Camden: more than meets the ears

**original post on my wordpress here**

    Famed for the shopping and general visual experience, Camden Market is one of London's most famous attractions. However, the experience far beyond the eyes.

    My first visit to the Camden markets was a busy one by far. The minute I stepped off the tube, I was hit with an array of sights and smells, everything catching my eye as I made my way through it all. It's a place that has seemed to harness all the energy of other places in London like Oxford Street, yet none of the urgency. And it is an exciting place to be, but it's not just the visual aura of the market that gives it it's charm.

   Over the thousands of voices and cries of shop owners and consumers alike is possibly the most musically diverse place I have visited. The shops and stalls alone mostly play their own music, and given the large variety the music was varied, too. In the Stables Market alone I heard enough to satisfy everyone's tastes - from rock, to house music, even some that sounded like it belonged in the Middle East. The whole place is a mirage of musics of all genres from lots of different parts of the world. Even leaving the underground world of the Stables I was immediately greeted by the thumping beat coming from Cyborg (a shop which, to say the least, is the most bizarre and one of a kind place I have come across). The sound in the shop itself is deafening, yet not at all out of place in a sea of the weird, the wonderful, and the neon.

   Though there's a lot of music being played, audio tracks from studios isn't all the markets have to offer. As far as live music goes, Camden is home to a few famous venues including the Roundhouse and KOKO. However, walking around introduced me another popular venue: the street. Camden Market is rich with buskers of all types - whilst there I saw a three piece band doing some pretty old school covers, a duo with acoustic guitars, and so much more. There is no shortage to the variety this place has to offer. And not only the streets, but some shops (mostly cafés and the like, though) also have live musicians, adding to the hive of activity and offering an alternative audio experience that's visual, too. Saying this, I think you could easily walk around Camden Market with your eyes closed and experience just as much as you could with them open.

   So my visit to Camden didn't just provide me with a lot to look at, but also so much to listen to. Walking from place to place was like changing channels on a radio, but with none of the bad signal. My opinion? You certainly don't need to shop to enjoy what Camden has to offer, and if you're looking for musical variety you've certainly found the right place. Definitely high on my list of recommendations for anyone visiting London.  

New blog and a ramble

   I made the decision to run a Wordpress site here alongside this blogger. I'll still post on both, same posts on both, at the same time, but hopefully I'll reach a wider audience this way.

   I’ve just completed a degree in English with Creative Writing, which involved a lot of writing (it also explains why I’m so behind on posting. These last few weeks have been busier than I’d anticipated). I’ve always loved to write – it’s something I really enjoy and for me offers a release (that’s why I have a blog). But sometimes when I tell people what I study, some people seem to think it’s a ‘doss’ subject. Not true. I’ve worked so hard these past three years because writing is hard.

   Everyone can write. Just like everyone can sing, or everyone can dance, just some are better than others. The most difficult thing about creative writing for me is that I don’t think it’s something you can learn – there’s no one way to write, and it’s purely subjective as to what is considered ‘good’, and what is considered ‘bad’. All you can do is read a lot and write a lot to improve; I’ve experimented with a lot of different techniques to find what suites me and I think that’s all you can do.

   The worst thing about doing a creative writing dissertation was knowing I had to write something, but being unable to. I find I have to write to suit my mood, which is hard when you’re suffering from intense writer’s block. The second hurdle is coming up with an idea. For my course, it can’t just be basic – you have to know your entire plot, even though you’re only writing a chapter. It’s incredibly hard if, like me, you prefer a basic direction then write and see what happens. There is always a fear of accidental plagiarism, which luckily I have yet to do, but hearing someone in your group pretty much state the plot of The Time Traveler’s Wife only with the woman time travelling instead of the man begins to make you doubt yourself.

   So when people tell me I took an easy course, they couldn’t be more wrong. The amount of thought and work I’ve put in is immense. Writing is really difficult; you have to think about making believable characters, an entertaining original plot appropriate for your audience, and writing well. On top of all the other literature essays and exams. I love writing, and the work is worth it to be able to do what I enjoy.