-
GIGSest. 1964
The home of traditional Fish & Chips Fully licensed Greek
restaurant
“The secret’s out. Gigs is back”12 Tottenham Street 020 7636
1424
fitzrovia.org.uk/news
Issue 119, Winter 2010
FitzroviaNewsFitzrovia News is produced by residents and
volunteers and distributed free to all businesses and residential
addresses in Fitzrovia
Workers seizecontrol ofbicycle shop
Campaign group
celebrate 40 yearsThe Charlotte StreetAssociation celebrated
40years of campaigning topreserve the character ofFitzrovia and
fighting formore social housing.Guests at the
FitzroviaNeighbourhood Centre,who included FrankDobson MP,
Professor ofGovernment and PoliticsTony Travers, Bloomsburyward
councillors andCamden’s cabinet mem-bers, paid tribute to
thegroup’s tireless efforts topreserve heritage, socialamenity and
create newopen space.
Sewing clubMothers at All Souls’Primary School haveworked
together to buytheir first sewing machineto start up a sewing
club,writes Helena Roden.
They were broughttogether by Duda Boric theschool’s Parent
SupportAdvisor. During their regu-lar coffee mornings theparents
decided they want-ed a sewing class. Thegroup ran a food stall
toraise funds. Over 20 par-ents brought cakes,samosas and
freshlycooked crêpes they raised£123 and were able to pur-chase a
sewing machine.
A bicycle shop in Fitzrovia hasbeen bought from the owner bythe
shop workers. The long-established shop on the cornerof New
Cavendish Street andHanson Street was bought bythree shop workers
inSeptember this year.
Fitzrovia Bicycles, formerlyknown as Cavendish Cycles, isnow run
by three bicyclemechanics – Alex, Tom andWilliam – who specialise
inrepairs of all kinds. They hadpreviously worked in the shopfor
three years and felt theywould be better off running theshop
themselves rather thanbeing employees. “We thoughtwe could do a
much better job atrunning the business than theprevious owner,”
said WilliamTaylor.
So they formed their owncompany, arranged somefinance, and put
their ownmoney where their collectivemouths should be.
William is a fine artist bytrade and has put this creativityinto
the shop. Tom Hipwell alsocomes from an artistic back-ground being
a graphic design-er. Alex “phaser-gun”Polakowski is the
mechanicalexpert and overseas all therepairs and bike-building.
Whatthey lacked in business knowl-edge they sought advice about.But
the three of them learnt an
awful lot from the mistakes ofthe previous owner.
Alex announced the shoptakeover on the popular LondonFixed Gear
and Single Speedforum back in August saying: “Iknow a great deal of
people onthis forum have frequented theshop in the past and some
ofyou who’ve been in recentlymay well have noticed that ourstock
levels have been poor ifnot somewhat non-existent, andto anyone who
we’ve let down Ican only apologise.Unfortunately we’ve been at
themercy of the current owner, who
for some reason didn’t seem towilling to put in the money tokeep
decent parts in stock. Sowhen offered the chance to takeover we’ve
jumped at it.
“The most notable initialchange will be the shop name,it’ll be
changing to FitzroviaBicycles. Although theCavendish Cycles name
seemsto be quite well known, we’realso keen to mark a fresh start.
Itmay take a few months forthings to change to how wewant them to
be, as funds maywell be tight for us to start with,
By Linus Rees
continues on page 3...
Bicycle barricade. Fitzrovia Bicycles is now being run by the
workers whobelieve they can do a much better job than the previous
owner. Picture: Linus Rees
You have nothing to lose but your chains
Continued on page 3 col 1.
Historic pub isvictim of brewers’ cullAn historic 200-year-old
pub hasbeen closed in Rathbone Place. Itis the Black Horse which
hasbeen serving ale since 1809,writes Mike Pentelow.
Barriers now surround it onthe corner of Evelyn Yard and anotice
advises customers to goinstead to the Marquis ofGranby, which is
also owned bythe Nicholson’s pubs chain, partof brewers Mitchells
& Butlers ofBirmingham.
A brass plaque describingthe history of the pub has
beenpurloined.
A mass cull of pubs has beenmounted by the brewery whichhas sold
49 individual pubs and333 “non core” pubs sinceMarch, raising over
£500 million.This has helped increase profitsby 26.1 per cent in
the year tothe end of September to £169million and an operating
profitof £322 million.
Four re-developments next toeach other at the heart ofFitzrovia
are to be developed ina haphazard fashion withoutany vision to
bring about eitheropen space or connecting paths,writes Pete
Whyatt.
Planning applications forsites at the former Workhouse
inCleveland Street, the UCLWindeyer building, HowlandStreet, Astor
College CharlotteStreet and a mental health centrein Tottenham Mews
have beensubmitted.
All these developments arenext to each other but are
beingtreated without any strategy orco-ordinated view, says
theCharlotte Street Associationcampaign group, who are callingupon
Camden Council to treatthe developments as a combinedwhole and to
deliver publicopen space and pedestrianamenity
Huge developments,yet no strategic plan
-
2 News and comment Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
Issue 119, Winter 2010/2011Fitzrovia News is publishedquarterly
by the FitzroviaCommunity NewspaperGroup, and supported by
theFitzrovia NeighbourhoodAssociation (registered charity no.
1111649)39 Tottenham Street, London, W1T 4RXISSN: 0967-1404
Editorial TeamMike Pentelow: editor and features editorLinus
Rees: assistant editor and fundraiserPete Whyatt: news and
production editorFiona Green: arts and listings editorBrian Jarman:
writer and sub-editorBarb Jacobson: associate editorJennifer
Kavanagh: associate editorBertie Dinnage: associate editorChris
Webb:sub-editor
Contributors:John AxonChildren of All Souls’ SchoolSally
BeerworthMs FishClifford HarperJoseph HealyDenise JulienWilliam
Robert LeeSam Lomberg MBEMax NeufeldGuy O’ConnellJess OwenHelena
RodenSunita SoliarRobert TaylorSandra WheenKipper Williams
Printed by: Sharman & Co Ltd,Newark Road, Peterborough PE1
5TDsharmanandco.co.uk
Fitzrovia News
Editorial and socialmeetings:
7:30pm 1st Tuesday
of every monthFitzrovia Neighbourhood
Centre,39 Tottenham Street,
London W1T 4RX
All Welcome
6 Fitzroy Square: The Perfect Venue
The perfect venue for meetings, launches,seminars, dinners,
wedding receptions and
other corporate events.
The Georgian Group’s elegant eighteenth-century headquarters
overlooking Fitzroy Square providea unique location for all types
of private and corporate events in theheart of central London.
We cordially invite local businesses and individuals to visitour
building and get a taste of theauthentic Georgian experience…
For booking enquiries, availability and rates please contact:Rob
Kouyoumdjian on 020 7529 8921 or [email protected]
Formerly The Towerestablished 1973
fitzrovia.org.uk/newstwitter.com/[email protected]
020 7580 4576
Advertise inFitzrovia News
Our rates are very reasonable and we
distribute 5,000 copiesthroughout Fitzrovia.
[email protected]
Women and the cityWe’ve known for a while nowthat undergraduates
work asprostitutes to pay for theirdegrees. Now, prostitution
hasmoved into the middle classes.The most successful beingwomen in
the caring professionslike nurses, as they are able togive
emotionally. And lets not benaïve, there are men who alsowork in
the sex trade, servicingboth men and women.
But the former does not sitwell with me. It makes life forwomen
who are not that wayinclined far more difficult,because what is
considered “asnormal” has changed, leaving avacuum where protocol
used toexist. I truly believed that nowoman chooses to become
aprostitute, and so, was not toblame for having fallen into
thattrap. How out of touch am I?Men are starting to believe
thatpropositioning women for sex isacceptable and normal.
I was very surprised to bepropositioned in my local bar(which I
won’t name at thispoint) so I complained to theowner, expecting
support andreassurance that it would neverhappen again. I received
neither.He told me that he could not
control what his customers say,and his attitude towards me
waspatronising and offensive.
Unable to put the situationout of my mind, I made someinquiries
on the legality of pros-titution in bars. The LicensingAct of 1964
that preventedlicence holder from allowing thelicences premise to
be used forprostitution no longer applies.Prostitution is no longer
illegal.
If people are allowed to selltheir bodies for sex, then whyare
people not allowed to sellpart of their bodies; like a kid-ney? The
law does not permit itbecause the selling of humanparts is
considered immoral.And, as our legal system pair’srights with
duties, then, if somepeople have the right to selltheir bodies for
sex, on whomdoes the duty fall to protectthose who choose not
to?
The bar owner made me payfor daring to complain. His atti-tude
towards me was no differ-ent to racism; the intent was todemean,
humiliate and degrade.Real men know when to puttheir egos to one
side. Bulliesdon’t.
Denise Julien
Bloomsbury ward councillors’ surgeries
6.00-7.00pm on the first and third Fridays of the month at
Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre, 39 Tottenham Street, W1T 4RX
And on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at
Marchmont Community Centre, 62 Marchmont Street, WC1N 1AB
Adam Harrison, Milena Nuti, and Abdul Quadir : 020 7974 3111
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected]
Hanway Street conservation areaunder threat fromgiant clothes
retailer
The ancient lane of HanwayStreet is threatened with
majordisruption by plans to turn itinto a loading bay for a
majornew store in Oxford Street,writes Pete Whyatt.
If allowed it will mean 12 to15 deliveries a day by 18.5
tonnelorries that are 12 metres longfrom 7am until 9pm fromMondays
to Saturdays, and10am until 6pm on Sundays,plus two overnight
deliveriesbetween 7pm and 7am by 40tonne lorries in Oxford
Street.
As each lorry will take aboutten minutes to enter and anotherten
minutes to manouevre out itwill mean the road beingblocked for
about a third of thetime during the day.
Hanway Street was designat-ed as a conservation area in
1990because of its “intimate charac-ter and charm, created by
thenarrow, curving streetscape andpiecemeal way in which it
hasdeveloped”.
Construction on the vast85,000 square feet Primark cloth-ing
store opposite TottenhamCourt Road station (whereVirgin, Zavvi and
Sports Directused to be) started earlier thisyear and it is
expected to beopen by Christmas 2011.
