Is This The End Of Portobello Road As We Know It…?

By · January 15, 2010 at 9:20 am · No comments · Latest News · Report an error ·

portobelloclutter.jpg The Evening Standard notes a potential harbinger of commercial conformity on Portobello Road, as chain retailer AllSaints opens a new store on that most ramshackle of markets. The ‘street where the riches of ages are sold’ is a place of barrows and stalls, of small independent shops selling ‘anything and everything a chap can unload’. It is a linear circus where tedious dance numbers assemble at the drop of a hat (according to this documentary). Can it absorb large stores and keep its character? Did it lose its ragamuffin way years ago, with the opening of Starbucks, Tesco Metro and American Apparel (oh the irony, for anyone who’s noticed our sidebar these past few weeks)? Discuss.

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  • http://www.victorianlondon.org lee jackson

    I think it’s fair to say that most male members (ahem) of this fine online community will have noticed the AA ads on Londonist. The problem is that they then find it hard to focus on the other words and pictures and stuff …

    Erm, what was I talking about?

  • http://undefined danb

    LOL, it was due to that distracting (and not entirely worksafe!) sidebar that I installed adblock…

  • http://undefined Amir Akhrif

    Dear friends of Portobello,

    If we really want to protect Portobello Market, we have to “put our money where our mouth is”. We need grassroots action, not just words…

    That’s why Portobello Road’s Labour politicians in Colville and Golborne Wards have launched the ‘Shop local… Shop small…’ campaign, to raise awareness amongst local residents about just how useful Portobello and Golborne markets are…. See more

    To find out about the campaign, and what we intend to do, to make a real difference, check out http://amirakhrif.wordpress.com and sign up to the campaign.

    Cheers!

    Amir Akhrif
    Colville Ward local council candidate (Labour)

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