London's Burning - pour on water

[WhiteCrow]

Quite a blaze seems to have started in London ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7237119.stm

Up to 100 firefighters are tackling a major blaze that has ravaged the famous markets area in Camden Town, north London.

The fire was reportedly centred on Camden Canal Market, to the east of Chalk Farm Road.

Police have closed off Camden High Street from the Tube station further up the road to the Stables Market.

London Fire Brigade has said the blaze is being brought under control and there are no reports of casualties.

[Alex]

I'm just watching this on the news now, it's really awful though thankfully there's been no casualities reported.

Camden's not quite what it was 10+ years ago, it's lost a lot of character over that time with stores like HMV moving in and a good few independent record shops closing, but it's still one of my favourite places in London and it's such a shame that it's happened.

[Captain Tancredi]

I've only ever been to Camden once, and that was on one of my Dad's itineraries circa Christmas 1985- from what I remember we went up to Waterloo, took the Northern Line to Camden Town, North London Line from Camden Road to Willesden Junction and then back to Euston (I think) so I don't have any meaningful memories. One of those places that vaguely seems like an interesting place to go if I ever have the time, money and opportunity but never really do- a bit like the Corn Exchange in Leeds, which I only got around to visiting the other week now that all the quirky shops are being moved out.

[Pip Madeley]

I've been to Camden a few times now, and although it's a bit rough, there's a few nice second-hand shops I like. I hope nobody's hurt.

[Alex]

I've been to Camden a few times now, and although it's a bit rough, there's a few nice second-hand shops I like. I hope nobody's hurt.

I think the roughness is part of it's charm though, I always feel pretty safe when I'm there because it's really busy, and I've only ever seen a fight take place once, compared to say, where I grew up in Redhill / Reigate in Surrey, where I've seen far more.

I've got a lot of really good memories of Camden, I've seen some really great bands there, plus it's the only place I've ever seen two partially naked women pleasure each other as well!

[Pip Madeley]

I think the roughness is part of it's charm though, I always feel pretty safe when I'm there because it's really busy, and I've only ever seen a fight take place once, compared to say, where I grew up in Redhill / Reigate in Surrey, where I've seen far more.

I guess I see it differently as I'm not too familiar with London - even the Finsbury Park area where Trudi lives isn't somewhere I'd want to hang around at night. I'm a bit of a wuss, really.

[Alex]

I don't blame you on the Finsbury Park front Pip, it's one of the areas I don't particularly like at night, or during the day for that matter That's the odd thing with London, you can have one dodgy area that I wouldn't go to at night if you paid me, but about three miles from it can be somewhere really nice and lovely...

I can't see any reports that the fire's definitely out but the beeb's last one say it's under control thankfully, though the area's not expected to be re-opened for a good few days yet...