Plans to restage Bartholomew Fair in Smithfield and through the City in 2023
The City Corporation’s programme to attract more visitors is pitched in competition with other London destinations, including Canary Wharf and Covent Garden, as I reported earlier. One destination that might have been mentioned is South Kensington, which has a wide range of cultural attractions. The City prides itself on that too, saying: “It is recognised … Continue reading “Destination Square Mile needs support for wandering about”
The City Corporation has now offered the first public vision of its £2.5 million Destination City programme, which aims to attract visitors whose spending will boost a Square Mile economy hit by working from home. A presentation on the programme shows the City competing for visitors globally with festivals and events in Sydney, New York … Continue reading “First public vision of the Square Mile as Destination City”
The City Corporation has now posted on Youtube a recording of the City Question Time event held with residents earlier this month. I asked about Destination City and Bartholomew Fair – in particular what wider plans beyond the Fair there were for the programme, how to carry forward the promised proposals for better wayfinding, and … Continue reading “Policy chief commits to engaging residents in Destination City programme”
There’s a chance for residents as well as businesses to find out more tomorrow about the City of London’s top priority programme, Destination City, and to offer some ideas on how it may make the Square Mile a better place to live as well as work and visit. Earlier posts here. The £2.5 million annual … Continue reading “Destination City workshop can explore benefits for Square Mile residents”
Update: the Policy and Resource Committee approved plans for the Bartholomew Fair spectacular, with some discussion of wayfinding, maps and media. See note at end. The promise of an aerial dance display on the facade of St Paul’s Cathedral in September as part of a revived Bartholomew Fair has understandably captured the headlines in the … Continue reading “How Bartholomew Fair might benefit City residents and visitors all year”
Update: the Evening Standard has picked up on the plans saying “The city is increasingly trying to throw off its “nine to five” image and become a leisure destination for Londoners and others” When Matthew Bell and I floated the idea of re-staging Bartholomew Fair (1123-1855) in the EC1 Echo last year little did we … Continue reading “Corporation plans a spectacular City-wide Bartholomew Fair throughout September”
Update: Winners have been announced with a proposal for ‘Seats at the table’. “The team will work with local disabled and non-disabled youth to co-design spaces of sharing, making, learning, nourishment and socialising”. More here. A new competition ‘Co-designing Equity in the Public Realm’ aims to deliver “temporary public realm interventions in Smithfield and East … Continue reading “£50,000 Smithfield design competition might take inspiration from Bartholomew Fair”
Articles in the EC1Echo about reviving Bartholomew Fair in 2023 have attracted support. However, in lots of ways we already have an all-year Fair taking place in the many venues along the City of London’s Culture Mile. Here’s a discussion paper on how we might combine a new Fair with promotion of those very varied … Continue reading “Revive Bartholomew Fair? Maybe it’s already happening in Culture Mile”
Update April 2023: The City Corporation are planning a spectacular City-wide Bartholomew Fair in September. Next year Barts Hospital and St Bartholomew the Great celebrate 900 years of service. The Fair that was started to help fund their work became a huge success – but was eventually closed down for encouraging debauchery and public disorder. … Continue reading “Restaging Bartholomew Fair on the ground and online”