All the televisions were switched off in the bar at the Hawley Arms when news broke of Amy Winehouse’s death. This was her favourite Camden pub – but the management appeared determined not to turn the night into a wake. Some of her closest friends repaired to a quiet room upstairs to watch the rolling news coverage. But on the two floors below the party was in full swing, powered by indie classics and sixties ska. “Everybody’s having a good time, but a lot of people are also really sad,” one regular told me. “She made this pub her home and everyone remembers what a good laugh she was. She even used to serve behind the bar sometimes. She was part of the community in Camden.” Her friend Krystal, at 27 the same age as Amy, showed me the Hawley Arms beer mats on which they had written tributes to the singer. They clearly felt they had lost one of their own. It was a Camden memorial, and one you felt sure Amy would have approved of.