The company, a subsidiary ofAssociated British Foods, hasapplied
to site a loading bay inHanway Place (off HanwayStreet) to both
Camden andWestminster councils. They haveto apply to both
authoritiesbecause although the site is inWestminster, Camden roads
andpavements are affected.
It is being proposed that partof the street be widened to
allow
two-way traffic for the heavygoods vehicles.
This would completelydestroy the character of thestreet which is
a quiet road ofsmall scale shops and bars, witha "Victorian feel".
In factCamden council plans to devel-op this feel by creating a
seriesof lanes to house boutiques andsmall shops from Oxford
Streetto Charlotte Street (through itsSite Allocation
PreferredApproach which is now in con-sultation).
Hanway Street and HanwayPlace include residential
accom-modation, and the proposed baywill generate considerable
noisenuisance. Residents fear it willcause other problems.
Lorries turning into HanwayStreet from Tottenham CourtRoad (as
proposed) will requirea wide turning circle and blocktwo lanes of
traffic onTottenham Court Road - just asis the case when buses turn
fromTottenham Court Road intoGreat Russell Street. As HanwayStreet
and Great Russell Streetare opposite each other, therewill be utter
chaos whenever abus is trying to turn into GreatRussell Street at
the same timeas a lorry into Hanway Street.This will be added to if
a lorry istrying to turn out of HanwayStreet or a taxi is
droppingsomeone off.
At present there is consider-able pedestrian traffic onHanway
Place, and so theremoval of one of the pavementswill be unsafe.
Pedestrians willbe forced to dodge between thelorries, which could
well lead toaccidents.
In truth, there’s always been, butparts of Fitzrovia are like a
GreekIsland holiday for the little crea-tures, writes Guy
O’Connell. Thehouse mouse (Mus Musculus, MusDomesticus) long ago
found aplace in the small flats and restau-rants of our home turf.
They are apart of life, but they contaminatefood and they spread
disease.Residents divide on how to dealwith them. One friend has a
livetrap, and releases any captives inRegent's Park (think
"ShawshankRedemption.") Another has a snaptrap, which he baits with
peanutbutter. The mouse in his place eatsthe nutty lure most
nights, whilethe device itself only ever seems tosnap on his toes
as he stumblesinto the kitchen for a midnighttrip. My neighbour has
invested ina cat, and whatever it does to themice, it's also learnt
to poop at willon our window-ledge.Bingo, no more mouse
droppings,just cat poo instead.There may be much to admire in a
mouse. Wikipedia claims that thefemale of the species has
five(count them) five pairs of mamma-ry glands and nipples. They
cansqueeze through the smallest ofholes, down to 6 mm, and
scarcelyever need a drink.But Camden Council warns thatthey are a
health hazard. Our highscore of pubs restaurants andmulti-occupancy
houses mean thatthe mouse population is a real partof life here in
Fitzrovia. Councilofficials advise that "where morethan 15% of
properties in a blockhave problems with mice, we rec-ommend the
whole block be treat-ed as one programme."Here at FN we're
conducting asmall, mouse sized survey, doemail us to let us know if
you seemore of the mouse now than in thepast. What should be done?
Whileyou're thinking about it, here's anold proverb "never throw a
stoneat the mouse, and break the pre-cious vase."
There’s a mouse in the house
-
News and comment 3Fitzrovia News, Winter 2010
FitzroviaTransition Fitzrovia Transition receiveda £500 grant
from CamdenCouncil’s CommunityGreen Fund. The grant is toprovide
training, promotionfor community events, andstart-up
administrationcosts.
Fitzrovia Transition is alocal initiative to strengthencommunity
ties betweenresidents, neighbours andbusinesses, united in thegoal
towards a lower carboneconomy, and promoting “agreener environment
andlifestyle”.
Transition Towns offers apositive and achievablelocally-led
vision of resilientcommunities in the face ofhigher fuel costs,
climatechange, and increasinglyfragile global economies.There are
now over 2000Transition Towns globally,and 8 out of 13 of the
localwards in Camden hostTransition Initiatives.
“It’s great to seeCamden and other councilsputting their
supportbehind Transition in linewith their
Sustainabilityobjectives,” said DavidHannah of FitzroviaTransition.
“It shows theyget it, and are willing to fos-ter the growth of
on-the-ground local projects withseed funding, advice andsupport
from their sustain-ability teams”.
Fitzrovia Transition wasstarted early this year byFiona Green.
“I started withjust a few leaflets, and ahandful of people at the
firstfew meetings”. However,attendance started to steadi-ly
increase. “Local busi-nesses and organisationshave been fantastic
in pro-viding meeting venues andsupport”.
A viewing earlier thisyear of documentary film“The Power of
Community”– about how Cuba respond-ed to a complete loss of
oilimports by “growing foodeverywhere imaginable” –attracted
FitzroviaTransition’s largest turn outto date. Future projects
areplanned to promote urbangardening skills, rooftopgardens,
apple-pressing,fruit drying and canning,workshops to develop
fur-ther local ideas and skills –as well as acoustic musicevents
and friendly pubmeet-ups.
The next TransitionFitzrovia meeting is January13th, 2011 from 6
to 8 p.m.at Bolivar Hall, 54 GraftonWay. All are welcome –admission
is free, and youcan bring refreshments toshare and a friend – or
justcome along.
For more information,visit www.transitionculture.orgor e-mail
[email protected].
continued from front page...
continues on page 5...
Store Street shops still mostly empty but TheBedford Estates
hopeful ofnew tenants
A parade of shops along StoreStreet remains mostly boardedup
after landlord The BedfordEstates raised rents and refur-bished the
shop units over thepast year. The Bedford Estates ishowever hopeful
that the shopswill be let over the next fewmonths. A restaurant and
officeswill also be built on the formerBloomsbury Service Station
andwill be completed at the end of2011.
As previously reported(Fitzrovia News, summer 2009)residents and
businesses in StoreStreet had feared that much ofthe street would
be empty andthat the street would resemble aghost town.
Mark de Rivaz, steward ofThe Bedford Estates, toldFitzrovia News
“We wanted toturn around what was a tiredstreet to look at. The
previousleaseholder of 80 years, the HillTenants Association
(namedafter Percy Hill), had not donemuch to maintain the
buildings.Yet they were only paying £100a year for each building in
theparade.” The 80-year lease onthe shop and residential
unitsexpired at the end of 2009. “Wetook back control of all
thebuildings and renegotiated rentswith the occupiers. The
tenantswere faced with paying marketrents. As a result many of
themleft. Many of the previous busi-nesses really couldn’t be
sus-tained commercially.” A previ-ous shop tenant who left
thestreet told Fitzrovia News thatThe Bedford Estates was a“greedy
landlord” and doubtedthat the currently empty shopsalong the street
would be letvery soon.
Mr de Rivaz, however, saidthe Bedford Estates were confi-dent
that the empty shop unitswould soon be let: “The mainparade of
shops along StoreStreet will have new occupiersas well as some
returning occu-piers. We are currently stillnegotiating with
possible ten-ants but there will likely be anew bookshop, art
gallery,Sicilian delicatessen, flowershop, and restaurant. And
ofcourse, already opened is theStore Street Espresso. We want amix
of uses along the street.”
There will also be two pop-up shops open for a few monthsover
the Christmas and thespring period.
By Linus Rees
Oxford Street buses could berouted through Fitzrovia
but bear with us and we’re hop-ing to make the best of it.
We’reseriously looking forward tomaking some exciting changes,and
no doubt we’ll keep you allposted on developments,” hetold the
forum readers.
Alex told Fitzrovia News:“We do all sorts of repairs andwe do it
very quickly in ourown workshop here. If youbring it in early we’ll
do it thesame day. We also do repairsand service for the
Bromptonfolding bicycles as we an autho-rised service dealer.”
... continued from front page
Cycle shop
A taxi turns right into Gtreat Portland Street. The busy
junction with Mortimer Street could have 40 double-deckerbuses an
hour during the day and 20 an hour during the night pass through
it. The bollards and traffic lights on thepedestrian island would
have to be removed to allow the buses to be able to turn into this
narrow street.
Transport for London (TfL) areproposing to re-route busesthrough
part of Fitzrovia andremove traffic bollards at a busyjunction next
to a Post Office toallow the buses to turn into anarrow street.
Residents andsmall businesses in GreatPortland Street will suffer
thethrough-traffic that the Mayor ofLondon, Westminster CityCouncil
(WCC) and the NewWest End Company BusinessImprovement District
(NWEC-BID) don’t want in Oxford Streetand Regent Street.
TfL’s proposals are partly aresponse to the Mayor ofLondon’s
effort to reduce theamount of buses travelling alongOxford Street.
In a statement TfLSaid: “This complements workwith the City of
Westminsterand the New West EndCompany to enhance the areathrough
traffic management andurban realm initiatives. Routes 8,25 and 55
currently terminate atOxford Circus and come intoservice on Vere
Street and thenrun via Oxford Street west. It isproposed to divert
them so theyno longer serve the OxfordStreet west of Oxford Circus
butinstead run via CavendishSquare, Mortimer Street andGreat
Portland Street back toOxford Street east. It is hoped to
introduce this before the end ofthe year for routes 8 and 55,
sub-ject to consultation. Route 25would also be diverted, on
con-version to double- deck opera-tion in 2011.”
This would mean that buseswould travel east alongMortimer then
turn right tohead south along Great PortlandStreet at the busy
junction out-side the Post Office. MortimerStreet is two lanes one
wayheading east, while GreatPortland Street is a narrow two-way
street. To allow the buses toturn the traffic island on thesouthern
part of the junction.
Yoram Blumann of theFitzrovia NeighbourhoodAssociation has
called uponWestminster City Council toscrap the proposed
routechanges. Mr Blumann said resi-dents will experience seven
daysa week and 24-hour a day dis-turbance; and small businesseswill
have their deliveries dis-rupted. “These bus routes areunacceptable
to local residentsand business people,” said MrBlumann.
people. “Buses travelling at a rate of
up 40 per hour during the dayand 20 per hour after midnighteach
day would significantlyharm residential amenity andmay put at risk
the livelihood ofsmall businesses in this area.The possible
improvement in
Full Colour Print ServicesDigital Copying
Worldwide Parcel Delivery
Mailbox Services
Mailing Services
Packaging Solutions
Virtual O�ce AddressStationery Supplies
Mail Boxes Etc.Oxford Circus
72 Great Titch�eld Street, London W1W 7QWTel: 0207 580 9111Fax:
0207 580 4007
w: www.mbeoxfordcircus.co.uke: [email protected]
Oxford Street would come at theexpense of local residents
andbusinesses living near by. We aresure that this is not what
theMayor had in mind, nor theNWEC- BID spearheading theproject. The
regeneration ofOxford Street was meant toenhance and support the
imme-diate areas bordering OxfordStreet without inflicting
adverseimpact,” Stated Mr Blumann.
