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Covent Garden Community Association

Annual Report 2000-2001

Chairman's Report

Thirty years on and we are still here! And still going strong! Well done CGCA.

The church service at St Pauls, Covent Garden, was well attended, and although, sadly, I was unable to be present, I understand that it was a great celebration. The early years were so well recalled by Austin Williams, John Toomey, Grace Cook and the inimitable Jim Monahan and I gather my son Crispin's efforts to read my words were well received.

No one could have foreseen at the CGCA's inception the vast changes that have taken place in Covent Garden, many positive, good and visionary, and, sadly, many ill thought out and detrimental to the area. It is thanks to their early work, perception and vision that the good outweighs the bad, and there are still many aspects of the area that have been retained and enhanced. The quote, "we are rapidly becoming victims of our own success", cannot decry the real beauty of Covent Garden that should, through our efforts, be retained forever.

On the negative side, some of the planning decisions have been indefensible - St Pauls Hospital being one. It still rankles that Camden ignored their own UDP, providing no gain and much loss to those residents who live on three sides of the site. Tony Blair's words about regenerating the inner city by building more housing and stable communities, appears to have been ignored by Camden's planning decision, and must surely come back to haunt them.

On the positive side, the CGCA has naturally grown and changed with the times over the last 30 years, during which period its original purpose still stands. The many people who have given enthusiasm and energy to the Executive Committees have respected and honoured our constitution. The CGCA is deeply indebted to all those who have given so freely of their time, none of which would have been so successful without the input of a succession of dedicated Co-ordinators, in particular John Bos, a shining example who constantly proves his worth.

We have good cause to be proud of the CGCA and celebrate its many successes. With your continued support, I believe we can embrace our future with the same energy and enthusiasm that is the very essence of the CGCA.

Jo Weir

Secretary's Report

In my report last year, I wrote that, at times, being an officer of the CGCA could feel like trying to bail out a leaking boat with a thimble; but that it was particularly satisfying when (against all expectations) the boat didn't sink. Another year has passed with us still afloat, and having survived for 30 years, we face the future with renewed confidence.

I said at last year's AGM that two priorities for the year ahead were completion of a development plan and securing some long term funding. The gestation of the development plan has been almost as lengthy as that of an elephant, but it has finally seen the light of day, and copies are available from the CGCA office. I am most grateful to John Bos for all the effort he has put into the production of the plan.

This document was needed in order to make credible approaches to potential providers of long-term funding, and a programme of such approaches must be high on our list of priorities for the coming months.

As usual, we are seeking new blood and new ideas, and hope that volunteers will come forward at the AGM to carry the work of the CGCA forward with renewed vigour.

Robert Saunders

Treasurer's report

The CGCA's financial position is always precarious, but in some years more so than in others. The past year has shown a considerable deficit for two reasons: a much lower income from charitable trusts and large corporate donations, and the increased cost of a second employee.

We have been able to 'weather the storm' because of the large surplus that we carried forward from the previous year and through some very frugal financial management. It is very clear to the Executive Committee that the CGCA will again face a cash crisis if it does not manage to find substantial extra income.

With that in mind, the Finance Sub-committee is planning a fund-raising strategy, aiming primarily at charitable trusts and local corporate donors. In order to bring some medium-term financial stability to the situation, we seek to persuade potential funders to make a three year commitment.

We are adamant that the decision to employ a part-time assistant to our co-ordinator is wholly justified, particularly as this is intended to free-up some of John's time to concentrate more on much needed fund-raising. The workload has increased year-on-year and the 30th anniversary celebrations add a considerable burden to our situation during 2001. The additional work associated with the establishment of a new community facility in Stukeley Street, the Covent Garden 'Dragon Hall', helped us in deciding to employ the extra member of staff.

Despite the gloomy picture, we look forward to the future with renewed vigour. We are making great efforts to increase the CGCA's profile and reputation with a very wide range of celebratory events to mark our 30th birthday. This, in due course, will hopefully, pay off when we seek to raise additional funds from local businesses.

Finally, our fund-raising will be greatly helped by the completion of a medium-term 'development plan' (we don't want to call it a 'business plan'!). This not only will assist our Executive Committee to plan in advance, it is also an essential tool to state the CGCA's case for additional funding from charitable bodies and trust funds.

We continue to need every assistance we can get, both financially and in kind. If you are able to help, please complete one of our donation forms or contact an Executive member for sponsorship or donation details. With a little help from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who will give us the tax that you have paid on any donation that you make to us, there is no better time to help you to help yourself by making a donation to the CGCA - every little helps and is much appreciated.

Sital S Maan

(a copy of the CGCA's audited accounts will be available at the AGM on 4th July or from the CGCA office)

Co-ordinator's Report

A short overview is unlikely to do justice to the enormous efforts that have gone into the day-to-day running of the CGCA. The work by individual residents, volunteers, committee members, and also various council and Police officers, as well as the CGCA staff, for the benefit of this community has been far greater than meets the eye.

As is the case with most community organisations, the CGCA relies heavily on volunteers. The co-ordinator's workload would be vastly increased if it were not for the volunteers who stuff envelopes, keep cuttings of newspaper articles, deliver thousands of letters and leaflets, do our filing, etc. In particular, every week of the past year we have benefited from Robert Clark's leafleting and photographic skills, Mary Henry's filing of mountains of paperwork, David Lusty's help with planning applications, Liam DelaHunty's amazing Web skills and Carey Gordon's publicity efforts.

During the year we have also become more aware of the cost of managing and using volunteers. With small office premises and the lack of the latest high-tech equipment, it is nothing short of amazing that such very considerable work has emerged, often under very adverse pressure.

In a confident and forward-looking move the Executive Committee decided to employ a part-time assistant co-ordinator and since January our 'team' has been strengthened by Alison Cattermoule. We expect that her work will enable the CGCA to further improve its existing services, develop a number of new projects and, most importantly, will free-up time for much needed fundraising.

Part of the year has been spent on preparing some of the special events and activities to celebrate the CGCA's 30th anniversary, with most of the 'action' taking place during the current year. We aim to celebrate this milestone and raise the CGCA's profile in the local community and beyond through events and activities that are fun, entertaining and educational.

The CGCA will continue a lot of its work 'behind the scenes' - influencing local and national government policies is often so much more effective than merely objecting to an endless stream of harmful planning, licensing and traffic proposals. We liaise and meet with a wide range of other groups and organisations and play our part in the democratic process in central London to the full.

The whole CGCA 'team' looks forward to less challenging, more relaxed times in the future, though realising that these are increasingly unlikely! Despite that, our efforts will continue unabated as long as you need us and play your part. We would be pleased to hear from you if you wish to volunteer some of your time with the CGCA or would like to help in any other way.

John Bos

Planning Report

Last year the CGCA, in conjunction with the Charlotte Street Association (CSA), took Camden Council to the High Court in order to quash Camden's decision to adopt their statutory plan for the borough - the Unitary Development Plan (UDP).

The reason was simple: having spent years being 'consulted', given written and verbal evidence at the public enquiry, and been supported by the independent inspector, Camden failed to identify where and how more affordable housing should be provided within the next 10 years within the borough.

The inspector recommended that the Council, as a matter of priority, should identify housing sites within the borough and incorporate this information in their UDP. For three years, and despite many prompts from the CGCA and CSA, Camden did nothing and ignored this recommendation and so we were obliged to resort to law.

The necessary papers were served at the High Court in June, and Camden's politicians and officers then appeared to take us seriously. Following protracted correspondence, a settlement was agreed before Christmas; we withdrew the legal challenge and Camden agreed to carry out a detailed housing site search throughout the borough and prepare a number of detailed housing feasibility studies on sites identified, concentrating initially south of the Euston Road. A report on this study will be presented to committee in June 2001. As a consequence of us withdrawing the legal action Camden adopted their UDP, which had taken 10 years to prepare and is already out of date.

For a Council that purports to be so concerned about providing better and more affordable housing, the lack of action and imagination by the politicians and the relevant officers was somewhat depressing. If the CGCA and CSA had not taken legal action, the Council would undoubtedly have taken no proactive initiative to procure more housing. The Chair of Housing and senior officers within Camden's Housing Department thanked the Associations for taking on the Planning Department, as they claim they have been trying to get the department to use their planning powers to procure more housing for many years, to no avail.

While Camden were struggling to get their UDP finally adopted, Westminster, this past year, have been completing a five year review of their UDP, which has attracted the wrath of a large number of commercial entertainment developers who have immediately resorted to law. The CGCA generally applaud Westminster in their efforts to call a halt to further late-night bars in the Covent Garden/Soho areas to control the number of new late night venues. The problem, however, is almost entirely of Westminster's own making, for they have largely ignored local representation over the past decade and granted permission for new bars and late night venues, irrespective of their proximity to residential accommodation.

Ken Livingstone's Greater London Authority planning committee takes the view that local authorities (Camden & Westminster) should encourage more "24-hour" entertainment facilities in the centre of London! They also want the residential population in Central London to increase in order to provide more housing for key workers (nurses, police, etc). This is at variance with planning policies that favour yet more entertainment related commercial development that further inflates land prices and produces an environment where a good night's sleep is impossible. Efforts to meet with the GLA's planning committee and officers have to date been unsuccessful.

During the year, much time has been spent trying to ensure that planning undertakings attached to planning approvals are enforced. The ROH's public information shop is still to materialise on the corner of Russell Street and Bow Street, and we understand that the ROH is now contemplating opening its doors on Sundays for pop star attractions. The ROH disbanded the local consultative committee during the year, now that their building is complete. The construction of the Royal Ballet School, a scheme the CGCA welcomed, if not in all aspects of its design, commenced on site in Long Acre. Taylor Woodrow's luxury housing in Wild Street/Drury Lane was completed, though not one affordable home has been provided, contrary to Westminster's stated policies. The St Martins Lane Hotel have been cajoled to stand by a variety of conditions which they agreed to, two years ago, once planning permission and licences were granted, deliveries, servicing, car parking and similar conditions. The CGCA continue to monitor the Hospital Group's development of a Music Centre in Endell Street on the ex St Paul's Hospital site.

The Hospital Group's undertaking to double or secondary glaze adjacent homes prior to demolition works commencing came to nothing, although installation has now commenced to some flats in Betterton Street. There are residents in Endell Street, directly opposite the development, who still have no sound insulation and are likely to suffer the most, both during the construction and when the premises are operating, as the main entrance of the new entertainment venue is in Endell Street. The Hospital Group have, belatedly, acknowledged the CGCA's observation that their scheme to create a Music Centre with a sound recording studio in the basement above the future Cross Rail route is not practical. They now propose to place much more emphasis on TV and film activities within the building's studio, which is at variance with the impression they carefully nurtured during the planning application process. Despite the Development Control sub-committee previously indicating the scheme was entirely inappropriate for this heavily residential quarter of Covent Garden, the application was nonetheless granted permission.

The CGCA's efforts have, on occasions, been successful in improving prospective developments. Schroders proposals to extend the Seven Dials Warehouse in Earlham Street have been substantially revised and they have now abandoned the idea of converting the ground floor into a 5000 sq ft restaurant/bar. There are still outstanding issues to resolve, however their proposals are taking on more cognisance of local concerns. Similarly, proposals for the redevelopment of Bow Street Police Station have improved in comparison with the initial proposals. The applicants have agreed to resite all plant and ventilation equipment well away from the Martlett Court flats. The scheme consists of a police museum, to reflect the fact that this was the first police station in the UK (The Peelers), and an office development. However, there is as yet no public benefit resulting from the proposed development.

