Living In Camden With Amy

Whether I was shopping on the high street, hanging around Camden Market, or running past the zoo, in the back of my mind I would always think that perhaps Amy Winehouse would be around the corner, or heading into her favorite pub, or trying to find her way home. There were quite a few times I poked my head into The Hawley Arms, her pub of choice, to see if she was in there with her mates knocking back a few. But I never saw her there, or anywhere else in Camden .

Some of my friends were lucky enough to have seen her around Camden. Meanwhile, the paparazzi always seemed to catch her either wobbling her way back home or hanging on the arms of friends, and the general thought was: Amy is at it again. She was not afraid to walk around her neighbourhood, despite being so famous, as the Camdeners always seemed to be either protective of her, or respectful enough to just let her be. When I heard she had been found dead in her flat last Saturday afternoon, I felt like I had to go there, to join the mourners and to say a final goodbye to the queen of Camden , a woman who I didn’t know at all but seemed to know very well.

Now that Amy Winehouse is gone, I will no longer be looking for her on the streets of Camden, or in The Hawley Arms. None of us will see her photo in the papers anymore, with her hair messed up and her eyes bloodshot. And sadly, none of us will ever see her perform again. The loss to Camden and the rest of London and the UK is enormous. In her 27 years on earth, she made a huge musical impact with her voice, with her personality, and with her persona. Camden won't be the same again.

- photo copyright www.amywinehouse.com

Tim Baros

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Tim Baros has worked in the derivatives industry for several large financial institutions in both the U.S. and the U.K. Tim moved from New York City to London in 2003 to take advantage of the many job opportunities that London had to offer at that time, and he has since become a British citizen. Tim enjoys writing, and has also had articles published in Touch London, Pride Life, CityAM and SquareMile.com.