Nana Claudette’s Dalston - A Black History Quest
Meet Amara and Nana Claudette
Amara is ten, and she is full of questions. Her nana, Claudette, grew up here in Dalston, and she remembers it very differently – the clubs where the music played all night, the busy market and the Friday nights at the cinema.
Nana’s parents came to London from Trinidad and Jamaica in 1954. Now she is taking Amara on a walk through the streets she knew as a girl, to share the places, the people and the sounds that shaped her neighbourhood.
Put on your walking shoes and join them.
The walk starts in Dalston Square, outside the CLR James Library, and finishes at Eldica Records on Bradbury Street.
Choose your booklet
Type your answers in
Use a phone, tablet or computer. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app.
DownloadYour quest
Follow the walk from Dalston Square up Kingsland High Street and back down to Bradbury Street. The booklet tells you where to go at every stop.
Look out for the questions along the way. At Stop 8, put your answers together to build your secret password.
A look at the walk
Questions parents ask
How long does it take?
About an hour for most families, including time at the stops. The walk itself is about one kilometre, roughly half a mile, straight up Kingsland High Street and back, with no hills.
Where does it start and finish?
It starts in Dalston Square, outside the CLR James Library. It finishes on Bradbury Street, about four minutes from Dalston Junction station.
Is it free?
Yes. The quest, the secret message and the certificate are all free to download and use.
Do we have to print it?
No. Your child can type the answers straight into the booklet on a phone, tablet or computer using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app. If you would rather use paper, download the print at home version and fill it in with a pen.
Why do we need Adobe Acrobat Reader?
The booklet has boxes to type answers into and stops to tick off. Those only work properly, and only save what your child types, in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Other apps and web browsers may show the booklet but lose the answers. If you would rather not install it, use the print at home version instead.
Can we stop halfway and finish another day?
Yes. Adobe Acrobat Reader saves the answers your child has typed, and a paper copy keeps them. The secret message page will be waiting whenever you finish.
What is the secret message?
A short video from Nana Claudette and Amara. The seven answers from the walk spell out a secret password, and typing it into the website unlocks the message.
What if we get the password wrong?
Your child can try as many times as they like. If the password is not right, the page marks the boxes that do not match in orange and shows the correct password underneath, so your child can see which answers to check in the booklet. A message from Nana Claudette and Amara plays, and the certificate can be downloaded either way.
Do we get a certificate?
Yes. There is a certificate to download and print, with a space for your child to write their name.
Is it suitable for a child to do alone?
No. The walk crosses roads and goes through a busy market, so children need a grown-up with them the whole way.
Before you go
You need Adobe Acrobat Reader. The quest has boxes to type your answers in and stops to tick off. They only work properly – and save your answers – in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app.
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Get Adobe Acrobat Reader – it is free
Choose the one for your device:
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Download the quest
Tap the button to save the quest booklet to your phone, tablet or computer.
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Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader
On a phone or tablet, open the file and choose Open in or Share, then pick Adobe Acrobat. Now you can type in your answers as you walk.
Prefer paper? Download the print at home version and fill it in with a pen as you go. No app needed.
Download the interactive quest
Type your answers in · needs the free Adobe Acrobat Reader
Download the print versionPrint at home and fill in with a pen · no app needed
Both are PDFs · 16 pages · about 3 MB
Stay safe on your quest
Always walk with a grown-up. Cross roads carefully at the crossings, and ask before you touch anything on the market stalls.
Unlock your secret message
You made it to the end of the quest! Type in your secret password to hear a special message from Nana Claudette and Amara.
Your secret password
Read your answers back from Stop 1 to Stop 8, in order. Put one answer in each box.
The secret password is
The orange boxes show the answers to check in your booklet.
Your certificate
Well done, Dalston explorer! Print your certificate, write your name on it and put it somewhere everyone can see.
Nana Claudette’s Dalston was commissioned by Hackney Council and written by More Curricular CIC. © 2026.