Friday 24 September 2010

Crossrail and the end of a Soho block (or two)

I have ranted about Crossrail before - I mourn the passing of the Centrepoint fountain, don't even get me started on the Astoria and now I am faced daily with the destruction and complete removal of a whole block of Soho, specifically the block bordered by Oxford St, Dean St, Great Chapel St and Carlisle St.  Gone forever is the Bath House pub that used to be on the corner of Fareham St, the cool old building that housed the Black Gardenia bar just opposite and the amazing red brick warehouse on Fareham St with the arched windows (if you look closely at the photo above you can see the arches coming down).  You know what's kinda cool about Google Street View is that it's all still there - obviously their cameras went around Soho some time ago so you can actually see what it used to look like, which is sad...but cool.  And what will we get in return for losing this chunk of W1?  From the looks of the drawing a Canary-Wharf style station entrance for the new Tottenham Court Road tube and Crossrail station.  Is that worth the loss of a piece of "real" Soho?  I dunno - for me it's a definite no, but perhaps I am just being resistant to change/evolution.  What do you think?
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9 comments:

  1. Anonymous5 October 2010 at 06:59

    I know what you mean this photo just makes me sad. Don't mess with Soho!!!

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  2. Keith6515 October 2010 at 07:39

    Crossrail = destruction of the Astoria. Say no more. Boo.

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  3. LondonRob18 October 2010 at 12:31

    It does make me really sad to think that the Astoria is gone - that friggin train better be good!

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  4. Anonymous1 March 2011 at 20:32

    This is really terrible …

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  5. Katherine Evans29 November 2011 at 09:27

    I agree it's terribly sad. The destruction of buildings with history and character, in return for yet another soulless glass mall with Starbucks and M&S Simply Food.. with no awareness of the character of the Soho area. Sigh. Why don't we get a say on how we want our city to be treated?

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  6. Anonymous16 May 2013 at 11:50

    History is gone forever once it's gone! Of course thats not worth it!

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  7. Anonymous24 January 2015 at 16:30

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Westminster_Council_Save_the_Soul_of_Soho_Stop_tearing_down_historic_performance_venues/share/?new

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  8. Anonymous24 January 2015 at 16:32

    Please share above petition we are also putting on a march at parliament square!

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/savesoho/

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/sohocalling/

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  9. Anonymous29 February 2016 at 10:12

    I think that around the time that The Velvet Rooms was condemned, the general thinking was that the carnage wreaked by Crossrail was going to be somehow smaller. Boy, how awful is this!!! And it's for what? More clueless broadband types flowing in at the expense of locals who all knew, loved and endorsed the venues, bars, shops and HISTORY etc??? Why not just a low level renovation of what already existed, to strengthen it? This is a slow motion, unstoppable attack on all of us who loved and worked in the area. DB

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