Councillor Jonathan Glanzstated: “I support the objectiveof
reducing buses [along OxfordStreet] but also recognise theconcerns
of residents in relationto displacement. As West EndWard
Councillor I haveexpressed and continue toexpress my concern and
supportin this area. Westminster CityCouncil would like to see
busesreduced throughout the lengthof Oxford Street and we
areencouraging curtailment ofbuses at either end of OxfordStreet
and a reduction of overallnumbers,” added Cllr JonathanGlanz.
Fitzrovia resident and localgovernment expert Tony Traverstold
Fitzrovia News “My generalview is the small streets ofFitzrovia are
entirely inappropri-ate for bus routes and, indeed,other through
traffic.”
TfL will carry out an pilotalong the route and an environ-mental
assessment in December2010.
By Linus Rees
-
4 Features Fitzrovia News, Winter 2010
Become a member make a differenceJoin us today - your hospital
needs you
- Give us your views about our services- Vote for your governor,
or stand for governor- Membership is free - you decide on how much
you want to get involved
You can join if you live locally+, or currently are or have been
a patient at one of ourhospitals*, or a carer of a patient.
Download a form from the Governing Body page onour website
www.uclh.nhs.uk, or email [email protected], or phone
RosWaring on 020 7380 9290*The Eastman Dental Hospital, The Heart
Hospital, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, National Hospital for
Neurology andNeurosurgery, The Royal London Hospital for Integrated
Medicine, University College Hospital and Elizabeth Anderson
Hospital+Camden, Islington, Westminster [the wards of Regents Park,
Marylebone High St, West End or St James] and the City of
London[the wards of Farringdon Without, Farringdon Within,
Aldersgate, Cripplegate, Bassishaw, Cheap, Cordwainer, Walbrook,
Vintry,Queenhithe, Castle Baynard, Bread Street, Coleman Street,
Dowgate].
“I want to encourage a higher number of patients and local
residents tobecome members - this really gives people an
opportunity to get involved with
the Trust - it gives people a voice”. Richard Murley,
Chairman
Ninety per cent of those hit bythe government benefit caps
willlive in Westminster andCamden, warned Karen Buck,MP for
Westminster North.
Fears of increasing homeless-ness, overcrowding, peoplesleeping
rough, and damages tocommunities and schools wereall expressed at
the conferenceshe was addressing.
This was organised by theWestminster CommunityNetwork and held
at the IndianYMCA in Fitzroy Square inNovember.
The caps on housingallowances from next April willhave “a
profound effect on peo-ple in Westminster, more thananywhere else
in the country,”said Karen Buck.
Nearly 3,000 people in onebedroom flats will have theirbenefit
cut by £78 a week, 1,360in two-bedroomed flats by £140,and 550 in
three-bedroomedflats by £260, she said.
Increasing council housingrents to 80 per cent of the mar-ket
rate would double the rentsin Westminster, she added.
“Social housing has fallen by20,000 in Westminster over thelast
30 years,” she declared.
“There is a real danger of
people sleeping rough or shar-ing more to a room.
“I have real concerns aboutpeople holding down jobs, pen-sioners
surviving, and particu-larly people with children andtheir
connections with localschools.
“I want cases, because theargument with the governmentwill be
driven by real storiesrather than statistics, and prac-tice rather
than theory. Get intouch with me through
email([email protected]).
“The entire increase in hous-ing benefit over the last decadehas
been because of an increasein the number of cases, not tear-away
inflation in rents.”
She also pointed out that 30per cent of those receiving hous-ing
benefit were at work butwere so poorly paid they neededthe benefit
to bridge the gapbetween their wages and theirrent.
When the total benefitallowance is capped at £500 itwill hit
50,000 homes nationally,she said, “and nine out of ten ofthose will
be in Westminster andCamden.”
Alastair Murray, deputydirector of Housing Justice, saidthere
were 5,500 people on thehousing waiting list in
Westminster, and the number ofpeople sleeping rough on
thestreets had increased to 120.
Overcrowding will resultfrom the latest benefit changes,he
added, with four childrenunder the age of eight beingallowedd to
share a room, andthe age for adults sharing roomsincreasing from 25
to 35.
A third of all those sleepingrough in Westminster were longterm,
said Nik Ward ofWestminster council’s RoughSleeping Team. He urged
peoplewho wanted help for peoplesleeping on the streets to phonethe
Westminster Helpline on 0207641 3841.
The plight of low paid work-ers faced with higher rents
washighlighted by Shirley Springer,chief executive of
WestminsterCitizen Advice Bureaux.
“Low paid workers in barsand restaurants in the epicentrewill be
severely disrupted asthey now claim housing benefitto top up their
pay. There willbe severe disruption not only tothem when this is
stopped butalso to their families, theirschools, social networks
andhealth care.
“The council are encouragingthem to negotiate lower rents,but
that is not realistic, and rent
arrears can be seen as makingyourself intentionally
homeless.
“We need to collect evidenceon the impact of real life
cases.”
The disruptive effect the cutscould have on the community
inFitzrovia was raised by HelenaRoden.
“If people with families,some with a lot of children, areforced
out of accommodationand out of the area it will affect
Fears of overcrowding, rough sleeping, and damage to communities
and schools
our single primary school (AllSouls),” she declared.
“This will have a knock-oneffect on the income of theschool and
the education we canprovide. The school budget isdetermined by the
number ofpupils there are each January.
“Many are Bangladeshi peo-ple who are long established inthe
area and have strong stabletraditions based on living athome with
parents. Without thatsupport of looking after elderlyparents there
will be a knock-oneffect on health. If families arerehoused miles
away and theirparents are still living here theelderly will have a
hard time.
“Children won't be able togrow up in the area any morewhere they
are part of a strongcommunity.”
She also called for the wagesto be pushed up for the low paidin
the area’s many bars andrestaurants.
The WestminsterCommunity Network asked forreal life examples of
those affect-ed to be supplied to it by phon-ing 020 7723 1216 (ask
for Danielor Keri) or [email protected].
Fitzrovia News will also beinterested to hear of any caseson
[email protected].
When thetotal benefitallowance iscapped at£500 it will hit50,000
homesnationally ...and nine outof ten of thosewill be
inWestminsterand Camden,warns MP
By Mike Pentelow
Homelessness set to rocket in area
-
Features 5Fitzrovia News, Winter 2010
All Saints Church Margaret Street
Your neighbourhood church as featured in Fitzrovia News, Summer
2010
A diverse congregation warmly welcomes you to worship with us in
the
catholic tradition of the Church of England with glorious music
in one of
London's finest church buildings.
Sunday Main Services
11.00am High Mass
6.00pm Evensong & Benediction
The church is open throughout the week and there are regular
services.
For more details please see
www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk
or call the parish office 020 7636 1788
If you come new to All Saints because of this advertisement
please tell us that you saw it in Fitzrovia News
Beauty Room UKOffers 20% discount with this voucher
at Walkers Hairdresser, 131 Whitfield Street,
Fitzrovia, London W1T 5EH020 7383 3347
[email protected]
Loukia AdamouMonday to Friday 10am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to
2pm
Facials - Waxing - Body Treatments - Eye Treatments
...continued from page 3The joy of Marshall Street Baths
Ah, the pleasure of again swim-ming in that beautiful, 30
metremarble-lined pool, after 13years of closure! The Friends
ofMarshall Street Baths is to behighly commended for manag-ing to
save this relic of by-gonecivic pride. Westminster’s coatof arms,
emblazoned on theback wall: “Custodi CivitatemDomine” – meaning
‘Guard theCity, O Lord’ – is a starkreminder of a time when
publicproperty and services were notmerely assets to be
monetised,but part of the fabric of society.This pool was mentioned
sever-al times by locals during arecent oral history project.
A shame to lose the seatingon either side of the main pooland
learning pool at the back,so there is no space for the kindof
display and competitions thepublic used to enjoy in thedays of
Jonny Weismuller. Thebog-standard grey glass panelsreflected light
well, but still thesides seemed cramped.
Since my student days,when I used to sneak intoMarshall Street
without paying,I have become addicted to hav-ing a sauna after
swimming.The Health Suite here is verywell appointed, with
good-quality non-slip ceramic tilesunderfoot and lining the
steam-room. The whole, which alsohas two saunas, is oddly laidout:
one sauna is enormous,with seating for over 30, theother tiny with
room for onlyfive – there was a missedopportunity here to build
a
By Ms Fish Turkish bath with rooms ofincreasing temperature.
Thelounge area was not as warm asit should have been, and therewas
the constant whiff of highstrength cleaning fluid whichdecidedly
did not add to theatmosphere.
The afternoon I went wassupposed to be women-only,but there was
a man on recep-tion so none of the freedom onewould expect. He also
wantedto charge an extra £1 for the useof a towel. Apparently
youdon’t pay this if you pay sepa-rately for use of the HealthSuite
but do if you’ve signedup to the ‘ultimate’ packagewhich includes
use of the suite.Another oddity: there is nomiddle charge between
swim-only (£30 a month) and ‘ulti-mate’ which includes use of
thegym (£49 a month). And mem-bership, even for a resident,does not
link with otherWestminster sports facilities oreven Nuffield’s own
chain. Afee of £49 a month will usuallyget you swimming, sauna
andsometimes gym at other localauthority leisure centres
acrossLondon and some YMCAs. Nowonder the place was
nearlyempty.
Breath control: Ms Fish pleasures herself in the restored and
re-opened 30mpool. Photo: Budgie Smuggler
Private tenants in Fitzrovia whoare receiving Local
HousingAllowance (LHA) face somevery stark choices indeed
nextyear.
From April 2011 LHA ratesfor all housing benefit claimantswill
be capped as follows:£250 per week for a 1 bedroomproperty£290 per
week for a 2 bedroomproperty£340 per week for a 3
bedroomproperty£400 per week for a 4 bedroomor larger property
To make matters worse, fromOctober 2011 LHA rates will bebased
on the thirtieth percentile,which basically means only 30percent of
properties in a givenarea will be affordable to benefitclaimants,
rather than 50 percentas before.