Redevelopment proposals for 25 Shelton Street through to Earlham Street have slowed down following the withdrawal of Allied London's proposals submitted to Camden in January, and opposite, Shaftesbury plc (ex Stock Conversions) have sensitive proposals to remove the clutter attached to the street elevations of their Thomas Neal's shopping centre. Work under this scheme is likely to commence in 2002.

The City Literary Institute proposes to relocate to a new building in Wild Court/Keeley Street and it has recently re-submitted a revised scheme for planning approval, which the CGCA generally supports. Its intentions for the Stukeley Street property remain unclear. It has made three applications: one to convert the Stukeley Street property (which was purpose-built for adult educational use in the 1930's and is a distinguished building) to speculative offices; the second for offices and 12 luxury flats and the third, entirely for residential accommodation. The CGCA objects to the first two proposals and supports the third, though Camden is reluctant to grant consent to a residential only scheme if none of the accommodation is affordable. Thus there is a ludicrous possibility that the City Lit, which originally favoured the residential only scheme, withdrawing this proposal and going for an office/residential scheme despite the fact that the Stukeley Street building has been identified as a potential new housing site within the borough as part of the housing site search.

Opposite the City Lit in Stukeley Street, the Post Office Property Holdings were granted a 15,000 sq ft office development by Camden, to the rear of Esavian House without any commensurate contribution to the area and with little concern as to the effect of the additional servicing that will be required (rubbish, etc) in Stukeley Street, which is extremely narrow at this location. The decision to grant consent was made by an officer and was never considered by the Development Control sub-committee. A building consisting of 15,000 sq ft of new offices in Covent Garden would, at current rental values, equate to a capital value of £3 million. It is extraordinary how one planning officer has the power to, in effect, give a private company a present of £3 million with absolutely no consequential public benefit and load more congestion and noise onto the neighbourhood.

Westminster failed to take any action in the past year to clear the extraordinary tacky collection of tables chairs and debris that clutter up the public right of way that exists in the arcade under Bedford Chambers in the Piazza. As this building is so prominent in the market square and is listed, this inaction is a very poor reflection on the City Council and, for that matter, the Covent Garden Area Trust, which has a long lease on the property and which owes its existence to dealing precisely with issues of this nature.

However, Westminster did persevere and succeeded in overturning an extraordinary ruling that permitted the retention of the 'shack', the servery outside the Central Market building at the south western end (The Creperie), by appealing to the High Court, where they succeeded in getting the permission quashed.

Welcome improvements to English National Opera's home in St Martin's Lane (Frank Matcham's magnificent Coliseum Theatre) have commenced and will, over a three year phased programme, result in a greatly improved theatre, especially the front of house facilities for use by patrons.

Westminster granted consent to a massive retail outlet on four floors with private residential over, replacing St Martin's School of Art's premises at 27-29 Long Acre. Not only did this scheme represent a huge loss of educational space (not valuable in real estate terms), it also ran contrary to their planning policies and procured absolutely no public benefit to the area. The Council failed to consider adequately any consequential problems due to the heavy servicing demands that a huge new retail outlet will cause. As soon as the scheme had approval, the new owners put in a further scheme to double the private residential accommodation, which is set to overlook adjacent properties.

Other large development sites in the Westminster part of the area have included the block bounded by Long Acre, Hanover Place, Floral Street and Bow Street; most of the original buildings will be retained and various new residential units will be constructed, whilst the commercial space will be taken up with offices and a restaurant. A perennial scheme that has featured for many years is the huge site between Mercer Street, Shelton Street and Upper St Martin's Lane; the latest scheme proposes flats in Mercer Street, some retail space along Shelton Street, an automated parking garage on 9 floors underground, and a very large office development - exactly the type of imaginative scheme that Covent Garden 'needs'!

During the year the planning subcommittee met 21 times and considered more than 350 applications. We considered 10 appeals and made detailed representations on some of these. In addition to applications for planning permission and listed building consent, we look at applications for new signage, for tables and chairs on the footway, traffic management proposals, parking matters and general environmental proposals. The Sub-committee also considers all licensing matters within the area - liquor licences, entertainment licences and night café licences (please see our separate Licensing report elsewhere in this Annual Report).

In addition to commenting on proposals and applications, the CGCA also attends a number of 'community liaison groups' that have been set up as part of planning permissions for large development sites. During the year we have regularly attended with developers, planners and nearby residents and businesses in connection with the Green Dragon House site, the Hospital site and the Holborn Town Hall site. These meetings seek to minimise the disruption from demolition and construction work, traffic, noise and dust on the neighbourhood.

Efforts to get some co-ordination between Westminster and Camden Councils with regard to development proposals, so that through traffic may be excluded and air quality in the neighbourhood improved have been extremely difficult. Westminster has, until very recently, been extremely unhelpful, whereas Camden, in some desperation, shared by many locals, have published proposals to implement new traffic management proposals around the Seven Dials area aimed at restricting through traffic. However, it is obvious that there should be a co-ordinated approach across the whole neighbourhood involving both Councils.

In summary, another year of unremitting commercial pressure that endeavours to take out as much profit from the area as possible at as small a cost as possible, whilst the local community has to pick up the pieces and live with the consequences. There is however, some reason to be cheerful. The new community facilities to the rear of Holborn Town Hall are at last under construction, and the CGCA is still here, striving to ensure that humanity, not just greed, has some say in the future of Covent Garden.

[The Planning & Licensing Sub-committee meets fortnightly to consider planning and licensing applications, and other planning and traffic related matters. These meetings generally take place at 6.30pm at the CGCA's offices and are open to the public - all are welcome]

Jim Monahan

Licensing Report

During the year, we have surveyed all food & drink premises in the area again (but not necessarily by consuming something in each of them!):

139 Restaurants (in 1999: 127); 136 Sandwich Bars and Cafés (127); 99 Bars and Public Houses (102); 23 Theatres (23); 12 Hotels & Conference Centres (12); 12 Clubs (11); 11 Off-licences (11); 1 Cinema (1) - a total of 433 premises (in 1999: 412).

We have also compiled a list of all premises in the area that are licensed for music & dancing, and have calculated their total capacities:

21 premises in the Westminster and 12 in the Camden part of Covent Garden are licensed for public entertainment. Their combined capacity is in excess of 12,200 persons and their busiest period is between 2:30am - 4am Mondays to Saturdays, and between 00:30am - 2am on Sundays.

During the past year we have considered 12 applications concerning public entertainment licences, 9 Justices licences, 2 night café licences and 1 clubs licence. The majority of these have resulted in a hearing, where we have made our objections and represented residents.

One interesting discovery was the fact that residents in city centres up and down the country are faced with similar problems as in the West End of London, albeit at a (much) lesser scale, in many cases. The Central Cities Institute organised a national conference on licensing and quality of life issues, in which the CGCA took an active part. As a result, the Civic Trust is expected to set up a national working group to deal with licensing issues, in order to provide a response to the very powerful lobbying by the brewing and entertainment industry.

The CGCA goes to great lengths to explore possible compromises and we usually liaise directly with the applicant or owner of the premises concerned and the residents who make complaints about noise, disturbance and anti-social behaviour.

In order to help the objectors' case, the CGCA gathers evidence by observations outside 'problem premises'. We have been very grateful for the permanent loan of a video camera and a digital camera - which enable us to gather vital evidence by taking video footage and photos from the bedrooms and living rooms of affected neighbours.

The renewal of Justices licences takes place every three years. The last tri-annual renewal was at the beginning of 2001, when the CGCA objected to the renewal of 2 off-licences, 1 public house and 2 late-night bars. The process has resulted in mountains of paperwork, much useful experience, and a far better insight into the 'dark art' that is 'Licensing'. We are now convinced that trying to revoke an existing licence on the grounds of nuisance, loud noise, rowdy behaviour, breaches of licence conditions and evasion of the law is virtually impossible. The in-depth knowledge of the various laws and regulations requires a lawyer of the highest calibre - even the Licensing Justices and the Courts made errors! How can the ordinary resident stand up against the continuous onslaughts on their quality of life?

Two licence applications of great concern during the year were the proposal by the Spot (Maiden Lane) to extend its capacity from 260 to 638 persons until 1am - this matter is yet to be heard; and Tesco Metro's proposal to trade all night with a Night Café Licence - thankfully this application was refused by Westminster, although Tesco appealed against this decision, and then subsequently withdrew their appeal.

We now await the Government's proposals for 24-hour drinking. It is widely expected that new licensing legislation could be on the statute books by the end of 2002. This will transfer the granting of liquor licences to the local council, who already deal with entertainment, night café and tables & chairs licences - 'joined-up government' indeed.

John Bos

30th Anniversary Events

Hopefully you were able to join us in March for 'Pure Romance from Covent Garden', a classical concert of favourite arias and duets, and, indeed, our Service of Celebration in April, which brought together locals (and ex locals) many of whom hadn't seen one another for 30 years. Both these events were held in the Actors' Church in the Piazza. Again, St Paul's (or rather its garden and the site of the original Convent Garden) will be the fitting venue for our Garden Party on 22nd September. Most of you will, I am sure, know this delightful and surprisingly quiet haven in the heart of such a bustling area. However, there are other events going on before thenÉ

The Royal Opera House plays host, throughout the summer, to a unique exhibition of colour photographs taken in the early 1970's a few months before the old Covent Garden Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Market left the area for good. A moving series of images for those of you who remember the old Market.

Then, Tea Dances. Yes, they're back! But I'm afraid it is only those of you who have attained the dignity of your senior citizenship who will be able to listen to real music - lyrics you can hear and melodies to lose yourselves in. Oh yes, and rhythms you can actually dance to!

The Neal Street Festival promises to be a real community day and an enjoyable one for the whole family, including stalls, entertainers, games, a food fayre, jumble sale and many other attractions. If you would prefer to work rather than play, perhaps you would like to help us by being a steward. At the time of writing, the dates for our talks and walks have yet to be advised, but these will run from July to October. Covent Garden is full of surprises - come and discover some of them!

A big word of thanks to the many sponsors of our 30th Anniversary events. Without their enthusiasm and support we would not have been able to enjoy what is a truly eventful year!

If you would like further information about events, please see our website or contact the office on 020 7209 1649.

Alison Cattermoule

Residents & Environment Sub-Committee

Another year has passed and I am glad to say that as a committee we have been able to get a fair amount of smaller items attended to in both the Westminster and Camden areas of Covent Garden.

These consist of repairs to roads, pavements, street lighting and street furniture and, where necessary, we have requested rough surface paint to discourage adverts and fly stickers. We have also been instrumental in getting trees replaced and new trees planted, and bollards and signs repaired and replaced. Several walkabouts with Council officers from both Westminster and Camden have taken place and more are to come this summer.

We have finally begun some larger projects too, such as Westminster Council's decision to adopt our idea to site pissoirs in the West End to discourage our streets being used as open lavatories. This will include the Covent Garden area with seven trial designs being put out this summer. Hopefully, this will be followed up with more next year. This idea has been passed onto Camden Council, who we want to encourage to follow suit.

We are also working on the noise pollution and vibration caused by air conditioning and ventilation plants sited and sometimes attached to residential properties, mainly behind restaurants and offices. This problem is probably bigger than we so far know.

Our more ambitious projects need more time so it is important that we carry on the work we've started and carry on receiving support from the local community. We are always glad to hear from you about your environmental problems and are always delighted to hear from anyone who wishes to help.

