, slick-as-you-like stretch of road (though to be fair, it might cost you a tenner, but she’d still let you have a go), throwing back two-for one-cocktails and lager, planning the night ahead.
We met up with some friends at The Cuban (and may have scored a gig in Germany as a result!) and proceeded to get drunk. And I am talking seriously wankered.
You’ll go broke long before you get drunk drinking anything but beer at The Cuban. The cocktails are great but unkind on the wallet, so it was San Miguel for a good few hours, as the conversations turned from football to rock and roll to where the toilets are and back again... We hit up the Enterprise for last call and I remember being convinced that Bar 88 was a good idea, though thinking about it now it may well not have been.
So there we are, staggering home at around half three, go to unlock the door and, shitballs of fire and hate, my keys are gone. So hereby ensued the episode that shall forever be known as Operation White Wall Welsh as we had to call housemate Dave, tucked up in bed, to come downstairs and let us in. For the mental picture, Dave is about 6 foot 4, blonde, pretty burly, pale and in this case, terrifyingly clad in no more than his tighty whities. But at that point, I flinch and have to say he was a sight for drunk eyes...
So the next day was filled with blurry and head-pounding walk through the market, whereupon discovering the good folk at the Cuban had rescued and saved my keys for me – bless! So for now and the foreseeable future, the only time I’ll get to see Dave in his pants is on his webcam.
Where have all the drug dealers gone?
Alright, I’m going to start this by saying that the only drugs I enjoy are alcohol and caffeine. I’ll go further to say that no, there are not other ones I do and simply don’t enjoy. This, in my current days, is about as far as the envelope gets pushed. So we all know Camden Town has become about as (in)famous for its aggressive drug dealers as it is for the markets and music, but when I returned from a (much deserved) holiday home to Australia over the festive period, I noticed something. Actually, it was the complete lack of about a dozen somethings hanging out at the end of Inverness Street trying to sell me bags of parsley, twigs and self-raising flour. What’s this? A hassle-free walk up the High Street? Well, not quite, but at least it looks that, for a little while, I can do a bit of fruit shopping before stopping in at the Mixer without being pressured into buying bags of lawn clippings (I’m trying to cut down after all).
Camden Town Underground Graffiti - attack or installation...
Something else happened while I was baking my beard in the sunshine over Christmas. The biggest co-ordinated graffiti happening ever to hit London’s Underground network. Apparently Camden Town tube was the hardest hit, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to the station, and raising questions about the security of the network and the effectiveness of recent transport police operations to deter any kind of graffiti on the trains. Now, to me there are two really distinct types of graffiti. One, the one that gets the press, is the mindless taggers, who just come into Camden from hella backwood nowhere on the weekends to leave their completely shit mark in as many places along as many high-profile streets as possible (I’d name the tags, but what’s the point?), and the other is truly an art form in itself, that has been celebrated and accepted the world over, in both galleries and guerrilla styles. Now these guys that hit the stations (70 in all apparently) have missed a huge opportunity to do some good, in my mind. Sure, they’re breaking the law and that’s not big or clever, but they knew they were going to get press for it, and considering the trouble they went through to get in there, reportedly entering the network a bloody long way away and walking through the tunnels, they could have put a bit more time into design. How amazing would it have been to come back to work the next day, open those big old gates and have it look like Picasso and Pollock had been drunken Greco-Roman style wrestling in there? To actually break a stereotype as well as the law would be spectacular, but as it stands, it just looks like clever criminals who can’t paint for shit.
The Crown and Goose
It’d probably be a bit harsh to say that if you call yourself a local and you don’t know where the Crown and Goose is then you’re lying about one of them, but it’s damn close to being true. With a twisting history as long as your arm, and locals fiercely committed to the pub as both a meeting place and a place of celebration, it has roots stretching from its spot on the corner of Arlington Road and Delancey Street to the hearts (and taste buds!) of anyone who has ever been through it’s doors.
And now someone wants to knock it down.
It’s progress officially, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let it slide. Camden Town is the home of proper pubs with more balls than most, and it’s places like this that so much of the character of our town comes from. And the way the bar’s manager found out about this proposal is almost criminal. Nothing in the post, and after checking with local residents, found that none within sight of the pub had any either. The landlord found a single ‘does this affect you?’ notice at ground level facing onto the street, and was completely shocked by it.
If you’ve ever been to this pub, and if you value the ongoing character and liveability of our area, I can only hope you go onto the council’s website (www.camden.gov.uk), go to the planning applications page and lodge your objection, as it could be the only thing we can do to save the mighty Crown and Goose (the pub is reviewed on page 23).By Tim Bruce-Dick
You probably wouldn’t identify Camden Town as a mecca of architecture, modern or otherwise, but you would be wrong as some of the UK’s leading architects are well represented here.
Best known are the stunning classical Regents Park terraces designed by John Nash nearly 200 years ago; to see them gleaming in the sunshine is a rare treat. He also built the picturesque Park Village East, home to celebs such as Sir Cameron Mackintosh and recently Sven Goran Erikson. Shortly afterwards, the railways arrived at Euston down the spectacular Camden Cut, one of Stephenson’s greatest engineering feats, and just missing Nash’s village!
Then in the 1920s at Mornington Crescent the enormous Black Cat cigarette factory was built, obliterating the view from artist Walter Sickert’s studio window forever; ironically another local artist, Frank Auerbach, has used this recently restored palace in many of his works.
The 1930s saw the first white modernist buildings inspired by the great Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Outstanding were Berthold Lubetkin’s penguin pool at London zoo; Connell Ward and Lucas’s Kent House flats in Ferdinand Street; Erno Goldfinger’s delightful flats in Regents Park Road, and Serge Chemayeff’s Gilbey’s building in Jamestown Road. After WWII Camden Council commissioned Jim Stirling to build a trademark red brick block of flats, inspired by Le Corbusier, in Gloucester Avenue. Camden’s own architects department built many ground-breaking housing projects including Maiden Lane by Forsyth and Benson. Some suffered from social problems but others created bright modern homes much loved by their inhabitants. The 1960s also saw a host of small houses in the mews round Camden Square built by young architects such as Ted Cullinan for themselves, many inspired by Japanese timber construction.
In the late 1980s the high priest of High Tech, Nick Grimshaw, put up Sainsbury’s in Camden Road, and the adjacent space-age type housing with its remote-controlled windows overlooking the canal. More recently, there has been a spate of eye-catching modernistic buildings, some quite modestly tucked away down side streets: David Chipperfield’s own offices off Agar Grove, Piers Gough’s curvy Glass Building in Jamestown Road, cool offices hidden off Inverness Street and even cooler glass and stone flats in Oval Road both by Alford Hall Monaghan Morris, the colourful new Haverstock School by Feilden Clegg Bradley, and the exciting restoration and extension to the Round House by John McAslan.
There are many other good modern buildings that have fitted successfully into old Camden Town, and more under construction. Check them out; they are a proud part of our heritage.
Tim Bruce-Dick is an architect who teaches the appreciation of contemporary architecture at City University and leads architectural walks in the summer round London. For details visit www.TBDArchitects.co.uk.114 Albert Street London NW1 7NE ph 020 7485 8976, fax 020 7267 7529, e-m timbrucedick@yahoo.co.ukBy Rab MacWilliam
Founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1826, the Zoological Society of London opened London Zoo to the public in 1847. Since then it has become one of the most popular and famous zoos in the world.
Today, the Regent’s Park Zoo contains an astonishing 650 different species. Over the last few years, the Zoo has been carrying out a policy of ‘bringing down the bars’, enabling visitors to get closer to the animals and allow the animals to exist in an environment similar to their natural habitat.
Their most ambitious and impressive project – costing £5.3 million – opens to the public on 30 March. Gorilla Kingdom, described by the Zoo as ‘bringing the serenity of the rainforest to the urban jungle’ is a space carefully designed to simulate an African forest clearing, complete with African plants and herbs, a waterfall, cave, heated rocks and a hill, which will be populated by Western lowland gorillas. There will also be a gym and indoor quarters for the animals, containing ropes, climbing walls and nesting baskets, where the gorillas can sleep off the effects of a busy day doing nothing. Initially, there will be two or three gorillas but the plan is to raise this to five, as part of an attempted breeding programme.
As visitors walk around the 6000-square-metre exhibit, they will be able to observe the gorillas across a moat and then come face-to-face with the beasts through a wall-to-ceiling glass window.
As well as providing a fascinating glimpse into gorillas’ daily lives, the exhibit provides an opportunity to raise the conservation issues which affect gorillas and rainforests, such as the Society’s research into the Cameroon bushmeat trade and gorilla ecotourism in Gabon, in accordance with its key role which it describes as ‘the conservation of animals and their habitats’. Indeed, through the development of the exhibit, the Society has pledged £500,000 to the conservation of gorillas in the wild.
In our next issue, NW1 Magazine will carry an extended history of the Zoo, as well as an article on the activities of The Gorilla Organisation, a charity based in Primrose Hill (see advert on page 9).
NW1 Magazine asked two young people to let us have their views of the area.
By Lee Oakeley
Are the youth in Camden trendy or troublesome? Are the various races, religions and cultures simply ingredients for a great shopping trip? Do they reflect the youths of the community or are the opening times of these shops the only time where different cultures actually stand side by side?
