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Protesters who gathered at the Stables on Saturday, from left, Ivan Faudet, Pat Thomas, Stephan Janes, Di Saunders and Paula Simoes |
Protests go online as market gets set to close with whimper
Demonstration attracts just a few faces as traders prepare to move out of Stables
THE campaign against plans to redevelop the iconic Stables Market in Camden Town is in danger of fizzling out with just one weekend of trading left before bulldozers move in.
While thousands of laptop protesters were willing to sign their names to an online petition to save the market, only a handful of people turned out to protest on Saturday.
As the debate raged on the pages of the Save Stables Market website, as well as on Myspace and Facebook, the closest thing to a rally against the planned overhaul came when singer Kate Nash played a benefit gig two weeks ago.
Traders have been packing up their retro collectables and antiques, some heading for pastures new, others moving elsewhere within the market and many still unsure of their future.
Parts of the market in Chalk Farm Road will be modernised with a new glass and steel design. The remainder is staying open.
Stephen Thompson, who sells retro furniture and lighting, said: “They’ll do what happens in every other market, they’ll bow out quietly. They should have given us the Bank Holiday. I’m leaving, I’ve got a shop in Dulwich. I’ve been here for 16 or 17 years and I’m ready to leave. The place has changed so much and this last change will destroy it.”
The decision to revamp the market was approved by the Town Hall in October last year after proposals were unveiled by the site’s owners Stables Market (Camden) Limited.
Traders insist they won’t all leave quietly, and an all-day party is planned for this Sunday.
Three stallholders who have given up hope and are moving out of Camden altogether, spent Sunday afternoon sitting around drinking lager in a final gesture of defeat.
Kareem Khodeir, who sells furniture and art, is shutting up shop and moving to Spain.
He said: “I went through all this with Greenwich market and I lost everything – my house, my car. I managed to delay the developers and even got a thankyou from the Queen. Then I came to Camden and the same thing’s happening again so I’m off to Spain.”
The loss of next week’s Bank Holiday trading has been a sore point for many, after the leaving deadline was given as August 28.
Ryan Godwin, who used to give free art lessons in his gallery, said: “I closed the gallery four weeks before the deadline because I didn’t see the point in giving them any more money so I moved some of my stuff into someone else’s space.
“Six weeks’ notice is not enough. Money begets money and greed is all-encompassing. I disagree with the way everyone’s been treated. They are playing with people’s livelihoods. The guy that runs this market is a multi-millionaire. He doesn’t have to worry about his future.”
He added: “It’s a collection of small businesses. You’re never going to get people all together to unite.”
But Brian Black, who has been trading for 20 years, said he was grateful for the time he has had at the Stables.
He said: “The man who now wants to redevelop had the courage to do this place up years ago. It used to be so filthy and dirty. The only thing worth preserving is the cobbles. It’s filthy, dirty and full of rats.”
Another trader said: “There’s more moans and groans than action. Nobody wants to speak up because they are afraid of the management.
“At the end of the day they are putting the price of their land up. Who’s going to want to be here at extortionate rents? The small-time, traditional trader is not going to be around. From the pictures it looks like they are going to carve the space up. We don’t want to trade in a shoebox.”
Several traders say they have been offered space in the nearby Horse Hospital, pending the completion of the new buildings, but this has been thrown into doubt following news that the Proud Gallery and Bar has put in an application to move from the Gin House into the building.
Members of the gallery’s mailing list have been told management cannot reveal the new location but promise “it’s close by. It’s an amazing building which we hope will have an amazing terrace too” to accommodate sunshine and smokers.
Manager Alex Proud previously said that if he could not find a suitable venue in Camden, he would consider moving to Hoxton.
Stables Market (Camden) Limited stakeholder Richard Caring said: “As I stated I’m a silent partner as well as a minor partner and have no influence at all.” |
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