It was appropriately enough, a sunny afternoon as The Kinks became the latest icons to unveil a stone on Camden's Music Walk of Fame.

Sadly, Highgate resident Ray Davies sent his apologies due to illness, and his brother Dave was in LA, so it was left to the Muswell Hill band's drummer Mick Avory to do the honours on Camden High Street on Friday. (September 8)

"It's an honour to be here," he said. "Ray and Dave are local boys and it's so fitting for the Kinks to be on this walk. It's a wonderful idea and very deserving to Camden, because even way back in the 50s, it was the music hub of London. There are lots of venues here still and it's got a great buzz about it."

Ham & High: The Kinks were formed in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies who grew up in Muswell HillThe Kinks were formed in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies who grew up in Muswell Hill (Image: Music Walk of Fame)

Actors John Dalgliesh and George Maguire performed a selection of Kinks songs including Sunny Afternoon, You Really Got Me, All Day And All Of The Night, and Waterloo Sunset. The pair, who played Ray and Dave in Hampstead Theatre's hit 2014 musical about The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon, read out messages from the brothers to the gathered crowd.

Speaking for Dave, George said: "I am over the mooon that the Kinks are to be enrolled in the Walk of Fame. This is the area that Ray and I grew up in, we ran those streets, and it holds a very happy place in my heart."

Ham & High: Sunny Afternoon the Kinks musical originated at Hampstead Theatre starring John Dalgleish as Ray Davies and George Maguire at Dave DaviesSunny Afternoon the Kinks musical originated at Hampstead Theatre starring John Dalgleish as Ray Davies and George Maguire at Dave Davies (Image: Archant)

Ray's message read: "Those streets are where Dave and I grew up. They and the people made such an impact in inspiring many songs - memories I carry with me. I remember too often waiting for the last 102 bus to take me home. I wouldn't change it for the world."

Earlier that morning, Manchester punk rockers Buzzcocks unveiled their stone on the Walk of Fame, with vocalist and bassist Steve Diggle, who now lives in Highgate, in attendance alongside bandmates Danny Farrant, Chris Remington, and Mani Perazzoli, plus Carl Barat of The Libertines.

Ham & High: The Kinks drummer Mick Avory with Walk of Fame founder Lee Bennett as they unveil the band's stone on the Music Walk of Fame in CamdenThe Kinks drummer Mick Avory with Walk of Fame founder Lee Bennett as they unveil the band's stone on the Music Walk of Fame in Camden (Image: Normski)

The Music Walk of Fame already has plaques to Madness, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul and David Bowie, with a total of 11 new stones unveiled this week - including Eddy Grant, Janis Joplin, UB40, and The Sugarhill Gang.  

With stones to Shalamar and Billy Bragg unveiled on Saturday morning - ahead of a free Camden Music Festival featuring Bragg, Buzzcocks and The Sugarhill Gang, the walk's founder Lee Bennett said: "What a week it's been! It's a shout out to the world to come and visit us, with people honoured from all genres, from all over the world."

He said the walk was part cultural attraction, part industry honour, and part living museum "to celebrate the orginators, rebels, and trailblazers like The Kinks."

Praising Camden as an area "which has given the world more musical genius than any other," he added: "I can't overstate the impact of this project to the artist, the industry to Camden and the UK."