CAMDEN TOWN

 Camden in one of those areas of London, that for years was very rundown and neglected. now, however, Camden Town is one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods in London, best known for shopping and entertainment. It is artsy, creative, and buzzing with live music and famous markets.

Every side street off Camden High Street seems to have its' own market, and the main market in the former dockyard stables, is a positive assault on the senses. The stalls are a riot of bright colours and the entire place thrums to the beat of Reggae music. The sheer number of world cuisines catered for by the street food stalls and shops is amazing!

The Art Deco HSBC bank stands at the junction of Camden High Street and Kentish Town Road, and backs onto the Leslie Green designed Camden Town underground station ,which is almost identical to that at Mornington Crescent.

Watch your feet as you walk along Camden High Street! There is a musicians Walk Of Fame to rival Hollywood's Film one. Here are just three of the plaques, which cover all genres from Janis Joplin to Billy Bragg. Naturally, I decided to feature three of my favourite musical acts. 

Don't just look down at your feet though - the shops are a riot of colour and imagination too. The pedestrian crossings add to the overall appeal of the High Street, being painted in Pride colours.

Keep heading along the High Street, and you reach Camden Lock. Unfortunately, the building on the left badly needs repainting. At one time it was a Starbucks Coffee house, but looks very derelict now. 

The railings along the canal here, towards Camden Lock, have become a copy of the 'Locks of Love' bridge in Paris.

And so onto Camden Lock Market itself. It is housed in the former stable yards where the canal boat horses were held. Horses were also kept here, that were used to shunt the trams and omnibuses.  As well as stables, there were farriers and tack repair shops here. The last horses were employed in 1967, and the stables closed. 

When I visited some time ago, there were beautiful bronze statues of horses and farriers etc., but they seem to have disappeared. There now seems to be an exhibition and free walking tour, so maybe those statues have been moved elsewhere.

Lara Croft - Tomb Raider

Beautiful statue of Amy Winehouse, nervously plucking at the hem of her skirt, as she always did. A very sad loss to British music, and one of my favourite singers of her style. She was only 5ft. 2 inches, but such a powerhouse, born in London and died in Camden, they rightly honour her here.

A proper tuktuk

Camden Market is full of statues and artistic displays. They all add to the cosmopolitan feel of the area

A shop selling Egyptian artefacts, has these black cats outside - a good reminder that the former Carreras Black Cat Factory is just down the road............

...........and this is William. By the time I turned into Waterside Halls for my return journey along Regents Canal, the beautiful smells emanating from all the food stalls, was making me feel really hungry, and reminding me I hadn't eaten today. 

The very first food stall there was William's. He offered me a piece of crunchy coated chicken, and I was hooked.

I sat and chatted to him, whilst his colleague made me the most delicious prawn Pad Thai I had eaten in a long while. I wandered down to the canal towpath and ate it whilst watching the ducks and geese.

Anyway, I promised William he could be famous and have his picture on this site. So I expect you all now to rush off to Camden Lock and buy a meal from him! Sorry it's not the best picture, but my camera doesn't do people (neither do I usually)