Then from April 2013 LHArates will only increase by theConsumer
Price Index (CPI)rather than the higher RetailPrice Index (RPI).
Also, tenantswho have been claimingJobseekers Allowance (JSA)
formore than a year will have theirLHA cut by 10 percent, and ifyou
are 35 years of age or underyou will only be able to claimthe rate
for a shared room in aproperty. Which means that youwill not be
able to claim housingbenefit and live on your ownuntil you reach
the arbitrary ageof 36 !
In fact, these cuts are so con-troversial that not only havethey
been condemned by tenantsgroups like the CamdenFederation of
Private tenantsand homeless charities likeShelter and Crisis – but
landlordgroups and London's MayorBoris Johnson – who provoca-tively
described them as"Kosovo-style social cleansing".
So, what will happen to pri-vate tenants living in centralLondon
who will not be able toafford their rent ?
The government expects thefollowing to happen:
1. The tenant will negotiate alower rent with the landlord
2. The tenant who works andclaims LHA will make up the
difference out of their own pock-et
3. The tenant will move to acheaper outer London boroughor out
of the city altogether
What is likely to happen:
1. According to a recent sur-vey conducted by LondonCouncils
very few landlords willbe willing to reduce the rent –especially if
the claims of 5 ten-ants currently chasing everyproperty in the
private rentedsector is true
2. Part-time or low-paidworkers will be extremelyunlikely to
have any spare cashavailable to make up the differ-ence
3. If large numbers of tenantsdo move to other boroughs
oroutside London it will increasethe rents in these areas
And the ones that don't getmentioned:
4. More people will becomehomeless thus putting a greaterstrain
on already cash-strappedlocal councils and other services
5. The capital will become aneven more divided city than
italready is with the centrebecoming a ghetto for thewealthy and
the edges a ghettofor the poor
What should you do if youare a Camden private tenant inreceipt
of LHA and think it willnot cover your rent next year ?
1. Don't panic - and get intouch with somebody who cangive you
advice as soon as pos-sible
2. We can be contacted on:020 7383 0151, the council'sPrivate
Sector Housing AdviceTeam on: 020 7794 5801 (theyhave a lot of
experience of nego-tiating with landlords) or get intouch with a
local group thatgives housing advice such as theFitzrovia
NeighbourhoodAssociation on: 020 7580 4576
Camden Federation ofPrivate Tenants, 11-17 The Marr,Camden
Street, NW1 0HE.
We can also be contacted byemail on: [email protected]
Robert Taylor is organiser ofCamden Federation of
Privatetenants
What the proposedhousing benefit limits will mean
By Robert Taylor
In the next Fitzrovia News:
A PUB GUIDE FOR THE AREA
A special pull-out section on all thepubs and bars, and what
they haveto offer.
Being MarvellousGod knows what the peoplehaving lunch outside
therestaurant next door made ofit all, writes William RobertLee.
They probably thought:“Fitzrovia’s gone down apeg”.
Bonnie and Clyde hadcome in disguised as motherand daughter. The
daughterstole a bracelet and as shewas about to leave the shop
Igrabbed her by the arm try-ing to drag her back into theshop with
one hand and try-ing to shove the mother outwith the other
hand.
Well, the mother wasn’texactly a small woman, shegot wedged in
the doorway.The bracelet snapped andwhite pearls bounced offevery
surface and all overthe floor.
There was another ladyin the shop at the time justbrowsing in
one of the cabi-nets who almost collapsedwith fright. She
probablyonly popped in on her lunchbreak thinking “Oh, what alovely
little shop”.
Well, this poor womancouldn’t get past to exit as Iwas swinging
the thiefaround by the arm. Finallyboth Bonnie and Clyde leftthe
shop quickly followed byme who was shouting astring of four-letter
words atthem down the street.
I went back into the shopand the poor, frightenedlady was still
there and inmy best Noel Coward voice Isaid “I do beg your pardon.
Idon’t normally act like that. Idon’t know what came overme”.
Faulty checkoutTesco’s Goodge Street drewthe attention of
Camden’sfood standards departmentin November after an out-of-date
item of food wasallowed to pass through anautomatic checkout and
besold, writes Linus Rees. Anitem past the use by datewas noticed
when a cus-tomer later checked the dateon the label, and then madea
complaint that the barcodecheckers were faulty.
-
G i v e y o u r c h i l d a g r e a t s t a r t i n l i f e
.
Large outdoor play areas Qualified & friendly staff
Structured, play based learning Fresh food prepared on site daily
Childcare vouchers accepted!
TT WW OO WWEE EE KK SS
FFRREEEE DD AAYY CC AA
RREE*
www.leyf.org.uk Registered Chari ty No. 299686
For award winning early years education across London, please
call 020 7834 8679 or email [email protected].
*Al l new parents will be credited with two weeks fees (pro
rata) at the end of their f i rst six months in any one of our 19
nurseries with this advert.
u r y oeG i v
TT WW OO WWEE EE KK SS
FFRR EEEE
t a rtst ag r ea d i lhc
EEEE*
. l i f ei n
playoutdoor rge Ladlynefri& ified laQuabyalp,derutcurSt
preparedfood Fresh
areas playffatsdly
gninraeldesaildasite prepared
preparedfood FreshsrehcuoveracdliCh
nnwird awar Follacesaepl 0 02
tiwdetiderceblliwstnreapwenll*Ahtiwseiresrun91ru of oen oyn an
i
yildasite onprepareds !detpecc a
wwwsigRe
roacn oitacduersaeyylraenginn79 863478 liameor els@iendfr
shtnomxistsrifr iehtfodneethta)atarorp(seefskeewowtht.trevd
asihth
.uk.orgyfle.www686992.oNytirahCderets
,ndonoLss.ukg.orfye .
6 Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
Autumn term news fromAll Souls Primary School
Year 1 held a Collective Worship.The y welcomed us all in all
the dif-ferent languages they speak in theclassroom.
Year 5 taught us about Diwali.
Carb based loyalty programmes
I find myself with a friend in thelobby of the Charlotte
StreetHotel; it was not really an acci-dent that we ended up
here…wewould have found our way backhere blindfolded and via
hotcoals if we had to.
The hotel needn’t have spentso much money on expensiveflowerpots
and flags out thefront: the bar snacks they servetell me everything
I need toknow about the place.
You can tell the kind of placeyou are sitting in by eyeing
offthe bowls on the bar. In today’scase, shiny silver bowlsdesigned
to fit one well-mani-cured hand. I am not actuallysure what is in
my bowl exactly,in fact I cannot even tell youwhat food groups are
represent-ed. But I know it’s good.
It looks like a Disney toy hasexploded in there (I feelequipped
to make this observa-tion having put my brother’sMickey Mouse in
the blendersome years ago.) I am unsurewhat the green and
orangepieces taste like, but if ever therewas a mark of quality,
surelythese bits were it.
There is a correlationbetween the volume of coloursin a bar
snack bowl and howmuch you are likely to be stungwhen the bill
comes. In my caseI was definitely looking at a sec-ond mortgage to
pay for myvodka and coke, a tipple tradi-tionally enjoyed by those
whodon’t worry about anything astrivial as a glass. I would
feelpretty silly telling the homelessguy around the corner that,
forthe same money, I could havebought several bottles of vodka.I
just know he would be fasci-nated by my price analysis
onpotato-based spirits.
While you wait for yourtakeaway (seems prettyappalling, even by
my stan-dards, to get something deliv-ered a whopping 50metres,)
atthe little bar in the Curry Leafthey offer you
four-day-oldnewspapers and some BombayMix. I am not sure that this
foodis really worthy of capital letters.I do find that my appetite
foraubergine served in litres of oilis however greater after a
coupleof helpings of their bar snacks.
Or it may be that I justworked up an appetite whilst
helping them fold napkins; theygave me a lesson recently whilstI
waited. I would have asked fora discount on my order, but itturned
out I was not half asskilled as their waitingstaff…this will not be
surprisingto anyone who has ever workedwith me. As soon as I left,
somepoor waiter not only had to huntand gather the Bombay Mix Ihad
sprayed around the place,but they also had to rebuild allmy linen
bishops’ hats. Thechurch has enough problems todeal with, without
having toworry about the way I had rep-resented their wardrobe.
In one of my favouriteFitzrovia pubs the bar man willopen a bag
of crisps if you sit atthe bar and drink with him. Ifeel a little
bit like I am prostitut-ing myself…but I am not surewho gets more
out of the deal?Either way, whenever I am toss-ing up which pub to
take mylaptop to, his one seems to cometo mind. It is a carb based
loyal-ty program. It’s not a posh pub;so there are no wheat
basedrainbow snacks, but crisps areall I am looking for
sometimes.Please note, I have not men-tioned the name of his pub
fortwo reasons – firstly I am unsurewhether his boss knows what
hegets up to, so I don’t want to cutoff the hand that feeds me, so
tospeak. And secondly I don’twant any of you turning upthere and
taking the crisps that Ihave worked so hard to beoffered.
I have a friend coming overtonight and I was going to
servenibbles. Now that I have lookedat the quality of my own
barsnacks, I don’t like what theysay about me as a host. So Iempty
my handbag and pourout the snacks I have collectedfrom the
Charlotte Street Hotel.After all, I don’t want her think-ing that I
am cheap.
By Sally Beerworth
Year 1 went on a trip to a fire station
Above and below: The whole schoolhave been involved in writing
proj-ects. Year 2 had a week of readingthe story “Where the Wild
ThingsAre”, Maurice Sendak, and wrotetheir own versions of the
story.
Year 6 learnt about the great fire of London through drama.
The following is a diary entry by Ellie (Year 6) about the great
fire ofLondon. Sunday 2nd September 1666.Dear Diary,I woke up
startled by the screams of people far away. Anxiously, I ran tolook
out of the window feeling nervous because I did not know what
wasgoing on. Children and people ran as fast as wolves from huge
waves offire. Desperately I packed my cheese and wine to run as
fast as I could toget to the other side of the river.
