Kings Cross Local Environment

The changing Cally Road - young people running pop up shops

I'm struck that the Cally is attracting young people, often women to run improvised pop up shops and galleries.  This is a great new phase for the Cally.  Here's Kristie and Coralie the co-owners of the marvellous Drink Shop Do at 9 Caledonian Road which began as a pop up shop. I've had some great cake there.  Kristie and Coralie talk about why Kings Cross is where it's at.

 

And here's Louise and Sherri who run the Vintage Girls vintage clothing pop up shop at 358 Cally Road (opposite the Co-op) on why they love the Cally.

 

Boxing at the Cally Festival

David Ryan MBE brought the boys from the Times Amateur Boxing Club in central Kings Cross out into a specially constructed ring on the Cally.  Just as i finished interviewing him on what boxing does for young men, George picked up a loud hailer and jovially hailed a passing policeman with the classic phrase 'Come on PC George, get your gloves on, everyone wants to fight a copper'.  George was up for it and did some pad work.  All in the spirit of a lovely day.

 

 

Cally Festival RIGPA prayer balloons

I took up meditation when I got ill a few years ago and i can't recommend RIGPA on the Cally Road highly enough as a place to learn and practice meditation.  RIGPA practice a Tibetan tradition that includes meditating with your eyes open, which surprises some.  Alastair talks about a lovely interpretation of the Tibetan Prayer Flag tradition tying wishes to balloons instead.

 

Cally Festival - Albert Beale of Housmans Bookshop on Cally life

It was wonderful to see Housmans certainly one of London's best bookshops and possibly one of Britain's best out at the Cally Festival. Albert Beale is a great Cally enthusiast and this website often benefits from his comments.

 

Anya Johnson - Cally Festival organiser

There's a huge team of people to credit, but Anya did a superb job in organising much of the Festival.  Here she is on Sunday afternoon 12 hours on from a 3AM start.  Here's to next year.

Cally Festival - local community initiatives

One of the lovely things about the festival was the way the organising team helped people with stalls for local good causes and initiatives.  Here's a few in their own words:

Josette from Parents4Parents based in the Jean Stokes Centre

 

Rebecca and Sue from Peabody Activate - herb planting

 

Carole from Breatheasy Islington on their work helping people who have lung disease

 

Stephen Griffiths from CYP on the importance of youth work

Cally Festival - feel the crowd

The festival was great today - huge thanks to Anya, Mohammed and the dozens of people who made it possible.  Plenty more to write about it later this week but if you didn't make it have a look at the crowds that did.  Never thought i would see this on the Cally.

 

Cally Vicars at the Cally Festival

We don't normally do religion on this site but the prospect of two men of the cloth out at a Festival on a Sunday was too much to resist.  Michael Learmont of St Andrews in Thornhill Square and Ted Fell new incumbent at All Saints talk about the Cally Road in this video.

 

Some Cally Festival live art Cosmo Sarson and Andy Council

I helped local artist Cosmo Sarson and Tom(?) build some giant art boards from about 0830 on Sunday morning.  We made about 50 square metres of painting surface that got filled during the day as a live art exhibition. Here's Cosmo talking about it and what he did with one of the boards.  Good fun volunteer DIY.

 

And here's Andy Council talking about what he did with one of the boards:

 

Cally Road - as you've never seen it before

Great turn out for the Cally Festival - one local said 'It's a bigger crowd than the Silver Jubilee'.