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Antiques traders evicted to make way for US store
Sri Carmichael, Consumer Affairs Reporter20.01.09
TRADERS at London's oldest antiques market are facing eviction so the site can be turned into a giant fashion store.
Experts said the disappearance of celebrity favourite Antiquarius in the King's Road will be a huge loss to the capital's antiques scene.
Nearly 50 small businesses, some of which have traded at the Chelsea venue since it first opened more than 40 years ago, will be destroyed.
Sir Mick Jagger bought clothes there in the Sixties and visited to do his Christmas shopping last month. A host of other stars, including Sir Elton John, Bob Geldof and Barbra Streisand are also regulars.
But developer London & Associated Properties, which bought the grade-II listed building in 2006, told local residents it would lease the prime site to an American clothing chain to create fashion store Anthropologie.
At a meeting last week London & Associated Properties said it hoped work to convert the late Victorian building into one store would begin "in early summer". Anthropologie, which is affiliated to fashion chain Urban Outfitters, would begin trading "by Christmas".
The developer failed to invite traders to the event but some heard about it from local residents and attended.
The company said one-month eviction notices would be handed out shortly.
Half the site has already been cleared. Last February, the traders were moved into smaller stores in the remaining space and were led to believe they could remain there.
Sue Norman, 55, who runs a blue-and-white china stall, said: "The landlord has treated us appallingly and kept us in the dark about what's going on. It looks like I'm going to lose my livelihood with very little notice, but they haven't had the decency to tell us officially."
Another trader, 50-year-old Alexandra Bolla, said: "We haven't been offered alternative premises, Antiquarius is a piece of London history that's going to be destroyed."
Emmanuel Kra, 32, who sells jewellery, said: "They are turning it into just another high street. King's Road used to be famous for its boutiques.
"I've only been running my own store for three years and I can't afford to set up my own premises. I don't know what I'm going to do."
Mariad McClean, 70, who has traded at Antiquarius since it opened, said: "The landlord has no compassion or respect for heritage."
The move is the latest blow to the capital's reputation as a centre for antiques by the same developer.
London & Associated Properties ejected some 40 traders from the mall in Camden Passage, Islington, last year despite a petition by customers to Downing Street and again turned the grade-II listed former tram shed into a department store.
Sarah Percy-Davis of LAPADA, the association of art and antiques dealers, said: "We are extremely sorry that this historic antique centre, which has been such an important part of the antique trade, may no longer exist.
"We have fought to maintain the building as an antiques market and are saddened that the traders have been treated so badly by the current landlords."
London & Associated Properties refused to comment.
Reader views (15)
Welcome Anthropologie and I look forward to a new and improved antiquarius centre!!!!
This shop will be a sure fire hit and a refreshing change to the tiresome amount of antique centres that has sprung up all over london. YAWN! Out with the old and in with the new!!!!
- Mick, London
Disbelief and dismay that anybody could even think of virtually obliterating something as interesting as Antiquarius. Who needs more fashion? Every street is becoming uniform and totally without character. Kensinton and Chelsea council and English Heritage please step in to stop this senseless change of use. Nobody wants it and nobody needs it!
- Nel, London
Do continue to fight against these plans because you have to save what gives london one of its charms! Why should we cross the channel, travelling by ferry, to see what we unfortunately have everywhere? But inspite of the recent events, the bible of always more profit in still "à la mode"
- Castaing Marie-Claude, LA ROCHELLE FRANCE
Why should any tourist come to London. In a time of economic downturn the few reasons for any wealthy person to come to London are being swept away by greedy property developers. Do wealthy Americans want to see yet another Starbucks or another Anthropologie when they come to London. Antiqurius has been attracting the rich and famous from all over the world for 40 years now. These are the type of people London needs in these depressing times to boost Londons economy. Britain seems to be becoming like a communist dictatorship where we are told what to buy from the multi national companies which all seem to be cloned souless and charecterless.
- Alec, london
How can any company think that another fashion/homeware shop is going to thrive in this ecconomic climate. I can't believe that the residents and the council are willing to replace an antiques market for another high street shop.
- Marie, London, london
Another sacrifice on the alter of the trans-nationals, the gods of mass production must be appeased.
NuTory and NuLabour know this only too well.
Thank Ford!!!
- W Joseph, London, England
Can you people in britain do anything other than obsess over the United States? You're really starting to get scary. Talk about a dead empire wimpering!
- Heather Rhyn, Utah
I cannot believe that this choice would be made.
When I last visited Londons Kings Rd, it was no longer recognizable, from the unique parade of shops that I had
remembered from my youth.
Now its just another cookie cutter shopping area that are 10 a penny. What is the draw to go there over any other mall? same shops same merchandise. Is Covent garden next? Maybe they should turn the market into a giant Primark. What a waste.
- Catherine, Canada
The same thing happened to Kensington market,loved by Londoners and visited by people from all over the world..sorry but government and their friends the planners and property developers are both to blame.we have no real democracy here..people are just ignored!!
- Jean, London England
I am sad to read that another piece of history of London in Kings road will disappear forever in the hands of the so called developers.
Can somebody stop this?
- Mrs Mia, London UK
Helen - you're completely wrong! Labour aren't responsible for this as this is in a Tory controlled borough, and so NuTory approved it!
- Nick, London
We don't want this. We don't want individual shops replaced by a faceless big store. We want more opportunity to recycle charming and valuable pieces, not generate heaps of new life-limited stuff. We've got enough stuff already. Leave Antiquarius alone; reduce, reuse, recycle (or is that just another Labour sound bite ?).
- Peter Haldane, London
The planners do it again. NuLab hate individuality, especially something like an antiques market and the reminder it brings of the past and its beauty and uniqueness. Far better to have something mass produced by controlled factory people.
- Helen, norwich
Another nail in the coffin of the King's Road and a forlorn goodbye to a London landmark. King's Road has degenerated into a row of high street regulars and clone stores, like a mini-Oxford Street without the range. Let's hope, like Whole Foods in Kensington, Anthropologie goes straight into a permanent loss.
- Tom Moncrieff, london
What a shame. Take it from a US resident, Anthropologie is rubbish.
- Ken D, USA
