Comments on: At The Smithfield Market Public Enquiry

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 20:36:04 +0000

the removal of any this property’s historic fabric is an outrage.

By: RAYMOND BINES

RAYMOND BINES — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 09:19:58 +0000

thanks for the great photo’s , I was a butcher in the 50s in Roman road Bow ,and went to Smithfi eld almost daily,I am now 85, Ido hope that all the London markets are allowed to remain I think enough of our History and heritage have gone, lets not take the rest away for the sake of more office space , there is too much already, all being done to make more millionaire developers.at the expense of job loss to all the market workers.

By: Sheila Beskine

Sheila Beskine — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 08:50:44 +0000

and just yesterday, reading the so-appreciative comments, by local people, in the Shuffle Festival book in the old
Boardroom at St Clement’s Hospital, for what’s left of this beautiful building, being won for community use now.. But still happening all around us all the time , and how keep up?
Thankyou Gentle Author, for yet another so needed report…

By: R

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:24:29 +0000

This could look truly amazing if restored properly and become a destination in itself. Instead, the developers and the Corporation of London want this interior ripped out with soulless office space inserted and a token facade. Even worse, the Corporation is propagandizing their ‘vision’ through their arts and culture newsletter! I urge everybody who is able and disagrees with this vandalism to make their feelings known to the enquiry.

By: Charles

Charles — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 16:47:30 +0000

It’s very sad to see the photos of it so empty. Many years ago I worked a 24 hour shift on a traffic survey around the market noting the big artics delivering the meat during the early hours, the arrival of an army of white vans from 6am onwards, and then a bustle of small buyers throughout the day picking up cuts for their restaurants. It really was a part of London that never slept.

Hopefully the idea of a retail market can take hold as Spitalfields has shown that small trader activity prevents an area becoming a corporate ghost town.

By: Stephen Barker

Stephen Barker — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 16:32:39 +0000

I hope the market buildings can be saved and imaginatively developed. I have memories of the market from the late 1970’s when I was a student at the nearby City University and can remember the market in action and using the cafes that catered to the market during the night.

The developers proposal to retain the outer walls with office blocks inside seems the worst possible option. It as if the developers do not have the courage of their own convictions. Either build something better as a symbol of our age or leave what already there and adapt it to new uses, something on the lines of Covent Garden, Spitalfields etc

By: Clare Stevens

Clare Stevens — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 18:54:25 +0000

I’ve been supporting this campaign all along but until you posted these photos I had no idea how wonderful the interior of the general market actually is. It MUST be saved! There are too many monstrosities around London and in other cities where historic facades have been kept as a sop to conservationists but their proportions and integrity destroyed by the construction of modern office blocks around or inside them. I can’t get to the hearings but passionately hope Smithfield can be preserved and restored and the plans for a new retail market put into action.

By: Cherub

Cherub — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:48:09 +0000

The only place I have seen this done well was in Madrid about 10 years ago, purely because the office blocks behind were well hidden and did not intrude on the skyline. They built part of a college in my town behind the facade of an old Victorian factory and it is horrible, it looks forbidding and is a blot on the landscape down near the harbour. I don’t understand why anyone would want to ruin a historic area of London like Smithfield.

Sadly a listed linoleum factory in my area that was featured on BBC2’s Restoration years ago is about to be demolished because nobody wants it and it is now beyond saving. They finish taking out the asbestos this weekend then it will be taken apart and will no doubt become another housing development. At the time it was championed by Michael Portillo whose maternal grandparents were from this town and we all thought it would be a great asset to the community if it was turned into a swimming pool and other well needed facilities. The council dithered, spent millions on consultants and ended up siting a new pool yards from the old one which nobody is happy about. Everyone is furious at the loss of a magnificent industrial building that formed part of our once great linoleum industry which was world famous. When I was young if your dad wasn’t a miner he worked for the Nairn company – my dad did both in his lifetime. The company’s offices on the other side of the street were turned into luxury flats years ago. Very sad as the Nairn family were great philanthropists who built the beautiful war memorial, central library, museum and art gallery here. They are an asset to a town that is struggling at the moment.

I sincerely hope Smithfield will be saved.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 20:11:51 +0000

I live near Toulouse, a magnificent and beautiful city. In the 1960s the city decided to destroy all except one of its wonderful 19th century markets, which records show resemble Smithfields, in order to provide multi-storey car parks. It’s too late for them now to rectify this dreadful mistake. The 1960s carparks are generally regarded as concrete monsters that in no way complement the surrounding architecture, and there are few people who wouldn’t turn back the clock if they could. Can’t London learn from these and similar experiences throughout Europe?

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:55:03 +0000

Isn’t St Pancras just the most amazing building? It must be the envy of rail companies all over the world. Didn’t someone want to pull it down in the 1960s? Do we never learn?