Soho
PCUK members have asked us to organise field trips outside working hours – we listened and were thrilled to run the first evening field trip around London's Soho on 11 July. We were really lucky and got to see the neighbourhood in its element on a lovely summer Thursday evening!
The formidable Barbara Brownlee and John Wallace from The Soho Housing Association welcomed us and did some fantastic scene setting to help us appreciate the area's richness and layers of history. A big thank you to Barbara for hosting us and helping make the visit possible.
As on with our field trips, we have heard from a range of perspectives and were delighted to meet Tim Lord from The Soho Society in the tranquil St Anne’s Church Yard, he helped us understand the challenges facing the circa 3,000 residents in the area including noise nuisance and crime.
We also heard from Rupert Power (Owner of Sophie’s / Chair at Soho Business Alliance) and George Hudson (Owner of Alfie’s and the Piano Bar; Soho Live Produce) about how businesses are adapting post-Covid and the changing landscape of Soho. Rupert and George continue to add to the intricate cultural layers of Soho and it was fascinating to hear from them about the challenges of running a business here. They both run awesome venues so when you're next in town, do stop by.
We also had the chance to speak with Chandra ‘Chad’ Goyal (Owner of D’Arblay Tabac) and hear about his experience and the safety challenges of running multiple convenience stores in the bustling neighbourhood.
A big thanks to Lydia Clarkson of the Soho Business Alliance for setting up these stops along the way. Despite Soho being a highly residential area, it continues to be an evening and nighttime destination and it was important to hear about the issues residents, shopkeepers and locals have to face on a daily basis to keep the streets both buzzy and safe.
We covered a lot of ground but didn't get very far in a few hours, so stay tuned for a Part 2 visit - Soho in the early hours.
Thanks to everyone who came along, gave us feedback and asked brilliant questions - we were fortunate to have Turley Planning Director and Soho resident Peter Lawson with us to help answer some of those. Remarkably, we didn't lose anyone wandering the narrow streets.
