A Night in the Clink

I spent the night in the Clink last night. Clink78 is smart new hostel slap bang in the centre of the much smartened up Kings Cross. It is housed in a 200-year-old magistrates court where Dickens penned Oliver Twist and the Clash were later found guilty of a rather messy pigeon-shooting incident. Some of the rooms are in the old prison cell and the interior design in the public spaces masterfully reclaims the building's history with style. Flashed up on the wall in the old court room (now an internet and TV room) is the word 'GUILTY' in blue neon lights and 'The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again', a quote from Dickens, is scrawled on the reception room wall.

It had been a big night: at a party in the Clash bar downstairs the vodka flowed freely, after which I fell into a triple bunk bed (double bed on the bottom for me and my husband; single on the top for my fellow travel writer John Oates). The unusual threesome arrangement worked perfectly and we all slept well. The room was spotless and although there was no mini bar, there was a complimentary packet of crisps and some maltesas on the bedside, which I thought a lovely touch. A self-service breakfast of juice, tea, coffee, cereals and toast is included in the very reasonable room rate (from as little as £26). The spacious hostel (I am not sure how many it sleeps, but it must be at least 100) has very generously sized public spaces and wears its primary colours (lots of Easyjet orange) well. Both the enormous reception area and sprawling breakfast room were full of residents - most of them young (unlike me) and delighted with their stay in the Clink (like me).