Thursday 8 January 2009

London, My London (Camden Market)

I first read about Camden Town and its famous markets before setting my eyes on them. It was the autumn of '89 and I had just started my degree at the former ISPLE (Higher Institute of Foreign Languages Pedro Lafargue) in Havana, Cuba. Our writing teacher had given us an article to discuss in class and the piece was about Camden Town.

When I finally made it to this renowned part of north London in April 1997 whilst spending a month's holiday in the UK , my first reaction was amazement at seeing so many different people dressed in such extravagant and fanciful clothes and displaying a narcissistic attitude that confounded my expectations about British people (and some non-Brits, too) in general. My second reaction was wonderment at the array of goods on display in stalls and shops, especially when the Habana Vieja and Malecón markets were my only references of outdoor retail and wholesale activity. Because it was Sunday when we visited Camden Town, the market was open and the pavements were overflowing with Londoners and tourists alike. To say that I fell in love with the area would be an understatement. When I came to live in Britain in November of the same year, it was one of the first places my wife and I went back to. And what was not to love about it? The market teemed with shops, clubs, theatres, restaurants, bars, pubs and cinemas.

Walk down any of its arteries and you will be exposed to an incredible variety of goods: antiques and collectables shops, art galleries, palmistry (a feature you will come across very often), piercing and body art, jewellery, alternative fashion and holistic products. The fact that there are so many outlets often selling similar merchandise works in the customer's favour, especially over the Christmas period, when one is pressed for time trying to find the perfect present for those one cares about. Like the Spitalfields Market (soon to feature on this blog) where vendors attempt frenzily to undercut each other, Camden Market offers the same opportunity to those of us who don't mind haggling a little bit.

The market is parcelled out into four areas: Camden Lock, Camden Stables, Camden (Buck Street) Market and Inverness Street Market.

Camden Lock Market was originally a craft market in the 70s but has since branched out to include all kinds of goods. Although it's open most days, it is at the weekend when it springs fully into life with multitudes of shops and restaurants spilling out onto the streets. A caveat, though, if you're with little ones, be aware that it's not a very child-orientated area and parental paranoia can set in very quickly. The throng that files past stalls and shops can swallow up your offspring in no time and what at first seemed to be the perfect day out can very quickly become your worst nightmare.


Camden Stables, on the other hand, cater to those adventurous enough to dabble in the latest fashions. The Stables display a good selection of vintage clothing, including gothwear.

Camden Market is a hodgepodge of some 200-odd stalls flogging everything from footwear to T-shirts (whose captions and slogans you will have to explain to your little ones patiently).

On Inverness Street the visitor will find mainly stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables. This section of the market dates back to 1900 approximately when it fulfilled the same function: to supply the area with fresh produce.

The best way to get to Camden Town, if, like me, you don't live in the area, is by public transport. Despite the numerous complaints I hear so often from British people regarding public transport, I still choose it over driving, especially when parking fares are so expensive in Camden Town (applicable on weekends, too). You can either alight at Chalk Farm tube station or even get off at Regent's Park and walk along the canal (highly recommended).

So, if you ever come to London, make sure you leave a space in your busy schedule for this little jewel in north London.


Note: All photos were taken by me. I am not a photographer, not even an amateur one, therefore you will have to overlook the quality of the images, or lack of it thereof, and enjoy (hopefully) the morsel of London I am bringing to you this week. Thanks.

Copyright 2009

32 comments:

  1. Que lindo Cuban! Un dia quisiera regresar a Londres y visitar.

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  2. I didn't realize it was so large...

    Definitely a place I'd like to see/visit as I adore outdoor markets.

    Your photo disclaimer made me smile. I always want to post something similar. I am not a photographer, nor am I interested in being one, but blogs do cry out for photos.

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  3. I've been to London three times, but somehow this jewel escaped me. I love the hustle and bustle of markets like these, thus I will definitely leave room in my schedule during my next visit. Thank you for sharing this with us!

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  4. i love the photojournal of Camden Town! we have been to london many time and never made it there. the next visit we will definitely make it a destination. we went to portobello road on our last trip and i wasn't a big fan.

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  5. London, my comment from before you know it's really in Spanish...a literal: Yo quiero!

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  6. Thank you for your visit to my blog~! I appreciate it.
    And, I love markets!!
    Camden looks fantastic. If I am ever lucky enough to get to London, I'm heading there for sure!
    xox

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  7. Lovely post. Next trip to London I'll be sure to go to market!

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  8. I've thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful "morsel of London" you've described so well. I hope I can visit it sometime in the near future, but thanks to your masterful account I'll be daydreaming about my visit to London more often now. Thanks, Cuban. I hope London deserves you, because I'm sure you deserve the best.