Michael Wylde

Covent Garden Business Group

The Covent Garden Business Group (CGBG) is the sister association to the CGCA and provides businesses in Covent Garden with a powerful voice in respect of the local environment. Covent Garden is known globally, with people travelling from all over the world to visit and shop here. We therefore aim to protect and preserve the attractiveness and beauty of Covent Garden. The Business Group continuously supports and works on behalf of its members.

Membership of the group is growing steadily and last year we handled an increasing number of issues involving our members. The Group welcomes member inquiries and is active in helping and lobbying on behalf of members. Over the past year, the Group has regularly made representations to organisations such as the Police, Camden and Westminster Councils.

Covent Garden is a successful, busy and popular place in London for businesses to be located. Unfortunately, the area is a magnet for undesirables. It still attracts record numbers of shoplifters, professional pickpockets and aggressive beggars. This year we have been inundated in respect of the rise in street crime in Covent Garden and the prevalence of beggars who harass employees and customers. Tourists and visitors are regularly shocked at the extent of begging in the area. This attaches a negative image and directly affects the trade of many businesses in Covent Garden.

Finally, the drugs scene is still a very active one in the area, despite several successful police operations. However, it is still common to see drug paraphernalia on the streets, pavements and back alleys. We have also been informed that members have even witnessed people openly dealing and injecting themselves with drugs. The temporary closure of Holborn Police Station has not helped and we are currently lobbying the Police to thoroughly clean up the area.

As a charity, the Business Group may have limited resources, but it has a wealth of contacts at both local Councils. It brings local residents and businesses closer together, to solve some of the inevitable difficulties that arise in a busy, mixed use area. If you have a business in Covent Garden and are interested in playing an active part in our Business Group, please call. We would like to work with you for a better, cleaner and more enjoyable Covent Garden.

Sital S Maan, Chairman CGBG

Dragon Hall

A ten-year campaign by the CGCA to ensure that the former public facilities (the public library) in the old Holborn Town Hall are replaced with similarly sized community facilities is nearing realisation. The CGCA has set up a separate charitable trust, the Covent Garden Community Trust, and has been very busy over the past year. This incredible 4,400-ft sq community facility in the heart of Covent Garden with its voluminous multi-purpose hall can now be appreciated on site.

Negotiations to achieve an optimum layout and facilities have often been fraught, but we have finally reached an acceptable compromise with the help of architect Peter Mischcon. The premises will allow a variety of activities, including dance, team games, theatre, singing, rehearsals, project work, after school clubs, library, etc.

Camden Council's Capital Review Panel recently accepted our business plan and has at last endorsed the project. Consequently, the Community Trust will enter into a 25-year renewable lease at a nominal rent (with thanks to Colm Flood of Park Nelson).

However, our greatest challenge for the remainder of the year is to secure around £250,000 grant and charity funding or sponsorship to finance the essential fixtures, fittings and facilities which are beyond Camden or the developers' responsibility. These include such items as Beechers seating, acoustic screens and computers.

There have been a number of meetings to explore the aspirations of the local community to ensure the premises exploits its full potential and satisfy Camden's original brief. We anticipate the site being complete early next year so we need shortly to recruit a suitable Co-ordinator and appoint the management committee, as well as more trustee directors.

We welcome interest from potential sponsors, trustees, management committee members and volunteers. Please contact John Bos at the CGCA office.

Douglas Rose

Police Report

This year in Covent Garden has been a disappointment. As you may well remember, the start of Operation Lilac, with the prospect of increasing the policing and tackling the very serious drug abuse and drug dealing in the area, gave us some cause for optimism. Funding from central government established the Lilac Team. They have worked hard to clear areas such as Charing Cross Road, St Giles, Phoenix Gardens, etc. However, what was not clear at the time, well certainly not to most of us in the area, was that the boundary ran through the heart of Covent Garden and that displacement was therefore inevitable. Rather than improve our quality of life, many of us now seem worse off than ever before.

Until the Police have a visible presence, which we know is not likely to happen, due to staff and resource shortages, then I have to say I am deeply concerned for the future of this area. We all know how serious the situation became in Kings Cross, and certainly we cannot bear a repetition here. However, unless this community's cry for help is recognised, we face a future that is equally untenable.

We all know that without sufficient policing, anarchy would prevail - a terrifying prospect indeed! But until central government stops paying lip service to what is a national crisis and recognises that the police service is seriously understaffed, demoralised and underpaid, we can hardly expect law and order to be adequately maintained.

At the recent Camden South Sector Police meeting, there was only one subject on the agenda: drugs.... In fact, there are many other issues that concern this community, however the distress caused by drug addicts and dealers in this area has overwhelmed us, and is destroying what little quality of life we have left.

Neither central government nor the boroughs of Camden and Westminster appear to acknowledge that the police are stretched to the limit and that all their efforts are undermined by a serious lack of funding, which can only result in a further deterioration of the service.

On a positive note, working together, we have a collective voice, so let us use it by lobbying central government to assist our police to perform their duties unhindered by financial constraints. Whilst trying hard, it must be acknowledged that with the best will in the world, without sufficient resources (and that also means visible policing!) the outlook is not looking good.

Jo Weir

Covent Garden Community Centre & Seven Dials Club

The Centre sadly closed 'temporarily' on 2nd September 1999 - forced to do so by the disastrous fire which consumed almost the entire Seven Dials Warehouse. Except for two users, the building remains empty 22 months later.

Twelve days prior to the fire, the Trustees had signed a Lease to move the Centre to a new purpose-built space on the 1st floor. This was very good news, but the move is now stalled by the fire. Unsurprisingly, temporary space at an affordable price was not available elsewhere in Covent Garden and whilst we were able to keep the Playgroup going until Summer 2000, it then also had to close.

On the positive side, the Camden Planners called last month to ask if the Trustees were still 'happy' with our part of the planning application, which is scheduled to go to Committee soon. We are, but hope very much there will be no further delays and work can start. Hopefully by the next CGCA AGM we may know when the new Centre will open.

Covent Garden certainly needs a Community Centre and any readers who would be interested to help with its rebirth should write to the CGCC Trustees, c/o the CGCA at 21 Macklin Street.

Christina Smith, Trustee

Covent Garden Area Youth Club

To think the Youth Club has survived another year is quite incredible, but survive we have. We are still using the Tenants Hall in Red Lion Square (with our grateful thanks to Bruno and his Committee), but once again we have seen changes in our staff.

Anthony Gentle, our longest-standing member of the youth club left - though, not for the first time - to take a sabbatical in the States. He wants to teach and learn more about American Football. We were sad to see him go, as were the young people, but Fay Dobinson, who is taking over from him, is an enormous hit with the girls who attend the club, and she is willing to "hang on in there" while Anthony is away. The committee felt the balance of male/female workers justified their decision.

The main draw back will always be a lack of suitable accommodation in Covent Garden, and like many residents - old and young - we are awaiting the reopening of the Community Centre. We just hope that, in the meantime, both Westminster and Camden appreciate the work that the youth club and the Community Centre committees have put in to keeping the spirit of the community alive.

We, like other voluntary organisations, battle constantly to receive funding, and Westminster have again come to our rescue. But we now realise that we must tap into other resources if we are going to be able to provide a wider variety of activities. These include one evening a week at the Internet Café in Trafalgar Square, which Phillipe Corette has negotiated for us.

Ending this report, I'd like to thank everyone involved in the youth club for their work and dedication. I'd like to say a particular thanks to Stan Sheriff, who has had a very difficult start to 2001 in losing his wife Paula so suddenly, but his support of the youth club has never wavered. Thank you Stan.

Janet Reid

Covent Garden Area Trust

This year's Rent Ceremony - although as eccentric as ever - will be a more simple affair than in the past. To recap: the Trust has a 150-year headlease on the Piazza's main buildings. In the Piazza, every June, the Chairman and Trustees hand over the "peppercorn" rents due to the freeholders. For each headlease, the Trust pays one red apple and a posy of flowers. The five headleases include the Museums and Bedford Chambers' blocks as well as the Central Market.

Previously we have had to hand over "rents" to as many as four different freeholders. This has led to a lot of stopping and starting of our accompanying jazz band and the Town Crier's speeches. This year, there are only two freeholders: Scottish Widows, the proud new owners of the Market and the Museums block (adding to Bedford Chambers), and Lothbury who own the south west James Street terrace.

Apart from our headleases, local land ownership has now been greatly simplified. Scottish Widows have formed a partnership with Henderson Global, which, in effect, creates a combined estate encircling the Piazza. If you could add in the Royal Opera House, St. Paul's, Lloyd's Bank and Doc Martens, you would end up with the sort of chunk that was owned by the Dukes of Bedford up to the turn of the century.

So far the portents are good. Scottish Widows have announced that one of the Piazza's most important buildings - 43 King Street, built in 1716 - will be sensitively restored. The Central Market, too, is being renovated. With imagination and hard work, this most historic market square could feel creative, anarchic and stylish once again.

For information about the Rent Ceremony or membership, visit www.cgareatrust.org.uk or contact us at 44 Maiden Lane, London, WC2E 7LJ 020 7497 9245.

Leana Pooley, Administrator

Central Cities Institute

This year, we have made good progress in setting up the Central Cities Institute, which is based at the University of Westminster. Its aim, to quote from its terms of reference is: "To examine the interface between the various activities and interests which make up the centres of major cities. CCI has the starting premise that, as well as larger corporate and government interests, healthy city centres need thriving residential populations, effective public facilities and dynamic small business communities. It will initiate and support research which can provide the basis for more balanced policy formulation to create and maintain sustainable city centres. It will actively promote the findings of such research to policy makers."

The idea is that local people, in equal numbers with academics, will look at the issues, which effect our lives. The first research proposals are in relation to the recent rapid growth in the Night Time Economy and the barriers to providing more affordable housing in the heart of the city. Many cities in Europe and elsewhere have developed innovative approaches to mixed uses, licensing, affordable housing, transport, the environment and many similar issues. The Central Cities Institute believes that central London can also learn from these approaches.

Matthew Bennett

Seven Dials Monument Charity

The charity organised a Greening Seven Dials project, which offered window boxes to residents and businesses at a subsidised price. This was kindly supported by Green Values Camden and Shaftesbury plc. And children from the two local junior schools planted hanging baskets in Earlham Street and Shorts Gardens. Unfortunately, we don't have the funds to repeat the scheme this year.

The charity made representations to Camden to forward traffic management in the area through consultation with local residents and businesses. As you may know, Westminster withdrew from the overall scheme proposed with Camden. We organised a deputation to see the Leader and others at Westminster to urge them to rejoin Camden, and hopefully there will be a positive outcome.

Unfortunately Barbara Field who rejoined the charity left in July, and in order to replace her we will need to raise the necessary funds. We are grateful to both Shaftesbury plc for part-funding her salary and to Barbara for her hard work. The charity remains committed to finalising the works around the Sundial Pillar - lighting it and completing the street improvements. Any help or assistance would be welcomed. Please contact Seven Dials Monument Charity, 68 Dean Street, London, W1V 5HD; 020 7437 5512.

David Bieda

Save London's Theatres Campaign

"This has been one of our busiest years ever," said Save London's Theatres Chairman John Levitt.

The Save the London's Theatres Campaign (SLTC) has mounted a big crusade to save the Westminster Theatre and are currently involved in one of their biggest ever campaigns to save the Mermaid from destruction. A March for the Mermaid was held on May 22 of this year and a letter of objection was handed to the Chief Commoner in Guildhall Yard, when leading members of the theatrical profession were present. Due to our campaigning, over 300 letters of objection have already been received.

