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Stop our unique street becoming a chapter in history, say booksellers
Benedict Moore-Bridger and Sri Carmichael19 May 2009
Since the 17th century it has been the street to visit for the connoisseur seeking rare and antique books and maps.
But the traders of Cecil Court are warning that a unique piece of London life could disappear as rate rises and the recession threaten their businesses. Cecil Court, off Charing Cross Road, is owned by Lord Salisbury and the stores are often used for period films.
It is a magnet for tourists but two of its 20 shops have closed since January. Remaining traders say the rate rise could prove deadly — even though the amount is just a few thousand pounds.
The local traders' association is urging the Government to cut rates while the economy recovers, backed by Westminster council and local MP Mark Field. The effect of a revaluation four years ago was felt in April, with some shops seeing bills increase by 80 per cent.
Business rates went up two per cent last month and by 2012 will have increased by a total of five per cent. Ministers say there is “real assistance” for struggling firms. They can defer 60 per cent of their rate rises for a year and pay off the increase over the following two years, but shopkeepers say there are no guarantees for the once flourishing literary area — featured in the 1987 film 84 Charing Cross Road starring Anthony Hopkins.
Tim Bryars, who runs an antique map and book shop and is secretary of the Cecil Court Association, said shops urgently needed help —even though he has in stock an 1820 edition of Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire worth £17,500 and a 1552 German version of Ptolemy's Geographia worth £20,000.
“For the past few years we've been absorbing modest rises of between five and 15 per cent,” he said. “Then this year my bill rocketed to £7,696 from £4,325. We need support to reduce our outgoings but the Government seems happy to be complicit in driving out the remaining small shops.”
Mr Field said: “To many, shops in Cecil Court do not provide merely a variety of shopping outlets. Wouldn't it be a shame if Cecil Court became yet another alleyway of chain coffee shops and fast food outlets?”
John Wright, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “With inflation at zero there should be no increase in rate bills for London's hard-pressed small businesses.”
Westminster council also called for government action. Councillor Brian Connell said: “Businesses are right to feel rather underwhelmed by the Government's gesture to defer payment. Simply spreading the pain does not make life easier.”
One visitor, Dr Meir Persoff, a historian from Jerusalem who collects ancient maps, said: “Cecil Court is London how it used to be in its glory days, it is terrible to think it is under threat.”
My customers are horrified'
Tim Bryars, Tim Bryars Ltd
Early printed books, classical texts and translations, pre-1800 atlases and maps.
“I always wanted to get into the antiquarian book trade and I was lucky — I got a toe in the door fresh out of university and it took me 10 years to get my own shop off the ground. There are easier ways to earn a living. I don't own a house or flat. More Londoners need to know about problems small, independent shopkeepers face.”
David Drummond, Pleasures of Past Times
Specialises in theatrical books, playbills and other performing arts ephemera.
“My customers are absolutely horrified that I may not continue as I am one of the last businesses of this kind in London. I have two sons who have an interest in taking it on but it takes a long time to build up the knowledge I have. On average in Cecil Court we get two really good days, one all right day and two bad days.”
Kenneth Fuller, Marchpayne Specialises in collectable editions of children's and illustrated books.
“People come from all over the world to visit Cecil Court. I have been here 20 years and there is a world of knowledge. To cut it in central London you need to be an effective dealer. Even so, people are feeling the pinch. The falling out of the business rate relief has come at the worst possible time.”
Reader views (12)
Boy, I feel really sorry for all these Bufton-Tufton types who own books worth £20,000 quid and their financial struggles (see above) …boo-hoo! my heart bleeds, it really does. Er….has it occurred to anyone that these cliquey overpriced Olde-Worlde shops are a teenzy–weenzy bit specialist and niche market to really cut it in the modern nasty hard-balled commercial realm? I certainly couldn’t afford to buy anything in any of em! (which is kind of the idea, I suppose). Generate tiny margins of profit and no wonder the 4 horsemen come calling. Relocate to the net (much better for a bookshop) or somewhere the rates are cheaper.. Also ‘dead white male’ culture is over, girls, or don’t you read the papers? Let’s cram as many Subways and McDonalds and Starbucks into Cecil Court as possible, so they can generate the vast tax revenues this country needs to crawl slowly out of the very deep dark hole we’re in.