My overwhelming introduction to Camden took place a few summers ago, walking through the cultural spectrum that is Camden market at its busiest hour. There was a freshness and unified, friendly feel to the place and an undeniable buzz which probably accounts for the impressive number of people who flock there frequently. Looking from the outside in, there seemed to be many things to keep the younger generation entertained. There are bars, night clubs and music venues, almost lined up in a row, and there seems to always be something worth attending. It is said that most crime committed by the younger generation is a result of children not having anything to do. Surely this couldn’t apply to the youth of Camden. This is Camden’s daytime reality, where everybody seems to get along and cultures are embraced.
My second taste of Camden was at night and the same streets that I had been so overwhelmed by in the daytime, felt like miles away from Camden night life. A sense of lawlessness arrives with the turning-on of the street lights as drug dealers crowd into the centre of town. Add this to the typical underage binge drinkers and you have a recipe for a night out on the edge. People seem to segregate more at night, and the daytime multi-culturalism that impressed me so much about Camden is now non-existent. This has left me to believe that Camden has two faces, running like a television channel, pre- and post-watershed.
It becomes clear very quickly that most teenagers have to make a choice very early when forming into social groups. You can either enjoy Camden for all its rich diversity and musical scene or embrace the sordid night life of drugs, alcohol and violence. I wonder, though, if it is possible to appreciate Camden for both its faces, because one does not seem to hinder the other. Each operates and caters for the numerous types of people that seek some form of entertainment from such a vibrant area in London. In amongst all the cultural effervescence, there is an underlying issue regarding the futures of the Camden youth. It seems they must make a decision in regard to the side of Camden that they wish to embrace, drugs and drink at night or cultural and communal celebrations in the daytime. Camden is divided.
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By Syeda Salma Begum
I never had any reason to feel unsafe in Camden because I was Muslim’
With media and public attention increasingly focussing on the lifestyles and attitudes of young British Muslims, it is interesting to look at how life as a youngster in Camden has changed when one’s beliefs have been openly placed under a social spotlight.
Having lived in Camden all my life, I have seen many different people walk in and out and continue to watch this town developing culturally. I have always felt very happy living here knowing that the ethnic diversity is remarkable, made even greater by the fact that the community spirit is very much alive and people of all different races, religions and backgrounds embrace one another on the basis that they call the same place home.
As a child I never felt any particular distinction from my peers in regards to race, and everyone accepted each other for who they were, and I was never made to feel that I would be regarded differently because of the religion that I practiced. This was echoed in the primary school playground each afternoon, when parents came to collect their children. Adults who had all experienced different lifestyles themselves were sitting and standing alongside each other, most speaking to one another with no apparent problems. I believe seeing this as a child inspired me and helped me to grow up never feeling any need to distinguish myself from anyone on the basis of race or religion alone.
I never had any reason to feel unsafe in Camden because I was Muslim, and growing up here gave me a sense of security that I feel I would have been deprived of anywhere else. The atmosphere in the community was not only one of tolerance of differences, but also everyone accepted and appreciated these differences that add so much colour and life to the air of Camden.
Unfortunately, in the light of certain recent events, media portrayals of Muslims have taken a turn for the worst, and as Camden is so highly diverse, being home to many Muslim families, this has had an effect on the way we are regarded by the rest of our community here. This has most probably had an effect on the younger generation growing up here as they have had to experience alterations in attitudes that other parents and children have towards them. Seeing and feeling any social distances at a young age can fill a child with many questions about themselves and their place in their community and society.
I can only pray that racial and religious segregation does not become a reality for the young in Camden, because it can seem so easy and acceptable to only socialise with people that are like us in many ways, especially given the difference in the way the community operates these days. But it is when the youth intersperse and grow together that Camden can hope to thrive and see future generations succeed as a community that disregards race and celebrates individuality.
By Kathryn Kennedy
As a local myself, living a stone’s throw away from the Market, there are those mornings that I wake up, slightly tattered and torn from the night before, and all I need to do is nip round to Sainsbury’s and pick up some bread and milk so I can serve up my tea and toast comfort meal, which is all fine and dandy until I make it round the corner.
I ram right into a wall of people – pinging from person to person trying desperately to steer my body in the direction of shop door. Success! I’m inside! I cruise down the bread isle and scoop up some milk on my way to the cashier, and wade past a crowd of people just loitering in the back of the store. Then I realize, they are not loitering, they are standing in line. I hang my head and do the conformist thing. I get in line and waddle up to the cashier 20 minutes later and get my bread and milk. It is moments like this that I ask myself – who are these people and where do they come from? To shed some light on the questions at hand, I went out to meet them and to find out what they hell they were up to in Camden.
Perry Davis, 20
Tenant or Tourist: Tourist - Romford
Daytime: Carpenter
Night time: Has yet to brave Camden in the dark
What’s in the Bag? Just along for the ride
Deirdre McBride, 25
Tenant or Tourist: Tourist – lives in East London
Daytime: Teacher in East London
Night time: Lock 17
What’s in the bag? Blue dress, Thai silk throw
Natasha Jobe, 18
Tenant or Tourist: Tourist - Romford
Daytime: Sales Assistant
Favourite Spot: Buck Street Markets
What’s in the bag? Dresses and a freshly pierced ear
Gemma Main, 23
Tenant or Tourist: Tourist – lives in East Ham
Daytime: Teacher in East London
Night time: A bevvie @ Barfly
What’s in the bag? 1960s shift dress in purple with button collar
Dave Drew, 26
Tenant or Tourist: Tenant – Chalk Farm Road
Daytime: Graphic Design Artist
Night time: The Enterprise
Comments: Currently exhibiting his art at St Pancras Hospital
Daniel Hinchliffe
Tenant or Tourist: Tenant – Belsize Park
Daytime: Music Industry
Night time: Proud Gallery/Movie Night in Belsize Park
What’s in the Bag? Shoes
Dave Flynn
Tenant or Tourist: Tenant – Belsize Park
Daytime: Actor, theatre
Night time: Proud Gallery/Movie Night in Belsize Park
What’s in the Bag? Health Products
Steph Gera, 20
Tenant or Tourist: Tourist – Leytonstone
Daytime: Journalism student
Night time: Dublin Castle
Comments: The Shakes – 2007’s ones to watch
By Chris Shaw
What’s Going on in NW1
CTU has been working hard since the last issue of NW1 Magazine, particularly on projects designed to improve community safety in Camden Town during the dark winter months.
If you’ve been out and about in the town centre between 5-10pm on weeknights, you may well have seen the CTU security team (in orange jackets), patrolling the streets, disrupting drug dealers and working with retailers and bars to minimise anti-social disorder and street activity in the area. CTU believes the team have had a major impact in making the town centre feel safer, and we have received fantastic feedback from local businesses on their performance. They are very friendly, so if you have a problem relating to crime in the town centre, or even just need directions or advice, they would be happy to help out.
Project Updates
Cut Crime
As mentioned above, CTU has been delighted with the success of the CTU Security Team, patrolling the streets on weeknights since 2 October. They will continue to patrol in Camden Town until 31 March , and if you would like to discuss the service they provide in more detail, please contact the BID office on 020 7974 8708.
Aside from the Team, CTU has been working closely with the Community Forum, LB Camden and the Metropolitan Police to develop strategies to target drug dealing in Camden Town and secure extra police resources to make this happen. Discussions have been productive, and agreements have been reached significantly increasing the number of PCs and PCSOs available in Camden Town over the coming months, specifically to target drug dealers. We look forward to seeing the results.
Clean and Green
CTU has been preparing the latest draft of the Camden Town Streetscape Strategy, in partnership with TfL and LBC. This details key urban design proposals for Britannia Junction and Mornington Crescent, as well as projects to improve the pedestrian experience on the High Street with widened footways, more trees, better quality lighting and paving and public art. We hope to complete the final draft within a month, and be able to share our vision with you in the next issue of this magazine.
For those who work on or pass through the northern part of Camden Town, you will have noticed that the trees that had lined Chalk Farm Road have been removed. But don’t worry, as new trees are being installed as this is being written. The previous trees had struggled because of drought and watering restrictions, so the new trees have been put in, with plenty of time to catch the long winter rains to help them become more established, and bring some much welcome greenery back to Chalk Farm Road.
Celebrate and Promote
The Camden Crawl is coming! CTU are proud to be supporting one of the UK’s best musical festivals, with more than 80 gigs scheduled over 48 hours in venues right here in Camden Town. Hot, unsigned bands will be rubbing shoulders with internationally successful artists, showcasing what Camden Town is all about – great live music and a good night out. The event will take place 19 – 20 April. See the advert below for details about tickets.
CTU has also been developing a brochure with Time Out, promoting the great shops, pubs and restaurants here in Camden Town, as well as the green spaces away from the crowds, such as the canal, Regent’s Park or St Martin’s Gardens. Designed as a cut-out-and-keep guide for those on a day or night out, this will be distributed with Time Out in early April.
I am the Chair of Camden Town Unlimited, the business partnership for Camden Town working with key partners including London Borough of Camden, TfL, the Community Forum, GLA and other London agencies to identify ways of making Camden Town a better place to work, live and visit.
By Julia Stonehouse
New Ideas for the 21st Century
The first conversation I ever had with my daughter was about homelessness.
