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Can we revive these brilliant cultural hubs in our streets?
In praise and support of Camden's 'other' markets
Tom Kihl
July 05, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
In partnership with
Queen’s Crescent Market, 1914, outside Sainsbury’s second ever branch
For a borough that boasts a name globally synonymous with the word ‘Market’, Camden doesn’t exactly celebrate its more traditional centres of street commerce.
As a summer programme of visitor-friendly razzmatazz gets underway down by the Lock in honour of 50 years of Camden Market, just a few minutes walk north you’ll find 162-year-old Queen’s Crescent Market - a place that was once perhaps even more renowned.
Sound like a load of old hyperbolics?
Well, the Crescent can lay claim to being the birthplace of uber-grocer Sainsbury’s, which based its first warehouses here, and opened three early shops along the market strip - just check the wonderful pic from 1914 of trader Hetty Scott’s stall outside their second ever outpost, at no.159.
A thriving half century after that, the Patak’s condiment empire began in the 1950s on the Crescent, too, when an entrepreneurial immigrant family began selling homemade Indian sweets, snacks and sauces - and similarly went on to build a world famous brand.
This Camden market has been at the heart of one of London’s most deprived but fascinating areas since Queen Victoria used to pass through on route to her country walks up the road at West Hampstead.
But if you visit this historic street today - one of London’s oldest continually running markets - it is, by all accounts, pretty lacklustre.
This week we hear from QC Market cheerleader Tom Young, who highlights what’s been going on - the good and the bad - and lays out a vision for how the neighbourhood could become a flourishing hive of light industry and street commerce once more.
As dawn breaks on a new political era this morning, one that will see unprecedented challenges from AI and the urgent quest for net zero, (let alone geopolitical impacts felt keenly here), it’s fitting to look at how we might reimagine ‘left behind’ places like this.
That’s also why we’re adding the borough’s street markets to our rolling Camdenist Culture Campaign - the hustle and hubbub around stalls laden with affordable fruit and veg, discounted clothes and homewares, or tasty treats being a hugely valuable part of the local cultural fabric, something we must fight to protect at this unpredictable moment, a time nevertheless filled with an indefatigable dollop of hope.
FESTIVALS
🥳 Keir might not make it along this year, but there’s a big party tonight in his backyard
It’s a peak summer festival weekend, with loads stacked up in the calendar, starting tonight with one of our favourite free community events, Dig It Soundsystem at Parliament Hill Bandstand.
The brand new PM has often been spotted grooving on the grass at this annual bash, but we’re guessing he might be a little tired/busy to pop by tonight.
A fair few glasses are sure to be raised to the local MP’s impressive trajectory to the top job when the music starts (from around 5pm), plus there’s an afters over at the Dartmouth Arms for the dedicated local rave parent posse to cut shapes until late.
Also this weekend…
🐌 The Idler Festival kicks off tonight up at Hampstead’s Fenton House, with the likes of Rowan Williams, Rosie Holt, Dominic West and loads more speaking, plus music, workshops and more in a walled garden setting, 5th-7th July.
🍜 Bloomsbury’s iconic Brunswick Centre throws a big Summer Fiesta on Saturday (6th), with global food aplenty, music and performances - plus the England match on the big screen, of course.
🍛 It’s the final event of this year’s Hamstead Summer Festival with the annual Big Fair on Sunday (7th), with more than 100 vendors packing out the upper parts of the High Street to serve a really strong food selection, live music, art and all the usual fun.
🛣️ Or tip over the Islington border (Sunday 7th) for the even more huge Cally Festival, with various live music stages, street entertainers, activities to try and things to eat and drink, for a crowd of over 7,000 locals.
🙋🏿 On the way back, drop in to the Queer Brown Stories launch at the Camley Street Underpass (Sun 7th) where a new mural artwork is being created and a mini-festival where you’ll find more tasty food, music and community stalls.
🍯 And just around the corner, you might also want to pop in to Rochester Square, too, as Sunday 7th sees their big open studios day, Summer Clay. Try your hand on the pottery wheel, buy a ceramic gift, enjoy own-grown pizzas and drinks and explore the garden oasis.
🧘🏼♂️There’s a one-day wellness festival in Covent Garden, as Connect at The Yards brings unlimited access to a range of fitness classes to try, a wellbeing marketplace, talks, art and food discounts all on one ticket.
