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Camden New Journal - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 24 May 2007
 
Nikki Wake: ‘The tenants are so old and quiet’
Nikki Wake: ‘The tenants are so old and quiet’
Music ban puzzle for estate that's so quiet

'Will I be in trouble if I turn up my stereo?' asks tenant

IT IS believed to be the only estate in Camden to have outlawed music.
But mystified residents of the quiet Curnock Street estate have no idea why.
Pensioners, families and the odd musician living on the Camden Town estate are puzzled by signs which have appeared bearing a black music note with a red line through it and the warning: No Music.
The signs, put up by Curnock Street Estate Tenants and Residents Association (TRA), have popped up on walls and posts on the estate in the past couple of months. Ball games, loitering, and dog fouling have also been banned.
Neighbour Nikki Wake, 44, said: “This estate is so quiet. Most of the tenants have been here since it was built. The tenants are so old and quiet.”
Confused by what exactly the ban will outlaw, she asked: “Does it mean if I turn my stereo up a bit louder I’ll be in trouble? I don’t know if I’m breaking the rules.”
None of the tenants interviewed this week had received a letter explaining why the ban had been introduced, where it applied, how music is defined and what will happen if they break the ban.
Musician Johnny ‘Guitar’ Hodge, who has played alongside folk singer-songwriter Bert Jansch, is outraged at the ban.
He said: “It’s a nonsense. Where’s the music not supposed to be played? They haven’t told us where, when or why the ban applies.”
Mr Hodge was also upset at a ban on loitering on the estate. He said: “No loitering! What’s that about? You can’t hang around in your own forecourt – that’s insane.”
Luca Napolitano, 21, who plays bass guitar and has lived on Curnock Street estate for nearly a year, said: “We haven’t received any notice about the signs.
“The signs are in the public areas. Do they mean someone playing music on the pavement or from people’s backyards? It’s sort of implying no noise or sound but it doesn’t say people can’t stand here yelling.”
When questioned about the ban, chairwoman of Curnock Street TRA Susan Gorrie declined to respond, and was unable to define what music was covered by the ban or what had provoked the move.
A council press official said: “The Curnock Street Tenants and Residents Association asked for the signs to be put up around their estate.
“They wanted to create quiet outdoor areas and remind people to respect their neighbours by not playing loud radios or music outside – whistling and singing not included!”




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