Up Caledonian Road to Copenhagen Fields Islington (4K) 

Another lovely walk John. I have lived in Lincolnshire all my life I am 82.It fascinates me all the lovely buildings and parks there are in London.

I lived at 49 Richmond Avenue from birth until early twenties back in the 60's. Quite incredible the memories your walk evoked and the knock-on effect from one memory to another. Our house was on the corner of Richmond Avenue and Hemingford Road which ran parallel to Matilda Street (caught on your video) into Copenhagen Street. Hemingford Road and Matilda Street were connected by Shirley Street and Everilda Street which are long gone. Everilda Street was home to my primary school, St Thomas', a "temporary" play surface where we played football for years and a pub at the bottom corner called The Rothbury Arms, run by Chris and Cyril. It was very much a local pub where we played darts Sunday lunchtime and enjoyed many evenings. It also did lock-ins where the clientele were a few of us regulars plus the local criminal community and a number of police from Caledonian Road police station. No guns on the counter but a lot of rolled up banknotes with drinks often bought all round. I had friends in every street I've mentioned plus streets that I haven't. One such friend who lives in New Zealand actually found your video and sent me the link. I could go on (yes, I know) about alsorts but suffice to say such happy days. If I could do it all again I'd be there in a heartbeat. Thank you so much for the memories!

This was great, John. I loved that you pointed out all the details of the old cattle market, like the taverns and the railings. Glad you explained the dichotomy between wealth and poverty in Islington. I used to teach at the nursery school on Copenhagen Street and the mix of children from different social classes was really striking. Child poverty in Islington is over 45%, amongst the highest rate of any local authority in England. The Cally is a fantastic area to explore. Lots of hidden history just beneath the surface.

At 62 I'm disabled and pretty much house bound, 6 miles from the nearest shop, so thanks for taking me down these back streets in an urban landscape I'll probably never see again.

I’m surprised you didn’t mention one of the oddities of the area - Muriel Street and Leirum Street. The street was cut in half by a new development and having Muriel Street in two unconnected halves caused confusion. So the residents voted to rename half of the street by writing the name backwards. As for markets, there used to be a street market on Cally Road, through to the late 1980s perhaps, when var traffic got too busy.

Another great walk, John and very resonant for me. I was born in sight of the Cally Clock tower in a long-demolished slum in Goodinge Road. My dad worked for Carreras at the old Black Cat factory in Mornington Crescent. When I was 5 we moved with the firm out to Basildon New Town, but my dad pined terribly for Islington. Every Saturday throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s he caught the X10 coach back to Kings Cross, and would tour his old stomping grounds - Chapel Market (where his mum I think had once had a fruit stall) and, most especially, the great Islington Libraries. Despite not being a resident he persuaded 6 or 7 family members who'd stayed to let him use library cards in their name. Every week for decades! Very poignant. He's long gone. I live in Hastings but at least once a year I try to come up and retrace his steps, imagine what he'd say about his beloved area now. Thanks for that and also reminding me of afternoons turning into evenings in the Scala - can still remember the smell and taste of the coffee and the Camels I smoked through those marathons.

In the ‘50´s the Cally was always considered to be rougher than Holloway Rd - not that there was much to choose between them. Most of the houses were very run-down and multiple-family units. The best maintained were the council and philanthropist blocks of flats. And so many bomb sites - great to play in. Only started to get built on in the ‘60s. Both sides of my family were from there - but by the mid-60´s all had improved their situation and moved on to greener pastures. Then began most of the gentrification.

I remember explaining the prison situation to a non-local. Holloway Prison is in Pentonville Road, but Pentonville Prison is in Caledonian Road. Parkhurst Road is just round the corner, but Parkhurst Prison is on the Isle of Wight.

I left London decades ago but I do remember near where you are were the Copenhagen tunnels which took the railway line from Kings Cross. The Tunnels became famous as a location for the ' Lady Killers ' film. Certainly a lot of references of Copenhagen in that area.

It would be interesting to see an interactive map of London with all the routes you've ever filmed highlighted. I wouldn't be surprised if you've travelled down many of the streets in central London for a video.