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  9. Thank you all, queenie, Portobello market is in my list of places to visit. I've only been there once. There are many markets in London, so if you ever make it this way you will be spoiled for choice.

    Greetings from London.

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  10. Happy new Year!
    Thanks for sharing, haven't ventured up there for a while...by the looks of it it seems to have got a lot bigger and more sprawling since I was last there - it's a fantastic place to eat a wide variety of freshly cooked international cuisine too..!

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  11. Oh, here, there, it's a fantastic place to eat in. One of my favourite restaurants is a veggie cafe where they make a mean burger. Thanks for popping by.

    Greetings from London.

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  12. and you have your camera out. I will miss your blog so much but I will be back!

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  13. I enjoyed it very much ! and you don't have to apologize for your photos...
    i look forward to seeing London through your eyes !
    :-)

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  14. Wow. How did I miss this my first time in London?? Now I can't wait to go back again!

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  15. Camden Town is my favorite London spot and you have captured it well! Portobello Road is good but I prefer the energy of Camden Market. I don't bother to eat much of the food (such as it is) when I visit London, I spend my money in the markets! There was a rumor that they were closing Camden Market and I panicked until my London friends assured me that it won't go anywhere.

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  16. Thank you all for your kind comments. Yes, fly girl, I heard the same rumour, I guess it had to do with rents, developers and the like, but as your friends said, Camdem ain't going nowhere ;-).

    Greetings from London.

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  17. Ohla!

    It's great to be able to virtually travel, and I look forward to seeing these sights with mine own eyes someday.

    Best Wishes.

    EB

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  18. seems like my type of place! london's on my list of "places to get to," and if (when) I do, I'll have to check out camden market.

    thanks for making me aware.

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  19. Me sumo a Yoli, quizas un dia nos juntemos varios bloggers y te demos la sorpresa.
    Magnifico Londres, en nov98, me negaron la visa (por ser un estudiante cubiche anclado en el viejo mundo, jajaja, pero no hard feelings) ... LONDRES me encanta. ;_)
    Abrazo, tony.

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  20. Thank you all for your kind comments y asere, espero que tengas mejor suerte la proxima vez.

    Greetings from London.

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  21. I love it! There's nothing like that in Miami. There's one or two relatively good thrift shops, a couple of tiny farmers markets and a couple of shops that sell "ethnic" (and expired) food. The best ones are two hours away -if you take the bus- from the center of the city. You can imagine what a nightmare this town is!! Oh, and you are so lucky!
    Thank you for the tour. Keep posting postcards like this. Knowing what's out there in the world is interesting. Knowing it through the lens of a Cuban, even more so.

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  22. Ciao Cuban,

    quando torno a Londra per un paio di giorni, devo visitare questo mercato.

    E perché no, forse ci si incontra per un piatto di lenticchie ;)

    Saluti dalla fredda Colonia,

    Salva :)

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  23. Thanks, A. and Salva for your kind comments.

    Greetings from London.

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  24. Hi two cosas - firstly thanks for the piece about Camden mkt...although I am from sarf of the river and have lived in West London for many years. Camden mkt is still a favourite haunt to go to...there is something unsettling reading about London when I am so far away..not sure why..
    secondly chilango specifically means someone born in Mexico city ( 80% current city dwellers were not born here!!)Df dweelers use it as a term of affection amongst themselves but Provincials use it as a derogatory term of abuse for those from the city. There are apparently many theories as to its derivation... the most popular being a lover of chilli...will see if I can find out any more!!

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  25. Thank you very much, catherine. Chilango=chili, yes, it makes sense.

    Greetings from London.

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  26. Ahh, good old Camden market! i remember going there with my older cousin adn her gettign ripped off for what turned out to be a pirate version tape of "Saturday Night Fever!" still, the swam of colour adn humanity--loved that. It was alos a great place to be a Mod and show your stuff.

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  27. Thanks, Mmm, yup, definitely, you can get ripped off at Camden very easily :-).

    Greetings from London.

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  28. ohhh! nice Camden Market!!!
    I used to go there having such a good time in late nineties! 1998, 1999 ...I was then working in London and this was weekend most enjoyable walkaround, thank you for bringing Camden images to my mind...

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  29. Thank you, betty, for popping by.

    Greetings from London,

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  30. I, too, am enjoying the outdoor markets here in England. Where I'm from originally (Texas), it is rare to have this kind of market on a regular basis, and then it usually a "farmer's market", meaning mostly fruit and vegetables.

    I enjoyed your photos and think you did a marvellous job showcasing the feel of the market experience!

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  31. Thank you very much, just a plane.

    Greetings from London.

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