The Founding of The East End Trades Guild
Tonight at Christ Church, Spitalfields, more than two hundred small businesses, shopkeepers and independent traders meet in an historic assembly to found The East End Trades Guild.
Spitalfields Life Contributing Photographers Sarah Ainslie, Lucinda Douglas Menzies, Jeremy Freedman, Phil Maxwell, Simon Mooney, Patricia Niven, Colin O’Brien, Alex Pink & Agnese Sanvito have been out taking portraits of every single one of the Founder Members. All these pictures will be shown tonight on a screen with live musical accompaniment and today I publish this selection of fifty to illustrate the wonderful range of traders that have come together to launch this new initiative.
Sebastian Sharples’ film, “We Are The Beating Heart of The East End,” will be premiered. Nevio Pellicci of E.Pellicci will be Master of Ceremonies for the evening. The opening speech will be by Paul Gardner, proprietor of Spitalfields oldest family business and the Founder of the Guild, who will describe how it all came about. Then, Henry Jones of Jones Dairy and Shanaz Khan of Chaat Restarant will introduce the Guild, outlining its purpose and intentions, before a group photograph of the two hundred Founding Members is taken as the culmination of the evening.
Members of the public are welcome to attend tonight as witnesses but must arrive at 6:30pm. And there is still time for traders to become Founder Members of the Guild by contacting organiser Krissie Nicolson today – krissie@eastendtradesguild.co.uk 07910 966738
Carol Burns, C.E. Burns Waste Paper Merchants
Sarfaraz Loonat, M& G Ironmongery & Building Supplies
Matthew Reynolds, The Duke of Uke
Violet Cake Shop
Citywear
Caroline Bousfield Studio
Jason Burley, Camden Lock Books
Robert Boyd Bowman, Alexander Boyd Tailors
Tip Tap Appliances
Margaret, Vintage Heaven
Tatty Devine
Shanaz Khan, Chaat
Hash, Urban Species
Ally Capellino
Ainsworth Broughton Upholstery
Mar Mar Co
Shamim Ali, Miraz Cafe
Labour & Wait
Tracey Neuls
Saeed Malik, Bina Shoes
Rosebud Trading
Campania
Henry Jones, Jones Bros Dairy
Lillie O’Brien, London Borough of Jam
Charlie Amarnath, Bethnal Green Post Office
John Shore, Shoe Care
Tyrone Walker-Hebborn, Genesis Cinema
Ben, E5 Bakery
Leila’s Shop
Jay, Manji Beads
Angela Flanders
SNAP
Herrick Gallery
Sarah Marks & Sarah Duchars, Buttonbag
Liam Kelleher, Noble Fine Liquor
www.agnesesanvito.com/
Christiane Victorin, La Vie Boutique
Michael-George Hemus & James Morgan, Truman’s Beer
Ryantown
James Brown
Jonathan Norris Ltd
Stephen Godfroy, Rough Trade
Philip & Paulo, A.Gold
Denise Jones, Brick Lane Bookshop
Muhibur Rahman, Fruit & Veg
Hitcham, Painter & Decorator
Buddug, J&B Fashion
Chrome & Black
Newmans Stationery
Deli Downstairs
Sandra Esqulant, The Golden Heart
You may like to read about the origin of the East End Trades Guild
thanks to you they seem like old friends.
this is wonderful news. you all should be very proud of yourselves. power to the people.
Go, go, go! In a world where the PM has just announced that people should stop being tiresome by objecting to plans that will supposedly boost the economy whilst ruining their lives, thank God for the East End Trades Guild. Although I am up here in Yorkshire, I will
be raising my Southern fist in salute with you today.
Good luck – you will need it!
Good luck to the new East End Trades Guild – interesting, and promising, times.
Like Annie, sending some Yorkshire solidarity down your way. I wish you every success with the battles ahead
Pleased to see that there was a piece in the Guardian today about this.
Great photos!
Congratulations to everyone involved, particularly you, gentle author, for your major part in this significant enterprise. Hope it goes from strength to strength and that many small East End businesses will get the support they need. An excellent development.
Great work – we need more guilds, promoting small business owners, globally.
Good luck to you all!
I hope that you are already in talks with your publisher to produce a book of these photos with captions – we need a more permanent production. Royalties to the Guild?
Well done – Here in Tetbury,Glos – plans are afoot to form “Traders Guild”in 2013. High time local traders took a hand in their own destiny.
What an inspiring article. I live in Edinburgh and don’t get to London so often but this makes me want to jump on a train now! Would be great if there was a map (maybe on the Guild website?) locating all of these wonderful places/people.
Great idea, local collaboration is the best way forward to protect everyone’s best interests in these challenging times. Good luck!