I was washing up, she was in her highchair; it was a cold, winter morning. She pointed to the radio and said ‘talking’. ‘Yes’, I said, ‘they’re talking about people who don’t have a house to live in, and have to sleep on the street in the cold’. After a pause, she said ‘coat’. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘they can put their coats on, but it’s still cold’. ‘Buttons’, she said. ‘Yes’, I said, ‘they can do up their buttons, but it’s very cold at night’. She thought about this for a few minutes and then came out with her answer to the problem – ‘cars’. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that car owners wouldn’t take kindly to the homeless sleeping in their vehicles, and instead said it was a very good idea.
Fortunately, my daughter is not the only one to care about the fate of homeless people. The Novas Group, a nationwide charity now headquartered in Parkway, care for them, as well as for victims of domestic violence, or exclusion, and people with all kinds of problems that make them, in a word, disadvantaged. Novas are there to help with shelter, food, medical attention, education, training, recruitment services, counselling of various kinds, jobs, art classes, and even a radio station. They look at all the needs of the people they help, and try to fulfill them.
Novas have a refreshingly positive approach to what they do. They seem to want to act as an interface, a portal, between disadvantage and difficulty, and a more stable and satisfying life. To do this, they’re into social enterprise – setting up business ventures which facilitate the organisation’s objectives while, at the same time, generating income they can use elsewhere.
At their HQ at 68 Parkway, Novas have set up a recruitment agency which is open to everyone, and a branch of the very successful translation service they’ve been running in Liverpool for years. At 73 Parkway, Novas run Arlington Gallery – the only art gallery in Camden Town. At 43 Chalk Farm Road, they’ve just opened ‘Rough Sleepers’ – a designer clothes shop, with an interior like a giant shopping trolley. Très chic.
In Early Mews, they have a sculpture studio, and the online radio station. On Greenland Street, Novas run Spectrum, which is a drop-in centre that provides, as well as a cup of hot tea, food, showers, laundry facilities, and the services of a variety of specialist counsellors and advisers, as well as doctors, nurses, and chiropodists. Soon they hope to have a Learn Direct service here, so the users can improve their literacy, numeracy and computing skills.
Novas’ largest asset, by far, is Arlington House on Arlington Road – the massive red brick building between Jamestown Road and Inverness Street. The bit you see there is only the spine of a capital ‘E’-shaped building. There are three, equally large blocks attached on the other side. Built in 1905 to house 1,100 working men, the building is intended to provide 94 residence units (en suite), and will be open to the public. If the plans go through, Arlington House will provide the whole community of Camden with a state-of-the art training and conference centre, social enterprise/workspace units, multi-functional rooms where groups can hold meetings and events, an art gallery, an exhibition space, a museum, and dance and music studios. There will also be restaurants, and cafes, and a 20-room hotel. Within the site there is actually quite a bit of outside space, and that will be landscaped and also open to the public.
All this is a quantum leap from what Arlington House sadly became over the years. When it opened in 1905, thanks to the generosity of the Victorian philanthropist Lord Rowton, the ethos and facilities at Arlington House suited the times and it was very much a part of the local community. At that time,Camden was full of Irish, Welsh and Scottish men looking for work in the building trade. They found it, and made the canals and roads, and later, in the 1960s and 1970s, they converted the flats we live in today. Another influx of men came after each war – the ex-soldiers who found, on their return to Blighty. that they had no home to go to.
Over the years, many have written about their experience at Arlington House, including George Orwell who, in 1932, praised the facilities but complained that discipline was strict – ‘with rules against cooking, card-playing etc’. Around the same time, the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh wrote ‘The soft voices of Mayo and Galway sounding in that gaunt, impersonal place felt like warm rain on the arid patches of my imagination’.
Arlington got a revamp in the mid-1980s, with the room sizes doubled, and the number of residents halved, but by this time the social mix outside its doors had profoundly changed. Camden was now up-market (literally), and the long-term residents felt out of place among the confident, affluent, cosmopolitan youth. They felt isolated, and turned inward – to Arlington House. This is how many of the older guys lived and died – away from the support of their far-away families, lonely. Just to make a buck.
Novas still take care of the old guys, both at Arlington House and other housing facilities around Camden, but the thrust now is to discourage the dependency that comes from social isolation and lack of skills. These days, people come to Novas for help for a multitude of reasons. They might have suffered a bereavement, gone into depression, or stopped taking care of themselves and ended up on the street. Maybe they escaped a violent partner. Perhaps they escaped a violent regime. Maybe they got injured, and lost their job, couldn’t pay the rent, and ended up homeless. There are a thousand reasons that people fall off the merry-go-round we call ‘normality’ – and tomorrow it could be any one of us.
Novas have a very pragmatic attitude to what they do. It’s not just about lifting someone out of poverty and providing them with training and jobs. It’s more than just giving specialist help with drugs or drink, or mental problems. They know that people need community. They need confidence. They need to express themselves artistically – spiritual sustenance. People are mind, body, and spirit, and Novas see people in this, dare I say it, holistic, way. Novas aim to encourage their clients into taking responsibility for their own future. They give people the support they need to move onwards and upwards on all fronts, and they do it with respect, by seeing each person as an individual with unique needs and strengths.
Looking around the sculpture studio, it’s clear that some of the client group have much artistic talent, and it’s nice there’s a place where they can express it. But the studio welcomes anyone who wants to use its facilities, whether experienced or a beginner. Chris Cullens is the instructor there, and runs classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1.30 and 4.30pm, and 6.30 to 9.30pm. The price is £100 (or £36 for concessions) for a 12-week course, and that includes materials.
Novas help 10,000 people a year, in Liverpool and Bristol, as well as Southwark in south London, and here in Camden. You can imagine how much
help they need.
If you have time to volunteer, they could do with a hand at the art gallery, the sculpture studio or the new clothes shop – where they’ll also be training people in design and sewing. You may also be able to help out at the other facilities they manage. Either phone the HQ for a volunteer application pack, or have a look at the website, www.novas.org, under ‘Jobs’. If you look under ‘Our Services’, you’ll see there are many areas where Novas could do with hands-on help.
If you are a clothes designer, you could join Dexter Wong, Vinti Andrews, Sylvia Rielle, NOM*D, Robert Carey Williams, and Rising Spring, and donate clothing to the ‘charity shop’ with a contemporary twist in Chalk Farm Road. (Incidentally, check out the frontage by Japanese artist, Sonoko Obuchi. It is a work of art.) As Novas have other shops, they can use any new clothing you may have to offer. On the website there is a section, ‘Support/Donate’, where more information about assistance from individuals, companies, or gifts in kind, can be found.
There is, however, one thing I think we can all do, and that’s support the plans for the regeneration of Arlington House. It’s an ambitious project, but one that would really add to the community feel of Camden Town. It could become a real focus of activity, and if anyone can realise the dreams behind it, I think Novas can. Under ‘Our Services’ on the website you can see they carry out a huge range of activities, and manage a vast number of facilities. All this takes place under the guidance of Founder and Executive Director, Michael Wake, and Group Chief Executive, Maria Donoghue-Mills. They have a vision that is, while eminently practical, full of surprises and totally twenty-first century.
Novas, 92 Parkway, NW1 7AH, Tel: 020 7424 3000, www.novas.org
By Monique Kelly
Since arriving in London during the late 1990s as a wee colleen, I’ve always felt a certain pull towards Camden.
During those first weeks I went on a journey of exploration, stopping at certain tube stops to experience whatever was there on a street level. I got off at Camden, and a surge of people met me, combined with a hot August sun and a swathe of colour. I started working at Greater London House shortly after that, and socialised in the pubs across Camden, but it’s only until recently that I’ve discovered how the Irish shaped and influenced this rough-around-the-edges town.
The Irish played a huge role in shaping Camden and Kentish Town, both physically and socially. Victorian Kentish town is surrounded by bricks laid by the huge numbers of immigrants who arrived in London after the great famines of the 19th century. After the war, much of London had to be rebuilt and the Irish immigrants provided the answer. The main problem facing this new population was accommodation. Lots of new arrivals were welcomed by the Marion Agency at Euston Station, fresh from the trains heading from Liverpool and Holyhead, and they would try to meet the new arrivals two mornings a week and place them in accommodation in areas such as Camden. Arlington House (then Rowton) played a major role in housing many of the boys coming from Mayo and beyond. It was always a provider of low-cost accommodation for those entering the construction industry, and still has a great many Irish men ensconced there. During those times, many people who surged onto the streets of Camden to work and socialise, found Arlington House the perfect resting ground.
It was during the 1950s when emigration from Ireland was still quite strong that a firm of contractors specialising in bomb-damaged premises found a suitable building in leafy Camden Square NW1. Number 52 was purchased on 5 August 1955 for £3,887.10s. Its proximity to the three railway terminals of Kings Cross, St Pancras and Euston was thought to be particularly convenient. Euston is the station at which arrived the ‘Irish mail’ and other boat trains from Holyhead, Liverpool and Greenock. The Camden square building was opened formally on 27 September 1955 by Cardinal D’Alton.
The aim of the new centre was to ‘promote the social recreational and spiritual welfare of the Irish people in London’. This had been simplified into three objectives: to form a social service bureau to give advice on various problems and to keep a register of decent lodgings for men and women; to provide a hall for social and recreational functions; and to provide temporary hostel accommodation. Its advice /advocacy offices still function as an important life line for the Irish community. It’s always worth a visit.
