90's London

[Sweetasstevia]

I've lived in London for nearly 25 years now but rarely get into the centre these days (I last worked in town in 2008.) I'm always stunned how much things have changed and have been feeling very nostalgic lately for the London of my uni years and youth: 1990 - 2000.
For starters I miss how Covent Garden used to be with the mechanical toy museum and Neal street East around the corner. I miss burgers at Ed's Diner and Jonny Rockets. I miss seeing arty films at the ICA, the montepulicano lounge club and whirligig, the mad market in South Kensington and how Camden used to be before it got all posh!
What things do you miss?

I was too out of my mind to pay attention to the name of

Tether, one minute I was dancing in a field in 1988 getting happy Next thing I'm at a party and it's 2000 !!! I'm like WTF happened?? get flashbacks of happy times but yeah details rusty

Old Spitalfields Market on a Sunday morning, with all the delicious food trucks! Chicken curry and crepes with bananas and Nutella for desert!

I remember the French House. This thread has bought back so many happy memories (or hazy memories if the French House was involved...)

Happiness Stan's at Smithfield... man alive, that place was fun

I just remember golders green road... And 'the old bull and bush'

South Molton St Drug Store for cheap make-up

Do you mean Bar Italia? Spent many a late night chatting to transvestites, prostitutes, 'Business Men??' All sorts! Next door there was private drinking den, boy now that was weird! We didn't stay

Oh and goldies on the north circular..... Was reminiscing on street view and that's gone, a pizza place now

And Ashton's and the galtimore up cricklewood broadway. Ended up going home with sinead o Connors nanny to what we thought was an empty house!

My early 90's London was based around Brixton. Red records, The Fridge with Soul to Soul, Brixton Academy and Mambo Inn at The Loughborough. I arrived in Brixton from a North Yorkshire village and it felt like another world. I bloody loved it!

I also loved The Wag on Wardour Street. Notting Hill carnival was great in the early 90's and holds great memories for me. I used to go to a club in Paddington but I can't remember the name of it.

Ah yes, I lived in London, on and off, from about 1988 to 99, was a student just outside London before that and used to go up to go to Kensington market for Crazy Color purple and pink hair dye, and Camden market for a cheap leather jacket. I've hardly been for years now (since kids and living abroad). Yes I used to go to the Stockpot, and Centrale, and Bar Italia. I worked in Soho for a while, that felt like something special, worked in tiny office in Berwick St where the fruit and veg market is/was - is Madame JoJo's still going?
I just googled to see if the Criterion Brasserie on Picadilly is still going - it is, but gone upmarket of course. We used to go there and pretend to be glamorous. I guess Colombia Rd flower market is still there, and Brick Lane?

Morgans?

Sorry that's to Thornrose didn't refresh, club in Paddington I mean!

Bar Italia, and that dive next door, Ronnie Scott's and the colony rooms.

And the Bluenote club - in Hoxton I think. Acid jazz and all that.

And Ashton's and the galtimore up cricklewood broadway

We used to go there in the 80's when I was at school!!!! Fights every time, schoolchildren being arrested and yet still they kept there licence!

There was this bizarre goth pub we used to go to in the west end called Garlic & Shots (I think). I'm not a goth but we had some good times. Is it still there?

I used to go to The Wag! And The Fridge.

Different lifetime, seems like.

Does anyone remember the huge shop that sold [amongst other things] used Levi 501s from america?

May have been in or around Leicester square? or somewhere nearish.

I loved Neal street east store, that was the one with the wicker baskets, or was that the chinese one?

My step Mum worked near covent garden and popping out on her lunchbreak when I went to work with her was so exciting. [aged about 12!]

Carnaby st. Full of goths and independent shops. Has that changed? Haven't been to London for years.

Oh god my memory is so bad, it's a sign of those times! I remember Labyrinth and a club night in Holborn but the name escapes me.

I used to go to some really dodgy unlicensed late night clubs (shebeens) too!

I've remembered something else: there were loads of cheap adult education courses, in everything from computing to pattern-cutting.
I miss that a lot.

Cerealmom & familymember - so pleased you mentioned Centrale - I used to eat there with my wife and her fellow art students in the early 90s when we had just turned 20.

We moved out of London 12 years ago. I was in the West End just yesterday and tried to remember the name of the place. Lovely to hear it mentioned.

Flip in Covent Garden sold vintage 501s. I think that closed in the late 80s though.

Carnaby Street is awful now DancingDinosaur. I used to live up there as a teen - bought my first DM's there, hassled the J17 staff for freebies (met one of my favourite bands at one of their open days) Now it's just tourist tack and chain stores. I was so disappointed the first time I took my teens up there. Camden's okay though, bigger but not that different.

I miss all the sweaty little venues where I could see a band for a fiver and smuggle in flavoured vodka to swig in between round of Woodpecker cider.