It was a simple trip via the Underground to get to the Camden Market. My brother and I have visited it on our last visit, but with limited time to spare. This time I hoped to get lost between the stores and the colours of the Camden Market. But which one?
After doing a little research, I discovered there are actually SIX markets on show in Camden: Camden Market, Stables Market, Camden Lock Village, Buck Street Market, Electric Ballroom, Inverness Street Market. Today promised to be a warm 22°C. What a day it would be!
Along Camden Road towards the markets, London.
Naturally, I couldn’t get to all the markets in one day – it would have been way too much for me to handle. So I handpicked a few must-see places with my cousin beforehand. Then I was off.
The first thing that hits you when you disembark at Camden Town from the Underground are the colours. You step outside into a world of pinks, blues, yellows and green. I am reminded a little of the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town. But here, there are more murals on the walls and intricate art peeling of the roofs of some stores. Everywhere you look the stores seem to be shouting at you. I have seen 3D dragons, shoes and fruit standout along the skyline.
Walking along Camden Street, London.
That is if you can see it above all the funky hairstyles.
Camden is notorious for its… interesting people. This is where the Goth kids and techno geeks hang out. And they show it. I marvelled at the green mohawks that stretched a metre into the sky, at the face tattoos and body piercings. I also swear I saw an anime character come to life, complete with cat ears and a tail!
Camden is a colourful place.
Camden Lock Market along the riverside.
I know part of travelling to a new place is to have a plan, but you need to let yourself get a little lost as well. I wandered around the Camden Lock market for a while, spending quite some time in an old bookstore. This market is bubbling with good conversation and foreign people – a real tourist attraction. There were food vendors here from all over the world. I could see crepes, tacos, pizza, corn dogs, Indian curry and English fish and chips.
Food stalls at the Camden Lock Market.
The prices were high and I was still in the early days of my trip. So I was savvy and packed my own lunched which I devoured on a nearby bench. I enjoyed watching the people. The accents that reached my ears were mostly foreign – although the people all dressed the same. I remember something from my media class – globalisation means the same kind of diversity, everywhere.
After lunch, I wandered around a few more stalls before I exited the Camden Lock Market. I took a shortcut and found myself in front of a massive Shaka Zulu statue, looming over a restaurant that boasted ‘African Cuisine’. I couldn’t help but laugh.
I pushed onwards and stepped into a little neon shop where everything dazzled in bright pinks and greens. It was definitely for hardcore festival goers. Then at the back of the shop, I found a doorway into a whole new market. Massive printed t-shirts sporting Bob Marley’s smile decked the walls, as well as vinyl, laminated posters, and then traditional London memorabilia such as the iconic telephone booths.
Something for everyone at the Camden Market, London.
My feet led the way and shortly I stumbled into a different area. Suddenly I was hit by a sweet scent that was very familiar. I followed my nose and found the Egyptian/Arabic section of the market. Gold and silver sprinkled the tables and beautiful scarves were draped elegantly against the walls.
Naturally, my feet would find their way to anything horse related. After the Arabic stalls, I stumbled onto beautiful life-size bronze sculptures of horses. I had found the Stables Market and Horse Tunnel Market. These stables were once bustling with 400 horses not too long ago – in 1925.
Always finding my way to the horses. Stables Market, Camden.
Years ago, horses were used in this area to distribute medical products. They would carry the supplies from the local hospital to Camden Lock (river) where it would be transferred onto barges and carried downriver. The stalls you will now see when wandering around were once leatherwork stalls that made saddles and bridals and blacksmith stalls. Now, these stalls are psychedelic stores and fetish stores.
I looped around the underground network and came across some beautifully handcrafted leather journals. I keep a travel diary that is quickly running out of pages, so I am eagerly looking to replace it. I had never seen anything like these before. They were sort of three-dimensional, with horse heads and Scarface rearing off the page. There was a range of intricate designs in this warped leather.
Handcrafted diaries are also to be found at the market.
Beautifully handcrafted leather journals in the Stables Market from A Little Present. I could probably spend all day in this network of tunnels. My mind galloped through the ages as I imagined the narratives that have taken place between these walls. Then my creative side joined in and I could see a movie about magic and assassins unfold. The market was quite fantastical. I wandered past faerie shops, Wiccan stores, Hindu praying temples, and even into a store that looked like it could pass as a shop for elves! They had comfortable and flexible outfits, with wristbands and leather pouches. Check out Psylo.
Floating lights at the Stables Market, Camden.
Entering fantasy land and Harry Potter world in the Stables Market.
As my grand tour came to a close a chill came over. I also started to feel snackish. My cousin had told me about a great pizza place at the entrance to Camden Market that gave you a sizeable slice of pizza for a reasonable price for £ 2.60. All the other foodstuff was anything from £ 4 up, so for me, this was a bargain! So I walked over to the pizza and grabbed a slice of margherita…. What a great way to end such a wonderful day!
A slice of Margherita from Pizza and Crepes Kiosk at Camden Market.