The SLTC's offices are at Guild House, Upper St. Martin's Lane - the Equity building - and it operates with the active backing of the theatre industry's union.

Covent Garden theatres, which have engaged the Campaign's attention this year, include the Shaftesbury and the Tristan Bates (the Actor's Centre). The day-to-day lobbying on behalf of other London theatres continues apace.

Campaign supporters helped John Levitt and Vice Chair Michael Earl at our usual stall at the Covent Garden May Fayre, where the sunshine brought out the theatre lovers and they did brisk trade in cards and memorabilia helping to boost our funds.

The CGCA continue to be represented on the Campaign Committee by Joyce Kirby, whose support is much appreciated. Our Campaign congratulates the CGCA on serving the local community for 30 years. The SLTC is only a year behind you!

Sheila Collings, Campaign Secretary

The Phoenix Garden

The Phoenix Community Garden is managed by the Covent Garden Open Spaces Association and is the last of the community gardens in the Covent Garden area.

We have had a busy 2000/2001. To ensure a safer area, we have allowed an attendant at St Giles Church yard to use our office space, and he helps to keep an eye on the garden and discourage undesirable use.

Our green house is now up and running, and, thanks to the green fingers of Peter, our gardener, we are able to provide herbs and wild flowers for sale. Local children also planted sunflower seeds along the Stacey Street fence, providing a fantastic display during the summer.

The frogs' new home is currently being finished and earlier on in the year, we were lucky to have a fox visit us. She took advantage of a beautiful winter afternoon to lay basking in the sun, allowing children to have their first view of such an animal.

We had our annual Halloween party in the autumn and were joined by children from Soho Parish and St. Joseph's Schools for our Christmas Carol evening. For the first time, we held a May Fayre this year, with the opportunity to play giant chess and draughts, watch the frogs and have a sack race. Many thanks to Boots and The French House for their support.

We have also had welcome donations of plants and tools from local workers and residents, but we were unlucky to loose the wonderful compost bin that Peter our gardener had made. For the time being, we have had to put a small one in our potting shed.

We hope that local people will continue to join in with their ideas and support our beautiful green oasis in the heart of the West End.

Sharon Peppard

Camden Councillors

The three Labour Councillors for the Bloomsbury Ward of Camden have continued to press the interests of the Covent Garden Community.

Our individual casework mostly arises from Friday surgeries at the CGCA offices in Macklin Street (upcoming dates are 27 July and 31 August, from 6.30-7.30, no appointment necessary). In recent weeks we have successfully dealt with rehousing cases and other individual problems.

We have also tried hard to defend the area and its people against unwanted encroachment from yet more late-night licences, and leisure and office redevelopment proposals. This is always difficult, as the legislation often opens the way to the proposers, and when we sit on the Council's quasi-judicial Committees we are bound by the requirements to be "fair" in terms of the existing law. We have, therefore, pressed proposals to change the ground rules so that they are more supportive of the needs of the local residential community.

The most serious problem currently is the growth in the drug-dealing and drug-taking activity in the area. We welcomed the Lilac Project and the fact that Camden Council seconded to it very hard-working and dedicated officers. But we are gravely concerned at the way in which displacement of drug activity to the area just outside the narrow boundaries of Lilac is making things worse for many residents who live there. We urge residents to report incidents they see, even if it doesn't seem as if much happens. Camden Council has also started rapid response on clearance of street encampments, and we recently arranged for the Chief Executive to visit along with officials and local police.

Other aspects of apparent tolerance also need to be dealt with, and we have lobbied hard for more enforcement, for example of illegal hot-dog sellers. We continually press for more environmental improvements to the area, for car-free days, and traffic controls.

Contact us with your ideas, problems, and proposals, via Members Services, Camden Town Hall, 020 7974 5798, or through the CGCA.

Cllrs Peter Brayshaw, Pat Callaghan and Nirmal Roy

Westminster Councillors

It is hard to believe that it is exactly three years ago since I had the privilege of being elected to Westminster City Council to represent St. James's ward - which includes most of Covent Garden - together with the sitting councillor, Alexander Nicoll.

During this busy time, I have got to know Jo Weir, John Bos and other members of the CGCA committee. And both Alexander and I are grateful to them for bringing to our attention the problems which residents of Covent Garden face.

A recent joint success was persuading Westminster City Council's Licensing Committee to turn down Tesco's application to remain open all night. This would have, undoubtedly, meant sleepless nights for local residents. Tesco's did give notice to the magistrates' court that they were going to appeal against this decision but we have just heard that, for the time being at least, they have withdrawn their appeal.

We all want Covent Garden to remain a colourful and vibrant area of London but, unfortunately, over the last few years, it does seem that its popularity with visitors has been at the expense of residents. Commercial success has brought with it much unpleasant anti-social behaviour, described so eloquently and vividly by Jo Weir whenever she has the opportunity to do so.

We are very aware of the problems which residents' face, such as the constant battle against noise from late-night street activity and revellers vomiting and urinating on the street and in your doorway. We are demanding that council officers work with the police, who we acknowledge are too few in numbers, to seek solutions to these problems urgently. This summer will see the introduction of 'pissoirs' to the streets of Covent Garden, together with a bye-law that will make it a punishable offence to urinate in public.

The Leader of Westminster Council has recently launched a consultation document entitled, Civic Renewal, which outlines the Council's forward-looking programme to meet the challenges of running the city. We look forward to the CGCA's comments, knowing that their 30 years of experience in Covent Garden will ensure a valuable contribution.

Cllr Louise Hyams, St James's ward

Holborn Police

The Sector Policing Unit (SPU), formerly the Community Action Team, continue to work from Kings Cross Police Station, along with Response Team officers providing the 24-hour cover for Holborn Division. Renovation work at Holborn Police Station continues, with an anticipated completion date of January 2002.

The delicate issue of resources remains a talking point. It is still hoped that recruiting will increase, with more officers on patrol. Figures for Camden and for the Met as a whole in April 2001 show a small decrease compared with the previous year.

We have seen various changes in personnel. Sergeant Neil Henson has left the Sector Team and is now sharing his expertise on "Problem Orientated Policing" across the whole of Camden Borough. The previous Beat Officers, Ian Millar and Bill Fenoughty, have moved onto Project Lilac, which developed from Holborn's Operation Strongpoint. It tackles problems associated with drug abuse in the area centred on Centre Point. Officers from Camden and Westminster work in partnership with other agencies to deal with this long-term problem.

In May 2000 PC Barrington Thompson joined the Sector Unit as your new Beat Officer, and in the short time he has been in post has done some stirling work in maintaining, and cementing new community relationships. He has now been joined by PC Andy Bithell, partnering Barrington in South Bloomsbury Sector. I know he is looking forward to meeting you all, and being involved in the community.

The biggest change will undoubtedly be the departure of Inspector Howard Marriott. He is transferring to Norfolk Constabulary at the end of June. Those of you who know Howard will agree that his commitment to, and knowledge of, the community has been second to none. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Howard and his family the best in their new life in the country.

Despite the good work of the Project Lilac, drug abuse remains a problem in the south of Holborn. Camden officers, assisted by officers from Lilac, have recently completed Operation Manx, which resulted in nine drug dealers being arrested and charged with supplying class A drugs. They are currently in prison awaiting trial. More arrests are anticipated in the near future. High visibility patrols have been supplemented with fifteen new probationary officers on Camden Borough. Part of their ten week on-street training course involved dedicated patrols in South Bloomsbury.

The Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, visited Camden Borough in recent months, and as a result of talking to front-line officers, has ordered that a fleet of motorcycles be assigned to Camden Police. These will assist officers reach emergency calls more effectively in heavy traffic. The bikes are now in service and, hopefully, have been noticed on the southern part of the Division. With additional patrols by mounted officers working from Kings Cross Police Station, it is hoped to provide a greater police presence to support the work completed by Barrington and Andy.

Sergeant Andy Hutchinson

Charing Cross Police

It is with great pleasure that I write again for the CGCA Annual Report 2000/2001. It has been another very successful year for the Covent Garden Police team in that crime is generally down even though our personnel have been reduced. Most of our key crime targets have been met and this is due in part to the usual help and vigilance provided by you all and is reflective of the great local pride that exists. We now have many successful partnerships and I would like to thank all the members of my Community Steering Group for their contributions this year, in particular Mr Deon Van Niekerk from the Maxwell's Group. Deon has been very active on your behalf in concert with the 'Capital Link' project in bringing some fresh ideas and potential funding for future crime prevention initiatives, which will be launched as the year progresses.

The priorities for the Metropolitan Police remain Crime and Disorder generally, and locally I will continue the focus on many of the quality of life issues, which you all regularly raise with me. I look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Please remember that police do not have all the answers where fighting crime is concerned and very much welcome any new ideas or partnership ventures.

Inspector Paul Wright

Salmagundi Gardeners in Literary On-Drive

Dorothy Parker, on hearing of the death of President Coolidge, allegedly said, "How could they tell?" Might she have reacted similarly to sightings of Salmagundi Gardeners playing cricket? Were she not dead (something most of our players have over her), an invitation to watch us very much alive and playing in New York's Central Park would be winging its way to The Algonquin Hotel.

Winging its way prematurely, that is, because no such game has been arranged - but it can be only a matter of time, for this reason: there exists in New York a Salmagundi Club. This gathering of American artists and literati is believed to be connected to the Greenwich Village Preservation Society. A twinning with the Covent Garden Community Association and our own village of Covent Garden seems to follow naturally.

The American club was founded in 1830. By a staggering coincidence this is precisely the time on a Sunday evening Salmagundi Cricketers are throwing away their wicket in order to get to the pub. It's unclear exactly when the name Salmagundi was copied from us (cleverly in advance), but it was after an incident that became known as the Salmagundi Papers. Could these in any way be linked with the Sunday papers that all Salmagundi batsmen settle down with not long after bravely striding out to the crease?

The Salmagundi Club has an address in 5th Avenue, which, as many will know, runs down one side of Central Park. Clearly, for this match which must be played, it would be more convenient for the Americans to act as hosts - this in spite of the help, if we did play at home, the cobbles of the Piazza might give our spinners.

What connects our two great organisations more than anything (apart from the name, which actually connects us more than anything) is the literary and artistic milieu that is Salmagundi Gardeners Cricket Club. Nowhere will you find - not even in Faulkner or Hemingway ("grace under pressure") - narrative as beautiful and moving as the Salmagundi batsman's explanation of how that couldn't possibly be LBW.

As for the artists in the side - they know who they are. So a transatlantic cultural exchange is inevitable. Assuming New York's Salmagundi will put aside their rounders (a game occasionally tacked on to a picnic) for the noble art of cricket (a game within which the picnic is inherent), the sounds of leather on willow will soon be dancing playfully on the wind with the hooters of the Staten Island ferry and the horns of the yellow taxi cabs.

Salmagundi Gardeners Cricket Club has represented Covent Garden since 1976. New, young, old and occasional players are always welcome. You do not need any cricket equipment of your own to play. If you know who Dorothy Parker was you might be asked to open the innings.

This year's club captain is Erik Samuelson who can be contacted on 020 8672 2194 (home) and erik@esamuelson.demon.co.uk

Mark Gilkes

Martlett Court Housing Co-operative

This year the Co-operative office has been refurbished and now provides a much-improved environment for staff and visitors. The Co-operative also has a new co-ordinator and book-keeper. This means that, with our caretaker, we have a friendly and excellent team of staff.

