NORTH NINETEEN

NORTH NINETEEN – A LITERARY LONDON PUB

Werner and I met-up at Gadz cafe -   a Jeremy Corbyn themed (and visited) establishment - in Islington North constituency. As I drank a Machiatto, Werner told me of his experience meeting Jeremy Corbyn coming out of a chicken shop – he was frailer than expected. Whenever the UK general election takes place this year, Jeremy Corbyn will be 75 years old (he was born on 26 May 1949).

We walked (20 mins) to North Nineteen (via Banksy’s Tree) arriving exactly at opening time (4pm). This community pub is in a back street of Upper Holloway, N19. It was rebuilt post-World War II and has had other names such as Enterprise and The Pink Chameleon. Since 2008, it has been known as North Nineteen. 

Outside, on the side of the pub, there is an 8ft tall black and white mural of Jeremy Corbyn face by artist Sam Collins called ‘The Face of Honest Politics’. Mr Corbyn joined regular pub-goers at its unveiling.

The inside of the pub is done out with white walls and wooden floors. We sat at a window table in the front bar. There is a ‘Whisky and ale bar’ and a back bar (with a pool table).

Werner had a half of Umbrella London Apple Cider. While I had a half of Bohem Brewery session lager. London Calling by the Clash played in the background (next song: Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield). After, Werner and I moved on to The WB Yates, another literary pub.

Jeremy Corbyn wrote Wiltshire's Radical History and the foreword for several books. He has been the subject of many books (e.g. Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics; Comrade Corbyn: A Very Unlikely Coup; Oh Jeremy Corbyn: the big lie; Jeremy Corbyn: Accidental Hero; and, Dangerous Hero).

At the end of last year, Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey published Poetry for the Many: An Anthology reported in The Guardian. X (previously known as Twitter) ripped into Corbyn’s ‘pretentious’ poetry – except it was actually by Shelley.

The North Nineteen pub has done poetry events at including Hugo Williams reading his poetry.

North Nineteen, 194-196, Sussex Way, Upper Holloway, N19 4HZ

If you liked this article, there are other London literary pubs listed here.