On the wall, above a stack of takeaway menus, a large sign pronounces ‘Bring your own food or order locally and have it delivered’ To me this succinctly encompasses the spirit of one of London’s finest boozers. Ale is the order of the day so why not let ravenous drinkers feed themselves.
When, in 2015, the King Charles was about to be sold to a developer, 18 regulars mucked in, raised £70,000 and bought the lease, coughing up between £1,000 and £15,000 each. They have been running it as a collective ever since. When, after the first year, the account, a shareholder himself, asked if they wanted to take a dividend from the accumulated profits, they all, to a man, instead, opted to raise the pay of the staff.
The interior is compact to put it politely. There is a little more space since the bar billiards table was ousted yet room is still found for a piano and jukebox. Remarkably though, bands still manage to regularly squeeze in. In winter a real fire blazes, toasting your toes and marshmallows alike.
The decor is that of a traditional wood panelled saloon bar. Hally, a shareholder, said he painted the ceiling “a warm yellow colour reminiscent of nicotine stains.” That’s the spirit. However the panelling is barely visible behind the taxidermy, plaques, posters and general ironmongery that adorn the walls. Yet this appears, not contrived, but entirely appropriate in the context. These artefacts are of great aid to members of the pub’s ‘Nude Alpine Society,’ who take it upon themselves to climb around the walls, without touching the floor, in the altogether.
One such plaque is for their Asset of Community Value status, presented by the local mayor in 2021.The award ensured that its usage as a pub could never be changed. Islington Council said that the pub aimed to “further the social well-being and social interests of the local community”. The naked mountaineers agree. A sign above the door reads ‘Drink with Dignity’. This is just the place to do that, with or without your drawers. Get your kit off, get a round in and start scaling the walls.
King Charles I
55-57 Northdown Street, London, N1 9BL