Hello,
I have been thinking about what sort of things might improve North Camp in Farnborough; my concern comes from the fact that recently some businesses that were on Camp Road have moved or closed. For example the Post Office has gone to Alexandra Road which takes away one of the hubs from Camp Road, which is the location that has the potential to act as a high street with a critical mass of destinations and a place where you have the chance to get a feel for some community. Other businesses that have closed include Fizzy Kids and the Blue Pig deli; these were two places that acted as a draw for locals. Also in the year or so before these two businesses closed, Biles Jewellers and the Manhattan Pizzeria were to be no more.
I am sure these businesses had good reasons for their closure – not enough business perhaps to justify continuation; perhaps the rates were too high or freeholders wished to use the property for something else; or in some cases retirement or emigration. But thus far I am not confident that what replaces them is really the sort of North Camp I would like to see.
I am not certain, but I think that the site where Fizzy Kids was will now be turned to residential purposes, as is the St John’s Ambulance site that has just been sold to developers nearby.
North Camp has always had a fairly independent set of traders which has made it quirky, and it has a great set of independent restaurants. However even with this it has on the whole failed to create a draw whereby small businesses can thrive and the local community can meet and be well served. I can only hazard a guess that this is because there is not enough of a strategic plan or a way of working together to ensure the right decisions are made and the most is made of what is on offer.
It would be such a shame if North Camp just became nail bars, betting shops and hairdressers. I am not saying that these businesses don’t have a place, they certainly do, but it would be so much better to my mind if there was some variety and if we could keep North Camp as a place where there are different businesses and community activities that offer an alternative to the homongenous high street and shopping centre (which is largely the way the main areas of Farnborough and Aldershot are headed). I am all for the improvements in Farnborough and Aldershot but to have some alternative and to not lose the character and potential of North Camp would be my preferred future for this neighbourhood. Recent closures and the decisions that follow make me doubt I can take even what there currently is for granted and I certainly think there is more to be made of North Camp.
So what might be the possibilities for North Camp ?
Perhaps a scheme where rates are such that local artists and crafts people can sell their produce and run classes and demonstrations. Pop up shops? Places for students from the University of Creative Arts to sell their art? Can the Council (Rushmoor) do something to encourage some developments that are innovative and support diversity?
Recently Grays Cafe opened in North Camp – it is a charity and as far as I can tell it is very popular – nice surroundings, good second hand books, jazz evenings etc. So this for me has shown that local people do want places to go and meet, mingle and entertain and be entertained.
There are actually quite a few things going on (see some noted below) and some successful high quality businesses (e.g. Woods Butchers, Shuzu shoe shop and Diwali restaurant) but they are not well “curated” and marketed as a whole, and therefore don’t create the buzz or sense of the collective needed for a place to become a destination or for a sense of community to be created. It would be great if there was a strong web presence, a shared plan of events and if, most of all, the Council supported a scheme to ensure small businesses and creativity was brought to North Camp to improve it – could the Council work with the community to encourage some sort of collective or charity? I was recently in Folkestone and they have a creative quarter – this is something that I think at some level could be emulated in North Camp. Their site says:
“The Creative Quarter is an area of Folkestone that has been developed by the Creative Foundation, a charity launched in 2002, to regenerate Folkestone through the arts, the creative industries and education. It is an amazing area of Folkestone, where people’s creativity is encouraged, supported and enabled to flourish.”
Is this possible with some encouragement from the Council or from North Camp Matters?
I admit I did find out today there are some great events taking place in North Camp/Farnborough this month. For instance there is a Festive Fairtrade Evening being held on 18th December at the Rushmoor Council Offices which will include a Michael Moore film and a guest speaker from Giving Africa; also an afternoon of Christmas carols and music on Sunday 7 December 3pm to 4.30pm at St. Mark`s Church and a Christmas market on Saturday 6 December 11am to 2pm at Woodford Stauffer car park, entrance down little lane from Camp Road opposite the old Fizzy Kids site. The Christmas Market is in aid of the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. These are of course events for the Christmas season, so it’s not typical, but good to see.
Anyway these are my thoughts so far – I am sure there are ideas that many people have – how can we keep North Camp and its quirky character, and improve it so the local community is well served?
rachelbruce.net 
As a Buisness owner myself we need to be one step ahead all the time.
” if you see a ban wagon it’s to late”
How about encouraging street markets, like a Christmas market or European food, Close the road off on specific days , having stalls down the middle of camp road, encourage other street events for small children to replace fizzy kids fun. (Advertise using face book etc)
Or find a new venue for another play area as whizzy world isn’t working, (maybe manhattens old venue)
Reduce rent to encourage Buisness , think of the lanes in Brighton and have some imagination xx
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Thanks Clare, a lot of good ideas – I think you’re right that sometimes a road closure and market would be good, once a month, every two months even. Like that idea alot. North Camp Matters gave me a reply on their site and it seems they need people to try and carry ideas forward…still I am really pleased thus far with the responses I’ve had and I hope there are more ideas…and perhaps some people will enage, I’m going to try and make it to a meeting of North Camp Matters to see if a conversation with action can take place…
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I think there are do many of us with children and was so sad when fizzy kids closed. It would be lovely to have a child activity open up like little street or something.
I think northcamp has such a great vibe and so some more shops which are different. The idea of more street markets is fab!
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Fizzy Kids seems to be sorely missed! Thanks for your comment.
