The London Society staged an excellent discussion last Saturday about housing in the City of London, which has only 8600 residents while hosting 650,000 workers. The main function of the City will remain economic, but is there also scope for more homes? In 1801 the City population was some 130,000, dropping below 5000 after the … Continue reading “The case for more housing in the Square Mile – including Smithfield?”
Bartholomew Fair is being re-staged on September 19th and 20th as a family-friendly neighbourhood festival that is part of Open House Festival 2025. It promises to be great fun – but the original Fair provided rather different entertainments that wouldn’t play well today. Bartholomew Fayre 2025 London Museum promotes this year’s Fayre: “Across two jam-packed … Continue reading “Bartholomew Fayre re-staged as a community festival”
Consultants working in a new cultural strategy for the City of London offer a refreshing take on what appeals to visitors, workers and residents. They emphasise that the Square Mile is a lot more than a home for renowned institutions and attractions like the Barbican Centre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London Museum (re-opening … Continue reading “The Square Mile’s attractions are “hidden in plain sight””
The City Corporation has announced creation of a 30-year masterplan for the Smithfield/Barbican area, focussed on re-development of the Smithfield Meat Market buildings as an international cultural and commercial hub once trading ceases in 2028. On London has a good report. Update October 2025: Dave Hill in On London provides an exceptionally useful in-depth review … Continue reading “New plans for Smithfield Market. How about a new Cultural Quarter?”
Nearly 60 years ago photographer Adam Ritchie returned to North Kensington from New York – and moved from recording Velvet Underground to picturing children playing in the streets. Adam reports on his website: “I found the Greater London Council (GLC) had just demolished 700 houses across North Kensington to build the longest elevated motorway in … Continue reading “Where are they now? Picturing play in 1960’s North Kensington”
City Corporation planners are developing a new brief to frame options for developing Smithfield Market buildings when wholesale trading ends in three years time, subject to Parliamentary approval. Last December the Corporation agreed closure of the market with traders and a plan, with compensation, to move to a new location “within the M25”. Last week … Continue reading “New planning brief for Smithfield Market buildings”
Why does London’s oldest parish church, St Bartholomew the Great, founded in Smithfield in 1123, have an ancient printing press set up in the Lady Chapel? It is because 300 years ago the young Benjamin Franklin started work there as a journeyman printer with Samuel Palmer, and over the next month you can book in … Continue reading “Benjamin Franklin’s Press celebrated 300 years on”
The flagship Destination City programme aiming to attract more visitors and businesses to the Square Mile has now lost all reference to its 8000 or so residents – despite a recommendation that we should be consulted as reliable ‘eyes and ears’ of daily life in the City of London with interests often matching those of … Continue reading “Residents confirmed missing from Destination City programme”
Huge congratulations to Footways on publication of their printed and online map of Clerkenwell heritage and attractions. I have a slight stake on in it – about which more later – but think I can be dispassionate in saying how appealing and important it is on two fronts. First off, it is an excellent guide … Continue reading “Footways excel with their new map of Clerkenwell”
Several times a year the 8000 or so residents in the Square Mile are invited to a Question Time with City Corporation councillors and officers. In the past these events have been rather traditional affairs, with a top table and formal proceedings. Venues have ranged from libraries and theatres to a session in the Old … Continue reading “City Corporation tries a new way to engage with residents”