The Centre boasts a fine reputation as both a place to learn and to enjoy cultural activities. Since October 1999, ‘Return to Camden Town’, an annual festival of traditional Irish music, song and dance has taken place at the Centre. Its recent expansion has seen it incorporate a number of other local venues and pub sessions. Camden Town has long been recognised by the traditional music community as playing an important role in the early encouragement of Irish music, bringing emigrants from all regions of Ireland together. It was the first time that so many styles came together in such a setting. Pubs such as the Dublin Castle opened, now run by the hospitable Conlon family.
During the early period there were a lot of pub fights involving the navvies of various nationalities who were building the railway, so local authorities came up with a solution: The Windsor Castle for the English, The Edinburgh Castle for the Scots, The Pembroke Castle for the Welsh and the good old Dublin for the Irish. Of course, nowadays the all the bars welcome everyone. Many of the pubs in Camden open up their doors for ‘Return To Camden’: The Cobden Arms, The Golden Lion and also bars in Kilburn.
One thing that is more poignant to me, though, is that fact that one of my favourite venues was started by Bill Fuller, originally from Kerry. He built up what was previously called The Buffalo into what is now known as the Electric Ballroom. Of course, I’m still mourning the loss of The Stag’s Head, but many of the others are worth popping into and don’t forget the Irish Centre for a cultural update on the more sober days.
In the heart of Stables Market sits the internationally acclaimed Proud Gallery.
Following on from their recent Rainforest photographic exhibition, Proud is back exhibiting what it does best: rock music. The photographs on this page are just a sample of what is on show from acclaimed snappers Dixie Dean (Rolling Stones) in the upstairs gallery and Steve Double (Ken Dodd, Nirvana) downstairs. Other subjects include Nick Cave, Iggy Pop (looking just as manic as you’d expect),Tom Waits, an unusually pensive Marc Bolan, a swathe of great Stones pix from Dixie, Joe Strummer, Stone Roses… and so it continues, the history of rock from two of its finest observers.
There is also a wide of range of prints for sale upstairs, including Dan Asher’s Bob Marley and Elliot Landy’s engaging encapsulation of a serene young Dylan at his Woodstock home in the late 1960s. This gallery is a paradise for all lovers of rock’n’roll. While you’re here, don’t miss out on the harem-themed and enormous bar, which is currently exhibiting (for some reason) blown-up front pages of The Sun including, of course, ‘Gotcha!’ and ‘Stick It Up Your Junta’, eloquently and enchantingly capturing the spirit of Thatcher’s Falklands War.
The Proud is an institution in Camden Town, and is one of the most innovative and exciting galleries in Europe. Don’t miss it.
Dixie Dean
Dixie learned the craft of professional documentary film making with leading company Allan King Associates (AKA) in London, working on ‘Stones in the Park’ covering the Rolling Stones free concert in Hyde Park, and then a succession of rock and roll assignments including The Beatles, Cat Stevens, The Who, and Pink Floyd. Dixie went on to work with other music greats including BB King, Lou Reed, Tom Jones, Bob Geldof and Queen.
Always with a camera round his neck, Dixie was in the perfect position to get some amazing shots when he worked again with the Rolling Stones on their 1970 Sticky Fingers tour of Europe. He has also captured such stars as Marianne Faithful and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Dixie’s iconic photographs have been exhibited from Amsterdam to San Francisco and London.
Steve Double
Steve has been working as a professional photographer for twenty-one years, specialising in celebrity portraits. Highlights have included having ninety seconds to photograph Bill Gates, waiting six hours for the Spice Girls, being
chided for lateness by Public Enemy, drinking Caipirinhas with Nick Cave, blagging an upgrade off Richard Branson, spending five days in a van with Nirvana and never having to wear a tie. Not only has Steve photographed everyone worth photographing, he has also worked for every music magazine and record company going. Editorial clients number Wired, NME, Esquire and Fast Company. Recent album covers include James Blunt’s ‘Back to Bedlam’, Peter Gabriel’s ‘Hit’ and Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Against All Oddz’.
Proud Galleries
The Gin House, The Stables Market,
Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AH
T: 020 7482 3867
www.proud.co.uk
Whether you are fashion-forward, vintage-inspired or fetish-focused, Camden can quench your craving.
By Kathryn Kennedy
S-H-O-E-S. These five letters can make you a fashion trendsetter or a victim. In this accessory arena, the likes of Imelda Marcos and Tamara Mellon reign supreme, with collections in the hundreds and even thousands made up of custom-made, high-fashion designer labels holding three- or even four-digit price tags.
For us mere mortals, our shoe Mecca exists moments from Camden Town tube or Chalk Farm (for those of us who’d rather wade into the pool rather than jump in feet first). It is here that the streets are lined with a throng of shoe shops which possess perpetual ‘sale’ signs pasted to windows and dangling from ceilings. Keeping the shoppers essential three S’s (style, spend and sense) in mind, I headed straight up the guts of Camden High Street and embarked on my journey, risking life and limb to find the diamonds in the rough, the stilettos in the sand, and the trainers in the twister.
BEATRIX ONG
The urge to curtsey is nearly uncontainable at the mention of NW1’s local shoe royalty. Beatrix Ong has studied under, worked for and collaborated with the dynasty of high fashion. She studied at Central St Martins and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, interned for Harper’s Bazaar and designed for the king himself, Jimmy Choo. In 2002 Beatrix opened her flagship store in Primrose Hill and that is now the home of Maria, Phillips, Draconis and Glare – the glossy red star of You magazine’s 2006 ad campaign and one of the best sellers. The need to describe the collection is almost unnecessary once her credentials and accomplishments have been rolled out, but I assure you a visit to the boutique, a glance through the window or even a visit to the website will be inspiration enough to have a three-digit spurge on a little bit sole from a local legend in the making. 117 Regents Park Road, www.beatrixong.com
SCORPION
Holding a monopoly over the Gola Empire, Scorpion went to war, waging a battle to reign supreme as the tyrant of trendy trainers. As the plans were laid to conquer, the troops were split, some sent north and the rest sent south – and so the war was won. Scorpion stores bookend the Camden Markets, selling a large collection of the centurion brand, Gola, in every colour and fabric imaginable for a fair £30 - £40. Cult brand Punkrose, worn by every punk princess roaming the streets of Camden, offers amazing sneaker ballet pumps for £15-20, chilled Draven runners are in stripes, plaids and skulls for that punk-tastic appeal, and skater icon brand Vans for £35. To fill the void between brands you can find an eclectic mix of flats, heels, cowboy boots and, of course, the essential, Ugg knock-offs in tan, leopard print and black for a steal at £15 a pair.
269 Camden High Street
16 Chalk Farm ROAd. www.scorpion-shoes.co.uk
OFFSPRING & OFFICE SHOES
Office is one of the only high-street chains to stake its claim with the shoppers of Camden, selling the classic stock of glossy heels, flats and boots for £29.99 - £79.99 for heels, and closer to the £100 mark for boots. I like Office, but what I really like is to use it as a benchmark for great styles to look for at the other shops on the street at a price more suited to my budget. Office in Camden is usually great for their amazing buy-one-get-one-half-price sales at the end of every season – as most of the better designs are scooped up in a frenzied scrum of shoppers in one of the Oxford Street or Kensington branches – you can leisurely peruse the shelves with a relatively generous amount of personal space in Camden and will find that the sale stock sticks around a bit longer. Offspring is like Office’s annoying little brother – as they glare at one another from across the street. Offspring is owned by Office but carries a sportier spec, stocking trainers from pretty much every major brand making sneakers – Nike, Adidas, Lascoste and K-Swiss. They are certainly giving Footlocker a run for their money!
Office - 210 Camden High Street,
Offspring – 221 Camden High St.
www.office.co.uk
ATLANTIC CLOTHING
They are the Primark of Camden. Not always as forthgiving and on trend as Primark – and perhaps slightly on the chav side – but always worth the ten seconds it takes to pop in and scan the range. The shoe rack out front is usually a good barometer of what lies ahead. Shoes are priced anywhere from £5 - £20 and generally serve up knock-off versions of catwalk classics that linger seasons after their first flash in the pan. I got a steal on a pair of burgundy ‘suede’ courts for £7 – they get a compliment every time, and I smile to myself as I have a whinge about how much they cost from a high street shop… a lady never reveals her beauty secrets, except in this instance, of course.
162 Camden High Street
CAMDEN BOOTS
This is it – the best stop for the essential Glastonbury galoshes. The stall in located at the edge of the Buck Street market (which is the first street market you reach heading up the high street with the suspiciously large CAMDEN MARKET sign) There is a towering stack of girly galoshes in fab flowery designs in vibrant colours, a sparkly variety and, for those looking for a bit of a harder edged rubber boot, they do stock the classic skull and crossbones design. We all know that no one wants soggy toes during festival season, so the boys can collect a pair of standard issue military khaki coloured boots as well. All galoshes are £18.
