King's Cross takes the crown for destinations

Focus on a rejuvenated King's Cross

Photos and words by Cliff Edwards

King of destinations

London King's Cross was somewhere most who arrived at its famous old station quickly fled from, writes Cliff Edwards.

Disappearing as swiftly as possible into the sardine packed tube system or being whisked away from that dull old concourse by bus or cab.

All that’s changed. The area, derelict and dying, decaying and dehumanising through the latter decades of the last century and into this, is transformed.

English Heritage, none other, agrees that King’s Cross is “a model of constructive conservation that captures the special quality of London as it has grown over the centuries.”

So, a polite suggestion…

Instead of gathering yourself to brave the big bad city the second you step from your train at the great London twin terminuses of King’s Cross or St Pancras, stop.

Stay.

There will always be those rushing headlong to the bright lights and famous sights, but if you forgo the confines of the tube, particularly in these covid days, and shimmy past the day trippers not in the know, you will find, within the distance of a short walk, something new-built in the old.

A development that launched not long before the first lockdowns, a mix of the old where once they dropped off the coal for the steam trains.

Underneath the arches, it’s no longer tired out and worn.

Underneath the arches of Coal Drops Yard, there are exquisite shops, such as Tom Dixon, which genteely decants the browser from one room to the next, past gorgeous tabletop glassware, through lighting, home office, dining and soft furnishings.

You don’t have to be well heeled to shop there. But it helps. And if you go along the way to Joseph Cheaney’s award winning store, they do well heeled very well. You can get shod with very fine indeed shoes of classic heritage and contemporary design.

While you consider these handcrafted leather luxuries, along the way is Fred Perry – the iconic laurel, still edgy after all these years. Edgy never goes out of style.

And from the classic clad to the avant-garde, with Cos in its own easy space. No rows of racks here. The pretty apparel is placed like an installation in Tate Modern among paintings, sculptures, ceramics and digital art.

Outside, a classic vintage clothing and car boot sale attracted a fine mix of slim North London dandies, strutting and indeed dancing between the showers, as well as tourists such as vintage loving bon viveurs Helen McIntosh and Emily Hale, who’d come across like 50s film stars, from Chichester for a daytrip.

Helen says of The old coal yards: “I love it. I love how bright it is and how colourful it is.

“It seems to have so much culture and so many people from all different walks of life all in the same space.

“It’s kind of little known in London. Someone from work told me about it and I’m just thankful for him forever. I’m having an absolutely fantastic day.”

Stallholder Hanna Clements’ 1963 Chevy Corvette and rails of ’50s frocks had earlier caught their eye.

“I’m selling all my own vintage clothes that I’ve collected over the years,” says Hannah.

“I’ve always managed to make a little bit of money here. It’s always a really good, fun day. People come from around London, mainly. Not too many from around the country just yet.”

North Easterner Simon Brown travels from Northumberland each week to stand inside his House of Cans and has noticed more tourists and day trippers coming from the country.

Canny Simon says: “King’s Cross did have a bit of a reputation. People who knew London wouldn’t equate King’s Cross with destination shopping, eating and drinking, which is what we’re now seeing.

“I think, perversely, lockdown itself has kind of put it on the map as it’s offered an open space for people to meet and socialise safely whilst there were restrictions in place.

“There’s some brilliant brands here. I think it was always going to be a success.”

To see what's going on in King's Cross click on the link below:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bhEmqmQxao615pG39

What's going on around King's Cross

Here’s what’s going on around King’s Cross area ...

28/08/2021 - 29/08/2021

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