Showing posts with label Camden High Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camden High Street. Show all posts

Sunday, May 22, 2016

New Rock Itali Biker Boots

Well, it’s World Goth Day and as someone who loves all things dark, warped and generally off beat I thought it would be a perfect time to show off my New Rock 7605 ITALI Biker Boots. It was either that or plumb the depths and actually review some guyliner. While my new footwear is just a few weeks old I’ve actually been wearing this brand and style of biker boot for well over ten years after venturing into the New Rock shop on Camden High Street and picking up a pair for £110 in 2005!
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
So, what do New Rock say about themselves? 

‘New Rock boots, shoes and accessories are the ultimate statement in alternative footwear and clothing. New Rock are famous for both their originality of product design and the quality of the product it supplies.’ 

Personally it was the buckle design on the side of the boot that drew me to these originally and as soon as I picked them up and tried them on I knew they were for me. There is so much room inside the boot that they don’t tend to rub about the ankle or further up the leg. I did find that my foot would move around slightly inside the boot and I’d suggest some decent insoles to combat this.

The sole is just over an inch thick and has a cushioned feel when you walk, and walk taller! 
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
I wore my first pair into oblivion - they came with a ten year guarantee from the shop and they lasted for the full ten years before they gave up the ghost and the sole split. Now, even with a slight split (which became bigger) they still remained a decent pair of knockout boots, I just couldn’t wear them to the office any longer. 

There is a collage of the boots after over ten tears of near daily wear below just to show you how they hold up.
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
These boots regularly sell for around £170 but you can, as I did pick them up for just over £100. When you consider the sheer amount of wear, tear and abuse these boots endure on my feet and how long they last for it works out at less than £10 a year for a cracking pair of alternative footwear. New Rock have an extensive range of alternative boots and if I was so inclined I’d have no hesitation in recommending their quality. For me however, the fact that I have gone out and bought exactly the same style and make of boot should tell you everything about how I feel about the brand. Top notch New Rock, top notch.

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Wednesday, January 07, 2015

BYOC Camden - A 1920s speakeasy without the hangovers...

Back in October my trusty drinking sidekick and I ventured out one wet Thursday evening to try a new cocktail bar. I have been meaning to write this up for some time, but as she has a better knowledge of dive bars and drinking establishments on the sound side (that will be you America) of the Atlantic she beat me to the punch and has written up her thoughts already.

For this guest post, I say thank you Bailey, I'm just staggered she could remember enough of the night! What is weird is that she has also written with the voices in her head in brackets - I worry for her sanity at times....

Bailey's thoughts on BYOC Camden

Calling itself 'an escape from the modern world' BYOC (Bring Your Own Cocktail) Camden is a basement cocktail bar in Camden High Street with a 1920s theme. What makes it different from other cocktail bars is its concept that you book a two hour slot, pay £25 and bring along a bottle of your favourite spirit and the expert bartenders create unlimited cocktails with said bottle of spirits.
So should you bother booking ahead and going to the trouble of taking a bottle of spirits out with you? On the evidence of our visit in October, not long after their opening, the answer is a definite yes. Clearly styled on a Prohibition era USA illegal drinking den, it pretty much nails that seedy but sexy vibe without venturing into theme park territory.
Following a trend originating in New York for speakeasy style bars that are deliberately hard to find, we failed at first, ringing the doorbell of a clearly annoyed flat resident nearby but eventually locating the unmarked entrance door.  So not exactly on the scale of a phone box in a fast food joint (hello PDT, New York, still attracting Japanese tourists 10 years after it was fashionable), but still adding to the exclusive feel.




Money and training has obviously gone on getting together a crew of bartenders who are knowledgeable but without the pretension that can sometimes come with the job at certain fashionable bars where the wealthy hang out.  The staff are friendly and take the time to ask about your preferences so that they can craft the drinks to suit individual tastes.  The only problem comes that after a couple of the delicious but strong drinks it can be a challenge to stay on your stool, let alone remember the name of your cocktail and its ingredients.


A vast array of fresh herbs, syrups, mixers and unusual ingredients are visible and on offer, we were most impressed by a home made pepper marmalade stuff that came in a jar which the barman was happy to give us a taste of. These are drinks that don't compare with ones that you could ever make at home, although you can pick up tips and advice. What they did promise at the start of the night was no hangovers and hey presto, the morning after, and even after a considerable amount we both felt fit as fiddle - Stephen did however look better!


Dive bars are great but usually the darkness is to hide the dirty toilets and sell by date on the crisps; at BYOC the low-level lighting makes the customers look more attractive and the cocktails less lethal.  And that can only be a great thing. The bars themselves are poker and blackjack tables, adding to the feeling that you're in Vegas not Camden.

So not the place to drop in for a quick drink on a whim, but if you want great cocktails and a great time this place can't be beaten.  If you can find it that is!   

9-11, Basement Camden High Street North London
Website: www.byoc.co.uk/camden

Beautykinguk's recommended spirits to take to BYoC Camden are:

  • Hendricks Gin
  • Grey Goose Vodka
  • Johnny Walker Black Label
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