A few months ago, very few -I posted about my shock in realising that most of the Soho that I had always loved had turned into streets full of chain cafes and bars. I didn’t mention the discount (TK Trash etc.) and junk shops, though I could have. The most awful thing was realising that less than 5 months later one of the few surviving places I had photographed – Jimmy’s – has also closed now.

The Independent has an article about it:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/so-long-soho-starbucks-and-stradas-are-taking-over-londons-most-characterful-district-7658222.html

The landlords are agog at the prices that can be charged in London becuase London has a never ending supply of tourists who have no idea the difference between a chain and a proper shop. Nor would I, if I didn’t live here.

Here’s my short list of  my favourite independent businesses in London, that I use often,  in no special order:

• Camden Lock Books  http://camdenlockbooks.com/ used to be on the lock but now in Old St Station.
• Haggerston Tea Rooms Haggerston Rd
• Broadway Books broadway market
• Morganics Organics shop and cafe
• the TFS Turkish Food Store in Dalston a supermarket
• Algerian Coffee Stores in Soho
• FOPP (Ok it is a chain but a very small one!)
• just about every cafe and restaurant on the Kingsland road
• Lorelei in Soho, more for coffee as I don’t eat pizza
• the Prince Charles Cinema
• the Rio Cinema
• Bradley’s  North Soho
• West End Camera
• Anderson’s Bakery Hoxton

but there are a few chains I do like, such as Jessops – reliable and good service, though I wish they’d up their analogue division at least int he New Oxford St store; Maplin also. I can’t fault them. On the other hand they are specialists in what they do.

It just scares me to think of central London just getting blanded out of existence.