FUTURE CAMDEN

🏢 A dark landmark. A bright idea

Have you noticed that all the lights are permanently out in the hulking edifice of Euston Tower?

It makes Warren Street’s solitary skyscraper look a touch menacing, particularly when viewed alongside the dancing LEDs illuminating the only other building of comparable height in the vicinity; BT Tower.

The darkness is the most apparent hint at its sorry current status - the entire block has actually been standing completely empty and stripped out since 2021.

However this week, ambitious plans were announced to see the old girl transformed into a sustainable, accessible, even floral new building, dedicated to innovation in the life sciences, and placing the local community at its heart.

Owners British Land say they are keen to make the process as inclusive as possible, and you can go along to an event this Saturday to discover more, including see photography and films by a group of young local creative producers.

Back in the day, London’s ‘all the hits’ radio station Capital 95.8 was famously based on the ground floor, and played jingles about broadcasting live “from the tower of power”.

The leccie might not be plugged in today, but if all goes well, the mothballed behemoth should rise again as a shining beacon of net zero retrofitted infrastructure, social/community impact and life science excellence on our doorsteps.

Which all sounds just about as exciting as discussion of a 1970s office block can conceivably be.

FOOD & DRINK

Half Cut goes the full monty

York Way’s lovely Half Cut Market - who we’ve featured a few times for hosting fabulous pop-up food events at their deli, craft beer and low-intervention wine store - are going the whole hog, and appointing their first permanent head chef.

Jack Newton is a fresh arrival from Dublin, and will be serving exciting dishes for loyal regulars and, no doubt, loads more locals now the word is out.

The popular pop-ups will continue too, as will the curated selection of extremely tasty supplies to take home.

• 🧋 Highgate Rd’s, long-standing Vietnamese banh mi and pho joint Carrots + Daikon has sadly closed after 8 years, but the good news is that a Filipino streetfood, bakery and bubble tea pop-up has taken over the site until the end of September. It’s a partnership between award-winning Filipino BBQ specialists Turo Turo and dessert champs Ligaya Bakery and it all promises to taste suitably fabulous.

• 🥑 Amsterdam’s hyper-photogenic sustainable avo-focused restaurant Avocado Show opened a new branch in Covent Garden this week, looking as pretty as you’d expect.

• 🍷 Bar Rioja is a brand new wine bar in King’s Cross entirely dedicated to showcasing 43 wines from northern Spain, alongside some tempting tapas, of course, too. You’ll find it tucked away in the oasis of Varnishers Yard, which on a summer’s night feels like a back street in Logroño.

• 🔥 Mountain has just opened on Beak Street, the latest wood grill venture from the chef and people behind Shoreditch fave BRAT. With more of his former colleagues currently packing them in at The Parakeet, all us Camdenists are currently spoiled for choice when it comes to their brand of exciting cooking.

• 🥩 It always felt like it might struggle to maintain the required daily levels of ‘yee-haw’ energy in its cavernous, TV screen-dominated interior, and so it has come to pass that - only 8 months after arriving - Chalk Farm Rd’s Korean Cowgirl has ‘taken its rodeo back to Kent’, as the sign on the door reads. Look out for the next concept to land in this ever-changing spot, something to be called The Playful Pint…

THIS WEEK’S CROP OF THE FESTIVALS

From a garden fete to 11,000 people raving on a local hill, and floral fashion fun with Daisy Lowe

• 🎪 Stretching across the weekend, Camden New Town Community Festival sees a bunting-clad village fete atmosphere come to the heart of the borough at Camden Square. Swerve the daily procession of Insta-tourists posing outside Amy Winehouse’s former home and instead get involved with jazz, folk, dancing, stalls, food and an open mic in the lovely central green space.

• 🎾 It’s Wimbledon finals weekend, which means a rash of big screens and deck chairs cropping up all over town. The one at Camden Market Hawley Wharf is hard to beat, as it has masses of global food options just a few steps away, plus backs onto the excellent 3 Locks Brewery for a fresh supply of the essential cooling bevvies.

• 🎡 Up at Ally Pally on Saturday it’s the big Kaleidoscope Festival, with tickets still available to see the likes of DJs Erol Alkan and Fabio & Grooverider, conversations from Joe Lycett & Shaun Keaveny and ‘adventures’ to be had in the Victorian era basements, too. Headliners are the fantastic Hot Chip, who revealed to The Guardian this week that they made their seminal song Over and Over in the converted church next to Camden Park Rd’s Lord Stanley pub - using kids instruments bought at the Early Learning Centre.

• 🤺 It’s the 10th year of the popular Give It A Go festival, which offers people of all ages the chance to try out new activities for free. Head to Parliment Hill bandstand on Sunday afternoon and have a go at fencing, football, martial arts, tennis, exercise classes and more, with food and craft stalls too.

• 🪷 Fancy making flower crowns to ‘transform your festival look’ with help on hand from fashionista Daisy Lowe next week? Of course you do! It’s happening at Three UK’s Oxford St flagship store on Wednesday, and you can grab a totally free ticket here when they are released at 9am this morning.

Check out our recent festivals readers poll results below 🔽🔽

MUSIC

Our pick of this week’s local live gigs

• 🚺 The bumper summer festi-vibes head indoors on Saturday, with the all-female lineup at the Roundhouse for Higher Ground Festival including The Staves, The Orielles, Tawiah and Aoife Nessa Frances, from mid-afternoon.

• 🪩 Carry on through till the early hours just down the High St, where the Camden Disco Festival takes over at KOKO (free entry before 10.30pm too), although we must say tonight’s punchy edition of KOKO Electronic with Mano Le Tough and Mathew Jonson looks even more tasty.

• 🎶 New Folk fusion duo Twisted Willow (pic above) play a captivating tapestry of styles incorporating jazz, film and classical music. They appear alongside the equally talented Sophie Crawford for the next Folk & Roots event at The Green Note on Monday (17th).

• 🌐 Legendary dub, funk, bhangra fusion massive Transglobal Underground play in London for one night only on Thursday (20th) at Pizza Express Live Holborn.

• 🥇 Did you know that, despite all the well-documented challenges, over one million people enjoyed a live music gig in London last week?

Gig highlights in association with the fabulous Halibuts.com

MORE

• ➡️ Contemporary dance venue The Place sets up on Coram’s Field in Bloomsbury on Saturday for their famous Family Dance Day. Expect outdoor performances, workshops, storytelling, crafts etc.

• ➡️ Excellent newsletter London Spy have come up with this in-depth look at London’s most notorious graffiti writers, including interactive map and lots of examples of work, much of which is on the walls, shutters and bridges of Camden.

POLL RESULTS

📊 What exactly are you lot thinking?

We ask a question each week. Here’s what was revealed…

London’s summer festivals

Do you love or loath a street/park full of revelers?

💘 Love them - nothing better than a free day out
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 65.5%

😠 Loath them - noise, litter and closed roads/parks are no fun
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 10.5%

🏖️ Not bothered - I'm just thinking about escaping to the beach
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 24%

POLL

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…

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