View this email in your browser

Your five weekly feel-good highlights, including exclusive offers, great reads and things to do locally in - and eventually out - of lockdown. Prepared with love by the team at Camdenist

 CCC AWARDS: Meet the High Street Heroes 

We've reached the penultimate week in the Camden Covid Champions awards, honouring people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during the year of the lockdowns. A Tesco is often portrayed as a threat to small, vibrant High Streets, but that doesn't mean they aren't still vital, or their teams are any less invested in serving the community. This week we tell the story of Tesco Swains Lane, and why their dedicated team were nominated by the grateful Camdenists of of Dartmouth Park and Parliament Hill. 

 WIN: Hampstead-made candles for Mother's Day 

Wild Scents Botanics

hand-craft their candles from non-toxic soy coconut wax, blended with therapeutic-grade vegan essential oils, at their workshop in Hampstead. With cosiness and wellness still firmly on the lockdown agenda, the luxe candles are an ideal treat for a significant other – or indeed for yourself. With Mothering Sunday coming up next weekend, they make the perfect locally-made gift for mums, too. There’s a deal running on their website that gets you nearly a tenner off the signature Bliss Wildflowers candle, including free postage and a handwritten card. Better than that, we’re offering readers the chance to win one in this week’s Camdenist ambassadors competition…

70% Alcohol Eucalyptus & Aloe Vera Hand Sanitiser too! Simply head to @Camdenist on Instagram, like us and tag a friend into the comments on the candle post. We'll pick a winner on Thursday morning to send the prize out in time for Mother's Day. Usual Ts&Cs. Good luck!

 WALK: Follow the London GreenGround 

Graphic designer Helen Ilus has turned her love of modern cartography into an invaluable resource for locked-down Londoners. She's plotted a a tube-like map detailing over 400 parks and green spaces, with walking or cycling routes and distances between them, so you can extend your daily walk beyond the usual circuit. The improved 4th pocket edition and posters are released this month. 

 WATCH: Gasp at King's Cross from the air 

Aerial photographer Jason Hawkes spends his working hours hanging out of open helicopter doors soaring over the world's most famous cities. He recently shot King's Cross by night, and posted this phenomenal 40-second clip for the work-sick housebound employees of the area's big tech and cultural institutions. It's well worth losing yourself in Jason's website too, where his high resolution skylines reveal the beauty of London from a dramatic new vantage. 

 WATCH: The tussle for E. Mono 

When a ghost sign was uncovered by a Kentish Town Rd kebab shop, (once occupied by dressmaker Eliza Mono) they decided to restore it - and adopt the name. Times food critic and local resident Giles Coren subsequently waxed lyrical about the juicy shawarma and a brand was born, the Victorian era 'logo' appearing above 'bab joints in Camden Town, Finsbury Park and Luton. Now, as the original owner opens a 'Mono' in Holloway, there's a legal battle for the name in this video by halal review site Feed The Lion.

 THIS WEEK'S ONE-CLICK POLL How fit are you feeling after all these weeks of lockdown? 

LAST WEEK WE ASKED:

How long do you think it will be before central London feels anything like at 'full speed'?

A cautiously optimistic outlook from readers who clicked one of our 3 poll buttons last week, with just over half predicting a return of the West End within a year. Still, 28% think it's probably changed forever, while a decent 19% predict packed bars, theatres and shops from the minute it's legal again (see you lot on the dancefloor). Only time will tell who was actually right...

 CAMDENIST COMMUNITY: Spread the word to win 

Congrats to the winner of our exclusive Camden Watch Company Horse Hospital Special Edition, Katherine Fortier, who will soon be sporting the only such timepiece available anywhere - until the Camden Market flagship store reopens. Remember to keep sharing your link (below), there's a huge prize coming up next week...

Your unique link to share with neighbours, friends and family:

Or share it directly now via...Email  |  WhatsApp  |  Tweet  |  Facebook  |  LinkedIn

You've recommended a total of  people so far

Camdenist is collaborative and transparent by design. We want all locals to participate, so we've built a form where you can send us ideas, propose features, and even contribute your own work.

 Well worth following...