Drinking fountains proposedCouncillor Jonathan Glanz has
proposed a network of drinkingwater fountains throughout the
West End by restoring existing waterfountains (such as the one
outside Great Portland Street station), and theintroduction of new
fountains, writes Pete Whyatt.Jonathan told Fitzrovia News: “ I
have received the support of local resi-dents and businesses and I
am hoping the new fountains could be paidfor by developers and the
older fountains restored with help from theDrinking Water Fountains
Foundation with support from the West EndWard Budget.“Such
fountains would provide a healthy alternative to other forms
ofdrink. This would also reduce packaging, deliveries, collection
of wasteand landfill space. They would serve young and old,
residents and visi-tors alike. They could also provide a much
needed opportunity tohydrate those affected by excessive alcohol
consumption.“Their reintroduction would make the West End a more
welcomingplace for the millions of visitors expected for the
Queen's DiamondJubilee, World Pride, and the Olympics and
Paralympics in 2012, andproduce a lasting effect for the
future.”
-
7Fitzrovia News, Winter 2010
Poetry
Email your poems to:[email protected](putting “Poetry
Corner” insubject box) or post them to:Fitzrovia News,39 Tottenham
Street,London,W1T 4RX.
Fitzrovia’sFinest
39 Foley Street
London
W1W 7TP
Your local Estate Agent for 23 years
020 7580 1010www.ldg.co.uk
Sales Lettings Commercial
Winter Resolve
By Sandra Wheen
Today is the very nadir of theyear.A grudging twilightHolds us
in its maw.The wind and rainLike coughs and coldsCombine to bring
us down.
Bring on more lightsTo brighten up the day!But lights within are
best.Endeavour like a rod of steelJoins us to better times,Brings
focus to the gloom.
republican bent, includingWilliam Blake.
No. 7 Upper MaryleboneStreet is where Paine wrote thesecond part
of Rights of Man,his most famous book inEurope. Rickman had a
brassplate attached to the table Paineused, (now displayed in
thePeople’s History Museum inManchester), and lived at No 7until
his death 1834.
Since then both the name ofthe street has changed, and
thenumbering, and there has beensome confusion about whereexactly
No. 7 UpperMarylebone Street was. No. 154New Cavendish Street has
beenidentified as ‘the place whereThomas Paine wrote Rights ofMan”
in several publications,but recent research at theLondon
Metropolitan Archivesdisproved this.
Richard Horwood’s 1799map of London clearly showsNo. 7 as the
third house east ofOgle Street. Building taxrecords of time confirm
thatnumbers 9 and 10 were on
either corner of Ogle Street, asin Horwood’s map, and alsothat
Rickman lived at number7. Horwood’s map and satellitepictures of
the area combine toshow that J.J. HighwoodHouse, or 148 New
CavendishStreet, occupies the site of theold 7, 8, and 9
UpperMarylebone Street.
The mis-identification of154 New Cavendish may havecome about
because there isone letter from Rickman pub-lished in Joshua
Reynold’s cor-respondence which gives hisaddress as No. 4
UpperMarylebone St, the present 154,one of the three
originalGeorgian terrace houses left.This is, however, the only
docu-ment among dozens of otherswhich gives Rickman’s addressas No
7.
Since the building isn’t theoriginal one where Paine andRickman
lived, the place isineligible for a Blue Plaquefrom English
Heritage. PerhapsWestminster Council could bepersuaded to install
one oftheir green plaques, as it didfor Olaudah Equiano on
RidingHouse St. This is certainly themost important of the
manyplaces Thomas Paine lived dur-ing his various stints
inLondon.
Barb Jacobson is secretary of theThomas Paine Society.
Radical wrote his most importantworks in New Cavendish
Street
The eastern end of 148 New Cavendish Street, Fitzrovia, where
once stoodnumber 7 Upper Marylebone Street and where Thomas Paine
once lived.Photo: Linus Rees
Thomas Paine, the most influ-ential democratic agitator
andpamphleteer in history, livedfor brief periods in Londonover the
course of a peripateticlife. He first came to London asa journeyman
staymaker in1756, then on behalf of theExcise Officers in the
fewmonths before he left forAmerica in 1774. When he cameback from
America a veryfamous man in 1788, Paineoften stayed in London until
heleft for good in 1792. The proj-ect he brought with him,
hisdesign for an iron bridge, soongave way to the promotion
ofrevolution.
Most of these addresses areunknown. Paine seems to havestayed in
a variety of temporarylodgings, mainly in Soho andthe City. There
is one definiteaddress however, for the lastand possibly most
importantmonths Paine ever spent inLondon: No. 7 UpperMarylebone
Street, on what isnow 148 New Cavendish Streetin Fitzrovia.
This was the home of hisfriend Thomas ‘Clio’ Rickman.Rickman was
a versifier onfamous people and events, withlargely republican
themes, abookseller and bookbinder. Hishouse became a centre for
localwriters and artists with a
By Barb Jacobson New researchreveals ThomasPaine lived atnumber
148, not 154
15 Goodge PlaceFitzrovia, London
W1T 4SQtel: (020) 7636 9222fax: (020) 7637 3553
[email protected]
Obituary: Harold “Brookie” BrookstoneFriends of long-time
Fitzrovia resident Harold “Brookie” Brookstone weresaddened to hear
of his death this autumn. Sue Blundell spoke fondly ofBrookie: “He
was the leading light in the local Westminster ward LabourParty,
and kept it going when many of us were leaving. Never a Blairite,he
remained loyal to the Party and worked hard for it. He was an
activetrades unionist and a principled, witty and likeable man. It
was alwaysfun to talk to him. Last time I met him I asked who he
was going to votefor in the Leadership election, and he said,
‘It’ll be either someone calledMilliband or someone called Ed. Or
both.’ I will miss him a lot.”
-
8 Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
‘Free and easy’taverns createdthe music hallT
he genesis of the Music Hall is generally held to be in the
‘Free and Easies’ of London Pubs. These wereTavern Singing Clubs,
unintentionally created by the 1843 Licensing Act, which prohibited
the performanceof drama outside the 'Royal' theatres. Such
establishments had existed long before the 1843 Act, but they
took on a slightly different character when 'drama' became
respectable and began playing to wider audiences.There were several
such
establishments in Fitzrovia. Fortwo of them we have a
fascinat-ing insight through the diariesof Charles Rice. He earned
hisliving as a messenger at theBritish Museum, supplementinghis
wages as a singer in concerthalls throughout centralLondon.
He appeared at two inFitzrovia: the King's Head at 79Great
Portland Street, and theRed Lion at 2 Tottenham CourtRoad on the
corner of HanwayStreet.
The King’s Head was knownas 'Macdonald's' to distinguish itfrom
another establishment ofthe same name in Old ComptonStreet. In 1840
it passed into thehands of a man called JamesBrewster. By 1845 it
was run byJames Wilcox, in 1848 by CharlesLeneve. The Red Lion was
justbehind the site later occupied byMortons' famous 'Oxford',
gen-erally regarded as the first of themodern halls.
The King's Head had operat-
JESS OWEN writes about two local ones
ed for at least fifty years. It didnot feature in any of
theLicensing Applications so wecan assume it was a fairly
quietestablishment. A Red had beenin the area since the
previouscentury.
Rice was not impressed by avisit to Great Portland Streetshortly
before the change ofownership. He was offered a res-idency there in
1840."Evening toBrewster's.......awful piano, goodplayer, Mr
Blackman. Heard aMr Roberts sing 'MatrimonialSweets' & a Mr
Thornton sangsame song throughout in a kindof rough falsetto. Both
partiesunapplauded. A gent murdered'Calder Fair' sacriligeously.
Ireceived the offer of Mondays ifI liked, for sixpence. Refused
it,& came away".
His time at the Red Lion wasmore convivial. He attendedseveral
'Benefits' on the premis-es. In January of 1840 he 'went
to the Benefit of a very gentle-manly, honest young man of
thename of Watts... The Room wasvery queerly attended.’
The diaries offer an insightinto the repertoires on offer tothe
public before the generationof Music Hall 'proper'. Theycatch a
moment when there is atransition between the olderconvivialities of
the Free andEasy and a more formalisedmusic industry. With one
excep-tion, all of Rice's repertoire canbe found as the popular
pennysheets known as broadside bal-lads.
Singers would undoubtedlyseek to accommodate the tastesof their
audiences, a factor espe-cially important to a semi-pro-fessional
performer such as Rice.His main songs included BillyTaylor, St
Anthony and My LordTomnoddy.
Billy Taylor dates from atleast 1804 when it was sung at
both Covent Garden and DruryLane. A fine broadside was
pub-lished by Laurie and Whittle ofFleet Street, dated Sept 24 of
thatyear. It was popular enough twoyears later to provide the tune
toanother song “Dicky Day TheCruel Cobler”. The tale is of ayoung
man, parted from hissweetheart by the press gang.
The composition came at atime when propaganda infavour of the
armed forces, andthe navy in particular, wasreaching its zenith.
The warsagainst revolutionary Francehad precipitated a major
famineacross the country and werevery unpopular. Propagandapieces
went hand in hand with'loyal' associations to promul-gate a warlike
spirit amongst thepopulation at large. Radicalswere forced onto the
defensive,though in Westminster, they ral-lied around Parliamentary
poli-tics and carried the famous elec-tion of 1804.
'The Temptations of StAnthony' does not survive inmany editions
as a ballad. It hadoriginally appeared in Bentley'sof Jan 1838,
with a striking illus-tration by George Cruikshank.One text that
does survive, inthe Firth collection, reveals it tobe a bright
bravura piece thatmust have been a lot of fun toperform.
The ballad is lengthy, anddetails much misbehaviour byvarious
imps, which must havegiven the performer muchopportunity for
mugging andhorseplay with the audience.
“An imp came then like askeleton form,
Just come out of a charnelvault--
His jaws with gristle wereblack and deform
But his teeth were as whiteas salt,
He grinn'd full many a life-less grin,
And wagg'd and rattled hisbony tail--
His skull was deck'd withgill and fin,
And his eyes were like theeyes of a snail,
He took his stand at thegood saint's back,
On tiptoe rum he stood aspace,
And cock'd down his Indiarubber eyes,
To squint and gaze upon hisface.
The succession of grotesquesfails to move the studious
saint.