Wow . Three of my fave pubs, the Charles, Calthorpe and Thornhill.❤

Morning John still watching you it’s great

Doyles pub was previously the Prince Arthur, which was just referred to as the Arthur by the regulars. Back in the mid 70s & 80s the landlord was an Irish fella called Chris and his wife was Dorothy if my memory serves. Very nice couple. A lot of memories came flooding back to me watching this video.

This was great John, thank you. The Cally end of market road is almost unrecognisable now! I grew up on Market Estate in the eighties and my parents still live not far - just behind Pentonville Prison. We lived on the Shearling Way estate opposite the park which is still there but my younger brother and I spent our days playing in the park (which we always called clock tower park) and the old red flats. I had friends in the old Kerry House and the other flats there and we would all spend the days playing around them and trying to get into the old abandoned underground car park. The base of the clock tower was graffitied and grim. We used to lie on the grass close to the tower and look up and imagine it was falling on us. Clearly, no Internet and no money meant that’s what passed for thrills then! The Cally and Holloway Road were definitely tough places to grow up, but particularly that estate so I was very pleased when my parents finally moved from there about 19 years ago. Not long after they left yoke close where we lived, a poor kid was stabbed to death there. My dad still drinks in the Tarmon. When we were kids it was a great Irish pub but the couple who ran it, (Tom I believe the man was called and I think he named the pub after the village in Ireland he was from) sold it about twenty odd years ago and the landlord who runs it now turned the old back half where the snooker tables were into flats and hasn’t decorated the outside since. So it’s fairly grim now and frequented by the ‘characters’ of Cally road but it is still the cheapest pint in London so my 80 year old dad still takes himself down there every Friday. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

I think that was that girl from Liverpool in the canal..her sister lived in Archway..that guy did loads up n down the country and in Holland too if it's the right one.. Your covering my tracks..I got family from Archway to Kings cross Barnsbury estate too..Thanks for sharing John it looks better on film 😉 Your right about Pentanville my son has asbergers and got into trouble..when the doctor didn't renew his section due to family pleeds he went to leave and was stopped by three male nurses whom he beat up..in Pentanville he had to fight everyday.. there's a reason why Izzy's the way it is..however I believe the Blair's lived quite comfortably

A favourite bit of trivia is that during the Great War, a spy was operating from a barber's on Cally Road, whos arrest led to the uncovering of a spy ring! Exact location varies, either on the canal or opposite the prison... The Cally is still a barrier preventing further Islington gentrification, and tbh I am happy its that way, I lived near The Tarmon for many years and would drink in there quite a bit. Old man council boozer, always packed for Arsenal matches :)

The hinterland of Kings X was fascinating and that Crescent was stunning, Thanks John

Thanks for this John. Greetings from Helsinki. I didn't realise you actually lived on the Barnsbury Estate. I lived in Amory House, Carnegie Street, from 1961 to 1971. Went to Vittoria Primary school on Half Moon Crescent. I'd really love to tell you all the old stories about the Barnsbury Estate in the 60's someday. But maybe not appropriate for here. Next time I get to London I'll buy you a beer, maybe in the Lord Nelson, or the Swan, if they're still there, and tell you all the stories, the people, the characters, the dramas!

In the fifties and sixties those big houses where very run down and we're all multiple occupancy,so to see it there and remember what it was like , very very different ,I know of a guy who had a flat in Islington he bought it in the eighties then sold it later and bought a nice house in Somerset !

Lovely. I lived at the top of the Cally in the 90s and Noughties, and regularly walked down it to the canal, along to Camden and then back of a weekend. Lots of great pubs and the madness of Camden Market to meet pals at. Shame you didn't do the ice house. The Cally's tradition of radicalism goes in many directions - the Italian hairdressers in the late Victorian and early Edwardian days were hotbeds of anarchism. And the criminal families certainly had their fingers in some pies when I was there, especially in the letting market; tales of young people coming to London and getting mired in badness due to taking the wrong basement flat. But I really loved the energy and openness of the place, even if the grim gothic shade of the nick spread out quite a long way - I always found the area immediately north of the park, between the Cally and York Way, to have uncomfortable vibes.