- Suzie B, Tir-Na-Og, 07/07/2009 01:34
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One of favourite streets in London together with places like Colombia Road, Marylebone High Street, parts of Soho, Woburn Place etc. Westminster have protected Savile Row and Portobello Road- surely Cecil Court deserves the same treatment?
- Brian Wright, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, 12/06/2009 11:30
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ebenezer scrooge (i hadn't previously realised that he is in fact a conglomerate of scottish terrorists with the quaint nomenclature of 'the government'[TG])is only alive and well for the nonce. by the time your eminent organ hits the streets on tuesday morning the TG may well be on the bones of its arse (pray excuse the vernacular) the forces for good will no doubt then prevail to save fondly-remembered Cecil Court and likewise all other sources of antiquaria whether just browsed or purchased. to all who gainsay me a pox upon your house and god bless tiny tim.
- Barrie Fullard, mount nasura, wa, australia, 08/06/2009 15:58
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Charing Cross Rd and Cecil Court is a very specialised niche location for antiquarian books. The article describes raises but is not clear if these retailers already receive any special deal in terms of rents and city taxes, but I doubt they can compete in the long term with fashion stores, coffee shops etc. Ought these types of stores, providing they are bona fide, get some kind of special treatment to maintain this specialist niche of stores in London?
- John W, Ottawa, Canada, 01/06/2009 13:41
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Cecil Court has for generattions been used as open nighttime urinal (& worse) for those caught short between Charing Cross Road & St.Martins Lane. It does howver have wonderful antique shops. Too bad it cannt be done up like St Christopher's Place W1.
- Jon, London, 29/05/2009 23:45
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I nearly rented a shop in Cecil Court I decorated it on a casual basis by agreement with the Landlord.
I spent around £2k on this and then decided not to go ahead.Thius was because I wasn't given correct information either by the Landlord or Westminister Council.I gace the landlord the keys back,never traded for evn a day.Two years later a bailiff knocked on my door requesting£850 in non-domstic Rates.I am still nearly 3 Years later fighting this dispute for merely trying to avoid getting into bad debt fromn an overpriced property.
- Maurice, london, 29/05/2009 15:57
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Could the local government not be made to see that specialist shops or streets like Cecil Court are a viable tourist attraction for London?
Under "Tourism" can these stores be saved?
They should be.
- Sidney Marks, London, UK, 27/05/2009 21:53
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Never forget Gordon and his cronies need every shilling for their allowances, who could begrudge them these punishing taxes especially when small businesses cannot line their pockets like wot the multi nationals can.
- Mary Morrison, Belfast NI, 26/05/2009 23:10
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Shops in this country should be about more than simply which can generate the maximum possible revenue in the smallest possible space.
That these shops, which have been here offering readily available culture for centuries, are now being driven out in order that mini super-supermarkets, chain coffee shops and like can be squeezed in is shameful.
The same thing is happening to Saville Row and little streets, markets & corners all across our capital - trading London's uniqueness in for a 'McCity'.
The large chains have their place, of course they do, but we must also preserve some of what makes London special - lest we lose its unique identity forever in exchange for a few extra coins...
- John, London, 26/05/2009 15:45
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Yep, as another small business owner in central London I agree that the government and local awful-raty make it as hard as hey can for small businesses with excessive taxes, rates and regulation. All my local authority want to know about my business is what ethnicity I am! What that has to do with business is beyond me, it’s as relevant as my hair colour or how long my big toe is.
This government is only interested in wooing multi-nationals and keeping their own snouts busy in the trough. If I were to start my business over, I would NOT be setting up in the UK. I’d be off to a country where driving the economy means more to government than how to line their own greasy little pockets and pay for all the clipboard-wielding, petty regulators guaranteed, golden pensions.
- Ben, London, W1, 19/05/2009 21:32
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We are suffering the same fate in the small individual shops in the Portobello Road area. They have raised our rates to an impossible level forcing many of us out.
They tell us that they have appointed a person in the council to advise us how to regenerate our businesses !
Our response. 'Are you having a laugh or is it April Fools Day ?
- Tessa Boo, London W11 1NR, 19/05/2009 15:56
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An old English cultural quarter in the heart of cultural london,selling cultural items and attracting tourists to our culture!.
Now watch this labour uncultured rabble of multiculturalism, tear their very heart out in favour of a mix of bland lifeless multinationals and ethnic 24 hour groceries, butchers and factory bred drug induced chicken and rib takeaways
- Sean O'Leary, walthamstow london, 19/05/2009 14:34
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