The Film, the General and the Irish...

Back on the Kilburn High Road we have the Sir Colin Campbell Pub.

It has a rich social heritage as a pub and a real tradition as an old local boozer.

There's a bit of bad feeling that there's no hanging sign outside and some attribute that to that fact that Sir Colin was an English soldier and not hanging it is a small anti-english gesture... I'm not sure either way and haven't had chance to ask.

But I have only just stumbled on this

http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=171139

http://www.lovefilm.com/film/County-Kilburn/126536/

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/619618

It's a film that essentially is based in and around the Campbell

The interesting thing is the extent to which the film captures the atmosphere of the Irish tradition and the way in which the High Road has moved on in the 9 years since it was filmed.

I'm enjoying the DVD and would recommend it to all those who love Kilburn... There's a good review here if you scroll down http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258507/

Kilburn has above average number of great quality pubs per head of the population

The crucial nature of the achitecture of pubs within the community is often under-estimated...

And Kilburn has a good haul of quality pubs - various inspectors, audits and census's have identified Kilburn as having above average number of pubs per capita - what that doesn't draw out is that it has above average quality and design features.

So here we feature the Prince of Wales, 11 Cambridge Gardens, South Kilburn - easily found as it is immediately on the right as you come out of Kilburn Park tube station.

The building is grade two listed and you can see why...

Built during the 1860's as the kilburn park estate was being laid out - the pub was very much part of the local landscape and design. Edwin Charles White was licensee in 1872, according to the Traditional Pubs of Kilburn, volume 1, Cliff Wadsworth, Willesden Local History Society, and was followed by Israel Blewitt Griffin, Edward Corish, J Ranson, Walter F Clark and Arthur Smith at the end of the 19th century.

The area gained signigicance when the tube opened in 1915 and this was when the pub received its last most signifcant face-lift and exterior improvement.

I noticed the other day that the pub sign is missing - I'm slightly worried by the number of old pub signs that are gradually going - of course the Colin Campbell has been taken down - but here the overhanging metalwork is still there waiting for a Prince of Wales sign... hmmm.