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London Town: Camden Lock

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Published: 22nd May 2021

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay (phone box) and gR

This Poem was placed 1st in the "ALL YOURS May 23 Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand (Judged 21st June 2021)

This is the 5th of five short poems I have written under the umbrella title of 'London Town'

The Camden Markets are a number of adjoining retail markets that are often collectively referred to as Camden Market or Camden Lock.

charm(ed) bracelets and bangles and books on strange science in fogs of whatever all sold by the locks as sellers in cellars with culture on counters sell lifestyles as street food and vinyl as clocks.

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Linda Alice Fowler

Date: 3/29/2025 7:08:00 AM

I love these markets. Congratulations Gary! :)

Gary Radice
Date: 3/29/2025 3:08:00 PM

I love the markets too although Camden has lost some of its soul if you ask me. Big money has moved in to the area and much is about gentrification unfortunately. Still worth visiting though when in London. Thanks for your comments Linda. Cheers - Gary

Sara Kendrick

Date: 3/29/2025 5:22:00 AM

Congratulations on your winning work in Brian's contest. Way to go. I enjoyed reading it. Sara K

Gary Radice
Date: 3/29/2025 3:10:00 PM

Thanks Sara. I enjoyed writing each of the five short poems about London so I’m glad you enjoyed reading this; the fifth in the series. Much appreciated. Cheers - Gary

Kai Michael Neumann

Date: 6/6/2021 7:27:00 AM

Nice one. My wife and I bought her wedding dress and my colourful wedding shirt at Camden Market ...

Gary Radice
Date: 6/6/2021 8:00:00 AM

That is as cool as it is brilliant Kai :) Cheers - Gary

Sara Kendrick

Date: 5/31/2021 9:34:00 AM

Congrats on your placement in the contest and on the published works. Way to go. Sara

Gary Radice
Date: 5/31/2021 9:44:00 AM

Thank you Sara for the congratulations for the contest but I have to tell you that this poem or any of the London poems haven't been published - and I very much doubt they ever will be. The image is for fun only - a sort of mini anthology for Poetry Soup readers only. :) Cheers - Gary - (NB: The original book image referred to here in the comments has since been replaced.)

Terry Flood

Date: 5/29/2021 2:36:00 AM

Another fly on the wall insight into the ‘real’ London (of my youth) The atmosphere that exudes from your poems is all the more profound for their all speaking brevity. Terry

Gary Radice
Date: 5/29/2021 2:42:00 AM

Cheers Terry - Thanks for the thumbs up. There was a 6th poem Charing Cross but I withdrew it on account of it being terrible. :) May have another shot at it and then that's London Town done and dusted. Cheers - Gary

Sam Kauffman

Date: 5/23/2021 10:21:00 AM

Love your slice of life series on London Gary. Thank you for the guided tour. I loved London when I visited. Congratulations on your win and creative series. And, as you say, cheers!

Sam Kauffman
Date: 5/25/2021 10:50:00 AM

What a great idea Gary. Perhaps you can suggest that to Mark - maybe using a unifying theme of place or some other focus.

Gary Radice
Date: 5/23/2021 11:04:00 AM

:) Thanks Sam! Just one more in the series to go. Thank you for your valued comments as always. I would love to see PS offer up the ability for Soupers to be able to put mini anthologies together from their lists of poems. Cheers - Gary

Tom Cunningham

Date: 5/22/2021 7:17:00 AM

You captured the hustle and bustle of Camden Market well in your verse Gary. Its known world wide, sadly I've never been. Tom

Gary Radice
Date: 5/22/2021 7:32:00 AM

Tom thanks again for your valued comments. The weird thing about Camden Lock is - that in name anyway - it doesn't actually exist! The three locks on The Regent's Canal are Kentish Town, Hawley (both near Camden) and - further away - Hampstead lock. The last time we were there I felt money had moved in and the area was in the process of gentrification. Still the area makes for a great browse in a morning but its lost some of its seedy gothicness it once had in my opinion.