Loved that, I'm not from the Cally but my uncles and cousins were. I was also the postman for half of Barnsbury estate and wynford road in 90's when I was 18, I remember the Police divers going in to the canal near Murial street when that happened. Also Clock tower did free tours were you could go in and up on to the balcony, which I did pre covid and was really good. I remember when the Cally pub was Mcloughlin's.

This right of passage is close to my heart. I used to know a great hash dealer in this area. He's lived in Amsterdam sinxe around 1990.

Thanks so much John for keeping your promise and making the Cally video ! I moved away over 20 years ago and now reside in Southend-on-Sea but this has bought back so many memories( good and bad ! ) and you certainly got across the disparity of the area in rich and poor ! Jesus ! it was rough but I lived to fight another day ! Great video and thanks again mate 👍

Thank you so much for inviting us along on your fantastic journeys of discovery . I myself was born and raised in south east London , Woolwich actually . I now live down in Dorset . I know nothing ever stays the same , but I do miss London . In fact I was for a time , during the 80's , a London Transport bus driver , coming out of Camberwell bus garage . Where most of the routes drove through the West End , using the wonderful old Route Masters , or RM's as they were affectionately known . A truly iconic piece of British engineering at it's best . I was on the 3's , coming down from Crystal Palace, through the West End , and ending up at Parliament Hill Fields . I loved that route , it was so interesting from beginning to end . I still think of myself as a Londoner , regardless of where I now live . In fact , that's where I'll end up . As I've booked my burial place , in a big old Plumstead church yard , where I once came across the grave of a soldier who was lucky enough to survive the battle of Rorke's Drift . I wonder if you would be interested in doing one or two walks around some of the old London burial grounds . In themselves , some of those headstones can tell a story or two of times gone by .

Fascinating as ever John; thanks so much for the usual exhaustive rundown on another most intriguing part of town; exceptionally narrated and filmed as usual - and all for free...

You indicate it was unlikely a chap purchased a Mummy - but during the 19th Century, the great stock of mummies in Egypt was used for fuel for the steam boilers of railway engines on the Cairo-Khartoum line! The ancient resins used as a coating on the mummies meant they burned extremely well!

Well I never realised the building they used to film Poirot was in Clerkenwell. I remember they also used the former Butlins Ocean Hotel Art Deco building for one episode and I watched them filming. Looks to be another interesting walk.

Thank you John, thus walk was very nostalgic for me too. I lived in Malvern Terrace, halfway up Richmond Avenue until I was 16yrs old. I joined that Library at aged 5yrs and walked once a week ti change my books, played on the swings in Thornhill gardens at least once a week. I had many friends in my class who luved in those houses. The Cally was a 'No Go' area unless with an adult, many relatives lived in the old houses that were there then. I watched then knock down the prefabs plus those beautiful Georgian houses to build Barnsbury Estate, many of my relatives and glass mates/friends lived in those houses then some moved back into the first blocks of the estate and also Priory Green. I could tell you, but I won't of many characters and happenings that went in that area. 1961 we mived to Bourne Estate in Holborn so I had to bus to Barnsbury to finish school then worked in Lombard St. I had relatives who were Publicans, Printers, taxi drivers. But my favourite was my Aunty Alice's stories. She worked as a seamstress for B&H and often had to do gown alterations, in the wealthy ladies homes all around the area of then Barnsbury, she went in to live in Barnsbury St. when she married. I also learned to swim in the indoor pool in the Cally. Sorry to waffle on, thanks so much for the memories 💕

Such a fascinating history the Caledonian Park has! I was fortunate enough to get on a free tour of the Clock Tower recently, and the view from the top is stunning. The structure has been extensively refurbished & has many interesting illustrated information boards telling the story of the place in the various rooms you pass through on the way up to the balcony.

That was brilliant! In re Walter Sickert, there is a theory that he and Jack The Ripper were one and the same person.. predicated partly I think on those paintings by Walt (who was CLEARLY a bundle of laughs) which show women with a sinister looking wash of red.. Anyone heard of this theory? Lovely vid as ever; Happy Easter to you John and to one and all! 👍

just watched this for the first time that restaurant on the corner of Northington street where you kicked off the walk was the first laundry featured in the first episode of Minder i clocked that because we had to stop work so they could film it anyway find your videos relaxing as they are informative cheers

Smashing film John, thank you for making it. Loads of interesting stuff. That footage of the Calthorpe Community Garden was like a Wes Anderson shot! Lovely.