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Hello I live on Alexandra road and totally agree with your post a simple way of just letting people know what’s going on and to just shout about the great work that is going on in the North Camp area would hopefully galvanise the local residents to take more of an interest and be inspired by what they have on their doorstep, there are some hidden gems. It is such a shame that fizzy kids shut down it was such a good meeting point for mums – more shops, schemes, enterprises need to be encouraged and supported and most importantly communicated.
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Hi, Thanks for this and your thoughts on communication. The effort for this I guess might need driven by the businesses themselves or by something like North Camp Matters. However North Camp Matters needs more people to make a difference I think & to have the strength in numbers to share tasks. I have asked when their next meeting is but havent heard. With the right design of course you could almost crowd soruce and automate alot of the content if it is on the web. I am thinking about what steps need taken to take this whole conversation further … any ideas let me know. Thanks.
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Hi, was pointed towards this via a friend on Facebook. A while ago I saw a headline on the local paper: “victory for village as pizza application rejected”. I was surprised to read that this was North Camp and the pizza chain was Pizza Hut. I felt that this was short-sighted, I know people like to think of NC as a village but bringing a chain in (I imagine it would have been in Manhattan’s old premises) would have raised awareness of the area and drawn people in. I don’t think there would have been competition for Dolce Italia as they are very different business models. As a mum of three teenagers this would also have been excellent employment for local young people. I think the key is to have a mix and to think of NC as a satellite area rather than a village. One of the charity shops had a “vintage” specialty shop but that closed. As for the pop-up idea, they did something similar in Aldershot last year – called Aldershop I recall – for local artists and small businesses (corner shop opposite Costa). The entrance to NC (the big sculpture) needs to be opened up (lose some trees? Sorry!) to catch the eye of people driving along “big” Lynchford Road. I also didn’t realise Gray’s was a charity and am looking forward to the Phyllis fair on Saturday. Hastings has been very successfully regenerated, I know this is different but it’s worth looking at.
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Yes I’ve never made it to the regenerated part of Hastings but heard people rave about it, I wonder how they did it, worth a look. I agree with you that there shouldn’t be a complete rejection of chains, but it probably does need some careful balancing. I am not certain but I think the Pizza Hut was going to be the take away kind so not a restaurant; I really could be wrong that’s just what I heard.
The idea of opening up the sculpture is a good one, hadnt thought of that.
Thanks very much for your comments.
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Re-reading my post, I sound like a furtive Pizza Hut owner! Just to clarify – I would LOVE to see a fully independent North Camp, but realistically (agreeing with your comments re larger shops becoming blocks of flats) one or two considered chains would not only bring in punters but convince new traders to give NC a go. The craft shop always seems busy – could there be a workshop-type shop with drop-in crafts? Also Diane Bedford would be a great contact – local and the mayor!
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Yes the craft shop is excellent – workshops there would be good. Oh & thanks for the suggestion of contacting the mayor.
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I love the idea of more arts and crafts perhaps a centre where different ones could be done each day or on a weekly/monthly basis to begin. North Camp has the quirkiness for this to be successful. It could encourage more boutiques etc WhItstable in Kent is a classic example of many independent traders successfully competing, antiques would be another idea.
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Thanks Jennie; glad you agree with the quirkiness being such it could make this sort of thing work. Antiques would be a great addition to North Camp. I’m thinking about what to do to try and take the conversation further.
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The deli is definitely missed by myself. I love the idea of a farmers Market monthly (but would settle for bi-monthly) either in one the car park or by closing the road.
Fizzy’s is also a real loss. I currently travel all the way to Farnham for soft play for my children now. As Whizzy world in my opinion isn’t up to scratch.
With the closing down of Manhatten and the success of Grays, maybe a Tapas style bar/restaurant would be welcomed. With the ability to offer salsa classes or themed evenings. Possibly even children’s salsa parties. I believe these sort of dance classes are a big hit at the dance studios on Queens road.
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Thanks for your comments Shirley. I have often wondered whether a tapas bar would work here, I agree with you it would be the sort of addition that would work in the mix that there currently is. I like the idea of salsa classes, and a children’s salsa party would be funny!
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Maybe you should suggest this idea of holding a market twice a week in the middle of camp road to RBC , At present the market outside Asda is closing as developers have got there hands on the car park , the council are looking to move the market to the middle of Queensmead on a wed/ and maybe Sunday . We are getting together with other residents of Queensmead and dukes court, and objecting to this idea/ application when it starts to happen , it’s a great alternative to use North camp for the future markets and building a shopping community for the locals in North camp also it will bring more trade to the area
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Thanks for this Mark. I hadn’t realised that the Asda carpark ( or the one next to it ) was being developed. Also thanks for the idea of the Farnborough market moving here; it might work – on the otherhand I think most of the comments here are talking about a different type of market, so more artisan. Having said that a market like the one in Farnborough perhaps would work in the car park here – but there’d need to be a balance in the kind of trades and businesses as the important thing about North Camp is it’s quirkiness so somehow making more of that and preserving it is important I think. Certainly worth considering though. Thank you.
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Hi Rachel
Would it be possible for us to meet , my name is Jan and I run the charity coffee shop Grays ?
We are concerned about the area and in some places how run down it looks .
As a charity we supported Rushmoor in Bloom last year and will do so again this year.
We have hosted a pop up shop and have some ideas for a market , also ideas around how to market North Camp village in a way that is both appropriate and sensitive to the needs of residents .
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