Fans of London’s Soho fear for its future
Print Edition
A wine bar in place of a sex shop, luxury apartments where a cabaret once stood — fans of London’s once glorious, seedy Soho district fear that it will soon be regenerated beyond recognition.
“We really would like to know that this cherished golden mile is not going to resemble something that looks like Singapore airport,” said Tim Arnold, a musician who has founded the “Save Soho” campaign.
Soho. Just four letters describe a mythical place that for generations has been a hub of counter-culture, somewhere for musicians, actors, gay people, night owls and anyone else who fancied it to live, work and play.
Karl Marx fomented his revolution here; The Who and legions of other rock groups were discovered here.
For more than 100 years, the rich came here to “slum it,” while the bored came because there was always something going on.
But now, it is hard to keep track of the cabaret bars, music venues and sex clubs that have closed, from Madame Jojo’s to the 12 Bar Club to Pink Pussycat, driven out by soaring rents as developers move in.
“I do believe that Soho will lose its soul,” said Kathy Martin, who runs the Enigma Ball events for transgender people.
On Walkers Court, described by novelist Howard Jacobson as a “suppurating alleyway of sexual half-promises,” there is only one “adult” bookshop left — and probably not for long.
Even a former police station has been turned into flats, while the arrival of a new underground train line through the capital has spread the disruptive effect beyond Soho’s immediate borders.
Denmark Street, an alley once home to music publishers, guitar shops and performance spaces and where Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant still goes to buy his strings, is making way for a newly modernised Tottenham Court Road station.
“It’s sad, we need to keep Soho sexy,” said Sara, one of the last sex workers who still operate in flats here.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
