Actual pictures of Camden

Despite spending about a month in Camden I haven’t really posted many pictures of the area and although I’ve got some that I’ll put up now, I think I need to go back and take some more another time. Some of these pics are of the markets and others are from the Camden section of the Regents Canal towpath.

EDIT: Hurray!!!!! It no longer takes me ten minutes to upload one photo – so here’s a post I started trying to load days ago.

Camden Market

Camden Lock Markets

Camden Lock - hence the market name

 And here are a few photos of the Camden/Regents Park section of the Regents Canal. Sadly these photos cannot accurately convey the glorious smells present underneath some of the bridges close to the Camden Markets.

Smile

Work that pointy tail

twin skulls

And to see what some of the canal towpath looks like…

How's the serenity?

The tally so far…

• Squirrels: 6 (although I may have seen the one across the road twice, Regents Park, Hyde Park)
• Rats: 1 (Regents Park)
• Men in straw boater hats: 3 (Borough Market, Central line tube, Camden)
• Men in velvet top hats: 1 (Camden)
• Famous people: 1 (but I’ve seen them twice – Camden)
• Hyenas: 3 (Regents canal towpath by the Zoo)
• Invitations to take a ‘personality test’ while outside a Scientology Centre: 1 (Tottenham Court Road)

Portobello Road

I have to admit that I traipsed all the way to Notting Hill to look around Portobello Road market mostly because I like the name.  And apparently it also featured in Bedknobs and Broomsticks.  It’s quite a nice market, especially if you’re into antiques and collectables. The weather seems to be better on the weekends, so it was nice day to be outside scoping out the market.

It was really crowded for most of it's quite extensive length

I didn’t take that many pictures of the stalls because well, markets are markets are markets. I go to have look but there aren’t always that many good photo opportunities, especially when it’s so crowded.

Portobello sign - with added stickers

I don't know if you can read the blue plaque but George Orwell lived there

poetry wall

Caution Infernal Traffic

On Sunday I caught the tube eastwards into the Shoreditch/ Spitalfields/ Brick Lane area.  I have to admit that the most Cockney thing I found was the ATM. I’d seen a piece in the papers recently about one of the banks installing “Cockney” ATMs in a few places in the East End but didn’t realise I’d found one until I was getting money out. Sadly I didn’t get a picture because there were people waiting behind me and I didn’t want to pay more international transaction fees just for a quick snap. The markets in this area are very much about clothes and accessories.  And Spitalfields is full of the cooler than cool looking for the next hot item to wear. On Sundays huge sections of the East End are given over to markets. I wandered through at least three of four distinct ones.

The first I came across by accident mostly because when you look at maps, the scale doesn’t always mean much, so you don’t realise how close everything is.  Petticoat Lane was packed full of clothing racks of cheaper than cheap remnants and bulk lots.  It wasn’t quite what I was looking for but at least I can say now that I’ve been there.  Eventually I worked my way over to Spitalfields (which isn’t far away) and had a wander through it’s hallowed halls.  Recently redone, it’s a very swish space with guidebook recommended restaurants and cafes.  There’s a lot of nice things to be bought here and if you search hard, you might still get a bargain. Vintage/retro clothes and quirky accessories are the biggest buys but there’s lots of new stuff as well.

Just round the corner is the Sunday Up Market. Housed in a less polished space, it has a real market feel to it. The outside and inside food vendors offer a wide array of delicious, multicultural food.  Although it does appear that some people have stalls at both Spitalfields and Sunday Up, the latter has a more gregarious, community feel to it.  I really enjoyed having a look around and wandering the surrounding streets which were also covered in more markets.  This pop up market lead up the road to Brick Lane, where there was yet another market in full swing. The Brick Lane market was far more diverse in its array of goods for sale, which was a relief because there’s only so many vintage dress shops even I can look at. In the end though I didn’t take many photos of the markets but I did take lots of pictures of artworks and drawings on walls.  There is a strong street art scene in the area, which can be seen in my view of the East below.

Caution Infernal Traffic

this one was hidden behind the outdoor food stalls

this one was quite striking

this figure of a man was at the bottom of the previous picture

I liked these shutters

not sure what it means but it's interesting

Weekend of markets

The weekend is the best time to enjoy some of London’s markets, so I decided to visit two different parts of London and sample their markets this weekend. This first post is about my visit on Saturday to Borough market and the Southbank.  The weather is still holding here, for the most part, but the temperature has dropped a few degrees.  Saturday was a lovely sunny day to be wandering around Borough and Southwark.  I caught the tube to London Bridge station and from there headed to Southwark Cathedral just down the street.  It is a beautiful Cathedral and although it has a long history, I know it as the starting place for the pilgrims in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. 

