Where Fried Rice, Chair Yoga, and Friendship Grow

By Anli Ren (04/12/26) — London, UK

Flea market. A gong bath restorative healing session. Latin American dance class. Community choir. Chair yoga. Tai chi. tennis. Walking football for the over 50s. Taekwondo for kids. A sewing repair class. A Rainbow Food Co-op. Coffee morning. Community lunch. Kitchen volunteering. 

These are the signs I had been walking past every day with utmost curiosity, and I'm not making any of them up. These are just regular weekly programs, posted on the gate of Calthorpe Community Garden, 2 minutes from Byron Court, one of NYU London's biggest residence halls. 

Calthorpe Community Garden, which hosts all of these events, has been here since 1984. The space almost became a 70,000 square foot office block. A developer had drawn up a plan but then, luckily for the flea-market-goers, gong bathers, and over-50s walking football lovers alike they went bankrupt. The Camden Council was gearing up to sell it off again, until the local community fought to turn it into something for people instead. They won. And what they built has been completely changing lives ever since.

Oh, and they also offer a Tuesday vegetarian cooking class, which is exactly where I ended up spending my afternoon!

This week, the chef leading the session had us making cajun tofu fried rice. The fresh ingredients, the cucumbers, carrots, peppers and cilantro, were all pulled straight from the garden itself. For all their cooking classes, they try to supply as much as they can from the food garden. This means that all the ingredients used are fresh, delicious and create waste close to none.

(Here's a look into the process: From the pan.)

(To the board)

(From the earth)

When I asked him what he loves most about running classes, he didn't hesitate at all: just getting to talk to all the different people, he said. He tells me he reckons he's met over 1000 different people doing this. In the first 5 minutes I spent there, I could tell, it was one of those places where you just feel instantly at home.The kitchen was bubbly and lively, and so unbelievably full of warmth. Two of the other helpers had been coming for over 25 years. Twenty-five years of Tuesday afternoons, the same garden, but different food. I think that kind of loyalty says everything about this community.

Once the cooking is done, the food gets served as a free meal. And I can confirm, the meal is delicious. The class is funded by Camden Council, which means it stays free for everyone, week after week.

I talked with the community coordinator, Chiara, who beams while telling me, "there's something so special about the gardens, for everyone here."  And after the class, I completely agreed. I spent my afternoon peeling and chopping with strangers who didn't stay strangers for long. 

(My new friends Justine + Beatrice who have worked here for 25+ years)

Their funding comes from a mix of Camden Council grants and donations, but Chiara says it best: “It's kept alive by the neighbourhood it serves, which is probably why it's still here after 40 years.” Between mouthfuls of eating her fried rice, she knocks on wood saying “and here's to many many more years.”

If you’re a dancer, a cooker, a composter, a choir-singer, a chair-yogi, a tai-chier, a seed-planter, a soup-stirrer, a garment-mender, a five-year-old with muddy hands, or a 70-year-old who loves football, there’s probably already a group here waiting for you. If any of this resonates with you, go visit. It's free, open every day, and genuinely two minutes from the dorm. You can also donate, volunteer, or follow @calthorpecommunitygarden on Instagram. This place was fought for and I think It deserves to be found!