But finally, his resolve crumbles.The punch line to the song
is:
“There are many devils thatwalk in this world
Devils great, and devilssmall
But a laughing woman withtwo bright eyes,
Is the worst devil of all”.Rice's third 'standard' is in
the same vein as 'St Anthony',only with a more political
twist.The ballad also started life as apoem in “Bentley's
Miscellany”,first appearing in June 1837 asNo V of 'Family
Stories--- (The )Hon Mr Sucklethumbkin'sStory”.
Bentley's was not a particu-larly radical journal. It had noneof
the fire of Petrie's 'Man',Owen's 'New Moral World' orRobert
Nicols' “Leeds Mercury'.Yet it patently shared a loathingfor the
landed classes with suchpublications. Victorian Englandwas a
country seething withclass antagonism. The monarchywas duly
loathed, the 'new'queen having only been giventhe job because her
cousin, therightful heir, threatened tounleash a reactionary
'militia'against those who had felt themiddle classes ought to have
ashare in the franchise. The highprice of food was widely
attrib-uted to grasping landownerswho had artificially inflated
itscost during the Napoleonic warsof a generation earlier.
Tomnoddy had remarkablelongevity as a piece. In The1860's it was
parodied by theplaywright Robert Brough. Hisversion was a staple
amongstthe Radical clubs of London. Itwas perpetuated by the
SocialDemocratic Federation findingits way into early 20th
centurysocialist song books. Untilrecently the term
'Tomnoddy'circulated as a term of abuse forthose who thought
themselvesbetter than others due to 'birth'.The radical populism of
theearly 'halls' was voluntarilyeradicated as the owners
sought'respectability', to safeguardtheir licences from
'moralreformers'.
Quotes in the text are from L.Senelick (Ed.), Tavern Singing
InEarly Victorian London: theDiaries of Charles Rice, SocietyFor
Theatre Research, London1997.
http://ase.tufts.edu/fac-ultyguide/fac/lsenel01.drama.htm;http://www.str.org.uk/books/books.html#memoirs
The Nightingale, one of the tavern singing clubs.
-
9Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
fitzroviaW1.co.ukw1
lettings commercialsales
HURFORD SALVI CARR
A NEW WEBS ITE FOR THE RES IDENTS OF F ITZROV I A
020 7299 3322
38 STO RE S T, LO NDO N, WC 1
‘When my mother died, Ihelped lay her out,’ says Juliet,who
lives in Hanson Street. ‘Myfather wanted me to, but Ishouldn’t have
done it. I hadnightmares.
‘I wrote it down – it was acry from the heart. It came outin
dialogue. Before that I’d bare-ly written a letter.’
Someone took it to a BBCreader, who told Juliet sheshould write.
It became a TVplay called The Captain’s Wifestarring Patricia
Hodge. Afterthat she went on a writingcourse which changed her
life.But it wasn’t to be a fast change.
‘After about three years Ihad enough rejections to paper
alavatory,’ says Juliet. ‘But gradu-ally the rejection slips
changedto letters and the letters becamelonger. I never gave
up.’
The road from her upbring-ing in Llanelli in South Waleshad
already been a long andwinding one.
She describes her back-ground as odd and schizo-phrenic. Her
father was middle-class, public school and English-speaking, and
her mother’s fam-ily were ‘sort of peasants’ andWelsh-speaking from
a little vil-lage.
‘On my father’s side theyused the right cutlery and hadmelon
forks, on my mother’sside it was toasted cheese on afork in front
of the fire.
So right from the start, Julietwas used to different voices.
Shehad older sisters and wasregarded as the dumb one of thefamily.
She used to spend a lotof time in the attic telling storiesto her
dolls and acting them out.
And it was acting that firstattracted Juliet. Her mother
wasadamant that they should allhave ‘something solid’ behindthem,
and so she went toteacher’s training college inCoventry,
specialising in musicand drama.
From there she got a scholar-ship to the Rose Bruford
actingschool, spent three years teach-ing to ‘give something back’
forher training, took a deep breath,and decided to give acting a
go.
‘I didn’t have the tempera-ment,’ says Juliet. ‘The only timeI
got work was when peoplehappened to see me perform. Iwas hopeless
in auditions –wracked with nerves.’
She got some walk-on parts,children’s productions and twoseasons
at The Grand inSwansea, where she nursed herailing mother. Then she
cameback to London, and got a job ina school for teenage boys
withspecial needs.
It was a stressful, at timesdangerous, job and here againher
sense of drama stood her in
good stead.‘I wore tight black trousers
tucked into knee boots, blackjumpers and put my hair up,’says
Juliet. ‘They thought I wasHonor Blackman from TheAvengers and
could do judo.’
It was at this time she got anevening job as an usherette
thatwould introduce her to theworld of actors and writerswhere she
would eventuallyfind her home. Her flatmate wasunderstudying Joan
Sims andthey all used to go a club calledBuxton’s behind the
HaymarketTheatre.
Then came marriage, a moveto Dartmouth where her hus-band
lectured at the NavalCollege, and two children.Gradually the
writing took off.
She was asked to write forThe Archers and inject somehumour into
it. Keen to do herown research, she befriended alocal farmer. He
said he’d showher tupping, which Julietthought was rams having
theirtails docked, rather than beingintroduced to ewes.
Juliet wanted him to spareno details, so somewhat forensi-cally
the farmer pointed out thata ram’s testicles, unlike a man’s,hang
equally.
‘What about that funny littleone over there?’ asked Juliet.
‘Oh, that’s Malcolm,’ said thefarmer. ‘He’s what we call
ateaser. We send him in first toget the ewes warmed up.’
Needless to say, Malcolmsoon made an appearance in
TheArchers.
Juliet’s next big break camein the early 1980s when she wasasked
to write for The DistrictNurse starring Nerys Hughesand filmed in
her native Wales.It was here she teamed up withthe famous editor
and producer
Some people start writing to follow a dream. For Juliet Ace, who
wenton to write for such national treasures as EastEnders and The
Archers,it was to escape a nightmare.
By BRIAN JARMAN
Real nightmareinspired writer
duo Tony Holland and thenotoriously forthright JuliaSmith
(they’d worked on Z Carstogether).
Two years later they went onto create EastEnders, and tookJuliet
with them. She wrote threeepisodes in the first year, got acontract
to write six in the sec-ond year, and stayed with it fornine years.
It brought a newreality to the world of soaps.
From the start, Tony wantedit to be as authentic as
possible.
JULIET ACE, pictured by Charles New
EastEnders andArchers followedin road to the top
The writers read as much asthey could about life in the
EastEnd.
‘In Neighbours or somethingyou could have someone havinga brain
tumour one week andrunning a marathon the next,’says Juliet.
The EastEnders team wantedto give issues proper weight, toensure
that they were character-led. One storyline about cotdeath spanned
two years.
The episode that Julietremembers having the mostimpact was when
Michelle toldher grandmother she was preg-nant, and asked her
whatwomen did in her day.
‘In the same episode, Sharonis in the pub chatting up
Lofty,really flirting with him. Denoverhears and slaps her
face,just as Angie comes in. Angieslaps Den’s face and he
slapshers.’
Mary Whitehouse com-plained about the violence. Butthey were
just trying to reflectreal life. Angie and Den becamethe most
famous husband andwife in the history of soaps.
At the age of 72, Juliet is stillwriting – compiling the
memoirs
of actor Terence Rigby, who diedtwo years ago. She met him
inBuxton’s all those years ago, and‘walked out’ with him for
awhile.
She moved to Fitzrovia fouryears ago from Camden. Sheloves the
fact that it’s home tomany writers, actors and pro-ducers she
knows, and oldboyfriends used to live here soshe felt a certain
nostalgia for it.
Her career has encompassedaward-winning soap and dramafor TV,
radio and film, in bothEnglish and Welsh.
But ask Juliet about herproudest achievement, and shetells about
a carpenter shetaught to read and write inDartmouth, before
literacy pro-grammes were common.
Years later, she was walkingpast a building site and someonecame
out of a portakabin,whistling and waving at her. Itwas her
carpenter, who’dbecome site manager. His litera-cy had opened doors
for him.
‘It spurred me on to think Icould also break out and keep atit
like he had, and become awriter,’ she says.
-
10 History features Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
Growing up in Charlotte Street
When my Father asked mewhat I would like for myfourth birthday,
I replied
“A dog please”. “We'll see, but let’skeep it as a surprise for
yourMum”. Dad knew that Mum mightnot be keen on the idea since a
dogcan be messy and needs lookingafter, and what happens when wego
on holiday?
However, prior to my birth-day, Dad asked me to take a busride.
“Where to?” He repliedvaguely, “To the park or some-where”. Mum was
busy andpleased to see the back of us.The moment we were out of
thehouse Dad turned with a smileand said, “We”re off to
ClubRow”.
I was in heaven! Club Rowwas an open-air market - whereyou could
buy almost anything.You had to be careful not to becheated and much
of what wason sale was stolen. They used tosay they would steal the
shirt offyour back as you entered, thensell it to you on the way
out!!
We found the section wherethere were a number of ‘mer-chants’
selling animals. As wepassed, one held up a puppy -“Luverly little
dog, guv, justright for the boy - ’ere ’old ityerself sonny”. I'll
never forgetthat moment. A small, warm ballof fluff, all white
except for atouch of brown and a blue rib-bon tied around its neck.
I lovedit right away. The blue ribbonwas supposed to indicate it
wasa male. Dad took a look, “Are
you sure it’s not a bitch?” heasked, “Of course not guv,
that’swhy he’s got a blue ribbon —look for yerself”
“Is it a present for the boy?”He must have been a psychic —"Tell
yer what guv, if it’s ’is berf-day, you can ’ave it for a
dollar”.“Matter of fact” Dad said, “It isfor his birthday”. “Well,
whatd’you know?” He stuffed athreepenny bit into my hand,“Get
yersel’ some sweets sonnyand have a ’appy birthday”.What a
salesman! Dad was hesi-tant, “I hope it's a healthy dog”— “Its
father was a champion,but he got mixed-up with thewrong woman”, the
peddleranswered with a smile — “He'llbe a good watchdog and
goodcompany for the lad”. Dadhanded over five shillings andoff we
went. The bus conductorremarked on how cute ‘she’ was.“It’s a he
not a she” I told him.“They all are in Club Row,” hesaid.
As we entered the house,Dad was nervous of what Mumwas going to
say. When Iwalked in and showed her thepuppy, she blew her top.
