- Camdenist
- Posts
- Getting naked and going outdoors
Getting naked and going outdoors
Celebrating London street events of all shapes and sizes
Tom Kihl
June 09, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
👋 Free festivals - incoming!
A summer-time spree of al fresco events is suddenly upon us, with street parties aplenty and loads of hearty sun-drenched celebrations to rival even getting muddy at Glastonbury.
We’ll aim to uncover the best free and fabulous things to do every weekend over the coming months, starting with this week’s bumper crop.
🎪 To get you properly in the mood, the Fair in the Square is back tomorrow; a real village fete in very possibly the leafiest corner of London up at Pond Square, ushering in a full week of events in the wider Highgate Festival.
🐕🦺 It’s looking like a scorcher for the mighty Primrose Hill Festival and it’s famous dog show on Sunday, bringing the bustle to Regent’s Park Rd and Chalcot Square with food, carnival shows, and lots more.
🖼️ Then Friday sees the start of a full fortnight of events at the Hampstead Summer Festival, kicking off with the traditional Art Fair in the gardens of Keats House.
NUDITY
Strip off to ride a bike - but not to swim…
It’s World Naked Bike Ride day tomorrow, with the multiple start points across London that came out of the social distancing of Covid era being retained, ensuring maximum visibility for those keen to strip off for the cause.
That means the Outer Circle of Regent’s Park will again be awash with proud flesh ahead of the ride setting off through London just before 3pm.
As well as being one of the biggest body positive events in the nudist calendar, the ride also serves to highlight the naked truth about the dangers of air pollution, petrol guzzling cars and ongoing threats to cyclist safety.
You don’t need to register, just turn up, since (quite literally) all you need to participate is a bike.
🙈 When we last looked, the WNBR London website was down, but head to their Instagram for the latest updates and fabulous cheeky photos.
🩲 Meanwhile, there’s ‘outrage’ up at Hampstead Heath Men’s Pond over news that the time-honoured practice of nude sunbathing has oddly just been banned. [See the weekly poll below]
🎨 In altogether more grown-up nudity news, ultraviolet life drawing classes Neon Naked are happening locally at The Big Chill in King’s Cross this Sunday, and The Assembly House in Kentish Town on Thursday, too.
FOOD + DRINK
Check these next gen vegan openings
Vegan chef Alexis Gauthier is bringing his 123V Bakery to the BFI, just off Tottenham Court Rd, opening next Friday.
123V is already renowned for serving plant-based sushi, bao, burgers and quesadillas at Bond Street’s Fenwick store, and this new outpost will be baking vegan pastries and breads alongside some of those established classics.
He’s also opening a full vegan restaurant in the back, Studio Gauthier, a more laidback take on his Soho original, which you can enjoy from early July.
Over on Old Compton Street, new burger joint Wonderland enters the choppy waters of opening a place that shouts vegan while also doing some, er, meat.
You may remember that Camden Market’s Bad Vegan got into all kinds of bother with the meat-free Twitter and Reddit mob for daring to break the fundamentalist kitchen purity template, so it will be interesting to see how this new venture fares.
🌿 Find out all about 123V Bakery opening at the BFI this week.
🍔 The brave folk at Wonderland Soho have a strong grid game going on, ahead of their opening this coming Tuesday.
🥗 Talking of Camden Market, brand new spot joint M’Eat The Vegans has just opened where Rudy’s Vegan Diner used to be, serving a vast ‘multicuisine’ menu taking in Indian, Caribbean, Oriental, Mexican and other styles of plant-based scran.
SECRET FEASTS in BELSIZE PARK. This Wednesday. Only £25
Delightful all day bistro Greenberry Hill
PRIDE MONTH
Queer Market at KX all weekend
Pride this year seems to be a macrocosm of various unresolvable culture wars, with corporates still falling over each other to rainbow up their logos while assorted shouty internet types get their opposing knickers in twists about trans rights or ‘protecting the children’.
Set against that unfortunate over-performative mood music, the real spirit of Pride will no doubt shine through occasionally, so let’s focus on those good bits.
Today through to Sunday, King’s Cross Canopy Market is highlighting 10 queer designer-makers and artisans, each selling their original artwork, jewellery, ceramics, coffee and other goods.
The Queer Market is brought to you by Queer Britain, the first dedicated LGBTQ+ museum, that’s located right next door.
🏳️🌈 Discover all 10 of the vendors + what you can buy under the KX canopy.
📸 Visit the Queer Britain exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first ever Pride march.
🪧 Refresh yourself on the struggle for Camden Town drag institution The Black Cap and the good fight to save London’s remaining LGBTQ+ venues.
MUSIC
A Dodgy Britpop revival
Gig highlights in association with the fabulous Halibuts.com
🎸 90s Britpop supremos Dodgy (pictured) are at the 02 Forum in Kentish Town this Saturday to bring a touch of nostalgia and their timeless hits like ‘Staying out for the Summer’ and ‘Good Enough’.
🎷 Every Monday is the renamed Jazz at The Parakeet, which this week brings the trombone and sax of Kieran McLeod Trio to the upstairs of this red hot reborn NW5 gastro boozer.
🎤 Argentinean ‘cuarteto’ music sensation La K’onga have millions of fans and can fill arenas, but you catch them play a gig in the relatively intimate setting of Dingwalls this Tuesday.
WINDRUSH 75: Celebration of Sound System Culture
Camdenist readers have an allocation of £10 tickets for this very special music event featuring the legandary Aswad in 3D sound, DJing from Ashley Beedle and the latest addition; Turner Prize shortlisters Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S) who bring together queer, trans and non-binary Black and people of colour involved in art, sound and radical activism.
Book now, it’s at EartH Hackney on June 23rd
MORE UNMISSABLE EVENTS & GOSSIP
➡️ Actor, producer and writer Daniel Kaluuya, known for his roles in Get Out, Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah and Spider-Man has been announced as Associate Artistic Director at Chalk Farm’s Roundhouse, and will lead youth theatre company Centre 59 at their brand new educational facility which opened last month.
➡️ PUB DEAL OF THE WEEK: Chalk Farm Road mainstay The Lock Tavern have a smashing rooftop terrace which comes into its own when the sun’s out, plus a 5-7pm daily happy hour to tempt you to come and soak up some rays with a drink or two.
➡️Camden’s Jewish Museum has announced it will sadly have to close at the end of July due to financial pressures, although it will remain online and in temporary venues.
➡️ The Fields Beneath café and wine bar are hosting a free sparkling wine tasting from 6pm on Thursday (22nd) to officially launch the big mural outside, painted by local artist Ellis Bertram.
➡️ New gender and racially inclusive salon Chop Chop opens today in Camden Town, and they’re offering free cuts and 50% off deals to get things going at their digitally innovative, 99% plastic free new outpost.
WEEKLY POLL
Nudity at the PondsDo you think the Heath's ban on sunbathing in the buff is... |
Collaboration is essential, so your feedback, suggestions and requests are always welcome. Reach out to us: [email protected]
Got an editorial idea you’d like us to consider? Just fill in the online form…
Camdenist newsletter is run on Beehiiv.