Southwark Cathedral

from another angle

Right next door is Borough market. It’s all about food. If you want to know where to get a an Ostrich burger – Borough market is your place.  And these trips to the markets would be cheap sightseeing days, if I didn’t buy so many snacks…(not that I eat Ostrich burgers).

Borough Market

It was actually more crowded than it looks. The market was packed full of people, many of whom brought wheelie suitcases to fill up with food.  In fact, many people here (tourists mostly I’m assuming) seem to shop with suitcases.  Doesn’t matter if it’s Piccadilly or Regent Streets, Borough or Shoreditch markets.  I don’t know why you would want to buy that much stuff (although groceries make a bit more sense) and I find them annoying because they are dragged really slowly in everyone’s (my) way.

I also visited The Clink Museum which is nearby. It’s a privately owned museum documenting life in the early prison called The Clink that existed in the area for hundreds of years.  While it was an ok way to spend half an hour, I wouldn’t recommend making a special trip. It wasn’t the best put together display I’ve seen recently and some areas had signs that were just laminated and tacked up on the wall (including a blurry picture of puppies printed off a computer entitled The Police Animal section – and that was it, just the picture). Clearly at some point there was money put it into researching and creating the displays but it’s beginning to look a little worn around the edges.

The Globe Theatre

On my way from Borough market to the Tate Modern I walked past the Globe Theatre. I wandered in to pick up some info about tours and shows (which run till early October), so will definitely be going back another day to check it out some more. And here’s the Tate Modern. I know it’s fashionable to be in love with this place but I am a much bigger fan of the Tate Britain (which is currently running a William Blake exhibition I want to go see).

Tate Modern

 

Tate Modern main hall

The Tate Modern is housed in an old electricity station and it’s a fantastic space. One of the entrances is to the top of the picture and the galleries are to the right.  Housed on multiple levels, you’d think they would be tiny considering how much open space there is here, but they’re not.  It’s room after room of modern art exhibitions. And it also has some great views across the Thames looking towards the city.  Here’s a photo I took through one of the windows of the Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s.

view from Tate

Up next is a trip to the east end to visit the Spitalfields and Brick Lane markets in Shoreditch.

Camden Town

Today I had a wander around various parts of Camden as this is my base for the time being.  I don’t know this part of London particularly well but I am here to explore I used to catch buses out of London to do trips last visit. I remember passing through lots of different boroughs with their lovely old houses or quirky dirty shopfronts and wanting to know what it was like to live there. Well, Camden seems to be one of those places. Camden has quirky old shops, flash new shops, markets, bars, pubs, lovely old buildings and green leafy squares.  Although parts of it are touristy (mostly the markets) I think it gives a better idea of London than living in the rarefied surrounds of Chelsea like I had the fortune to do last time (eg. If I wanted to buy something mundane like a towel, I wouldn’t have to go out of my way to find one on the High Street).

I haven’t taken any photos yet really. I’m still kind of tired so am saving the mass photographs for when I can be sure I won’t accidentally walk in front of a taxi or stand in too many peoples way on the footpath. But I like it here and usually it’s the mundane stuff that sells it for me.  I’ve already found fruit at the supermarket that’s hard to get in Australia, you can tell the clientele of a pub based on the amount shirtless workmen (or not) drinking pints out front, and most importantly – it’s somewhere different. It’s not hugely exotic but there are so many more options here, for everything, and it’s kind of nice to have the choice.

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

On Sunday I visited Tamborine again.  I caught up with family at the markets for a little wander around and shop.  I haven’t included any pictures as they’d look rather the same as the last lot.  The markets were quite similar in makeup except there were lots more people there this time.

After the markets I headed over to the rather new Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk.  I didn’t know much about it except that it has some sort of cantilevered structure and that I’d meant to check it last time but hadn’t gotten around to it.  The skywalk is a private enterprise set into the Tamborine rainforest.  There is an elevated walkway, cantilevered bridge and walk through the ground rainforest.  They have a small but very well set up eco centre detailing the history, geography, flora and fauna of the area.  The walk itself takes 40-60 minutes depending on sightseeing and walking speed.  The entry price is a bit steep ($18.50 for adults) considering that there are many other beautiful walks in the area in National parks that are free.  The admission price obviously goes towards the costs incurred in set up and as I have mentioned it is a well set up private enterprise.  I took a lot of photos while there and it was a lovely day to be visiting but I don’t know that I’d go back again now that I’ve seen it.  Anyone who has issues with walkways they can see through or that sway a little when walking should probably not consider it either.  I really enjoyed the walkway elements (which have informative little info boards in certain places) the best.  Seeing the rainforests from above is novel.  So here’s some pics.