Wherever that might be I’ll check it cos I’m hooked John Thankyou.

Very enjoyable video, full of fascinating historical detail and anecdote - showing how the past shapes not only the present cityscape, but also our experience of it.

Brilliant half hour upload. Watched 'High Hopes' many times, a classic. Thanks for setting the bar so high John. Cheers from Cornwall.

Moved away from Hackney some time ago. I’m sure Jack started from a market barrow stall in Well Street. Maybe he moved around selling in markets on different days. I do like your mix of country and city walks especially the last river ones. Take care.

Many great details I am fascinated to hear about the streets London

I was born and had my childhood in Islington. Kings Square EC1. Its great to see places I remember. I had dental treatment at Eastmans. And we used to play in Northumbrtland Square. Love the video.

I lived on the priory green estate until I joined the army at 17. Certain was rough in the 1970 made Ireland seem tamed. Later returned to work back on the cally in Kingcross motorcycles half way up on the left, then years later worked in Pentonville. So a massive thank you for letting me joint you on that walk, you trigged so many mostly happy memories.

Good to see the Scala again. Friends and I used to go up their in the late '80's- early '90's. I still have a few posters somewhere in the loft as they use to put out the monthly billings in this format.

Great work, John. I was a bit slow watching this episode, just watching it now. I couldn't believe they've demolished Andrew's Restaurant. For goodness sake! It really pains me to say this, but as much as I love watching your channel (believe when I tell you, "It's great!"), London is feeling more and more like ghost of its former self, whereby we pretty much now have to imagine really hard what London used to be; that it was more than just a city where people simply come to work their jobs. It feels so disheartening, to me anyway, to always be saying "This used to be here. This used to be there. We used to have this. We used to have that. We used to live, now we just exist" etc. I'm really glad you begun this episode (again, I really enjoyed it) by alerting us of the demise of a community icon that was Andrews among many other things also. Symbolism speaks a thousands doesn't it.

Great walk -- loved the canal and the pubs, and the clock tower of course!

7:19 The Pogues played their first gig at The Water Rats, or the Pindar of Wakefield as it was called then. I was there.

Was in back in London last week and took a sentimental walk down Cally from Angel. Richmond road has some very nice but expensive houses!

The Scala bought back memories. My brother in law took me to the tattooing studio just yards up the road. I was not certainly 18YRS and my mum nearly linched me. I think either he was named Jock or the studio was. It was a long time back, and both certainly not there anymore. Geat video and love the Islington videos. Good memories and thanks to you John.

Another great walk. I used to work at Rough Trade Distribution in Collier Street and most lunches were spent in the now closed Malt & Hops (which in the back of the shot @ 9.42) we'd also in the evenings sometimes visit the Flying Scotsman - which was turning into a very down at heal strip joint and really rather a depressing place.. but in keeping with Kings Cross at that time. The Mutoid Waste Company moved into the old Bus Garage in between Omega Place and Northdown Street - resulting some extraordinary parties - were they built landscapes, like giant movie sets...

great video as usual John. Couldnt help noticing that just after lamenting the demolition of "Andrews? restaurant", you did a piece to camera standing outside a quite nicely presented "Andrews restaurant."

Thanks John great video from a former Londoner living in Australia 😍

Thank you for providing me with another enjoyable trip down memory lane John (as did your walk through Canonbury from last year). In the mid-80's I moved in with my partner at the time to a council flat in one of those beautiful late Georgian houses not far from Thornhill Square. Around half the houses in the street were 'council' whilst the other half were privately owned by families who would now be described as young professionals. Many had bought and refurbished their houses in the 70's when the area was cheap and decidely un-trendy. The social mix of literally having rich and poor living next door to one another was one of the genuine pleasures of living in the area. Having said that, Caledonian Road and the surrounding estates were grim to say the least and had a terrible reputation for random violence. The market gate posts that you show at 28:37 originally had cast iron effigies of cattle heads mounted into the niches at the top of each post. All stolen many years ago. One of the heads came up for auction recently and sold for a large sum. Thanks again for doing this walk. I think that you and I must have lived in Islington over roughly the same time period and appear to share a passion for the area and its history.

