Update: Capital & Counties Comment on Magicians and Street Performing in Convent Garden Under Threat
Posted by: andrew in MagishingFollowing on from sending an email to Beverley Churchill regarding the proposed changes at Covent Garden I got the following reply from her today:
Tags: covent garden, london, street performersDear Andrew
Thank you for your email.
To clarify, we are working on a revised schedule of performances within only one of Covent Gardens performance spaces, the North Halls and Lower Courtyards of the Market Building. This is to overcome the issue of excessive sound levels from clashing performances and the lack of breaks between the shows that has been raised as an issue by other people who live and work in the area.
The schedule will not cut shows by the suggested 50%, but will introduce short breaks between shows to limit the competing noise levels within the two performance areas, while maintaining performance throughout the day for visitors to the area.
We are in ongoing discussions with the street performers on this matter and will continue to work with them to reach a satisfactory conclusion.
We believe that street entertainment is a significant part of Covent Garden’s rich heritage but we need to ensure this works for the whole community.
Kind regards
Bev Churchill
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March 28th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I received verbatim the same email - as I imagine will anyone else contacting her about this.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Yes.. doesn’t really tell you much except for what we know!!! I feel more emails coming on!
March 29th, 2008 at 3:10 am
I got the same stock reply e-mail. May be worth checking out these comments in Property Week back in November…
“Brand and marketing guru Churchill, who has worked at Tesco and with Vittorio Radice at Selfridges, has been taken on by Liberty International-owned Capital & Counties to turn Covent Garden from a tourist trap with tatty market stalls and buskers into a world-class retail and leisure destination with a top-end designer boutique hotel, designer retailers and restaurants. Her most recent job was with retail billionaire Sir Philip Green.”
Seems in stark contrast to her claims in the last few days that they’re “not looking to turn Covent Garden into a shopping mall”.
The link is here http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=36&storycode=3099054&c=1
March 30th, 2008 at 3:30 am
One interesting point is that she mentions those who ‘live and work in the area’. Those who work in the area are largely performers, or people inside shops. And NOBODY lives near enough to be bothered by the noise during the day. This email is a fatuous attempt to provide a pro-hoc rationalisation for a decision already taken.