Camden Market

This article was part of a digital recording project I've participated in with other students from the University of Westminster, in partnership with the Museum of London

27 July 2013

Camden, capital of punk rock. Whenever I think of the market, I remember with emotion the wall reading The Clash played here in 1977, destroyed by the flames five years ago. In a sense, the band’s song ‘London Burning’ was prophetic.

Many will tell you that Camden has become very touristy, that it isn’t what it used to be. What is certain is that it is a very busy place. It is listed as one of the most famous destinations in London, with an average of 100,000 visitors each weekend. Originally opened on Sundays only - the main trading day - the market extended its hours on Saturdays. If you are looking for Goth clothes, Doc Martens, or a T-shirt showing the name of your favourite rock band, this is the place to be! You can also buy fast food to eat near the canal, scooter-seating style. 

We arrived at 2.15 on a Saturday. The Buck and Inverness Street Markets were relatively quiet, so we had to answer to some enquiries related to our recorder. What I enjoy the most about these sections is that visitors can bargain for goods. There, probably the most recurrent sentence will be ‘how much is it?’. Since the Buck Street Market is semi-covered, it was easy enough to capture casual conversations between friends, customers and retailers. I’ve always appreciated this almost intimate atmosphere created by the narrow windings of the stalls’ alleys. Camden Lock Village, on the other hand, was more crowded, and a variety of accents from stallholders serving foreign cuisine were registered. 

In a sense, locals are right. The markets are invaded by shoppers and sellers from all over the world, looking for the best deal. Those are described as some type of cheap ladies’ paradise. I guess that forty years ago, it was more associated to bohemian or alternative lifestyles. Never mind. To me, Camden will always resonate with the sounds of electric guitars – as those heard on a shop in the Lock Village - suffused by this typically English independent-minded mood. In Camden, you can wear anything, be anyone, display your piercings and flamboyant hairstyles. No one will stare. Or rather, you’ll be welcomed.