Concerning further developments, the Co-operative has been successful in its planning application to develop the unused playground on the estate into a garden area. Some work has begun and it is hoped that further works will begin shortly. The completion of this garden will be an important achievement for the Co-operative as all residents will benefit. The project will enhance the look and feel of the whole estate. It is also hoped that the garden will provide an area where residents can meet informally and so help to develop the community as a whole.

A special vote of thanks must go to the CGCA in being instrumental in helping the residents of our estate with regards to the Bow Street Police Station redevelopment. There have been certain anxieties expressed by residents about the proposals. In three recent meetings with the developers, facilitated by the Association, many issues have now successfully been resolved.

As always there is so much more that I could say, but the main point is that Martlett Court continues to thrive.

Dr Franco Tacconelli, Chairman

Dudley Court Tenants' Association

Dudley Court has had a difficult and problematic year. This was caused by several factors, notably the demolition and rebuilding of the old hospital adjacent to Dudley Court in Short's Gardens. It brought noise, dust, road closures, loss of parking spaces, to mention just a few of the problems. The double-glazing we were promised from the Hospital Group is yet to be delivered after the worst of the demolition is over.

This past year has also seen a big increase in the drug-addicted community in Covent Garden. Many of them are sleeping around and often inside Dudley Court, and furthermore, injecting their drugs in front of our residents and children. Not only that, but, dealers leave their drugs to be collected under plants and bushes, destroying many of the new terraced garden plants we had on Short's Gardens.

Linked to this is the many complaints we have received from Dudley Court residents about the number of non-residents entering the estate, making noise, causing damage and harassing our residents. Hopefully, the installation of a new entry system on the estate, as well as extra lighting along our walkways and passages, will help to solve these problems.

Elsewhere, the Sheltered Housing section of Dudley Court has had an exterior upgrade, with the hope that the same can be carried out on the rest of the estate, and a new refuse room is soon to be created at the Endell Street exit. And finally, our Tenants' Hall has had a new ceiling put in and is now in very good shape.

The Tenants' Hall is used by the ladies of the TA every week. They run many voluntary works on the estate, including a weekly bingo night for senior citizens, and the maintenance of our garden. They also organise our annual Christmas party. We thank our TA members who work so hard all year.

We would also like to thank our Council officers, the local police and Covent Garden Community Association for all their support.

Michael Wylde

Duval Court Tenants' Association

Duval Court is a small block on the corner of Bedfordbury and Bedford Court, coming under the administration of the Peabody Estate Office on the Wild Street estate. There are only 28 flats and therefore the chances of a large and impressive turnout for Tenants' Association meetings are not great.

Nevertheless, a small group meets at regular intervals during the year to discuss on-going issues relevant to the environment in which we live. The Peabody Estate itself has been going through major administrative restructuring this year and the DCTA works hard to ensure relevant dialogue with personnel who have responsibility for our block.

Apart from on-going internal maintenance issues, we are acutely aware of the need to monitor activity in the surrounding area, particularly applications for late or all-night licences for local shops, bars and restaurants. Noise features prominently in our lives, particularly after 3am, when the combination of motor bikes (parked in Bedfordbury) get kick-started and exuberant revellers turn out of the late watering holes around the Covent Garden Piazza. We wonder if any of them knows how sound travels - or even if they care!

Notwithstanding, our association continues to work with the local police and other support groups to maintain the equilibrium - and we take this opportunity to thank the CGCA for all their efforts on our behalf.

David Rogers

Burleigh Mansions Residents' Association

We are never certain in Burleigh Mansions whether we are in Covent Garden or Soho. Perhaps we are on the edge of both. We have frontages and entrances in Charing Cross Road and St. Martin's Lane and the block runs the length of Cecil Court with it's little bookshops, bric-a-brac, etchings, antique prints and framing shops.

We are members of the Leicester Square Association and support the Covent Garden Community Association. We have been very grateful for their support in the past, particularly a couple of years ago when the St. Martin's Hotel proposed a night club on the site of the old Lumiere Cinema - just opposite us. We are still concerned as to what will happen with this space.

This year, the ownership of our building reverted to the Salisbury family, represented by the freeholders, the Gascoyne-Cecil Estate. They have pursued a vigorous policy of upgrading about thirty "short let" flats after years of neglect. Residents have been faced with the inevitable disturbance, discomfort and distress caused by major reconstruction of these flats and work on the common parts. Individual flats have been rewired and a massive new electrical mains is being provided. We are promised new water mains, a video entry system and new lifts.

So this year our energies have been concentrated on internal struggles to bring constant pressure on the managing agents and their contractors to minimise disturbance and preserve security of access. Work is expected to continue for another six to nine months.

Stanley Prothero - "feeling the first effects of my 85 years" - stood down as Chairman after six years but continues on the committee. Irene Wolfe, Secretary and Jeanne Church, Treasurer carry on with their splendid efforts.

Selwyn Hardy, Chairman

Parking in Covent Garden

Regular readers of this slot will remember that 'Residents parking in Camden-C zone' is an exciting, round-the clock game for about 450 players. Every year, each player pays to enter the game and is given a resident parking permit as his unique playing piece.

Last year, we announced the Millennium 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' version of the game, but during 2000/01 it was bound to be superseded by the more cerebral 'Weakest Link' edition. The new rules allow developers and utility companies to team together to vote off residents' bays in their favourite streets as never before. The unfortunate victims see their road names held aloft on orange suspension notices, and they must humbly bow-out for an increasingly long time.

We interviewed various bays after their elimination. One said: "I have been a prime bay in Endell Street for years - a favourite of residents living everywhere from Drury Lane to Seven Dials. But I just couldn't compete with the charisma of those rocking Hospi+al redevelopment people. The building is gutted, and I feel the same."

Another, from Shelton Street, said: "Over the last four years I have been dug up, or suspended due to digging, at least 10 times. I survived the great fire of 1999 with only demolition merchants' trucks and skips squatting on me. But no one ever managed to take me out for more than a few weeks - until now. I must have lost my nerve, because they just suspended me for two months for no reason. I've been robbed!"

To speed up the game, contestant bays can be eliminated not just one by one, but in whole rows. The challenge for our players is, of course, that no matter how many bays are taken out, there are still as many residents vehicles needing to find spaces.

An impossible situation is relieved by the valiant efforts of Camden's contract management team who have been very creative in bringing in new, temporary bays to replace the casualties. We lost three bays on Endell Street, four on Betterton Street and nine on Shorts Gardens for two years. But yellow lines and pay/display bays from Grape Street to Macklin Street have been marshalled into service for the duration. In an even more revolutionary move, seven bays in Shelton Street disappeared one night under an orange sign, only to be supplanted two days later by former double yellow lines further down the street - under a defiant, white laminated banner allowing dispensation to residents.

Keely Woods has been the hard-working and highly effective team leader at Camden for the last couple of years. We are sad to see her go and wish her the best in pastures (or tarmac expanses) new. Her excellent assistant, Nalita Narain holds the fort until a replacement arrives, and Ann Cunningham is in overall charge for now.

Since the game has been getting a bit out of hand, Camden is looking at ways in which it can regulate the suspension of bays a little more - a move that we welcome. This, together with the 'clear zones' experiment promising to limit through traffic to Seven Dials, may beget a more relaxed version of the game next year - though not, we suspect, quite the 'Bowling green' edition.

Amanda Rigby

Covent Garden Housing Co-Operative

Now in our sixth year as a tenant management co-operative, we manage 86 homes in the Camden part of Covent Garden.

Generally, it's been a quiet year. Several of our older, life-long Covent Garden residents died or moved into a nursing home. The good news is that the St Pancras and Humanist Housing Association and Camden Council are taking the Covent Garden criteria more seriously, namely the list of priorities for housing people in Covent Garden according to the strength of their ties to the area.

Those of us who were tenants before January 1989 are here through the hard work of the CGCA convincing the GLC to rehouse people in need because of the redevelopment of the area. The GLC built and renovated homes on both sides of the council border as well as persuading Camden and Westminster to do the same within their borders. The results have been generally comfortable, imaginatively designed homes.

The down side was the Conservative government's policy giving tenants the 'right to buy' our homes. Of our 86 properties, 29 were bought by then tenants, mostly one-bedroom and bedsits. Sixteen properties were sold as soon as it was legally possible with the former tenants moving away from the area. Eight continued living in the flats, moving away eventually. One died and only four of the original 29 still live here, compared with 43 of the 57 properties occupied by the original tenants or their sons and daughters. In other words, 14% of leaseholders and 75% of tenants have stayed.

Where this has caused problems is that many of the properties are now rented in the private sector by the leaseholders, who quite rightly charge full market rents. This causes a mismatch in expectations between our traditional tenants and those expecting a much higher level of services. There is no easy solution to this, but it's one we have to work towards in the coming year.

Jessica Skippon

Seven Dials Housing Co-operative

Although Seven Dials Housing Co-operative was formed in the early 1970s - around the closing of the Market - our true role in Covent Garden evolves as the area itself changes. Choices are becoming increasingly stark: another shoe shop or a place to live for those born and raised here?

There is real pressure on local affordable housing for local people. It has come to the point where "how can you afford to live in Covent Garden" is a stock question. The happy answer (of course!) is that the Seven Dials Housing Co-operative provides affordable and well-maintained accommodation for people with a strong connection to the area, be it through family or work, though there is never enough of it to go round, even for our priority, single tenants.

In addition to our own properties, we have established a good reputation for responsible management of 'short-life' housing held and managed in perpetuity for others. We are constantly on the look-out for new properties.

If you would like to see 'one less coffee bar and one more home' and have housing property in and around the Covent Garden area that you would like to be responsibly managed and tenanted, please contact our Co-ordinator, Alasdair Willmore on 020 7379 3534 for further details.

John Wischmeyer

The Odhams Walk Residents' Association

TOWRA had a productive year. The big event was the opening of the on-site estate office in early April. The residents' management organisation now have their own office, G62B Odhams Walk, an annual budget and a lump sum to carry out external decorations. We are very grateful to all those who helped establish this over the past four years. We appointed a part time administrator, Gary Nolan (Tel 7379 6005), who works the other half of the week with Martlett Court. He has made an excellent start and given us much help. We are lucky that Mark East continues as our caretaker and handyman.

The main issues over the year are those common to all in Covent Garden. The noise - with thanks for help from Westminster Noise Team. Crime - with thanks to the local police for helping patrol and control some unruly teenagers coming from outside the estate. We hope funding will increase to allow more police on the beat. The rubbish - with thanks to WCC for all their efforts, but please could you try even harder. The nightlife - we can only hope we do not follow Soho.

After two years as Chairman, I resigned at the May AGM to give someone else a go and Geoff Mack has now kindly volunteered to Chair TOWRA in the future. We hope that the majority of issues on the estate will be handled through the management organisation in the new office.

John Warren, ex-Chair TOWRA

Wild Street Tenants Association

Once again the tenants of Wild Street are having trouble with the noise and disruption from the Centre Point project. According to the newsletter we had from the police, we hope they are going to be able to give us the support of more community police in the area, so we can sort this problem out. We also have a new management team at Peabody and we hope they are going to be able to help us resolve these problems too.

On a more cheerful note, we received a grant from the lottery, which enabled us to celebrate Millennium Year with a party in the grounds of the estate. We chose the theme, 'Covent Garden Through the Ages' and a great time was had by all. We also took 40 pensioners to Sarastro for Christmas lunch and, as usual, Richard did us proud. The children of the TA went to Smollensky's for a party and the pensioners received their usual £10 Christmas box.