Dadtried to placate her — I heardMum say “It can stay here
fortoday, but get rid of it tomor-row”. I was desolate, but Dadsaid
“Don’t worry, tomorrow’s along way off”. Bobbie stayedwith us for
fourteen years, andwe soon discovered ‘he’ was a‘she’!
Although I was born in theWest End, I was no ‘townie’. Wedidn't
get to the coast or coun-tryside much, so I had to be con-tent with
Regent’s Park. When Iobtained my bike, I rode toplaces like Epping
Forest,Hadley Woods or Sarrat, to feelfree of London and enjoy the
air.
My friend and I would cycleto the coast. It was heaven and
Ipromised myself that one-day Iwould live right by the sea.
Oneevening my Mother announcedthat we were moving. I was jubi-lant,
but not for long! We werejust moving to nearby FitzroyStreet. Dad
hated travelling towork and he adored the cosmo-politan life of the
West End. Heloved his Sunday visits to thelocal café where he could
eatreal French croissants and drink‘real coffee’ - Who needed
thecountryside when you hadHyde Park? And what was bet-ter than
listening to the brassbands in Regent’s Park? – Or thejoy of
strolling along OxfordStreet.
Bobbie could sense some-thing was happening andsniffed
suspiciously at theremoval boxes. I took Bobbie totake a look at
our new home.There was something about theplace I didn't like.
Bobbieshowed her disapproval, sheturned and went to the frontdoor.
She obviously shared myviews. That night I tuckedBobbie into her
basket - she gave
me a goodnight ‘kiss’ whichturned out to be a farewell
one,because next morning we foundher dead. I guess she had decid-ed
she didn't want to move.Now maybe all this is pure coin-cidence –
but it is possible
Bobbie sensed the house was notlucky? Draw your own conclu-sion,
but during one of the firstair raids on London, the housesuffered a
direct hit.
Sam Lomberg MBE grew up in Charlotte Street during the 1920s and
1930s. Here he relates more memories from his childhood.
In the 1930s Sam Lomberg cycled all over London and the south
east on hisbicycle. Picture: courtesy of Sam Lomberg
Ten years agoA plaque to anti-slavery cam-paigner Olaudah
Equiano (1745-1797) was unveiled at 73 RidingHouse Street, where he
lived in1789 and wrote about the brutaltreatment he had received as
aslave.
An article by Jim Claysonfirst appeared in Fitzrovia Newsin 1992
about how Equiano hadbeen captured as a young boy inNigeria and
forced into slavery.Equiano finally gained his free-dom and wrote
about his firsthand experience of the barbarityof slavery.
Equiano also lived at 37Tottenham Street (when it wasNo 13) next
to the FitzroviaNeighbourhood Centre, wherehe is included in the
mural byBrian Barnes.
Fitzrovia NeihbourhoodAssociation representative MikePentelow
said the associationwas proud to have taken the ini-tiative in
proposing the plaque.It was especially apapropriate inBlack History
Month, he said, asmany black people had played arole in the
multicultural historyof Fitzrovia. These includedWilliam Davidson
who was exe-cuted for the Cato StreetConspiracy which was plannedin
a pub in Grafton Way, andThabo Mbeki who fought for theabolition of
apartheid while
working for the African NationalCongress in exile at 51
RathboneStreet from 1967 to 1970.
Actor Burt Caesar readextracts from Equiano's writings,poet
Yvonne Bailey read a poemshe had written about him, andthe Ian Hall
quartet played aspecially composed EquianoFanfare.
Many were shocked to hearof the death of CynthiaWilliams, a
stalwart of theFitzrovia Play Association, whohad been born in
Ireland in 1925but came to London as a childand had lived in Riding
HouseStreet for over 50 years. As atribute to her great work shewas
incorporated into the neigh-bourhood centre mural.
(from Fitzrovia News,December 2000)
CYNTHIA WILLIAMS
Drop-in for under fives
16 Chenies Street | off Tottenham Court
Roaddrillhall.co.uk/children | 020 7307 5060
-
11Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
Need a hand?
ClubCare is a project based at the All Souls Clubhouse, a
Christian Community Centre in Cleveland Street, W1. Charity no.
303292
ClubCare
Call ClubCare for free help07976 431 218 or (020) 7255
975610am–4pm Monday to Friday.
odd jobs
form filling or dealing with
correspondence
shopping
basic DIY or decorating
visiting and befriending
accompanying
to appointments
accompanying
on trips out
collecting prescriptions
and pensions
HEARTS IN PARIS
CHARLOTTE
STREET
ASSOCIATIONCampaigning for the
Environment & Fitzrovia
Community since 1970
Support us to preserve the
character and unique quali-
ties of Fitzrovia, the promo-
tion of good design, more
housing for local people,
better community facilities;
a restriction in through traf-
fic, a reduction in noise
levels, and no extension of
licensing hours.
For membership
details contact the
Secretary:
Tel: 0207 636 3944:
Email:
[email protected]
Or write to 39
Tottenham Street
W1T 4RX
ShivPharmacy
70 Great Titchfield Street London W1W 7QN
Prescriptions
Multivitamins
Herbal MedicationsNatural and
Homeopathic produce
Friendly MedicalAdvice
Open Monday to Friday8.30am to 6pm
Tel/Fax
020 7580 2393
[email protected]
The cold is beginning to hunch over Grafton Street and stiffens
Nina’sfingers as she draws. Her model, a rich Russian friend, lies
on a thinrug. A black movement in the corner jolts through Nina and
she is
on her feet, bashing at the floor with a can of petrol.
‘Are you sure you don’timagine them?’ the Russianasks.
Nina puts the can down.‘They told me I could only havethe place
for seven and six if Ihoused the bugs.’ Her stomachgrouses, making
her woozy, andshe looks out at the weedy light.‘I hate winter.’
Her friend lights a cigarette.‘You haven’t seen a Russianwinter.
One cannot survivewithout furs. This cold is roman-tic.’
Nina’s eyes linger outside.‘There’s nothing romantic aboutbeing
alone.’
‘Where do you want to go,Nina?’
‘Paris.’The Russian gives her a ciga-
rette. ‘Why not?’‘That thing you call dyengi.’‘Ah, you need
money?’ She
blows out smoke. ‘I have twentypounds doing nothing in mybank.
Would you like it?’
‘What a life you lead!’‘Take it.’‘Be serious.’‘I am.’‘You would
have to buy
something.’‘I will buy this drawing.’‘For twenty pounds?’‘I’m
very rich.’ She waves
her cigarette like a wand.‘Even so, I have to exhibit
here in December.’‘So? Go! As one woman to
another, I wish you a season ofscandalous passion. Come backin
time for your exhibition, intime for Christmas. What doyou
say?’
Every night in Paris thesculptors and art critics drinkliqueurs
and stay out until theblack, mirthful sky stumbles intomorning.
Nina dances in red or
yellow stockings, and the scentof Christmas and cheap redwine
jingles in the air.
For weeks, Nina watches ayoung man at the Rotonde. Heis a
gorgeous god, with hair thecolour of weak sunlight. Nina’sheart
blisters, as though fromlying too long on the beach.
She catches his eye now andhe smiles. The cold blows in
herfriend, Arthur Ransome.
‘I didn’t know you were inParis,’ she says.
‘Been here a couple ofweeks.’ Ransome’s moustachemuffles his
words. ‘Meet myfriend, Basil. He’s an aristocrat,you know.’
Basil tries to be mysteriousin very old clothes, a black hatand
a cloak.
‘You’re a charming woman,’he says, in a voice of velvetdrapes
and marble floors.
Nina pulls her hand away.‘Your shoes are dirty,’ she says.
‘Yes. I’m incapable of puttingthem outside the door at night.’He
steers her to a corner andthey drink small plums inkirsch. All the
time she watchesthe young man in the corner. Hetalks now to a small
group ofwriters, whom Nina recognises.There is more kirsch, and
shebegins to laugh at Basil’s jokes,to find him handsome.
She asks, ‘Is it true you pur-sued a friend of Arthur’s,
thenleft her for a French woman?’
‘She probably had a luckyescape.’
‘Scoundrel!’‘I thought I loved her. But
you, one could be sure aboutyou.’
The god’s lips glimmer andshe wants to catch his eye
again.‘Goodnight,’ she tells Basil.
‘Wait! What if I asked you tomarry me?’
‘You need to clean yourshoes first.’
‘You could organize that.’‘I can do that without marry-
ing you.’‘Will you?’‘I’ll send you a postcard
every morning reminding you.Goodnight.’
For weeks Nina sends Basilpostcards and they go out tosalons and
cafés. She couldalmost love him but there isalways the blond: she
skipsmeals so she can afford a drinkat the Rotonde and watch
him.Sometimes she sees him watch-ing her, but that is all, and
soonit is days before she must return
to England. She goes up ontothe roof. He is there, leaningdown
over the street.
‘It’s quiet up here,’ he says.‘I’m sorry.’‘I did not mean for
you to
go. Stay.’He tells her his name is
Edgar, that he is Norwegian. ‘Iwanted to speak to you.’
‘I leave next week.’‘Must you?’‘The money has run out.’‘It
always does.’He tells her he is an artist’s
model and he does not knowmany people here. His wordsare like
fluttering spring petalsand she giggles. He kisses her,and the
world is warm and per-fect and wonderful. They hearfootsteps and
fly apart. It isBasil.
He says, ‘I’ve come to escortyou home.’
‘Don’t go,’ Edgar says.
Nina and Basil travel togeth-er to London. He asks her againto
marry him. And again. Themore she says no, the more per-sistent he
becomes.
The exhibition is in HollandPark next to the ice rink
wherelovers, with muffs around theirnecks, hold hands and
collideinto each other. People pause atNina’s painting, The Dead
Soul,and she hopes that someone willwant it, that someone will
pavethe way back to Edgar. But theyall move on to look at the
lightsof the park’s beribbonedChristmas tree.
‘They think it’s vulgar,’ shesays.
A light snow dusts Basil’scloak. He gets down on oneknee. ‘Nina
Hamnett, will youmarry me?’
Nina looks at the tree.London is a cold and hungryplace and here
is Basil offeringsomething at least. The sound ofthe skaters
grates, and shereaches out her hand. ‘Please getup.’
‘I mean it, Nina. We couldlive in Paris.’
She looks away from him tothe skaters.
‘I see,’ he says. ‘Who is it?’‘He was at the Rotonde.’Basil’s
eyes tumble to his
shoes. ‘I could have given youthe money to stay.’