Welcome to beautiful Burleigh

Just like the sign says.

I headed down the coast to Burleigh on Sunday morning to attend The Village markets.  These are fairly new markets billed as fashion, art and treasure markets.  Unfortunately a nasty storm reared its ugly head about 9.30am and although it blew over fast it did not bode well for my morning out.  I decided to drive down to Burleigh anyway and see if the market had survived.  As I arrived a bit later in the morning I could see the last two stalls packing up on the oval.  I decided to stay in Burleigh even though the markets were a bust and have a wander around as it’s been a while since I’ve been down that way.  I probably don’t visit the southern end of the Gold Coast enough and it’s a lovely area with an old school, laid back feel to it.  So here are some more pics of my Sunday morning.

Double shot latte to get the day off to the right start.

Montage of art – commissioned and otherwise.

Not too sure what the cat in the hat is smoking.

I just wonder what was in the speech bubble that’s been painted over.

Burleigh is a mix of old and new developments.  There is a growing cafe culture alongside old style arcades and the very popular Burleigh bowls club.

Old style arcade directly opposite a new development.

And of course there is the Burleigh Head National Park which starts just up the hill.

All in all it was a lovely morning, despite the market closing early, and I was able to have a nice look around on a sunny (eventually) Sunday morning.

Protest over markets continue

Following on from my post over Easter about the changes afoot at the Green Flea market in West End, the protests over the change in management are ongoing, with other community organisations revealing they also had tenders knocked back.  The protest has made it’s way to City Hall, but Council are standing firm on their decision to appoint Blue Sky Events as new management for the markets.  ABC news has posted an article about the decision with interviews with market founder Peta Hackworth and some of the stallholders.

End of the Green Flea markets?

Easter Saturday morning was spent visiting the Green Flea markets in Davies Park West End.  It’s a lovely market, full of good things to eat and drink and clearly packed to the gills with people filling up eco friendly bags with fresh produce.  Many of the stalls focus on produce, with a smattering of others selling deli products and assorted bits and pieces.  The food stalls are fantastic.  Lots of coffee and one great stall selling Hungarian pastries like lepeny and langos.  All delicious and cheesy. 

just one of the many produce stalls

Unfortunately the future of the market is unsure.  Recently the rights to hold the market in Davies Park were sold to a Sydney based company that holds the leases on other markets in Brisbane such as the Southbank markets.  If you haven’t seen both markets you might not be able to appreciate what makes one so different from the other, but basically the Southbank markets are very touristy, full of stuff you don’t need to buy regularly and don’t necessarily promote the community spirit that is so obviously present in West End. 

At the markets on Saturday I witnessed the full range of the local community (and a few ring ins) buying their weekly groceries, catching up with family, friends and stallholders, families on outings, people walking, biking and doing all things you would hope for in a community market (including a pointy eared elf serenading people with pipe music).  Clearly some of the customers were long term West End residents equipped with wheelie trolleys to cart away the beautiful fresh produce and baked goods.  Southbank is not that sort of market.  It is full of clothes, bags, and various other gimmicky things.  I know the only things I’ve bought there in the past few years have been cute badges from the badge stall, but it’s not a market to hold my interest for longer than about half an hour.  It’s definitely not a full morning outing.

sign at the stall where I bought my coffee

Sentiment from many locals and market attendees has ranged from the disappointed to the outraged, to others who don’t see what the problem is.  I guess my concern (even though I am not a regular attendee) is that existing stallholders won’t be able to continue on with new management.  Although the new management company Blue Sky Events says it has no plans to change the character of the markets, it is clear that current stallholders will have to contact new mangement for a place at the markets (see bottom of article).  So although they may have no particular plan for change, it is clear from the current state of the market that if the stallholders begin to change and others move in, then the tone of the market begins to change.

busy market crowds

I had a lovely Saturday morning in West End but it did leave me wondering whether my next trip there would be so good.  It seems such a shame that a market like this could potentially become a clone of a market we already possess.