The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Kentish Town, Greater London*

Kentish Town, Greater London Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• The Boo Radleys' 'Giant Steps' was written and rehearsed in a house on Chetwynd Road.
• Mr. Shakehandsman from "Banzai" can be seen on his bike (usually on the pavement!). Lord Rogers and Lesley Anne Down lived in Patshull Road (not together!)
• i believe that guy called Egg in 'this life' lives in Kentish Town. and miss Dynamite is a kentish town original, apparently
• Sara Cox lives in Kentish Town. I've seen her in Somerfeild and Blockbuster Video with her dog. I think its a Basset Hound. I saw Patrick Kielty in Kentish Town once too. But I don't think he lives here as he seemed quite keen to leave.
• u said Madness(the band from the 1980's) live in kentish town,that is a load of rubbish,most of them live in barnet and other such suburbs,its their mums that still live in kentish.
• Adam Ant recently pulled a fake gun on people laughing at him in local pub here. Timmy Mallet, Jon Snow, Beryl Bainbridge, Rufus Sewell, plenty of others
• John Humphries - he of Channel 4 news and bike riding fame...
• Adam Ant
• Gary Kemp who used to be in Spandau Ballet and who starred in 'The Krays' with his brother Martin Kemp (Now in Eastenders)lives in Kentish Town!
• MADNESS, BANANARAMA, BOY GEORGE, ALAN BENNETT, THE BELLSTARS,
• Windsor Davies (Sarnt major in It ain't half hot, mum) lived in the last house on the right in Gaisford Street for many years.
• George Orwell lived in Lawford Road while he wrote Down and Out in Paris and London.
• Some of Placebo?... and Charlie and Molly from that gypsy band The Fighting Cocks are often to be found doing the door at the Bull and Gate
• Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate, gets much of his inspiration from the area (though might actually live in Tufnell Park)
• Terry Hall gets his curry from the Bengal Lancer quite a lot.
• The tough Scottish policeman from TV's 'The Vice' drinks in The Pineapple.
• Acland Burghley School is, mysteriously, almost certainly the most famous secondary comprehensive school in the country. It was used for the outside bit in Chalk, and I swear that about half of all documentary/current affairs-type programs featuring schools have it in. Strange but true. Hugh Laurie lives somewhere in the area.
• Fay Weldon (novelist, 'She Devil' etc.) A few actors can be spotted on Kentish Town Road eg. Bill Nighy. Gabrielle Glaister (Patricia Farnham in 'Brookside') has been spotted at the dry cleaners on Prince of Wales Road. Channel 4 News's John Snow lives in Kentish Town and is frequently seen on Kentish Town Road on his bike. There is a drama school in the old Methodist Church on Prince of Wales Road, the Drama Centre, past students of which include Pierce Brosnan, Simon Callow, Colin Firth, Frances de la Tour, Geraldine James and many others. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Warren Mitchell are on the board so can occasionally be spotted.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• These come in the form of 1/ tramps 2/ homeless waiting for shelters to open 3/ asylum seeker begging outside Somerfield
• THE NUTTER THAT GOES ROUND WITH THE WOODEN CRUCIFIX CLAIMING HIS JEUSUS CRISIT..
• Various entertaining winos outside the Library, singing, arguing, puking etc...

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

In most cases, the information in each section has been submitted by more than one contributor (the credits at the bottom of the page list some, but not all, of the contributors) and some of it dates back to the 1970s.

We make no claims as to the accuracy of the information in the Guide - our only purpose is to provide a forum for users to share their knowledge and opinions. So please keep a large bag of salt handy and be prepared to read between the lines!

If you disagree with a comment, or information is out of date, please submit an update! The contributors come from all walks of life, and their opinions are bound to be subjective, so if your view isn't represented, please speak up and contribute to the balance of the Guide. See below in the 'Have Your Say' section for how to add your voice.

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Have Your Say...

You can tell us more about Kentish Town. This is also the method to use if you want to correct some of the information already here. (But please remember you're not mailing the person who actually wrote whatever-it-is.)

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Credits

Last updated: 2007-05-10