‘I couldn’t have acceptedthat.’
‘Why not?’‘Because you are a man.’Basil smarts, his eyes
like
embers. ‘Let me do this.’‘Why?’‘Because you made me pol-
ish my shoes.’Nina looks down at them.
‘Only if you take The Dead Soul.And let me pay you back.’
‘Alright.’‘I’m sorry I called you a
scoundrel.’Basil makes what he can of
his frayed smile. ‘Come on. Ismell chestnuts.’ He buys
twopackets and gives Nina one.
‘Merry Christmas,’ he says.She puts the chestnuts’ heat
to her cheeks. New snow isfleecing the world. She blinks itout
of her eyes, and in the rinkthe lovers skate on.
A short story bySUNITA SOLIAR
Illustration by CLIFFORD HARPER
‘As one woman to another,I wish you a season ofscandalous
passion’
-
12 Listings Fitzrovia News Winter 2010
WHAT’S ON AROUND FITZROVIATO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS COLUMN: For the
next issue email events by end of February (for listings from March
to May) [email protected] and put "Listings" in subject
box.
ART GALLERIES
Alison Jacques Gallery, 18Berners Street
(www.alison-jacquesgallery.com): Until Dec18 - Graham Little; Jan
19-Feb 19- Robert Mapplethorpe.
Asia House, 63 New CavendishStreet (www.asiahouse.org):Until Feb
12 - The Tiger in AsianArt.
Building Centre, Store Street(www.buildingcentre.co.uk):Until
Dec 22 - 2010Sustainability Awards.
Contemporary Applied Arts, 2Percy Street (www.caa.org.uk):Until
Jan 8 - Made to Cherish,Best of British Craft; Jan 22-Feb13 -
Domestic Contemporaries.
Coningsby Gallery/Debut Art,30 Tottenham Street
(www.con-ingsbygallery.com): Until Dec 11- Celebrated posters by
VinceMcIndoe.
Curwen Gallery & NewAcademy, 34 Windmill
Street(www.curwengallery.com): UntilDec 23 - Winter Treats,
andDavid Haste.
Diemar/Noble PhotographicGallery, 66-67 Wells
Street(www.diemarnoblephotogra-phy.com): Until Jan 8 -Photographs
by Lisa Holden.
Gallery at 94, 94 ClevelandStreet (www.galleryat94.com):Until
Jan 15 - Natasha Barnes.
Josh Lilley, 44 Riding
HouseStreet(www.joshlilleygallery.com):Until Dec 8 - Vicky Wright;
Dec14-Jan 7 - Gifted, curated by BenStreet.
Morton Metropolis, 41-42Berners Street
(www.morton-metropolis.com): Date to be con-firmed soon - Alberta
Reguara.
Paradise Row, 74 NewmanStreet (www.paradiserow.com):Until Dec 23
- Anna Bjerger, APerfect Throw; Jan 14-Feb 20 -Light Work, Part 1;
Feb 25 -Adam Broomberg & OliverChanarin.
Pilar Corrias, 54 EastcastleStreet (www.pilarcorrias.com):Dec
8-Jan 8 - Philippe Parreno.
Rebecca Hossack Gallery (1), 2aConway Street (www.r-h-g.co.uk):
Dec 7-19 - Peter Clark.Dogs are for Christmas Not Justfor Life
(Part 2).
Rebecca Hossack Gallery (2), 28Charlotte Street
(www.r-h-g.co.uk): Dec 7-13 - Reg Gadneynew paintings; Dec 19-24
-Christmas Exhibition.
Regina Gallery, 22 EastcastleStreet (www.reginagallery.com):
Dec 10-Jan 22 - MariaSerebriakova, SuspiciousGarden; Jan
28-March 12 - ClaireFontaine, Fighting Gravity.
Rollo Gallery, 5 ClevelandStreet (www.rolloart.com): UntilFeb 11
- Regina Jose Galindo, 12Years.
Thompson Gallery, 15 NewCavendish Street
(www.thomp-songallery.com): Dec 8-23 -Helen Wilson, Solo
Exhibition.
Woolff Gallery, 89 CharlotteStreet(www.woolffgallery.co.uk): Dec
-Various artists, Winter Show;Jan-Feb - Marcus Egli,
SoloExhibition.
THEATRE
Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 GordonStreet(www.thebloomsbury.com):
Dec10-12 - The Nutcracker; Dec 14-Jan 22 - George's
MarvellousMedicine; Dec 15-22 - NineLessons and Carols for
GodlessPeople.
Camden People's Theatre, 58-60Hampstead Road
(www.cpthe-atre.co.uk): Until Dec 11 - Dean GibbonsAnd The
Knowledge Of Death(Inconvenient Spoof); Jan 25-27 -A Kiss From the
Last RedSquirrel (Elyssa Livergant); Feb3-4 - Marie (Chloe
Dechery); Feb8-27 - Ward No 6 (Chekhovadapted by Matthew
Parker).
Dominion Theatre, 269Tottenham Court
Road(www.dominiontheatre.co.uk):Ongoing - We Will Rock You.
Drill Hall, 16 Chenies Street(www.drillhall.co.uk): Dec 11-12-
Treasure Island; Dec 15-17 -Cinderella; Jan 22-Feb 26 -Staying Out
Late.
London Palladium, ArgyllStreet, Oxford
Circus(www.the-london-
palladium.com): Feb 7 onwards:The Wizard of Oz, starringDanielle
Hope.
CINEMA & FILMCLUBS
Odeon, 30 Tottenham CourtRoad: Weekly film details
fromwww.odeon.co.uk or 08712244007.
UCL film screenings, PetrieMuseum of EgyptionArchaeology, Malet
Place(www.ucl.ac.uk): Jan 20, 6-7.30pm - Wingrave.
Wellcome Library, 183 EustonRoad (www.wellcomecollec-tion.org):
Dec 9-Jan 16 - AuraSatz, Sound Seam, film aboutenhancing
hearing.
YMCA film club, 44
PortlandPlace(www.44portlandplace.org.uk):2pm, Dec 22 - Capra's Its
AWonderful Life; Jan 27 - Films ofCapra, Lost Horizon; Feb 24 -Fims
of Howard Hawks.
LIVE MUSIC &DISCOThe Albany, 204 Great
PortlandStreet(www.thealbanyw1.co.uk):Disco every Saturday.
All Souls Clubhouse, 141Cleveland Street (www.club-housew1.org):
Dec 12 - carolservice, 6pm; Dec 24 - crib serv-ice, 4pm.
Bolivar Hall, 54 Grafton Way(www.cultura.embavenez-uk.org): All
ay 7.30pm. Dec 7 -Voces de la Palabra; Dec 8 -Grupo Enigma; Dec 9 -
OctavioSune.
College Arms, 18 Store Street:Acoustic, last Friday of
month.
The 100 Club, 100 Oxford Street(www.the100club.co.uk): Dec 10-
Men They Couldn’t Hang; Dec11 - Northern Soul All-Nighter;Dec 12 -
Bermondsey Joyriders;Dec 15 - Tender Trap, Betty andthe Werewolves,
The Spivs; Dec16 - Jazz benefit for children'shospice
(11.30am-2.30pm); Dec17 - The Pretty Things; Dec 18 -Chantel
McGregor Band; Dec 19- Christmas Mod Ball; Dec 21 -David Devant and
His SpriritWife; Dec 23 - Northern SoulChristmas Party; Dec 28
-Honeyfits; Dec 29 - TheMembers; Dec 30 and 31 - WilkoJohnson.
Green Man, 383 Euston Road,opposite Great Portland
Streetstation: Live jazz everyWednesday, 7.45pm in base-ment.
Green Man, 36 Riding
HouseStreet(www.thegreenmanw1.co.uk):Occasional Friday night
liveentertainment.
King & Queen, 1 Foley Street:Folk music upstairs some
Fridaynights, phone 0208 340 0534 fordetails.
UCL Chamber Music Club,Haldane Room, Main Campus,Gower
Street(www.ucl.ac.uk/chamber-music): Dec 10 - lunchtime con-cert;
Dec 14 - Christmas concert,6-7pm.
LIVE COMEDY
College Arms, 18 Store Street:Mondays at 8pm.
Fitzroy Tavern, 16 CharlotteStreet: Wednesdays at 7.30pm
inbasement.
Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place:
Improvisation on Thursdays,8.30pm, and stand-up onSaturdays,
7.30pm upstairs.
PUB QUIZZES &KARAOKE
College Arms, 18 Store Street:Quiz every Wednesday, 8pm.
King& Queen, 1 Foley Street:Quiz alternate Tuesday
nights.
One Tun, 58 Goodge Street:Quiz every Tuesday night,karaoke
Saturdays Dec 4, 11, 18and 31 at 8pm
EXHIBITIONS &LECTURES
British Museum, Great RussellStreet(www.britishmuseum.org):
UntilMarch 6 - Ancient EgyptianBook of the Dead; until April 25-
Picasso to Julie Mehretu; untilApril 3 - Images and sacredtexts,
Buddhism across Asia;March 3 - Afghanistan, cross-roads of the
ancient world.
UCL exhibitions, Strang PrintRoom, Wilkins Building, GowerSt
(www.ucl.ac.uk/events): UntilDec 17 - Life, Action andSentiment,
John Flaxman on theart of modern sculpture.
UCL public lectures, DarwinTheatre, Gower Street, entrancein
Malet Place(www.ucl.ac.uk/events): At 1.15-1.55pm unless stated.
Jan 18 -Who enjoys shopping in IKEA?;Jan 20 - Building scientific
mod-els with computers; Jan 20 - Theingredients of a zero
carbon,sero waste city (6-7.30pm); Jan25 - Stabilising the global
popu-lation, health and nutrition; Jan27 - Lisbon 1939-45, the
untoldstory of Portugal and the Jewishrefugees.
Wellcome Library, 183 EustonRoad (www.wellcomecollec-tion.org):
Until Feb 27 - HighSociety, drugs from discovery todemonisation;
Dec 9-Jan 16 -Aura Satz, Sound Seam (see cin-ema/film clubs).
THE PRETTY THINGS at the 100 Club on December 17 (see right)
Evensong at Henley Lock by David Haste showing at the Curwen
Gallery & New Academy, 34 Windmill Streetuntil December 23.