Camden anti-gentrification “riots”.

Camden Town is an area I’ve loved since I was a child. Back then, it was very working class and predominantly Irish and Greek. My first writing job was in Camden, so Withnail & I were both there in the 80s when it started to become “hip”. The Camden Palace was at one and of the High Street, Dingwalls was at the other and there was plenty in between. The area was colonised by the dope heads, dealers and hippy-dippy stallholders who gave the area the vibe for which it’s famous. But now, more affluent gentrifiers are pushing them out, just as they themselves pushed out the Greeks and the Irish 30 years ago. Hence the “riots”. Well, minor middle-class protests. But the world moves on. London is always evolving. One thing’s for sure though: the more middle-class the new residents, the more Clash records you’re likely to hear.