Nice one here, John. I'm glad that you point out that not all of Islington is inhabited by the 'north London litterati' or some such nonsense, It remains, however, the least 'green' borough in London, despite the influx of pretentious poseurs, whose offspring, no doubt go to schools out of borough.

Talking "bomb-sites"; Highbury Corner, at the junction of Holloway Road, St Paul's Road, and Upper Street up-to the Union Chapel, was flattened by a V1 rocket, creating what was to become a regular venue for Guy Fawkes nights for hundreds of people from the Sutton, Laycock and Clifford mansions. Eventually a large roundabout covered the site. I recall from the 50's, watching the demolition of a bombed house on the corner of Station Road and Upper St next to The Cock public house, when a perfectly intact car was found inside, much to the surprise of the demolition blokes! Grotesque green prefab offices were erected on the site, destroying "our" playground!

John thank you for that walk. I used to live not far from where you were taking us on that walk- New North Road and the year was 1999. What a happy days ? Anyone from that neighborhood remembers Purple Turtle music pub down the Essex Road ? This was so nostalgic to walk the streets I knew so well back in a day . Cheers

Great walk ! I used to use a very nice cafe in the block at the start of the walk.

Lovely video John. When I was a student in the early eighties in London (North London Poly) I lived in the hall of residence (James Leicester halls) next to the "gin palace" on Market Road. it was then called the White Horse and we spent many a night in there and some days. The pub was regularly frequented by famous musicians who were recording in the studio down the road. Good times.

Another excellent knowledagble stream John. I have only been to North London once. It looks much better than I expected. I am an Eastender and did not go to North of London. Happy Easter John Look forward to your next stream 👍🏻😁

The Scala was great, they used to do One off all night extravaganza's. I remember watching a bunch of psychedelic films like The Trip and seeing Doctor And The Medics and the Damned live on stage in between the movies.

Really enjoyed this. Lots of happy memories for me.

Loved this walk - thank you. Used to catch the bus every day in the Cally to go to work. Lived in Offord Road Barnsbury for 40 years and my children used to play in Thornhill Square too.

Loved the clock tower!

City of Disappearances. Very sad and very true. I used to wander around the City and the West End quite a bit in my younger days. I probably wouldn't recognise much of it now.

Excellent John. Great to have a new video to relish.

John, thank you for a fantastic walk, I grew up in Islington from 1962 and remember the cattle market well, where the tennis courts now exist used to be an abattoir where animals were slaughtered, my uncle worked there, oh what changes. Thanks again John, I love watching your videos, and love your narrative.

I'm positive that that clocktower appears in Trumpton! If not, it inspired the set makers! Just as an aside, Dawlish is in S.Devon. It's where Brunel tried out his atmospheric railway idea. It worked well enough except for the rats that nibbled at the leather seal down the pipes!

Really enjoyed that, thanks John!

Excellent - another lacunae filled. Does one get down at the steady erosion of heritage or remain optimistic at its stubborn piecemeal survival?

GReat walk! Thanks for doing this, the canals would be good walks to see.

Great work John, thanks,

Brand new to your channel but I love it. I don’t live in England anymore and to see all the areas I lived in is super nostalgic and a great trip down memory lane. Also some changes too. Thanks a lot for a great video 👍👍

Thanks John this was a fascinating walk in part of London I only partly know. Researching family history has shown me that my maternal grandmother was born in Twyford Street 1904 and her mother lived in Caledonian St, Battlebridge and area around Pentonville in 1890s and turn of century. It really blows my mind as I know Grays Inn area so well and never went that little bit further north! Maybe I could feel the dark side? ☺️

When I see the windows in those great brick buildings I wonder how many people have looked out of them and what they saw....

Happy Easter John brilliant vid i went up the clocktower in calaedonian park last summer brilliant views so much history

Great film John! I remember living at 442A Caledonian Road which was a poorly built place where there used to be stables. I used to work at 150 Caledonian Road too. The road is so long it changes several times along its length, from genteel to rough and back again.