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Goodbye Meal Kits, Hello Hungryroot
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📺 This week’s Camden video
To promote the stellar lineup preparing to grace the Jazz Cafe’s first ever festival in two months time, Camdenist was given a heads-up that South African future ghetto funk pioneer Moonchild Sanelly was going to be making an unannounced pre-Glasto popup street appearance in Camden Town last Monday. Sadly work/life got in the way of heading down there, but, naturally there’s reliably some decent official video content to prove it happened…
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STAGE
Comedy and more on the local stages
Kiln Comedy Season line-up
🎤 Kilburn’s Kiln Theatre kicks off their Comedy Season on July 9th, bringing big names including Bella Hull, Grace Campbell, Michael Odewale and Micky Overman to the stage.
💉 The true crime story of Elizabeth Holmes, whose blood test startup sold a tech product that didn’t actually work, is investigated in solo play Optimistic, which brings to life her multi-billion dollar fraud on the stage of Camden People’s Theatre on Tuesday July 9th.
👯♀️ Camden Cabaret is back at it’s Jamestown Rd home — now renamed Cushla - every Saturday night, and this week you’ll find Supergirly, Caitlin Swanton, Felini Onyx, Enrico Touche and Naomi Townsend on the bill with cabaret, comedy and drag burlesque.
🤣 Sunday (7th) sees the ‘most renowned sketch troupe of them all', the Cambridge Footlights, bring their annual international tour to Camden Town’s Etcetera Theatre pre-Edinburgh. This Time We Have A Dog boast six comedians and all their funniest sketches.
Stage highlights come to you each week in partnership with the TownSpot app: your ultimate guide to local events. Join over 1,000 locals discovering the joy of nearby happenings, combating loneliness, and feeling more at home than ever, with the support of Camden Council and Matthew James Estate Agents. Download TownSpot today.
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😲 Experiences, courtesy of The Indytute
The Indytute offer all kinds of unique experiences to try around London - either as a gift or maybe for yourself. Try your hand at paddle boarding along Regent’s Canal, perhaps a deluxe wine and cheese evening, or maybe a special vintage cinema with cocktails experience.
MUSIC
⚡Merch and beer this week with some stadium rock legends
AC/DC Dive Bar on Chalk Farm Rd
⚡AC/DC are rocking every night this weekend over at Wembley Stadium on their European Power Up tour, but they have also taken over two Camden Town buildings as their juggernaut rolls into town. Stables Market’s OiOi The Shop is the official merch store, while nearby theatre The Vanguard has been transformed into the AC/DC Dive Bar, a fully branded pop-up rock bar, open every night through until Monday 8th.
❤️ Ibiza DJ legend Roger Sanchez returns to London at Stereo in Covent Garden tonight (Fri 5th) for a house music session, before hotfooting it back to the Balearics.
🪗 A night of modern electronic Romani club music and bone-deep rural folk traditions can be had at Jamboree tonight (5th) as Don Kipper are in the King’s Cross backstreet venue.
🎼 Songhaven is a series of dementia-friendly concerts featuring well-loved songs from stage and screen, offering high quality music for people living with dementia and their carers, friends and families. It’s back at Conway Hall this Saturday, 6th.
📊 This week’s 1-click poll
Do you love and use Camden's street markets? |
📈 We’re now 6,651 subscribers
and counting…
🏅 226 new signups in the last month
🤝 Camden’s most engaged, fastest-growing readership
📊 Last week’s poll result
QUESTION: How likely are you to participate in more Camdenist events (free or paid) visit places we advise and generally be an active member of our growing community?
Very! I already go to loads of things you recommend, but want to do more
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 43%
Quite! I do try, but life is busy
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 53%
Not much! I'm happy on the sofa
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 4%
Some of your comments:
“Love this community you have made - really engaging, informative and interesting! And really enjoy your recommendations… great work!”
“I find Camdenist an inspiring way of finding out what is going on, and Tom's passionate declaration this week of the need for commitment to the buildings that surround our daily lives even brought me to tears. It was superbly written with a deep love and understanding of his community.”
🎟️ EXCLUSIVE CAMDENIST OFFERS
20% off your first two massages at The College Practice - just mention CAMDENIST when booking.
10% off all experiences booked with The Idytute until the end of July using the code: CAMDENIST10
60 mins of free Forest bike rides: Download or open the Forest app, then enter promo code CAMDENIST60 to ride for free right away. Minutes can be used for multiple trips for up to 3 months, on top of Forest’s standard 10 mins free each day too!
🍻 A free City Stack pack with £100 of independent pub food and drink deals when you become an annual premium member of Camdenist. Upgrade now for less than £1.50 per week.
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