We'd like to thank Peabody for the work they have done on the estate, painting the building on both the inside and outside. All the tenants agree it looks very impressive. We'd also like to welcome Valerie Newbury and her new team. Hopefully we will work well together. And finally, we would like to thank John Bos and the police for their help when we have needed it.

Eva Duke

Some thoughts

Thirty years ago, it was not just the Piazza that was changing; a myriad of back-street businesses had an equally supporting role. My own furniture workshop in Stukeley Street, where I have lived and worked for 20 years, was one of the many picturesque "fruit 'n veg" warehouses threatened with Barbican-style development.

A few things have conspired to keep Covent Garden hybrid and stimulating. Thanks to advances in computers and communications, small businesses can still compete in both global and local markets and do so with creative teams who actually prefer to work up and down ramshackle staircases than in corporate mausoleums with marbled atriums.

Another is the sustained pressure by the CGCA to restrain helter-skelter development for its own sake. The CGCA has undoubtedly won the moral argument over ruthless property speculation but has never had much sanction. But by continually asking awkward and, in hindsight, extraordinarily prescient questions (and occasionally mobilising the community) they have sometimes been able to delay the more unacceptable planning decisions just long enough for developers to think again and lose critical momentum. Like a bantamweight judo wrestler, the CGCA has been able to punch way above its weight and although it has frequently lost its battles, it has rarely done so without affecting changes to undesirable schemes.

Although genuine workshops are much fewer (in Thomas Chippendale's day there were more than 160 cabinet workshops in the area), there are a surprising number of specialist businesses that have survived (Arthur Beal, and Fred Collins, for instance). Some, like the Punjab Restaurant, have even passed their half-century - a touching vignette that an Indian Restaurant opened shortly after Partition should be amongst the longest surviving businesses in a quintessentially English part of London.

Luke Hughes

(opened a furniture design workshop in Drury Lane in 1981; still living there with his business still operating next door)

Covent Garden Community Association 30 Years On

The theatres in Covent Garden were initially amazed in the early 1970s by the GLC's proposal to blitz the area for a claimed urban Utopia. The planners trotted out gobbledegook words and where I lived, in Earlham Street, was to be the Seven Dials 'Node'. Initially there was a feeling of helplessness as these were official 'government' schemes. However, amazement rapidly turned to outrage and we banded together to support the fledgling CGCA.

Our then family business had two theatres in the Covent Garden area: the New Theatre (now the Albery), and Wyndham's Theatre. Both of them would have been demolished by this new 'masterplan'. At the time, the Wyndham was showing the musical Godspell with artists such as David Essex and Jeremy Irons. To help put the penniless CGCA on a sounder footing, the artists and staff all volunteered to give a Sunday benefit performance to help raise some money for them. We raised about £1,200, which in those days was a substantial sum.

Casualties of the eventual redevelopment schemes were our Donmar technical equipment hire and sales businesses in both Earlham Street and Shorts Gardens. However, the Donmar Warehouse Theatre that I constructed out of our former rehearsal premises for the RSC, and later managed, still survives.

In Covent Garden the battle was primarily against planners and bureaucrats. But our Criterion theatre in Piccadilly Circus was soon on another battlefront when the Crown Commissioners and private developers tried to destroy it so they could build 400-foot office towers around Piccadilly Circus. Their attempts were even more aggressive and uncaring towards the survival of either the theatres or the local residents. Again the CGCA came to our help, and the success of the Soho Society and the Save Piccadilly Campaign in rescuing Piccadilly Circus owes a great deal to the CGCA's support.

Ian Albery

Chief Executive and Producer

Sadler's Wells and Peacock Theatres

Frank's Café

Frank's Café was taken over by my father, Alfonso Ruocco, in 1966 from Franco Veniconte - a fellow villager from Minori on the Amalfi coast, south of Naples - who started it 40 years earlier. In the early days, much of our trade came from market traders and porters. Now, we have a handful of regular customers, but over the years they have become fewer and fewer. Many of our customers now are builders, office workers, tourists and even the odd famous celebrity like John Thaw.

We believe in giving our customers value for money and good, friendly service. We know there is still a need for a good, wholesome, traditional café in a street which has become full of trendy fashion shops, many of which come and go every six months.

Frank's Café is a family-run business, which has become increasingly more difficult to look after in the last 10 years, especially since my father passed away in 1988. We are constantly fighting the high rent and business rates in order to keep our little business going.

Neal Street is special because everyone has heard of it. Many people are drawn to its attractions, but that, in turn, drives up the rent - a vicious circle. I like Covent Garden because of its unique and cosmopolitan atmosphere. I have always lived in Covent Garden and love it here. I am still holding on, although the constantly increasing rents look likely to push us out sooner rather than later.

Trofimena Ruocco-Deufemia

A Hurray and two prayers

An invitation to reflect on the 'early days' of the CGCA and the last 30 years in 250 words is, of course, impossible. I came to Covent Garden in 1963 to see a friend, saw a "To Let" board on the building opposite and thought "this looks a good central place" and moved my embryonic import business to Neal Street.

Two years later I moved in to live 'over the shop'. Thirty-five years later, having glanced at leafier areas of London, I will leave my simply converted 'loft living' to somewhere with a lift to spend the next 30 years. But still in Covent Garden and in spite of all the irritations of centre city living, I cannot realistically imagine living elsewhere.

Back in the 60's my patch was dominated by print and publishing even more than the Market. Odhams' presses rolled, delivery vans roared around, hot-type clacked in Earlham Street, journalists drank in The Cross Keys until the Market activity began. People enjoyed coming here. They still do.

Very early on, in the queue at the local butchers waiting for sausages, I observed Dennis Portwine, father of Graham, who now gently rules the place, leaning towards a diminutive ancient lady saying, "Yes, Alice. A small lamb chop and a slice of liver for the cat?". Until that moment I had never been ambitious (I just got on with things) but my ambition then became to belong sufficiently here for the butcher to call me by my Christian name.

I have worn many hats: importer from far flung places, retailer of oriental-ethnic goods, specialist purveyor of fine teas, florist of the first modern style flower shop, restaurateur, café owner, gallery entrepreneur with 100's of shows over 15-20 years and, I suppose, property developer.

In the early 70's I became aware of the GLC plan for Covent Garden, became politicised, made an Objection at the Public Inquiry and spent innumerable evenings at meetings for the CGCA and the Covent Garden Forum. The CGCA's first Administrator started work in my flat and the "Independent News" in the basement of what became my first retail shop and the first new style shop in Covent Garden. Friends said "Retail in Covent Garden? You must be mad. No-one will come".

From the early 70's I took over other buildings - because "it seemed a good idea at the time" - and converted the upper parts to residential, the middle to commercial (favouring small users) with own shops on the ground floor.

The 90's saw difficult times in the recession, although I believe earlier, less severe recessions helped Covent Garden because it took the pressure off - a bit. But many businesses went under or moved.

During all this time - which latterly included time as Trustee of the Covent Garden Area Trust, The Monument Committee and The Social Centre, and a Board Member of the Donmar Theatre and The Ambassador Theatre

Group - I have tried to mediate between the often conflicting interests of residents and business - including developers. Now may be the time to try harder on this one, as many more concerns are now shared.

Finally, a hurrah and two prayers:

HURRAH for INDEPENDENTS. May enlightened Landlords give them a chance to flourish. Fewer have gone bust or moved than chains/flagships/multi-nationals who now drive rents to absurd levels (this year Benneton wanted to pay £800,000 p.a. for Neal Street East's space).

PRAYER 1: that Covent Garden, and like communities, get more of the free or affordable things such as: trees, unbroken paving stones, visitors that are quiet and continent after 11.00 pm, legal ice cream vans, angelic scaffolders (and never on Sunday), good new buildings that get built, É etc etc etc.

PRAYER 2: that the new Community Centre gets built without (further) delay and that it may prove a forum where residents and workers discover they have more in common than previously thought.

Christina Smith

A Restaurateur's view

We are honoured that the Covent Garden Community Association has asked Maxwell's Restaurant Group to contribute to the CGCA Annual Report 2000/2001. We feel this is a perfect example of the community involvement that Covent Garden is so active to maintain and develop with its members.

Maxwell's Restaurant Group's head office is situated in Covent Garden. With five of our eleven restaurants located in the heart of theatreland, we are naturally involved in local business developments and are active members of various organisations. These include the Covent Garden Community Association, In & Around Covent Garden Forum, Capital Link and the Sector Steering Committee by way of financial support and local developments. We are also enthusiastic to work with other any new organisations that are dedicated to the well being of the community.

Covent Garden has obviously changed over the years regarding local business development, social and tourism trade yet the character of the area has positively magnified to ensure that Covent Garden is still a prime residential area, promotes an excellent yet diverse array of entertainment yet has maintained its quirky and welcoming personality.

As London's central areas and suburbs are losing their clear geographical definitions, Maxwell's Group are proud that Covent Garden retains its individualism and this is a great reflection of the efforts the community strives to encourage. By merging our individual businesses resources to support major local events and receive great publicity, this is visual proof of our capabilities and dedication towards keeping Covent Garden as...Covent Garden.

Brian Stein, Director

Covent Garden in old photographs

Having spent two years in Australia, working partly in advertising and partly in publishing as an art director, I arrived back in the UK in April 1972 and found myself a tiny office in Rose Street, Covent Garden to carry on working.

It didn't take long for me to realise the importance of the area. The atmosphere was wonderful, it was just like being in a huge green grocers shop. It was then that I discovered that such a fabulous environment would so soon be condemned. I made contact with some publishing friends and put the proposition to them that a book be published to make a record of what was there.

Armed with rolls of the new 400 ASA high speed Ecktachrome, I made regular 5am trips to catch the early light and atmosphere. I wanted to use colour as well as black and white to capture the vivid surroundings and I'm glad I did - it's the only collection of colour photographs known to the CGCA to date.

Unfortunately, the book was never published in the end, so when I finished taking photographs in 1973, I packed the transparencies and negatives away for posterity. But then last year, I was showing them to some friends at the Mission Gallery in Notting Hill. They loved them and decided to put them on show in an exhibition they were holding of disappearing London.

One of the people I invited to the show was John Bos from the CGCA. He showed great interest in them and asked me to exhibit them as part of their 30th Anniversary celebrations. It seemed to be a wonderful opportunity to help an organisation that has been central to preserving Covent Garden as we know it today.

As a result, 60 of my pictures are on show in the gallery at the Royal Opera House from 8th June-18th August. The rest of my images can be viewed on the CGCA website, www.coventgarden.org.uk. All of them are for sale with a percentage of the profits donated to the CGCA.

Nigel Dicker

Westminster City Council - Covent Garden's future

Cherishing our City motivates all we do as a City Council. We work to make it a better place to live in, to work in and to visit.

We are proud of Westminster's historic links - but, as a local authority, we are not stuck in history. We seek the preservation of what is best from the past and the encouragement of what is new and exciting today. Hence, the completion of the Royal Opera House development marked a significant milestone in the life of Covent Garden. This outstanding scheme has won many plaudits.

But the area means much more to my colleagues and me on the Council than just a major cultural centre - important as that is. Covent Garden also has a long-established residential population, which we are determined to protect and foster under our new Unitary Development Plan. Much of what we do as a Council needs the active support and involvement of you, the residents. And the CGCA is to be applauded for its tireless efforts on behalf of the Covent Garden community over the last 30 years.

