The legendary Hawley Arms needs your help.
Pubs are closing left, right and centre, and next in the firing line is Camden’s beloved Hawley Arms. Greene King is selling the Castlehaven Road establishment, often known as Amy Winehouse’s pub, and the only way to save it is for the staff to buy it themselves. They’re almost there, after taking out a huge commercial mortgage and as many personal loans as they could manage – but they’re looking to us, the pub-loving public, to help raise the rest of the funds for this legendary Camden spot. (Header image: @wender_virgilio)
The Hawley has so many stories and fond memories, from Amy Winehouse regularly jumping behind the bar to Andy Burrows and Gary Powell having a drum off, or that time David Schwimmer poured himself a Guinness. Over the years, you could always bank on their being at least one indie musician having a drink at the bar or putting on a gig. You can read all about the famous faces that have visited The Hawley over on their crowdfunding page.
This buzzing boozer is also the Secret London local, so you can imagine our complete and utter OUTRAGE when a colleague came rushing out of the toilet during a Thursday afternoon session declaring ‘It’s closing!!! Our baby is closing!” (She’d seen a notice on the back of the door.) We thought about persuading our CEO to buy it and turn the upstairs into our HQ, but then we decided that being in such close proximity to a bar was far too dangerous, and we’d never get anything done.
If The Hawley Arms has a special place in your heart, they’re taking donations of any amount to help keep the pub alive. Rewards range from Hawley badges and drinks tokens, to meal vouchers and spots on the Wall of Hawley Heroes. So, if you want to help save this Camden institution, you can be sure that there’s something in it for you (in addition to the simple fact that you’ll be able to keep visiting The Hawley, which is the greatest prize of all).