From Liberties to Camden Head - death of a local boozer

A fear that has been niggling away at me for sometime was confirmed today, and I'm feeling sad. The Liberties, Camden High St, is completely dispensing with its previous guise and is reverting back to the pub's original name, the Camden Head.

At first glance, you may think this is not necessarily a bad thing, in which case I would recommend you click here. Now let me set out my stall. My friends and I have been drinking in Liberties for the past two and a half years, never a glamorous boozer, never a shit hole, it was completely fit for purpose: a pub where you could usually get seats, chat to your mates and enjoy a good range of beers, and should the night take you in a messy direction, it was always accommodating. This is not to say it was always like this - it was originally a bit rough around the edges and you'd probably only have a drink or two. But then the ownership changed, they made some nice decor amends, introduced good music on the stereo, and the place became more comfortable. This is where it should have stopped. But it didn't. In an attempt to broaden the crowd, the volume of music increased night upon night and the atmosphere changed. We boycotted for a while, but out of love, I returned. On a school night, it was passable, but no longer made the cut as a weekend venue.

Reading the new website, the target audience for the pub is no longer locals - it's aiming to be a 'destination pub' - and this was the niggle that had been niggling me. Note how the home page particularly welcomes pre or post giggers, or Camden market shoppers. Are they trying to fill it with 15 year olds? I think the premise is fundamentally wrong - it is not a destination venue in Camden, and neither will it be. There are so many pubs in Camden, it is difficult to differentiate. Landlords should be consolidating their existing clientele whilst gently trying to expand their market, not throwing the baby out with the bath water. Camden has enough destination venues: Hawley arms, Gilgamesh, Underworld, Edinboro Castle, Good Mixer (and I'm sure there's more) - let the tourists go there.

I wish them luck but I'm afraid they've lost me. I'll pop in from time to time, for sure, but it will no longer be my preferred venue. And that's a sad state of affairs.