Buck Street Market – Southern Corner
STELLA
This is a great Camden Lock classic. Stella have been in the Lock for nearly 20 years, selling an eclectic mix of clothing, and are keen supporters of ethical fashion design. In the store front window is a small display of trainers called Worn Again. They are shoes 99% made from recycled old trainers – the operation is the genius brainchild of a sweaty club union between Terra Plana and Antiapathy coming together to create ‘a beautiful, sexy guilt free shoe’..If only they took an interest in sex and chocolate. 5 Market Hall, Camden Lock Market, www.stellastella.co.uk, www.wornagain.co.uk
BERTY & GERTY
This store is, hands down, my ultimate favourite pick for vintage accessories, and I am not the only one – one stylist was certainly impressed to choose Berty & Gerty to supply some of their age-old gems for the latest James Bond film. The store is nestled in the West Yard of Camden Lock Market adorned with a retro-lishous neon sign. It’s a modest shop but is crammed up to the eyeballs with lovely, cared-for classics. For a well-deserved £20 you can quickly become the proud owner of a pair of snakeskin gold trimmed sling backs from Kurt Geiger, like I did. There is a great range of shoes in sensible sizes, unlike some other shops which have incredible shoes in size 4 only. Boots will put you back around £30 – but it’s worth not having to wear in a pair of cowboy boots, which could essentially take years and years. I am committed, but not that committed! A must visit in Camden Market.
69 West Yard, Camden Lock
ODE
All I could do was stare. Stare at the wall in front of me. Covered in ballet pumps – red, gold, green, polka dot, animal-print, with bows, without bows. I darted back and forth between the shoes and the sign, the shoes and the sign – two for £15 – more like 10 for £75!
Alongside this ‘feels so good it’s almost criminal’ sale are some fun and innovative imports. A particular pair that caught my eye were a gold pair of heels with a cuff – much like a black version I spotted Babel star Rinko Kikuchi wearing by Chanel. I slowly turned the shoe over to peep at the price and, my bank balance breathed a sigh of relief – £25. On the neighbouring shelf I saw an amazing pair of black patent low-heel mary jane’s with gold pipe trim – whoops, there goes another £25. This was a very happy place – not much to look at but why would you look at anything other than the merchandise, I say.
218 Chalk Farm Road
SERENDIPITY
Oh My God – run as fast as your ‘holding on by a thread’ pair of last seasons Uggs boots will carry you – Serendipity is rumoured to have the only stock of Australian-made Ugg boots in Camden Town! It has been said that the Aussie company has sold out for the time being and is not making any stock shipment for a little while yet.
So run, my friends, run to the top of the Stables Market horse hospital, hike that stone trail and grab a pair of knee-high boots for £140 while supplies last! Oh yes, give a little snuggle to the in-house puppy - he’s very friendly.
Unit 665, Stables Market
(top level of the Horse Hospital, next to the washrooms)
The next issue of NW1 Magazine brings you a review of Camden’s clothing shops – be sure not to miss it!
The Baddest of the Bunch
By Kathryn Kennedy
It was indeed the day before Valentine’s Day and riots were indeed on the mind.
The bands on the bill were hand picked to celebrate the birthday of one of the promoters which must, of course, indicate a pretty special line-up. I swept into the bar from the bucketing rain – slightly battered and beaten – and waded through the twinkling crowd of indie kids to get into position just as the first band, The Baskervilles finished up their set.
Upon settling in and purchasing a bevvie, I discover there is a substantial salvo of buzz surrounding the upcoming acts. The singer of Captain Phoenix is the younger brother of the drummer from Razorlight and the band is signed to indie upstart label Kind Canyon. Union Street Runners are lined up to open for The Rifles at an upcoming gig. The Bad Robots are the local ‘most likely to’s’ and by far had the most ‘pap’ action all night. They were snapped by two photographers, filmed by a videographer and were surrounded by a few scrawling pens (not much unlike my own). I am sure the crowd was as curious as I was to find out – who were these guys?
The Robots bound onto the stage, suited and booted in collared shirts and snazzy ties, and roll straight into it – Ben, the singer/bass player, NW1 Magazine contributor (so much so, that we now refer to the magazine as ‘BenW1’. Ed) who is sporting a shiver-me-timber sized beard, charmingly welcomes the crowd over a slick intro. Greeting complete, the rock show begins. The first tune ‘Go’ is a surging start to the set, with a hair-raising bellow from singer Ben that even Roger Daltrey would stand to salute. Crackin’ on arduously, the song contains music maxim nodding to evident influences The Clash and The Jam, with jerky rhythms and a ‘dub’ly dose of burly bass lines. The performance continues with a teasing bass line chasing the thumping drums around in a game of tag as Ben heaves into the first lyric of ‘No Way Out’, leading straight into, oh-my-god, an impressive all-hands-on-deck harmonic chorus crescendo which hooks the attention of the audience. Boys’ heads are nodding, girls are beginning to boogie, and the whole lot are crowding in a little closer. The show cracks on, with track after track being propelled at the speed a machine gun would spit bullets. No extended mixes for these lads, just a wham bam thank you ma’m kinda gig. The feverous finale is ‘Day By Day’ a singalong cracker that seems to compel even the large bald character at the bar with a Kate Moss t-shirt on to join in. Quite frankly, I’m impressed.
Captain Phoenix is up next. The lead singer is a statuesque character with a swagger much like that of QOTSA’s Josh Homme. The band are a confident bunch and start into the first track, and the crowd is revved and ready for it. Singer Ben Burrows has a glib-like gusto and shines on the show highlights like ‘Living on the Guestlist, but half way through the set the band cleared the stage, leaving singer and guitarist to ballad the spectators into bee-lining to the bar. From then on, it was a struggle to keep my curiosity, besides – I swear I just saw Noel Gallagher walk through the door and he’s now hugging Paul Weller!
Nope, it wasn’t Noel and Paul, it was members of Union Street Runners. With a vengeance they tried to win the waning crowd back to the dance floor, and success was theirs mid-set. Their yardstick sound filled the room and had the drunken die-hards flailing their hearts out. If you ask me, they should thank Captain Phoenix for sending them to the bar in the first place, otherwise they may not have convinced them back.
Romantic Riots @ The Purple Turtle, 13 February
By Ben Larsen
The Camden Crawl has been called many things, from the heartbeat of Camden to the best local festival in the country, and as it has come, gone and come back again, the one thing we can always be sure of is that it is one of the best nights out you will ever have.
Only, after this year I’ll probably have to revise that statement to ‘the best two consecutive days and nights of pure, adulterated rock and roll fabulous madness, mayhem and marvellous music’. Or something like that, because you see, the Camden Crawl, which has gone from strength to strength, has been quietly sneaking into the gym a few days a week over the last year, bolstering up on protein drinks, maybe taking the occasional cheeky syringe of steroids in the bum cheek and is about to emerge as not only a bigger, better, ballsier version than years past, but will further embrace the music industry in terms of education and opportunity, as well as giving some unsigned bands the chance of a lifetime to rock their sweaty little cotton socks off next to some of the best and brightest the nation has to offer.
I have only been to one Camden Crawl, in 2006, but have been doing a fair whack of reading and research (I promise, I’m not just making this up… well, not all of it.) about the festival’s roots and beginnings, its absence and return to glory previously unheard of in terms of a local music festival. The brainchild of Lisa Paulon, she and her team powerhouse the most astounding amount of organisation I have ever seen. I’ve popped into their offices but don’t stay long for fear of being a hairy old spanner in a very slick machine and, let’s face facts, no-one but no-one likes a hairy old spanner. Pulling together 15 venues, over 80 extraordinary acts, adding in this year bonuses of matinee performances, DJs and aftershow parties over the now double length two-day period, this is surely set to be an absolute corker.
The Camden Crawl represents a different side to the music scene in Camden. Taking essentially the DIY attitude and work ethic of lots of promoters who start promoting nights because they love a certain type of music and/or want to put on parties for them and their friends, mixed with a desire to help bands get a step up the ladder of exposure, and all the while with an eye on nurturing both the local music scene and Camden Town as a whole, The Camden Crawl has become the most fantastic musical juggernaut I think I’ve ever seen. For all the right reasons it is a success, and it’s one of the reasons I’m so proud to call Camden home, for preserving the musical heritage that modern Camden Town is founded on, and more than that, running headlong at the future paving the way for our town to be the centre of London’s musical universe for many years to come.
Now, the good folk running it are incredibly guarded about the line-up for this year, and no amount of bribing or begging would loosen tongues at the time of going to print. But I sleep warm and safe in my bed at night knowing that mere weeks away there is going to be me, wandering around the Electric Ballroom trying to dance and having a good hard look at Mister and Mrs Next Big Thing version 1-20 onstage – blowing the minds of whoever can count themselves lucky enough to be in the room (and if it’s not your thing, there are another 14 bloody venues to choose from!)
In fact, that is the one thing I can recommend from last year. When starting out, pick your headliner early, and make your way to that venue WAY before you think you need to, or you’ll end up stuck outside NW1 on Parkway trying to get in and see Mumrah and, of course, it’ll start to rain if you’re stuck outside (it’s how these things happen…), and though you’ll probably just end up dancing in the street ,anyway, it’s often nice to see the band too. So step one in my Camden Crawl survival guide is plan ahead. Believe me, you’ll thank me.
April 19 and 20 2007. Mark it in your diary, put it in your calendar, email your friends about it, don’t bother putting it in your blog (who reads it anyway? Your mum?), write it on the back of your hand,
your library books, the seat in front of you on the bus. Whatever you have to do, commit those dates to memory and get your tickets damn sharpish, because tickets will sell out, it will happen fast and you will be a very, very unhappy little bunny if you miss out.
By Ben Larsen
So we headed down to the Camden Bar and Kitchen (formerly just the Camden Kitchen, and it will probably stay that way in my head forever) on a Friday night, which is always a silly thing to do without making a booking, but for once the heavens smiled upon us and they were able to fit us in with no waiting, at a perfect little table in the window.
