As the Flames Rose to Her Camden Nose

[dotinthesky]

After my apartment's flooding on Friday, I thought it would be a nice, relaxing change to meet friends for drinks on Saturday night. In Camden. Most people, including the birthday-celebrators, were already sitting down with their cocktails when I arrived at 55 Bar. It was happy hour and the men behind the counter had beautiful arms and the kind of costumer service only seen in the U.S. of A.

We are sitting in the reserved corner, sipping away our fruity sobriety, under a barrage of classic rock, when someone returns from the outside hyperventilating: "there's a massive fire in Camden market. If you haven't seen it, go outside. The air is covered in smoke and people are being evacuated." One of the bartenders, who looks like the younger, fit brother of Paul Giamatti, starts a rumour that a junkie dropped a cigarette in a pile of newspaper (later, when we leave the bar, I'll catch him telling the bouncer that a freight train carrying oil collided with something just as it was going past Camden market.) As kixie said, a train goes through Camden market?!? And as moral_vacuum said, there goes London's supply of cheap PVC trousers.

For the rest of the night, we updated each other on the fire, showing the images we captured on our mobile phones, notifying family and friends that we were alive, and generally continuing our drinking as if we'd only leave the bar if forced by riot police. I didn't have my mobile phone on me, so I couldn't notify Kevin or anyone else that I was alive (Kevin, at that hour, was staying over his sister's and completely oblivious to my damsel-in-not-much-distress status.)

Other than this major event in London's history, I met some nice people, and had a good time with the old timers I always see in these gatherings. Some unfortunately left too early, leaving me in hope we'll have a better catch up next time around. Others didn't speak to me until the end of the night; they better make it up next time by lavishing me with plenty of attention. And drinks.

My most surreal memory of the night is standing by Camden Town tube station, police cars everywhere, streets deserted and cordonned off, a girl sobbing hysterically into her boyfriend's shoulder, TV cameras pointed at perky journalists (surrounded by your typical rubberneckers), and teqkiller and I, leaning against a police barrier, sharing hand moisturizer SPF 45.

Comments

[sor-eye-ah.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* I sat at home and clicked in via #uk_goffs on IRC. There was much speculation about a deliberate fire as it's a prime property development area....

[olamina.livejournal.com]

yeah i have this feeling too...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I've seen that theory somewhere else, and it's certainly a plausible one! It was done to a cemitery near my apartment in Brasil, so not exactly the hardest thing to believe.

Thankfully nobody got hurt.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Oh dear! I was watching that on television last night and thinking of you. Oh what a weekend you've had! Oh dear, I wish I could send you and Kevin on vacation or something.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

If you can send us on vacation, please do it after February! Otherwise I'd probably make an entrance as the latest character to join Lost.

[thirstypixel.livejournal.com]

Glad that you are not, well, burned to a crisp or anything.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

we'd only leave the bar if forced by riot police.

Note: This is not an exaggeration.

[icymorning.livejournal.com]

i heard about the Camden fire yesterday watching the 11 o'clock news on BBC News, and I almost cried. I decided to keep mum about it to contain the waterworks.

hope everyone's ok :(

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Nobody died, and much less was destroyed than previously thought... so it's looking good.

[frankeecymraeg.livejournal.com]

dyslexia.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

cryptic

[frankeecymraeg.livejournal.com]

you must take me to said pub that makes costumes.

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

55 is just down the road from my flat! We were watching it from the roof after I came back from dinner, must've walked right past you.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

What did it look like today? My impression, from the news, was that less was destroyed than previously thought.

It's a shame we didn't bump into each other. We liked the bar so much that we are planning future visits. I'll let you know when I go so you can join us. Then I'll have someone to fancy the waiters together. ;-)

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

Ok sounds good :)

I'm not sure how much is burned.. They've closed off that section of the road completely and you can't really see very much. The Hawley Arms has completely burned down though, apparantly.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

That's a shame if it really did. :-/

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

Yeah what will Amy do??

She's already sent out her comiserations to her husband in jail, and to Camden market, when she picked up her award at the Grammys.

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

/awards

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

/commiserations

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

The only Saturday Suzi has available is 22 May! So we hav booked that day as a Feeling Gloomy excursion. But we could definitely go before - just us with other people like Krys. And I'd be up for Popstarz next Friday too (I'd bring along my brasilian friend Vini, who I know loves going to it)> :-)

It would be fun to check out Popstarz new location.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think that should be fine!

So that's the 7th of March? I've put a tentative note in my diary book, and we can then check back with each other as the date approaches.