Since the fruit and vegetable market vacated the area in 1974, the significance of Covent Garden as an entertainment area has become even more marked with the introduction of new shops, cafes, restaurants, wine bars and museums. It has become a major shopping destination and a magnet for tourists.

All this means that Covent Garden is under constant commercial pressure. Our job as a Council is to ensure a fair balance between the needs of commerce and the entertainment industry and the rights of residents to an acceptable, safe environment.

This is the challenge. And your Council will continue to do all it can to ensure that the right balance is struck.

Cllr Angela Hooper,

Chairman of Westminster Council's Planning and Licensing Committee

Is Jim a World Leader?

At the memorial celebration service, St Paul's was full of old memories and old friends. It was almost 30 years to the day when a large crowd had assembled in front of the church to hear from celebrities, local activists and É me. It was in the run up to the 1971 Borough elections. I was one of three Labour candidates determined to break the long-standing Tory hold on Bloomsbury ward.

It was also the time when the local community had bestirred itself about the GLC's plans for Covent Garden. These were truly grandiose, with a large new road system and a new series of concrete commercial blocks. When my turn came, I laid into the GLC's plans with such vigour that David Jacobs (another speaker and a famous disc jockey of the day) rebuked me for being too unkind to the GLC. It was a great occasion. I have to say that, in the succeeding 30 years, I have never spoken to such a large and appreciative open-air crowd. We won. The scheme was dropped. We were elected.

As time has gone on, we can see that Covent Garden has been part of a global trend. Already in 1971, we were looking at what was happening at Les Halles, the old market in Paris. Across Europe, the old central core of towns seemed blighted by old buildings and inefficient and inappropriately placed warehouses, with curious street patterns. The old merchants and the middle class fled to the new suburbs. The housing was turning into slums.

In May, I went to Valencia and stayed in the Barrio, claimed to be the largest surviving old town centre in Europe. Originally, it was behind massive town walls, of which only the gates survive.

There are still magnificent fruit, fish and vegetable markets, stamp and coin markets, pet markets (how can they sell toucans?), bric-a-brac and ceramics; but along the streets are new restaurants, new bars, new shops, house fronts restored (with some European aid) and a real feeling of creative change. In the fine old Town Hall, there is a splendidly detailed 17th century map. The Barrio still follows the same street pattern; indeed some of the streets lie on Roman predecessors.

The river, which used to flood the Barrio, has been diverted. The riverbed is now a splendid longitudinal park. Near the sea, the river is 'Foster-ised' with splendid new buildings shimmering in white, a science museum and other worthy institutions (very dull inside), surrounded by Docklands-style apartment blocks, replacing old warehouses. The parallels with the East End were obvious.

Where traditional areas have been allowed to survive and regenerate themselves, communities flourish and grow. Tourists and local visitors flock in. Who wants to spend leisure time among white concrete blocks? It is not just Covent Garden and Valencia, but many 'centro storico' areas in Italian towns, and revived old central areas from Dublin to Toronto and Amsterdam to Sydney.

Good old friends, such as John Toomey and Jim Monahan, are not generally thought of as world leaders. But in a way we all were, without realising it. The new centre of life, in so many cities, is É the old centre of life. And a good thing, too.

Cllr Richard Arthur

(after being involved in the early days of the CGCA, Richard Arthur went on to become Leader of Camden Council from 1993 to 2000)

I remember ...

I remember all right, but it does seem such a long time ago. I remember:

being a street representative and endlessly delivering bits of paper up and down thousands of stairs

the lovely Jean working from Christina Smith's flat with loads of us helping

carting the typewriters around the streets and moving the campaign office to my kitchen

then carting the machines around again to Henrietta Street - naturally to the top floor - when the office moved there

my friends gradually realising that an invitation to dinner meant a first course of delivering leaflets round Wild Street

while I was sweating under the weight of a typewriter in the Piazza, a man gave me his card in case I might be interested in 'modelling'

asking the police about the incidence of local crime while the Market existed and being told there wasn't any, bar the odd box of apples going missing

mothers with pushchairs rushing from St. Clement Danes to the Piazza to tell Rayne Dartmouth we didn't want cherry trees, we wanted our homes

Rayne Dartmouth having the decency and good sense to resign from the committee designed to destroy us

Elizabeth Isles

Piazza Observations

When I look back over 25 years in Covent Garden it is inevitable to see events from a Piazza and business perspective. In the late 1970's when Covent Garden was being revitalised there were many enterprising people starting businesses. They worked in Covent Garden and some lived here as well. Whilst a few have stayed the course - Christina Smith being the finest example - most have moved on and, inevitably, Covent Garden has lost a little of its distinctiveness with the departure of each of these independent businesses.

One such person was Lionel Fisher, who died suddenly and unexpectedly four years ago. With his wide brimmed Australian hats and Labrador, Lionel was a flamboyant element in the Central Market where he ran two large units selling casual clothing. He later, somewhat ahead of the trend, moved into the upper reaches of Neal Street. Lionel was enthusiastic about Covent Garden and generously sponsored the promotion of the first regular free Covent Garden paper, The Covent Garden Advertiser, edited by Peter Knight.

In the early 1990's, when we were thinking about a makeover for Tuttons Brasserie, we realised, with some regrets, that it was time to move on from the 'market' connection as visitors were increasingly unaware and uninterested in the history. In 1985 we had added to the fans and cooli-hat lampshades (carefully retained from the old potato warehouse, which our premises had once been) various items, including large clocks from the then closing Billingsgate Market.

By 1985, ten years after the fruit and vegetable market had moved away, Covent Garden is about shopping and watching. The image of Covent Garden had changed from a flower girl to a fire eating street entertainer. The general perception of the area has changed - inevitable, but in many ways liberating.

Chris Turrell, Tuttons Brasserie

The Punjab

The Punjab Indian restaurant has witnessed the many changes in Covent Garden over the last five decades.

Founder Gurbachan Singh Maan (also known as Granddad Singh), established the Punjab on Neal Street in 1951. He chose Neal Street largely because of the local Indian, Malaysian and East African students who had come to study Law and Medicine in London. The site was also conveniently located near the Covent Garden Market, which meant that most ingredients could be bought and cooked that very day.

Granddad Singh was a tall and generous Sikh Gentleman who loved Covent Garden. Neal Street then was a bustling street full of independent family run shops with a strong community of residents. For almost thirty years, he lived above the restaurant in Neal Street. He viewed Covent Garden as one big family consisting of local families, workers, and businesses.

Retiring in 1970, he regularly sat on the benches, outside the Punjab, keeping an eye on the hustle and bustle of Neal Street. He was shocked at the proposed plans to demolish parts of Covent Garden to construct a major link road. Preservation was, and still is, vital and he became a strong supporter of the newly founded CGCA. He loved the community atmosphere and the experience of the Covent Garden Market and was later saddened by the move of the market.

One of the biggest changes is the way in which Covent Garden has become commercialised. Back in Granddad's time there was still the pride of front door milk and of knowing your milkman. Shop owners would take pride in their window displays and passers-by would stop and enjoy the displays. Now crime has taken precedence and shutters and grills can be seen everywhere. Sadly, you will also find that most stores that open on Neal Street do not last much longer than a couple of years.

Covent Garden has become very popular and one of the results is that the Punjab Restaurant can proudly say that it has clients from every continent dining in Neal Street.

Sukhi Maan

Some thoughts on Covent Garden over 30 years

I have to be honest and say that I remember the Market in 1970 most for its car parking provision! At that time, I was working at the Coliseum and driving a battered Imp and could arrive just as the last lorries were moving away. The prospect of a 'small 'un' was a delight for the porter who had an ability to squeeze seemingly endless cars into surprising spaces amongst the market debris. There was certainly a mix of life with the bustle of market trading surrounded by the normal everyday life.

My next memory was a few years later when I visited Bedford Chambers as a member of the then Society of West End Theatre. The market buildings seemed to be a sleeping beauty behind the hoardings. For the first time I was aware of the splendour of the central roof arches and the almost dolls house quality of the buildings along the arcades. Then, transformation! The first Christmas that the new market was open was a magical time with shopping once again an enjoyable experience in shops with individual appeal.

Life did change - the appeal of the shops brought the tourists who brought the buskers who certainly added a new dimension, alas not one I particularly appreciated, since by then I worked in an office directly overlooking this hive of activity. A more recent enjoyable memory was to pass through the Piazza after going to the theatre and catch the atmosphere of the curtain calls on the big screen of the Royal Opera's Otello. Great stuff.

Covent Garden has to be one of the great success stories of London planning - even if we got there by protest.

Rupert Rhymes, Chief Executive

Society of London Theatre/

Theatrical Management Association

(residents of Bedford Chambers 1975 to 1997)

Seven Dials butcher reflectsÉ

When my family established their butcher shop in Earlham Street, they could never have foreseen the environment in which our business now survives. From half a dozen butchers and poulterers in the area 50 years ago, we are the only remaining meat specialist. We see ourselves at craftsmen, not meat suppliers. We sell expertise, give advice and are able to tailor-make cuts of meat for discerning customers or for specific functions.

The changes that Covent Garden has been through have had a profound impact on the area itself and on the community, although our business continues. We have seen our customers change - we get far fewer of the indigenous population, but we have found many new customers in the young, upwardly-mobile residents that have moved into the new, expensive flats that have been built in the area over the past 30 years. We still have a number of the long-standing residents, some of whom have been our customers for even longer than 30 years.

The Seven Dials area is as busy as it was in the days of the Market. The buzz, the interesting characters and weird happenings are still here. The huge piles of fresh produce have been replaced with fashion and shoe shops, but the traffic is still as chaotic. Earlham Street is still a great place to work and to run a business. Our biggest problem is the high level of petty crime, the anti-social behaviour and the drug taking that is rampant.

Graham Portwine

St. Clement Danes Church of England Primary School

As a former pupil of St Clement Danes, I re-visited the school as a prospective parent 27 years ago, and I have been involved with the school ever since. In the mid-seventies the market moved to Nine Elms, and with the closure of the Odhams Press site in Long Acre, the numbers dwindled to 98. With a programme of demolition for most of the area, the future looked very bleak. However, 'they' had not taken into account the passion that 'Covent Gardeners' have for their patch. The come-back commenced. At the school a PTA was formed, quickly followed by the opening of a pre-and after-school 'Playcentre', allowing parents to drop their children off from 8:30am until 5:30pm. The CGCA fought and won their battle, and with news of the school's facilities, numbers steadily rose. The last 10 years have seen major changes to the internal organisation of the building. The addition of a computer suite and upgrading of furniture and resources makes it a school for the 21st century.

Over the years the school has formed good relationships with neighbours such as the Royal Opera House, London Transport Museum and the National Gallery. All classes take full advantage of the cultural richness of the area. Although the school is Church of England, it reflects the diversity of the neighbourhood serving a multi-cultural and multi-lingual community with 21 home languages spoken within the school.

Now in its 300th year, the school is flourishing. Congratulations on your first 30 years CGCA, we wish you continued success!

Jean Rymer

Living and Working in Covent Garden

The first time I saw Covent Garden, 23 years ago, was when I was looking for my first club in London. It was depressing to say the least - it could have fitted a horror movie. The famous Piazza was boarded up, as was Long Acre, and Neal Street had one restaurant.

But even then there was a major plan in place as to how Covent Garden was to be developed. It did not take much imagination for me to know this was the area I wanted to be part of.

