Launch Email 2

This week's essential reads

July 24, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

An email to stimulate you with ideas, events, culture and good reads, all bubbling up from London's most creative and innovative neighbourhoods.

> Friday 24 July 2020

Hello neighbour, here's your second edition of the 

Weekly C Time

email. Cutting through the inbox overwhelm each Friday with our 5 essential local picks, and a few more decent reads for the weekend, too. 

Every £ we spend these days is a lifeline

 to support the businesses and institutions we want to see survive through the COVID crisis. This email hopefully helps you to decide more ways to keep that vital spending money circulating locally. It's brought to you by 

, the new cross-media publication that's independent and 100% collaborative.  

  1. Nightlife Really Matters 

Yesterday, the nightclub, live music and festivals industry united in calling on the government for support, as they'll be the very last types of businesses permitted to open after COVID. We spoke to Steve Ball, who runs the Jazz Cafe, Blues Kitchen and Camden Assembly, in our

. Find out why nightlife is so culturally and economically important, and more about the #letusdance campaign for how you can help save clubs, grassroots venues and festivals.

2. UAL's Virtual Showcase

Class of 2020 students have faced a rather unexpected set of circumstances during their graduation year. Demonstrating flexibility and ingenuity that should be good preparation for the uncertain times ahead, this year's cohort across the various University of the Arts London institutions have gone 100% digital for the first time ever, with 

. It launches this Tuesday at 6.30pm, where you can interact with (and buy) original work from the future big names in the worlds of art, design, fashion, media and performing arts.

3. Freebies for Local Businesses

If you work locally and have 3-minutes to answer a handful of questions, you'll be entered into a draw for a £100 restaurant voucher. We're asking all Camden's independent businesses what they really need from a new local media platform, and offering editorial coverage and marketing consultations for free to those who complete the survey, too. Visit camden.ist/business-survey and share the link with others who'd also like local media coverage. We're building a collaborative business network and we want you to be part of it.

Camdenist >>>

An exciting rolling rewards contest begins next week, only open to people who receive this newsletter. Info incoming...

  4. Breathe Freely, Camden 

Arlington Road's coffee industry consultants and events supremos, Allegra, have been inspired by the uncustomary clean air that the economic shutdown gifted to Londoners. They have launched a non-profit foundation, The Camden Clean Air Initiative, with a view to helping the borough's households, workplaces, schools/community spaces and hospitality businesses work towards cleaner air for all. They're currently looking for partners and individuals who are enthusiastic about reducing road traffic and promoting walking, cycling and electric transport, to ensure we don't return to former levels of dirty air.

5. Summer of Self Care

The Anna Freud Centre, which has just moved from Hampstead to King's Cross, has put together some brilliant resources to help young people look after their mental health over the summer holidays. Lockdown has been a major challenge for many school kids, so the #selfcaresummer campaign aims to help, with loads of ideas on how to feel good. There's both a free 

, and 

,

brimming with activities and exercises to promote wellbeing, and information on additional support for families.

  • Chalk Farm's iconic Roundhouse has not let lockdown hold them back from programming a creative calendar, albeit a virtual one. Their #RoundYourHouse series has already seen roundtable discussions, film, radio and more. Check out ZooNation's Mad Hatters Tea Party, streaming for 7 days from next week.

  • Camden Town's groundbreaking new eco-aware shipping container-based Buck Street Market had only been open a few days when lockdown happened. Now it's back, offering everything from fine dining at Wildflower to designer-maker jewelry and art, which can be browsed without the usual tourist crowds.

  • The ambitious £35m scheme to reappoint the one-way traffic thunder that once characterised Tottenham Court Road and surrounding streets is back on track after the inevitable disruptions of COVID. But do you know what the final scheme will look like? Take a look at The West End Project website for the vision and latest progress.

  • Royal College Street's lovely sun-kissed boozer The Golden Lion is celebrating being open again with £4.50 craft beers all day on Thursdays. Book a table and get your cold Beavertowns and Hammertons on tap. Sunday lunches are also back.

  • Tomorrow see's Camden's swimming pools, leisure centres and gyms permitted to reopen, and you can already book your time slot and find our about all the safety measures in place.

  • In other local swimming news, the documentary all about Hampstead Heath's famous wild swimming ponds was back on BBC4 this week, coinciding with the return of outdoor urban dips. If you missed it, it's on the iPlayer for the next 8 weeks.

  • Parents who can't quite believe we've now rolled into the 'summer holidays' also find there are far less organised activities taking place this year. However Kentish Town City Farm is running their playscheme for small groups, with up to two full days of animal care and crafts for 8-15-year-olds. Book in advance, of course.

  • King's Cross Canopy Market is back, and being held fully outdoors in Coal Drops Yard for the whole summer. From posh cheeses to beautiful homewares, all the usual produce can be found at a suitable at a social distance every Fri, Sat and Sun.

Well worth following, too...