I’m from south London and lived most of my life in east London. I’ve only lived in north London for about six years, and I didn’t know it very well at all.
Weirdly, my studio has always been in north London, because it was the cheapest. I was in Tottenham for 10 years and now I’m in Finsbury Park.
After I had kids it was more convenient to move closer to the studio, so the commute was not too crazy. Now that they’ve got their school down the road I’m rooted here in Camden for the time being.
Having a dog has helped me navigate the area, particularly during Covid. It was a lot of walking around and learning about all these little places.
Eating and drinking
I don’t go out that much any more. There’s Hawker’s Kitchen, a Malaysian restaurant on Caledonian Road that’s absolutely delicious. I met my friend there for lunch the other day, no frills but the food is amazing.
The Ethiopian restaurant that I eat at is called Agelgil. I went with a group of friends the other day and it was just like eating at a friend’s house. Both have this easy informality that is low-key and cosy.
For drinks it’s King Charles I, a community-owned pub just off Caledonian Road. In my mind, it’s one of the best pubs in London. It’s very small and has a no-bullshit approach, which is right up my street.
The other place to go for a good drink is Cousins Snooker on Holloway Road, which is run by a really lovely family. My boyfriend plays a lot of snooker there and I tag along to watch and go for a drink.
Where I work out
I swim at Kentish Town Sports Centre. It’s beautiful and the swimming pool has a glass roof, so it’s almost like being in a lido, but warmer.
To commune with nature
We take the dog to Alexandra Palace or to Hackney Marshes for a big run around. With the kids we go to Barnard Park, which is really nice. I spend a lot of time in Talacre park because all my kids’ clubs are there. It’s not particularly beautiful or exciting, but lots of local people go and sit on the benches and watch the world go by.
Grocery shopping
Salvino on Brecknock Road is an amazing Italian deli. They do fresh Italian produce, it’s proper delicious.
There’s also Bread by Bike on Brecknock Road, they make unbelievable bread. They’ve got the bakery in the back, and they do all these delicious cakes and pastries. They make it fresh, and deliver as well. So that’s a top pick.
For a culture fix
The Camden Arts Centre does really brilliant exhibitions. I feel like it always goes a bit unnoticed and unseen, but I always want to check out what they’re doing.
They had an exhibition recently on Martin Wong that was fantastic.
Getting around
I mainly walk around the area. I’ve got a dog, so I walk him a lot, and the kids’ school is just a 10-minute walk away.
Dream street
I love Murray Street, which runs along the bottom of Camden Square. They’ve got an amazing little café that opens late-night called Temptation Coffee Bar. There’s a lovely mix of houses that are converted shops.
They don’t look fancy from the outside, but if you look up, you’re like “Oh, that’s really nice”. It’s a great road, it’s not particularly fancy, it’s just a mix of all different types of people.
Something you only see in Camden
I was walking through Camden with the kids and a couple of my friends the other day. It must have about six o’clock, so just as the evening revelry was starting to happen.
It’s one of the only places in London that you still get this real cross-section of people.
You still get punks and goths, there was this group of Rasta guys that were coming down towards us, and then there were these girls in short Lycra dresses and pumped-up lips. Camden is probably one of the only places that you see them all together all in one spot.
What’s the catch?
There’s no catch, apart from all my family live in south London.
In three words
A great community.
Martine Rose runs her eponymous menswear label.
Schools
Torriano Primary School is a community school that is rated Outstanding. The Camden School for Girls is a comprehensive secondary school with a co-ed sixth form currently rated Good.
Le Petite Ecole Bilingue is a mixed primary school that teaches in English and French. Netley Primary School and Centre for Autism offers support for children with an autism diagnosis.
What it costs
Buying in Camden
Average flat price: £753,740
Average house price: £2,361,050
Renting in Camden
Average flat price, pcm: £2,980
Average house price, pcm: £4,950