I normally don’t like window seats as I feel a bit like a moving mannequin, and you always get people considering whether or not to eat or come in peering at you and your food through the windows, which can be a bit off-putting to say the least. But the Camden Kitchen has seriously the most relaxed and warm atmosphere of any restaurant I’ve ever been to, so it was perfect no matter where we sat.
We ordered a bottle of wine (Chateau Haut Pougnan, Bordeaux Sauvignon - £12.95), which was described using words like ‘fruity’ and ‘bright’ and it was indeed both of those things. It was one of those wines that on the first sip is a little like pow! But after that it is actually really drinkable, and we enjoyed it with vigour.
Now I’ve got to preface the food-talk with a little note. After eight-odd years of vegetarianism I have recently re-entered the fold of meaties. I had been doubting my then-teenage convictions for a while, and after I went back home to Australia for the first time in four years and was faced with the greatest seafood in the world, I tried it and, holy crap, it was amazing.
So we ordered the Chilli-rubbed prawns from the starters menu and the Chilli Mussels from the specials menu, both a steal at around £6. They were delivered quickly and nice and hot and we devoured them accordingly. I was expecting the mussels to be in the standard heavy chilli-tomato sauce, and was a bit shocked when they came in a relatively sauce-less bowl. However, they had been marinating and cooking in the most divine white wine and chilli sauce I have ever had, and were absolutely divine to eat. The prawns were great, too – the only thing we didn’t like was the fact you had to shell them yourselves. I’m not sure if they were left completely in shell for aesthetic or for gastronomic reasons, but it is a complete pain in the ass to have to peel your own prawns. Not a good one for a first date (fortunately I was with my fiancé, so we don’t have to bother trying to impress each other at all.)
For main course we shared one of the specials, which was a roasted beef tomato stuffed with goat’s cheese, and one of their signature dishes, which has remained relatively unchanged on the menu whilst many things have come, gone and been altered for seasons and tastes – the jerk chicken. The price for both is quite reasonable, at around the £10 mark. The goat’s cheese stuffed tomato was pretty damn good (I’m a huge goat’s cheese fan…), the only drawback being it was a little small for a main, and, though superb for what it was, it didn’t really have the range of flavours or really enough going on to make it stand up beyond that. Spectacular yes, but perhaps more suited to being on the starters menu.
The jerk chicken however, was U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E. I mean, holy smokes, it was incredible. And I’m not just saying that because I’m returning full flight into the realm of meat eaters and want to make up for lost time. Every time we have eaten at the Camden Kitchen before, my fiancée would normally get this, and I was always incredibly jealous of it, and I only wish I had sooner believed the doubts in my (now obviously foolish…) convictions and eaten this earlier.
It comes char-grilled in jerk spices, with rice and the most fantastic mango salsa. Where they are getting such good mangoes from at this time of year, when the grocery stores seem to only sell really pretty mangoes that taste like a mixture of chalk and dust, I don’t know, but Halle-freaking-lujah! I nearly ordered it again it was so good.
To finish off our waistline expanding meal, we went to the small but well put together dessert menu, sharing the Lemon-Lime and Tequila Cheesecake and the Baked Chocolate and Almond Tart (£4.95 for each). The fact that the cheesecake has tequila in it has always put us off, but when it arrived all doubts were laid aside. It was lovely, and if there was tequila in there we couldn’t taste it. Simply put, don’t believe the name, believe your taste buds. It was ace, not too rich but creamy and sweet, with a fair splatter of raspberry sauce to keep things interesting. The chocolate and almond tart was brilliant too, much more comfort-foody than the cheesecake, and it was like a posh brownie. really. Both these desserts were very hard to share for both of us, which is probably the best indication of how good they were.
So feeling quite jolly we decided to end the evening with a couple of nightcaps from the bar’s cocktail menu. We resisted the urge to get them in jugs (that’d be pitchers, not sure what you call them here) and I went for a Margarita (I got mine frozen, but they do them shaken as well), and Kathryn went for the Woo-Woo (mostly for the name to be honest, and I can’t argue with that). They were excellent, too. I think the only time I’ve had cocktails here before was with friends with breakfast on a Sunday, straight into the Bloody Mary’s, and (note to self) I should really make a point of doing it more often.
All in all, the meal was superb, capped off perfectly by the atmosphere, which was relaxed and comfortable. The wood fire was roaring down the back, the service was friendly and good (one of the waitresses really needs to play in a rock and roll band – she just looks made for it) and the prices were reasonable. We seriously ate as much as we could (all in the name of a balanced review, of course…), and with two starters, mains, desserts, a bottle of wine and two cocktails each, we still managed to save ourselves a visit to the bank manager with a total tab of a scrape over £70. We’d recommend it to everyone, even though it will mean we’ll have to start booking tables in advance now…
Camden Bar and Kitchen, 102 Camden High Street, 020 7485 2744
By Kate Larsen
Since 2005, the Green Note café bar has been serving up vegetarian food and live acoustic music on Camden’s Parkway.
The last time I went to the Green Note, it was still serving main-course meals. This has been pared back to a broad selection of world tapas with a changing daily special. We settled in the smaller front room, enjoying the smoke-free air (you can still smoke in the back room) and Cuban tunes.
At 7.30pm on a Friday night the room was full but comfortable. The chef was talking to a table when we arrived, and the young, funky staff were efficient and helpful throughout. The mood is relaxed and intimate: simple wooden furniture, coloured wall lanterns, rock-star prints, and a pair of upholstered wingback chairs for waiting in.
From the reasonably priced wine list (£10.50 to £27/bottle), we choose a middle-of-the-range New Zealand white that perfectly matched its ‘passionfruit’ description. It is a shame, however, that the Green Note’s commitment to organic produce has not yet been carried over into its wines.
To see what combination the chef put together, we went for the Tapas Platter for two (£17.95) and Salad Plate (£8.95). The salad was fantastic, and would be a meal for one on its own. Marinated baked organic tofu was set off brilliantly by crunchy toasted seeds. The orange-coloured haloumi offered up a delightful crunch and squeeze to the bite (though should be eaten quickly as it was much better while still warm). And marinated artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes were a good contrast to the fresh avocado and mixed baby leaves.
The tapas platter was varied, freshly cooked on the premises, and didn’t scrimp on serving sizes. We worked our way through chunky houmous and tzatziki with pita bread, hand-made dolmades, and Indian potato patties, served with a light mint and coriander paste. The mango and pepper quesadillas were perhaps overly sweet, but the sausage-shaped organic falafels were moist and minty. Marinated artichoke hearts with capers were the only item that doubled-up from salad to tasting plate. The lightly fried mock duck and fresh cucumber spring rolls in hoisin sauce were a favourite. Even if it ‘doesn’t really taste like duck’, as my omnivorous partner reported, it still ‘tastes really, really good’.
The platter and salad could easily be a meal for two, but make sure you leave room for the puddings (both £4.75), for which the Green Note is earning itself a reputation. My partner’s Cherry Cheesecake was divine: thick, creamy baked cheesecake with significant chunks of cherry and the crunch of passionfruit seeds. The nutty texture of my Chocolate Brownie was also delicious with its swathe of hot chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
The larger back room has more tables, a bar, and a music club featuring live acts from 9pm most nights. Reservations are recommended and can be made for both rooms. Or you can pull up a stool at the bar and just enjoy the tunes.
reen Note ,
106 Parkway,
Open from 6pm Wednesday to Friday, from noon Saturday and Sunday. To book, call 020 7485 9899
By Rab MacWilliam
It’s always a pleasant surprise to walk into a bar in Camden Town, indeed any inner-city area, and discover that, well, it’s a proper pub.
There are some great bars in the area (and some not so great) but it seems that, in most places, the owners have been unable to resist the temptation to refurb, tart-up or thematise what was a perfectly good boozer to start with (you can probably sense that I’m something of a traditionalist in my drinking habits).
The Crown and Goose is certainly a proper pub. Opened six years ago in its current guise, the Crown has an old-fashioned, laid-back, bohemian atmosphere, embellished by the nicotine-stained ceiling, faded wallpaper, simple chandeliers, wooden tables, bare-board floor and open fireplace. It also has, thank God, no TVs or fruit machines, and good, restful music plays quietly in the background. There’s a function room upstairs and the manager, Spencer, often puts on bands and assorted live music. The regulars are a mix of Camden Town worthies and eccentrics, barristers and celebrities of all sorts, but they all seem to mix well together. In short, it’s the sort of place in which you could stay all day and forget about the rest of the world.
The last time we visited was on a Friday lunchtime, and by 1pm the place was packed, with most people coming for the food (and of course the carefully-selected, relatively inexpensive wine list and well-kept London Pride). The menu is simple and the food is reasonably priced, freshly cooked and excellent. Starters include duck salad with orange salsa and deep-fried shrimp tails with sweet chilli, while for a main course you can choose from venison sausages, steak sandwich and mushroom risotto, among many others (I particularly recommend the beer-battered cod and chips at a not exactly wallet-busting price of £8.95). There is also a Specials Board which changes daily. Despite the number of punters, the meal arrived in just a few minutes, with the cheerful waitress demonstrating an adept juggling ability with the plates.