When I took the lease on Stringfellows, everyone in the business thought it was a big mistake, but I knew different. Over the years, I have seen Covent Garden bloom. But not everywhere is as I would like it. Personally, I would like more restaurants and bigger shop names like Gucci, Versaci, Prada, etc. What I do like is the Piazza. The markets are a delight and I love to see street performers. What I intensely dislike is the large number of rough sleepers and beggars. I know this sounds harsh, but as far as I am concerned, the authorities should have zero-tolerance. On my recent visit to Rome, I saw no more than two rough sleepers and no beggars in the whole of the centre of Rome.

What I do love about Covent Garden is the mix of businesses and residents. A much better mix than in Soho. All in all, I see Covent Garden residents as very understanding, city-loving people, who love where they live - and that goes for me, too. As a resident, it can be noisy, but that suits me. Sure, we can all live somewhere much quieter, but it would not have the soul and fun of Covent Garden.

Peter Stringfellow

The City Lit and Covent Garden

The City Lit, London's largest adult education college, has been in Covent Garden since the late 1930's when the main Stukeley Street premises were built. Later, in the 1960's, The City Lit took over Keeley House, a Victorian Board School. In the early days the City Literary Institute, to give its full title, was very much a 'night school' offering part-time education to office employees after work.

Over the years, The City Lit has established a reputation for its range of courses reflecting the culture and vitality of the surrounding area. For example there are courses in drama and music, as well as the visual arts, humanities and languages, attracting aspiring performers and artists, as well as people improving their work or self-presentation skills.

There are 23,000 students who come to the City Lit each year from all over Greater London and beyond and our 2,700 courses are spread across the week, both day and evening. Students and staff find our location attractive, both for the transport routes and for the environment, particularly at the end of the day when the 'buzz' of classroom activity spills out into the street.

The City Lit has plans for a £21m new building on the Keeley Street site and these have now moved closer to fruition. The project involves partnership with a developer to build the new premises and to take over the surplus properties in Stukeley Street and Bolt Court on completion in 2003. Public sector funding to support the costs has been agreed in principle and the final stages of the complex deal will hopefully be agreed this summer with demolition of Keeley House starting in the autumn.

The CGCA has been enormously helpful to us all through the preparatory stages of this project, particularly in their advice and support over the planning applications to Camden. In addition to this, they have also provided us with news, information and the introduction to various networks which has been very useful as we face the future and respond to the needs of adult learners.

Congratulations to the CGCA on 30 years wonderful and stalwart service to people living and working in Covent Garden - long may the CGCA thrive.

Margaret Davey, Principal

Royal Opera House

Prior to my arrival at the Royal Opera House in June 1994, I was as guilty as the batches of tourists that swell the local streets. My crime, as a typical Londoner, was to give little thought to the Covent Garden residents but over the last seven years this has been absolutely reversed. Getting to know the people in this historic part of the capital has been and remains a great pleasure.

When I arrived, the re-development of the ROH had yet to take place and many people in the area were frustrated at the expectation of the construction period and the years prior to this when it seemed as if it would never happen. Now those days are behind us I hope that local people find elements to enjoy in the new ROH. Our many visitors from overseas speak with admiration and praise for our new complex, so we hope that the people of the UK will too.

One special ongoing relationship that the ROH enjoys with local people are the bi-annual SingAlongs that have become somewhat of a community tradition. The man behind them, Terry Edwards, tells me that as a result of these events he now meets people to chat to on a daily basis in Marks and Spencer's, the bank or in Tesco's and it gives him a lovely feeling of belonging. That is a feeling that we hope will long continue. Happy 30th Birthday to the CGCA from the artists and staff of the Royal Opera House.

Hywel David, Public Relations Manager

Covent Garden - "London Village"

Covent Garden has no twin. It is unique amongst tourist attractions, having an unrivalled and eclectic mix. The playground of the West End, ever increasing its magnetic appeal to those at home and from abroad. Its history, its culture, and its retail, mixed with the leisure experience, sustains and expands its popularity. A place to live as well as to work and of course to visit, well served by road and rail communications.

The Covent Garden Community Association, Westminster City Council, the Covent Garden Area Trust and the Covent Garden magazine, all must share praise for having an interest in this Village, this oasis, for creating, maintaining, and enhancing its status.

Co-ordinating the branding and marketing of Covent Garden though, at home and abroad, rather than the current ad-hoc and often selfishly based initiatives, usually in respect of particular projects, is yet to be achieved. Much could be done in Covent Garden to landmark particular destinations and routes. Much has been achieved and much more could still be achieved.

David Tye and Andrew Wilson, Rugby Estates plc

A few reminiscences from a lady born the century before last

At the ripe age of 102, Margaret Rowland still possesses a sharp memory and an infectious sense of humour. Margaret lived in the Bloomsbury area until 1972, when she moved to her present home in Covent Garden - although she had known the area well for many years before that as close friends lived here. I asked her about some of the changes she had witnessed in 'the Garden' over the last 30 yearsÉ

The Market

"In the old days, when the market people went home for the night, the fruit was covered in black tarpaulin to help keep the rats and mice out. There was far more vermin than you see now, but plenty of cats were kept by the market people. When the occasional market trader got drunk it was quite usual to see him being wheeled home on his trolley or laid there to sleep it off."

Comparing then with nowÉ.

"A kind of poor place - not prosperous as it is now - all altered with so many cafes. It's come up, but it costs the earth to live here. A lot of people have moved away because everything is so dear." Margaret wonders what it will be like in another 20 years. "When I'm gone, there won't be many Londoners left," she says. Notwithstanding, Margaret is very fond of the area - and some things have definitely changed for the betterÉ

"You could live in a room for half a crown a week" she says of her earlier years, "and if you had two rooms you were extremely lucky." Margaret had been living in Marchmont Street for many years and her housing situation had come to a head when developers pulled down some of the old accommodation and a huge number of rats were disturbed. Plucky Margaret wrote to her MP, Lady Jaegar, to ask whether she could have a new home and she was given one of the, then, new homes in Winter Garden House, where she has always been very happy.

A common theme and great pleasure in Margaret's life has been music. Margaret sang in a local choir for some 50 years and used to go out dancing a lot. Dancing days may be over but Tea Dance days aren't! Margaret has expressed a lively interest in attending ours in July and September. The CGCA will feel very honoured with her presence.

Alison Cattermoule

Reflections on Covent Garden

Arriving in Covent Garden as a Jubilee Market trader in 1976, I marvelled at the 'people power' that had saved 266 buildings of historic interest.

By 1981, with the rescue of the Jubilee Hall from demolition and the opening of the Central Market Building in June 1980, Covent Garden entered a short phase in its history of interesting specialist shopping, careful planning with local consultation, and general economic and environmental satisfaction.

With the winding up of the GLC and the 'selling off' by the London Residuary Body of the GLC's Covent Garden assets, market forces took over by the close of the 1980's. Since then, institutions have purchased many of the major sites in the area. The Royal Opera House has been refurbished and redeveloped and many small and large companies have been forced out of the area by high rents. Developers have found it more lucrative to convert or build private housing (in the form of flats) than to create new offices and, of course, all this has caused a great character change.

The 266 saved facades now contain a retail mix that is reminiscent of almost any local high street. We still have the market stalls and entertainers and, maybe soon, a police museum, but the pleasure that existed for me to wander the streets of Covent Garden to enjoy interesting shops is gone. I would think there are more restaurants, wine bars and clubs per square foot than anywhere in the world.

God Bless the Covent Garden Community Association and the Covent Garden Area Trust, they have not got a chance.

Ray Green, Chief Executive, Jubilee Market

Gracious

I came to live in Covent Garden in 1960-something because I worked here and I was tired of travelling. I didn't know then that I was walking into history and that I, a Londoner by birth, interest and inclination, was about to become a village dweller.

I soon found out that Covent Garden was different and I liked it, but that was all. I had a fulfilling job that interested me, a circle of friends and colleagues and found Covent Garden was a convenient place to live.

It was fun to walk through the Central Market on my way to work, particularly when I had a new hat, and enjoyed the banter of the Market traders. Shades of Eliza Doolittle haunted the cobbled streets - it was becoming a special place.

From time to time, I saw notices about public meetings but I wasn't a political animal and they didn't seem to be for me.

Occasionally, a friend mentioned an article in the paper and asked me if I was worried? None of that registered until one day a notice came through my letter box which raised questions in my mind. Ever curious I decided to find out what this was all about.

I attended my first CGCA meeting, but I couldn't see that it would affect me. However, I put my name down - nothing happened, they didn't seem to want my help. At the next meeting, they asked for helpers, so I asked why they didn't follow up offers. The result was that I found myself gradually more and more involved, and, by the time of the demise of the GLC and sale of Covent Garden, I was chairman, and the activities of the CGCA dominated my life.

This is not a warning, but do take care - the CGCA may change your life!!

Grace Cook

Donmar Warehouse Theatre

It's hard to believe that next year we'll be celebrating the Donmar's 10th anniversary as an internationally renowned producing theatre under the Artistic Directorship of Sam Mendes. It feels like yesterday that we were wandering through the shell of the building wearing hard hats, talking to Christina Smith, Jo Weir and their CGCA colleagues about our plans to re-open the doors with the premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. As we walked through the mists of plaster dust we jointly acknowledged how important it was to re-create the auditorium as it had been previously. In the 1970s, the RSC had introduced the Donmar stage as one of the most welcoming in the country and then, in the following decade, a host of companies welcomed by Nica Burns. The refurbishment was chiefly an opportunity to make the theatre more comfortable for everyone. Showers were inserted between two tiny dressing rooms - hitherto an unknown luxury - while out front two bars were added on, and the seating was vastly improved. Otherwise the key was to reveal as much as possible of the historical warehouse walls, which makes the Donmar experience unique. Local architects, Renton, Howard, Wood and Levine, were endlessly resourceful and wholly sympathetic.

Since 1992 we have produced over 50 productions. It's been a roller-coaster experience and a galaxy of practitioners and performers have created brilliant and celebrated work. The Donmar has been transformed every two months with new designs, new plays, musicals, cabaret seasons and revivals of the great contemporary plays of English and American theatre. Our core team at the theatre has stayed together throughout, and many of our audience likewise. We all know how lucky we are to be in such a special place. A lot has changed around us and we have progressed from feeling like the new boys on the block to a sense of permanence and belonging. At the root of all our activities is our identity as Covent Garden's local theatre.

Ten years ago we were bold enough to assume that we would raise enough money to run all the year round with a programme of in-house productions. Looking back, it is clear that without the dogged support of the community around us, we could never have achieved this. The challenges have been, and remain, huge. That the profile of the Donmar now registers internationally is a tribute to the community that fought to resurrect the theatre and ensure its future life, and to those who backed us to the hilt as we negotiated our way through a maze of funding applications and sponsorship proposals. Now is an opportune time to say thank you.

Caro Newling, Executive Producer

Statistics

• Covent Garden's population is currently between 6,000 and 6,500 people in approximately 2,800 dwellings.
• There are 26 theatres in Covent Garden with a combined seating capacity of 27,460.
• There are 33 premises with a late-night Music & Dancing Licence (other than theatres), e.g. bars and clubs, in the Covent Garden area. Their combined maximum capacity is in excess of 12,200 revellers. There are only 2 public conveniences in the area.
• Covent Garden is London's 3rd biggest shopping destination.
• Covent Garden has the largest collection of listed buildings in the country; more than 250 buildings are listed, due to their architectural and historical significance.
• There is one bar, pub or restaurant for every 4 residents in London's West End (one for every 560 in the UK).

 

 

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