1. TRAVEL: The Tube is shut for a whole year. Really?
You’ll have groaned at the news by now. Work on the creaking escalators – described as “vital” – will begin on Monday June 26th, while at least Kentish Town Thameslink station will remain open throughout the 12-month tube closure (we appreciate the escalators need to be replaced, but a whole year?) TFL is “thanking customers in advance for their patience” – and yet it’s the many surrounding businesses still recovering post-Covid who will also be affected, such as the longstanding Babuji opposite, the Fruit Bowl and the excellent new Parakeet pub. On a positive note – is there any other stance realistically to take? – the wider area is blessed with stations, from Kentish Town West and Gospel Oak Overground to Tufnell Park tube (all about a 10-minute walk from Kentish Town station, of course.)
2. ART: There’s a new mural at Kentish Town West
“We did an open invite for anyone to do a mural opposite our cafe,” says Fields Beneath cafe owner Gavin. “Of all the entrants we loved local digital artist and printmaker Ellis Benjamin Bertram’s design best, and felt it would suit the space beautifully.”
The mural (main pic, above) is designed to illuminate the cafe’s outside seating area in the shadow of the railway bridge. “Inspired by the cafe’s name and vegan principles that emphasize a connection to nature, her mural seeks to bring ‘the fields beneath’ to life,” he says. “It’s a great addition to Camden’s rich street art portfolio and one of its largest, spanning almost 8 metres across.” Follow Ellis @_retropunk
3. MUSIC: Kentish Town’s Mae Muller, UK Eurovision star
Her first public performance was at local watering hole The Abbey, where she once worked behind the bar aged just 18 – and now she’s singing to a global audience of 160 million. So yep, it’s deffo worth rooting for 25-year-old Kentish Town-born singer Mae Muller, who represents the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool on Saturday night (May 13th). To win the prize, she’ll performing her entry ‘I Wrote A Song’ – about a cheating ex. Follow @maemuller
4. LGBTQ: Queer Comedy Club launches
Finally, the UK’s first permanent LGBTQ+ comedy club opens its doors in Archway tomorrow (May 11th). The Queer Comedy Club will give “queer audiences and their friends the chance to enjoy rib-ticklingly funny comedy that reflects their own lives,” say the owners. “It will also be a safe and supportive space where queer comics can cut their comedy teeth.” The club officially launches with a show featuring Dee Allum (nominated BBC New Comedian of the year 2021), Ben Pollard, Kathy Maniura and Josh Jones. Downstairs, 114 Junction Road, N19. Find out more and book tickets at queercomedyclub.co.uk or follow the club on Insta @thequeercomedyclub
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