There are no pictures of rock stars, no fizzing cocktails and nothing gimmicky about this place. It hasn’t even got a name board on the outside, but there is a picture of a goose dangling outside the front door so that should give you a clue. It’s a straightforward pub and I hope it stays that way. However, the building is under threat of demolition, along with the next-door snooker hall, and, if this were to happen, it would leave an unfillable gap in the cultural life of Camden Town. See Around Town (page 4) for further details. In the meanwhile you should all get down here and enjoy this drinkers’ haven while you can.
Crown and Goose, 100 Arlington Road, 020 7485 8008
By Julia Stonehouse
Lovers of fine tea have a good choice of treats right in the heart of in Camden. Consider some the blends on offer: Jasmine Pearls, Egyptian Nights, Mango Surprise, Yellow Gold Oolong. We’re not just talking here about a boring watery cuppa, but sheer indulgent delight.
Gilgamesh, the extremely fabulous restaurant just near the bridge, opens its very special Tea House between 12-5pm on Friday to Sunday. You can sit in the most gorgeous surroundings overlooking the melee of Camden below. (This may be the most stunning interior you ever sit in, and check out the main restaurant and bar while you’re there.)
The teas are from all four corners of Asia, and include: Silver Needle, Green Tea, Anji Bai Cha, Dragon Well, Green Curve, Premium Japanese Sencha, Great Red Cloak, Jing Assam, Earl Grey Ceylon, 2nd Flushing Darjeeling, Yunnan Gold, Keemun Fur Tips, Puerh Tea, Gold Tip Puerh, and 10 Year Aged Puerh.
The descriptions of the teas are inviting. Jasmine Pearls is ‘poetic in form and fragrance’, while Yellow Gold Oolong has ‘a perfume of blossoming lilies’, and Arabian Jasmine Arch has ‘an exciting element of theatre and drama’. Green Hair Tip sounds a bit strange, but we’re told it’s ‘not astringent nor overly vegetal’. Well, that’s a relief.
Some of the teas are given a caffeine level. While White Tea is only 6-25 mg per 180 ml cup, Black Tea hits a punch at 23-100 mg. Apparently, there’s quite a science to preparing tea leaves. Oolong Teas, we’re told, ‘are purposely and carefully oxidised between 5 and 70%. Processing can be complicated and involves: outdoor withering; indoor withering and agitation; drying; pressing; and final baking’. As someone has gone to all that trouble, it seems a shame not to try it!
Turning now to the cakes. Priced between £2 and £4.50, you can sample the usual scones, brownies, muffins, and macaroons, or how about a green tea éclair, lemon namelaka, Vietnamese and coffee tart, or banana folly? I particularly like the yuzu fruit tart, because it’s not every day in this country that you get to sample yuzu. It’s a small fruit, like a mandarin only more yellow, and in Japan it’s made into condiments, while the oil extracted from the skin is used by some Shinto priests for purification before prayer.
Gilgamesh Tea House, Chalk Farm Road, Tel: 020 7482 5757, www.gilgameshbar.com. Cakes beautifully wrapped for take away; Tea House available for private hire.
Another place to take a lovely cup of tea is Yumchaa, which has use of the balcony overlooking the courtyard by the lock. They make tea-tasting a ‘happening’, and say they ‘bring together old tea-world experience with new-world flavours and enthusiasm’. Teas are sourced from named estates in China and India, so you can get a good cup of Black Tea, Green Tea, Traditional English Breakfast, Jasmine, Lapsang Souchong, or Earl Grey, as well as the naturally caffeine-free Red Tea. But you can also have an Adventure, a blend of rose hips, apple pieces, almonds, hibiscus, kiwi pieces, with a hint of caramel and spices. They say this blend ‘will take your taste buds for a tantalising ride through an exotic orchard’. Now where else in Camden could you get that?
Yumchaa also offer you Soho Spice, Caramel Sweetheart, Mango Surprise, Chelsea Chai, Blueberry Hill, Raspberry Vanilla, Egyptian Nights, and Lemon Sherbert, not to mention Wanderlust and a Courtesan. I personally favour their Ginseng Guardian, which is a blend of green tea, ginseng, lemon, lemongrass and vanilla. It gives a refreshing boost after a long day shopping in the markets, even accompanied by a chocolate brownie.
Yumchaa have a core desire – to make tea (chaa) that tastes yum. They do accomplish this lofty ambition, and are open seven days a week so you can try out the results – opening at 8am on weekdays, and at 10am at weekends, and closing at 7pm every day. Yumchaa also sell their delicious blends by mail order through their website.
Yumchaa, 91-92 Upper Walkway, West Yard, Camden Lock Market, www.yumchaa.com.
Across the courtyard, Lock 17 have a variety of Twinings teas on offer, including Lemon and Ginger, Blackcurrant Burst, Pure Camomile and Earl Grey. They’re located right on the waterfront, and there are few more picturesque locations in Camden than their first-floor terrace overlooking the canal. Of course, once you’ve had your cup of tea, you can progress inside to the bars, or restaurant, or to Dingwalls music club, or Jongleurs – the comedy club – downstairs. Camden offers plenty of variety if you know where to look.
Lock 17/Jongleurs/Dingwalls, 11 East Yard, Camden Lock, Tel: 020 7428 5929, www.dingwalls.com, www.jongleurs.com.
By Ben Larsen
It’s people like Matt and Nat from The True Grit that make going to my local pub fun.
Whether they are DJ’ing, putting on a night of bands or running the now locally famous Fetes, (be it spring, summer or autumnal varieties.) which bring bands and DJs, cake stalls and jumble sales together, when these two fellas are about, you know you’re in for a great night.
Having originally started putting on shows at The Albany down near Great Portland Street (apparently there is a world outside Camden – I just don’t want to know about it) in 2003, as a way to put on parties with and for their friends, they have been giving all the young moderns in Camden Town something to dance about at The Enterprise on Chalk Farm for the past 18 months. I’m being honest here, and I have to say that one of the best days out I have ever had in London was at The True Grit’s Summer Fete in 2006 at the Enterprise, featuring stacks of bands, DJs and, best of all, the cake stall! I found out later that all the cakes were baked by Nat, and the man should be rewarded and recognised not just for the quality of his efforts, but for the staggering quantity of cakes, biscuits and other such delights he produced.
The idea of the Fete came from the two of them really wanting to build on the community feel that exists around Camden Town, and for them particularly in the Chalk Farm end of town where they both live. It’s a simple equation (or I’m a simple guy, either way it works…) that says Camden Town = Community, then Community = Village (well, the feel of a village), then Village = Fetes! We’ve all been to them growing up in country towns, or while passing through or visiting the relatives who lived in Something-Brook in County Not-London, and these events take that idea and give it a good punch of fun, right in the nuts. On the Fete checklist you can happily tick all the standard associated boxes and, as an added bonus, you get to tick the ‘amazing music and, oh my god, it’s free!’.
Matt and Nat are costume designers by trade, who together have styled music videos for the likes of Mike Skinner, The Holloways, Lady Sovereign, The Cribs, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and, most recently, have made their directorial debut on the new video for south London Electro-Pop-Punk upstarts Bolt Action 5, with the aim of eventually moving more and more into directing. (And if you’re nice to them they might even do a treatment on one of your songs!).
To emphasise further their commitment to and love of Camden Town and the community of people here who love their music, The True Grit are throwing open the gates to local original bands to fill the headline spot and some of the supports for the next big Fete on Saturday 9 June!
They are looking for one band to headline and three bands to go on as support on the bill, and want you to submit to them your myspace address so they can get down and dirty with a little X-Factor style skull-judgery!
The panel of judges will consist of Matt and Nat and a representative from NW1 Magazine, who will wade through what will surely be mountains of entries to find the winners, who will be announced in the next edition of this magazine in May. To enter your band into the ring
for a chance to play at and possibly headline the next Village Fete at the Enterprise, go to www.myspace.com/thetruegrit and let them know about your band!
So, if you’re out and about in Camden and two cheerful young men start trying to sell you cakes and tell you about the fun, free events they put on, don’t worry that you might be getting recruited into a cult (again…), it’ll be The True Grit army, out and about, sharing the good part of what makes Camden great.
By Mortimer Ribbons
One day in the early 1980s we answered an ad in the paper and found ourselves present at the opening of a brand new cutting-edge, up-from-the-street fashion market. In the Electric next to Camden Tube. Doubtfully, we peered through the nightclub gloom of the Ballroom and strung up a few strings of bulbs so the customers wouldn’t have to rely entirely on feel.
Strangely, it was a great success, and we transferred our entire business from the railings at Portobello to under the stairs at Camden. The Lock was the famous bit, mentioned in all the guidebooks, but the Electric was known to the chosen few, the exotic elite of guys with purple nailpolish, and women with ripped fishnets and rats on their shoulders. The Electric was cool, even if the denizens sometimes had to take their shades off and grope their way to the bar. We all adored its ratty glamour.
‘I don’t know if Boy George actually played there, but he was certainly around enough…’. Brian Wheeler, the manager, grimaces and tries to search his memory. In his twenty-five years in the job he has overseen a significant slice of rock’ n’ roll history, but he seems to be having the same trouble as the survivors of the Swinging Sixties: if you can remember it too clearly you can’t have really been there.
‘In the late 70’s I was promoting bands around the country, and for the punk bands and the Oy bands I used to hire the Electric – as a venue it was a bit more uh, indestructable than most. Until they slapped all these noise restrictions on it and put an end to it all…’ He sighs at the wickedness of the world, and of licensing judges in particular. ‘I had to find other venues, and Frank Murray, the manager, went off to manage the Pogues instead.’
