So far, no-one has been reported injured in the Camden Market fire and you can thank whatever God you believe in for that.
It seems that the fire has not touched the main Camden Lock Market and Stables Market (unfortunately currently undergoing ‘redevelopment’ or should I say ‘gentrification’) both of which are on the west side of Camden High Street where it meets Chalk Farm Road.
However it is still a disaster for those stallholders in the smaller Canal Market where I think the fire started and the surrounding businesses, including The Hawley Arms pub (my favourite haunt in the eighties with the best jukebox in London*) which are isolated from the other markets.
So, it seem that the vast proportion of Camden’s stalls and businesses will be able to open as soon as the fire brigade and authorities give them the OK.
Unless the fire spreads much further (which seems unlikely), no-one should believe the sensationalist headlines currently being run by the TV networks.
Very soon, Camden Town’s markets will be open for business again – and hopefully fighting the developers.
*Although the now closed Caernarvon Castle had some great music at the weekends – Wolfie Witcher and His Brew and sometimes John Mizarolli – an outstanding guitarist.
Comments (5)
Why are we not hearing or seeing anything more about the fire at Camden Lock Mraket? I was in Swansea when I saw and heard the news and was as devastated as Camden it’self. Camden is my most favourite place on earth and now I can’t find anything more about the effect of this horrible fire, or even how it started. The news media seems to have dropped the story like a hot potatoe.
Bradley’s Spanish Bar in Hanway Street has the best jukebox in London!
I can’t help but wonder if the fire was started to aid ‘gentrification’. Call me cynical, but our rulers have proven themselves guilty of far worse and I’d put nothing past them anymore. It’s revenge for the campaign to save the Electric Ballroom.
I think you misunderstand my original post
– In the Eighties, The Hawley HAD the best jukebox in London.
call me cynical too, but that bit of the Market was exactly the sort of scruffy local institution on a prime development site that has a real habit of “going on fire” – though perhaps a curious point during the property market cycle for it to do so.
finally got to go and inspect the damage myself. like many others i am deeply suspicious of developers and i wouldn’t be surprised if it was arson (also that may have been why the media has lost interest..)
either way i walked along the canal to that point where you can see through the fencing and the back end of the market is fine thank God. =] that means that they’d need a bloody good reason to knock the rest down. it is sad though and i feel like going back a lot now to see it being rebuilt, i hope it doesn’t take too long it was really weird today because i usually leave stables and cross over to canalside. =(