I the Cally

At the Cally festival 2012 100  ‘I heart the Cally’ bookbags were sold and 100 people gave their reasons for loving the lovely, lovable, Caledonian Road whilst donations were collected for the daffs that will be planted this weekend on the Bemerton. People said they heart the Cally because…

1. it brings both sides of Islington together!
2. the Ferodo bridge is awesome
3. it’s got everything you’d possibly want
4. I’ve been here 60 years
5. I live here ! xx
6. I love the veg shop
7. there are so many different people from so many countries.
8. I live here!
9. everything we need is here (especially the Cally Pool and Café Terrace!)
10. I live around the corner!
11. it’s why we live here!
12. the pet shop
13. the faces are familiar and interesting
14. it’s so vibrant and diverse
15. coz I live here!
16. the transport links are brilliant
17. I live here
18. it’s one of London’s hidden gems. It still retains a community spirit. And I was born here, and have lived here my whole life! 🙂
19. because we live here!
20. it’s full of unpretentious life! (lucky to live here)
21. I moved away and miss it!
22. I’ve lived here for over 20 years
23. everyone is friendly and it’s home! I love the Cally xxx
24. we have two adventure playgrounds – Crumbles Castle and Lumpy Hill
25. I was born on the Cally
26. the nice ladies
27. I love the Bemerton!
28. the pound shop is so useful!
29. I live here and I love it
30. it’s got everything I need
31. it’s vibrant, friendly, diverse, and my home! x
32. it’s home to the coolest jumpers
33. it’s got everything you want in life
34. Ordinary people, comes in colours, tall and small, turns out to be extraordinary one and all

35. everything about London is here!
36. all the shops sell lovely food, even late at night
37. the people are great
38. the young people have massive potential
39. how friendly the shopkeepers are!
40. it’s real!
41. it’s an endless source of entertainment
42. we live here and started our family here (plus it sounds Scottish)
43. it looks like you are going to get stabbed but everyone is very lovely
44. it’s friendly
45. my daughter, Anya, has made us love it!
46. it is a community!
47. it’s home!
48. the diversity of the locals
49. it’s the real NORF London
50. it’s a great place to live and it’s steeped in fascinating history
51. Canal 125
52. I bought some Lions’ feet here once
53. the wonderful community
54. all the people in the world are here sometimes
55. all the dogs are funny here
56. the nicest people live here 🙂
57. IT’S HOME!! 🙂
58. my boyfriend lives here and I love my boyfriend!
59. it keeps it real!
60. child friendly!
61. I was born here
62. it’s fab
63. the diversity
64. it has a great range of shops and the traders are very helpful. The West Library is excellent and the festival must be held every year until 2050
65. ordinary often turns out to be extraordinary
66. the range of shops and friendly people
67. the people!!!
68. I live on the street of Cally
69. everyone is so friendly!
70. it’s a nice place to shop
71. it’s a great, great place!
72. IT FEELS LIKE HOME!
73. shops not bad but could do with more selection
74. it has strong historical roots, and my family is from Cally Road!
75. it surprises me
76. some brilliant people live here
77. great diverse people live and work here
78. the diverse nature of the people. It’s the people who make it special!
79. there is a great community feeling, lots going on, multicultural, lots of residents joining in to make it better and because it’s my home patch.
80. all the wonderful people and lots of lovely shops. I also love St Andrew’s church
81. it’s got a great sense of community
82. the amazing Italian man!
83. it’s just our home.
84. it’s full of so many people, old and young, from all over the world in one place
85. I’ve just moved here and it’s amazing!
86. I love the sense of community!
87. it’s seriously diverse and anything/anyone goes. Be yourself!! Xx
88. it’s still got a great community and isn’t massively overdeveloped
89. I live here! It’s home. And it has a lively, friendly and very mixed population.
90. its diversity and every time you walk down the road you see an interesting face
91. it’s fantastic fun J
92. I love the Cally pool
93. it’s so interesting
94. it’s so lively
95. the kebab shop on the corner of Offord road is amazing
96. the Cally kids doing wheelies on their bikes
97. the new graffiti – I love the big dog and the parrots
98. my neighbours are lovely, and different from me!
99. because you can tell that the people who live here love it (mostly!)
100. I love the Cally fest!

The bags were printed in a living room and sold to raise money for daffodil bulbs to plant in the grounds of the Bemerton Estate. If you live on the Bem and would like to join in planting them, get in touch at BeautifulBem@hotmail.com. Or if you’re a local gardener and want to offer help or plants/cuttings to fill empty flowerbeds, get in touch!