We are sitting on the red vinyl bench on which I passed twenty years of happy Sundays watching over a stall full of black clothing. Leather jackets, long black coats, black dresses, black shirts, black blouses. It altered our aesthetic, answering that ad. ‘A couple of years later,’ Brian continues, ‘I answered an ad too, and it turned out to be this place. It was on its last legs, really; there was a roller disco once a week and a book fair which didn’t make much, and the owner regularly had to send money from Las Vegas to cover the bills.
‘The Ballroom has had a long and chequered history. There was a Royal and Ancient Order of Buffalos here, and a Boxing Gym before World War Two. There was even supposed to be a long trench in the ground filled with water for running racehorses up and down to strengthen their legs…’ I’m confused now: do you mean right here in the middle of the dancefloor? ‘No, the dancefloor is where the houses were. There was a terrace of houses here fronting onto Dewsbury Terrace, which is our car park now, although the sign’s still there if you look. Then it all got bombed in the war because there was a munitions factory on Buck Street, where the outdoor market is now. After the war, an Irish builder called Bill Fuller bought the whole bombsite. He had an army of Irish builders working for him –like John Murphy now – and he built a dancehall, largely to entertain his own workforce. I’m sure they had all the big show-bands; I know there was almost a riot when Jim Reeves refused to play because the piano wasn’t in tune. Apparently the takings disappeared that night as well.
‘Anyway, when I got the job in … er – probably 1981, wasn’t it? – the Irish builders had moved away to Kilburn and Cricklewood, and we needed to get some revenue in. I started life as a sound engineer, and I’d always been interested in acoustics, so I persuaded them to install, at vast expense, a new acoustic roof. Then we needed new supports to hold it up, and concrete pillars, and a new wall, and a suspended acoustic ceiling. Then, when we’d bricked up a few windows, we were finally ready to start putting bands on.
‘I’d have to look up the records really, but, yeah, Madness played here, and the Smiths, and Soft Cell, and a lot of the New Romantic types. Of course, we put the Pogues on. The owner insisted on it, and he flew over from Las Vegas especially. But it was so crowded no-one could even get to the bar. Bit of a tragedy really… ‘Full Tilt’ was supposed to be a straight rock club but it quickly became the Goth Heaven you remember so fondly. That was on Friday, and we used to have the Warehouse on Saturdays. Which was people who organised raves in fields and empty buildings wanting to go legit. We had Soul downstairs and Rockabilly upstairs – it was a good mix. And we started the Sunday Market at the same time. Why I’d always be asleep on my desk when you were setting up on Sunday morning, and the DJ would have crashed out on his decks, was because we’d all have been up solidly since Friday. Good fun but it was a killer. Yeah, I’ve been divorced a couple of times. Why do you ask?
‘Plans for the future? Well, we want to carry on. London Transport’s compulsory purchase scheme has been fended off, so we’ve won the battle but not the war. Their plans were only rejected on the way they looked – rather than moral grounds or environmental damage – so doubtless they’ll be back with a new scheme to sanitise the whole area and make it the same as every other High Street …’
By Julia Stonehouse
Do you ever find yourself thinking ‘I need a bit of culture’?
You want to do something a bit artsy, but you don’t want to pay the congestion charge or trek south of the River to Tate Modern. You want to see something new, but your multi-channel TV isn’t hitting the spot? You want to go out, but not too far, and you don’t want to spend a heap of money? Well, I have a venue for you that ticks all those boxes and, like me, you’ve probably passed it a thousand times and wondered what lay behind its doors.
The Camden Arts Centre, at the junction of Arkwright Road and Finchley Road, tries very hard to be accessible and inclusive. They want you to walk through that door. If you’re just curious, walk straight past the desk and into the café. It has excellent coffee and pastries but also very reasonably priced soup, sandwiches, meatloaf, salads, and quiches, all made from locally sourced produce. If the weather’s good, you can sit at the tables in the garden and read the newspapers and magazines kindly provided. Talking of reading, the Centre sells a huge range of books and magazines on contemporary art and architecture, as well as children’s books.
Upstairs in the galleries, until 15 April, four film installations by the brilliant and innovative Dutch artist, Aernout Mik are on show (Scapegoats, Vacuum Room, Training Ground and Raw Footage). You’ll sit in silence, surrounded by large screens displaying different views of a dramatic contemporary situation involving large numbers of people. But this is nothing like watching the news. The events could be simulated, or real, you’re never quite sure with Mik. You’ll find yourself wondering what’s going on, what the people are doing, and why they’re behaving in these familiar, yet oddly surreal ways. Mik challenges us to think about the social dynamics of groups, about who is in the right and who is in the wrong, and about how we perceive, or are led to perceive, reality. Aernout Mik has created an art form that is truly unique and relevant to the global age. He is a world-class artist who has received prizes galore, and we’re very lucky his work is being exhibited locally. I strongly urge you not to pass up this opportunity. And there’s no excuse because, like all exhibitions here, it’s free.
With each exhibition, the Camden Arts Centre provides an area where you can read up on the artist being shown. You won’t have to walk away wondering what the heck that was all about, because you can browse through what others have said about the work and read different opinions. This is ‘value added’ art viewing.
And it doesn’t stop there. There is also a range of free talks and events, many of which are directly or indirectly related to the exhibition on view. For example, at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 February, the artist Sam Basu discussed texts inspired by the work of Aernout Mik and on Sunday, 11 March, at 3pm, the exhibition organiser, Bruce Haines, will lead a tour of the exhibition, with British sign language interpretation. On Wednesday 14 March at 7pm, there are two films chosen to accompany the exhibition, as they raise issues of colonialism, mirroring aspects of Mik’s work. On Sunday 15 April at 2pm, Beki Pope will lead a tour of the exhibition on its last day.
There is also a range of other events unrelated to the current exhibition. For example, on Thursday 5 April, from 2.30pm, there’s a showing of films for the under 5’s, and on Wednesday 18 April, films by art students will be shown from 7pm in the cafe.
If you want to try making art yourself, the ceramic, drawing and painting classes cost £75 (or £45 for concessions) for the 5-week course, and £145 (or £87) for the 10-week course. That includes all art materials and, if you’ve been in an art shop recently, you’ll know that’s a deal. If you want a chance to experiment with different mediums and techniques, there’s a two-day weekend course called ‘Discovery’ (£65 or £39 for concessions).
The Camden Arts Centre is a tremendous asset for children. During term time the facilities are usually being used by school groups, while the weekends and school holidays are given over to children from age 5 to 15. For the younger group there are clay and multi media classes, while the older group also have ‘drawing and making’. The cost for Saturday classes is £46 (or £28 for concessions) for 5 weeks and £82 (or £49) for the 10-week course. For parents and teachers with an interest in teaching art to children with special educational needs, there’s a free discussion on the 28 March, at 7pm, about encouraging visual literacy.
I wish I could tell you that all the information about exhibitions, courses, talks and events is on the website (www.camdenartscentre.org), but unfortunately it’s not. I’m told the site is in the process of being redesigned. In the meantime, I suggest you phone to find out what’s going on or, better still, go in and pick up a leaflet. Places for courses and events are limited, so you need to book in advance. Also, booking for courses apparently needs to be done far in advance. Summer Term booking opens on 27 February for short courses and 28 February for longer courses.
The Camden Arts Centre is largely funded by The Arts Council and The London Borough of Camden. It’s a fabulous place, and it’s yours. Just walk through those doors, and enjoy it.
Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, NW3 6DG, Phone: 020 7472 5500. Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm (Wednesday, to 9pm). Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays Pre-book disabled parking; wheelchair available.
Midsummer Night’s Dream
8 March-21 April
The first play to be performed at the Roundhouse since the building’s redevelopment, Tim Stupple’s acclaimed production of Midsummer Night’s Dream opens on 8 March. Originally commissioned by the British Council, the show features actors, dancers, martial arts experts, street acrobats and musicians from across the Indian sub-continent. The play caused a sensation on its Indian run and was a sell-out at the RSC in Stratford-upon Avon.
‘Stunningly beautiful, sexy, and delightfully funny’ Independent
‘This is the kind of dream that leaves you rubbing your eyes and wishing that you never had to wake up’ The Times
Bebel Gilberto + Kassin-Moreno-domenico + 2
27 April
Bebel is the daughter of the bossa nova legend Joao Gilberto. Her album Tanto Tempo was released in 2000 and became an international bestseller. Now with a new album just released – Momento – Bebel performs live her brand of sexy Brazilian vocals, with support from Rio producer Kassin, Moreno Veloso and Domenico Lancellotti [+2], featuring their new album Futurismo.
‘Warm, intimate and soulful, this is...about as near as most of us will ever get to a sunset stroll along Ipanema’. Q Magazine
Salif Keita + support
3 May
Rock, folk and jazz in the West African griot tradition from Mali’s Salif Keita. Dance the night away to this vibrant music.
‘The golden voice of Africa lifts the hearer as if the whole of human future depended on it’ fRoots
Call the ticket hotline 0870 389 1846 (9am-6pm weekdays, 9am-4pm weekends, £2.50 booking fee per ticket applies), or book online at www.roundhouse.org.uk
Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH, Telephone 0870 389 1846