Marvelous memories, thank you. You walked by where I started work in 1964 233 Greys Inn Rd, it was called Terminus Telephone Exchange in those days and you gave me a brief glimps of the building. My mum worked on the Cally by Callidonia Rd Underground Station.

Love West Library

Fantastic great video

Great video John!

FYI - the Eastman Dental Clinic relocated to Huntley Street - colocated with UCL London Hospital. It remains the UK's leading dental hospital providing dental care through the public health service.

Always informative and relaxing to watch. Your soundtracks deserve honorable mention as they are utterly sublime. Thank you !

Very interesting John! 👍

From memory, there used to be a wonderful Ethiopian restaurant on Cally Rd Oh and you found it

Great video john, I once did a walk from King's cross to Manor House (via Finsbury park) even walked through Caledonian Road.

Been watching your videos for a few months now to get an idea of the areas in and around London. Just got back from London on vacation and I walked some of the streets I saw in your videos. I like your style and story telling and the passion that you put into it. Thank you.

Another great video. 👍

The TES in TESCO is from Thomas Edward Stockwell. Jack Cohen's wife was called Cissie. And no, Jack did not diversify into network infrastructure ;)

Really enjoyed this, I.m from Glasgow but I lived at Venn on the Barnsbury estate for a couple of years while I worked in London in the early 90's thanks for filling in the gaps in my memory.cheers

Nice one John , I lived at 535 the CALLY for the first 17 years of my life before going to OZ .I could tell some storys about the CALLY .I used to go to Hungerford prim school and would walk along the CALLY towards Kings Cross then turn right up North rd some times they would bring cattel up from the rail yard which was on south side of the main line out of Kings Cross .,across the bridge and up North rd to the slaught house you would run to get out of the way ,they would in the road and pavment .John if you want any more storys l am ont face book under Derek Castagnetti CHEERS MATE

islington was an area from 1926 where it was commisioned for research to be done into the effects of children being seperated from their parents. explains a few things u mention like the prison prior to being a prison and the council buying back buildings too. dark history that can too easily be lost and not preserved. maybe a few older people still alive in the area to know more. ? thanks for sharing , interesting to see.

Remember the Flying Scotsman when I worked for NatWest up pentonville Road in the mid to late 90s, never went in there as its reputation more than preceded it

Hi John, great video. We are in London from Shrewsbury and as we are staying in Kings Cross, decided to walk up the “Cally” yesterday. Despite being born and bred in London, (Walthamstow actually), we have never visited this part before. Well worth it though and Caledonian Park was well worth a visit.

Another fine video. I remember that area from the 60s when it was a bit tasty-so much improved since so it was possible to visit a cafe up Cally Road without being mugged!

Loved this one mate....when I used to drive a taxi late a night remember the brasses and the gangs around there..the flying scotsman....police raided it the night there was a live sex show on the bar....they got off claiming it was an event for children in need lol 😆

Loved this area of London in the sixties and seventies,walked around it a lot, it was very industrial in those , grimy wharehouses and railway yards , also lovely to see you again ,missed you last week , Happy Easter my friend , all the best ❤️

Lovely enlightening video John thank you. My dad Nan and pops lived in Islington n5, quite near the original arsenal. Barnsbury was a name dad always mentioned. I believe he played for barnsbury boys football. Yes their old house would now be worth a small fortune it's true about this area. All the best John.

Pentonville prison is a main hub of the area. ;)

There is another bit of Cally Market that survives. In the SE corner there's some tiling which I believe is where the toilets were located. Pre-pandemic they used to run tours up the tower. Great views of London and you can see the drainage lines for the market in the grass

I went to the Flying Scotsman once I think, one Saturday Afternoon. It was what it was, certainly I did not think it was seedy, but at the same time not a place to take tourists arriving on the Eurostar !

That's incorrect about Tesco, it was named for T.E.Stockwell...but that it being for a wife called Tes(sa) Co(hen) is something I was told in primary school!

A wonderful oasis Thornhill Square, on my list to visit hopefully this summer ☀️

Wonderful walk John,and all your memories and anecdotes of the Caledonian Road area made it so enjoyable and very interesting!!

As a Londoner born and bred you have opened my eyes to areas I didn’t know that well and love the history that accompanies them. I just love your walks around London and further afield. Thank you please do not stop making them.