“I think it’s fair to say that since this street was named, many things have changed for the better,” begins the earnest, youthful-looking future king as the camera zooms in on a run-down Prince Of Wales Road. “But in areas like Kentish Town, north London,” he continues, “there are still the problems of urbanized existence, which must make talk of progress seem pretty hollow.”
Quite. The fascinating documentary you are about to watch was filmed in 1979 and follows the royal’s visit to NW5. Why was he there at all? Well, to report for his Jubilee Trust on Ed Berman’s Inter-Action community project at Talacre.
In the course of the film’s 20-minute duration, we watch Charles as he swings by Kentish Town City Farm, a ‘Make It Yourself’ workshop, where he quizzes local kids recording a single (“Do you think someone will buy it?”), and braves both a makeshift go-kart track and skateboard park alongside the Inter-Action centre.
In his opener, he tries to assess what it must be like to live somewhere like Kentish Town: he believes “bad housing”, “lack of space”, and “the feeling of living in a concrete jungle” all cause the “frustration that leads to vandalism.” Inter-Action, on the other hand, is an “exciting example of the kind of thing we’ve been aiming to encourage”, as it stands for community, self-help and creativity “in an area that doesn’t readily inspire such things.” (Charming!)
Whether you’re royalist or republican, there’s no doubt that this is a rare glimpse of life in Kentish Town nearly 45 years ago. Other observations? How polite and gentle the kids are, how ancient the buses and cars look, and how well-spoken everyone is generally. The monarch is not a natural interviewer, of course, and his introversion and awkwardness do indeed provide a few corkers. “Are you sure they’re getting the right amount of milk?” he asks kids milking goats at the farm. “What are these rabbits called?” is his next gambit.
Some of the most deliciously excruciating moments are when he feels he should join in: first, with the kids practising their song, as he takes a tambourine rather glumly; and, famously, his two skateboard runs (“I haven’t done it for such a long time”) surrounded by a cheering young mob. Don’t miss the speedy wobble downhill, before he jumps off as the board flies through the fence into Talacre road. “I hope I haven’t ruined it,” grins the Prince sheepishly.
But for now, without further ado, here’s the vid. Note too his singular emphasis on the Ken in Kentish Town, quite different from how most people say the name (with the stress on the ‘Tish’). TIP: if you’re short of time, head straight to the skateboarding section 18 minutes in.
This article was originally published in 2013, updated April 2023.
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2 thoughts on “Watch a young King Charles skateboarding in Kentish Town”
Emphasis on the “Town” not the “tish”, surely? Lots of food for thought in this bit of history, really interesting…
Maybe you’re right. I’ve said it so many times now in my head I don’t where the emphasis is! Let’s just call it K-Town.