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

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London W1T 4RX

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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

adam.harrison@camden.gov.uk, milena.nuti@camden.gov.uk,

abdul.quadir@camden.gov.uk

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 admin@b-prep.co.uk.

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

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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 foundation.trust@uclh.nhs.uk, 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(buckk@parliament.uk).

“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 emailingwcn@awcvs.org.

Fitzrovia News will also beinterested to hear of any caseson fitzrovianews@yahoo.co.uk.

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

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...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: admin@cfpt.org.uk

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.

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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:fitzrovianews@yahoo.co.uk(putting “Poetry Corner” insubject box) or post them to:Fitzrovia News,39 Tottenham Street,London,W1T 4RX.

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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@goodgelaw.comwww.goodgelaw.com

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

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‘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

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Call ClubCare for free help07976 431 218 or (020) 7255 975610am–4pm Monday to Friday.

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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) tofitzrovianews@yahoo.co.uk 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.