Fitzrovia cemented as hotspot for London art galleries - The Guardian
Fitzrovia, north of Oxford Street, has fast grown to become one of London's key contemporary art hubs. More than 30 galleries have opened in the past four years, including five in the past three months. The area looks set to cement its reputation this month with the launch of Fitzrovia Lates. Forty galleries will open until 9pm on the last Thursday of every month, offering a programme of tours, talks and performances.
Yet as more galleries announce plans to open in or relocate there, one of the most successful, Modern Art on Eastcastle Street, is leaving, prompting warnings to other galleries not to flock there "like sheep" in the hope of finding commercial success.
Stuart Shave, founder and director of Modern Art, whose artists include former Turner Prize nominee Karla Black, has earned a reputation of relocating at the right time. Originally based on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, he was the first gallery to open on Vyner Street in Hackney in 1998, which subsequently became a thriving hub of the east London art scene.
Since Shave moved into Eastcastle Street in 2008, among the first wave of younger galleries to move into the area, it has undergone a similar, if more well-heeled, transformation, with his private views attracting the likes of Claudia Schiffer. Last June saw the opening of Whisper Gallery, run by Ronnie Wood's son Jamie, which sells affordable limited-edition prints rather than the original pieces favoured by Shave's collectors. This year's arrivals on the street include the second London space of the renowned Haunch of Venison gallery, also based in nearby New Bond Street and New York, and the Carroll/Fletcher gallery, opened by two former Credit Suisse traders in March. Explaining their choice of location, co-director Steve Fletcher said: "There are very few profitable art galleries that are destinations on their own."
Jane England, director of England & Co gallery, which relocated to Great Portland Street from Notting Hill earlier this year, said she understood why Shave was moving. "A couple of galleries that are not up his street have moved next door."
Although he will not comment directly about any of the galleries that have sprung up around him, Shave, tellingly, says of his new space in Clerkenwell, due to open later this year, "there isn't the capacity to have another gallery next door".
Shave, whose Fitzrovia overheads are £250,000 a year, also warned smaller galleries moving to the area that the costs could inhibit their programming. "If you're dedicated to working with more challenging artists, putting on an unsellable exhibition can cost £40,000–£50,000."
He added: "There's no mystique or allure that gets added on when you move to the West End. It's all to do with inverted snobbery, thinking that you've grown out of the East End."
Josh Lilley, who opened his eponymous gallery on Riding House Street in Fitzrovia in 2009, is convinced that the area offers more for smaller commercial galleries than the East End. He recalls being introduced to Jerry Speyer, chairman of the New York Museum of Modern Art (Moma), by someone from an East End gallery. When Speyer next came to London, he visited Lilley but did not have time to go out east to the other gallery.
"We've had £1.5m of sales in three years, which is considerable when almost everything we sell is £10,000 and under," says Lilley.
However, Alison Jacques, who relocated her gallery from Mayfair to Fitzrovia in 2007, said she applauds Shave's decision to move from the increasingly crowded Eastcastle Street. "No one really wants someone doing something on your coat tails."
Like Shave, she questions the wisdom of galleries moving from larger spaces in the East End to smaller spaces in central London. Her gallery was specifically designed for her roster of artists: "I'm a gallerist not a shopkeeper."
Jacques added: "Do your own thing. Fitzrovia is full of galleries. I think it's an amazing moment for a gallery to open in the East End or to establish themselves in a new area. You only have to look at Stuart [Shave] or Jay Jopling's White Cube in Bermondsey – you'd never have been able to create that space in the West End. It's those kinds of gallerists that stand out from the crowd."
London's ugliest buildings: your choices - Daily Telegraph
The Queen Elizabeth conference centre offends my eyes and the Shell building on the South Bank is equally brutal.
Martin Bartlett, by email
I know most of the buildings featured: it appears that you have chosen the some of the largest projects in recent history? In terms of the Blue Fin, you should go and have a look at what used to be there. And UCL Hospital? Surely Guys Hospital should be there instead?
Martin Garthwaite, by email
The One New Change shopping centre in the City would be my choice for inclusion in London’s ugliest buildings. Not for nothing is it referred to as “the turd”.
Bob Thompson, by email
Most modern buildings are just meaningless, incongruous, dysfunctional shapes, which date with amazing rapidity. If it’s not going to look good still in 500 years; don’t build it.
John Armstrong, by email
The Shard without a doubt is one of the ugliest buildings in London. The first view I had of this monstrosity was crossing the Thames when coming from Gatwick Airport. To me it looked like a giant prophylactic.
Why do all these buildings have to stick out like a sore thumb? Isn't it about time there were height restrictions? There should also be rules about modern "architecture" (if that is what they want to call it) complementing the surroundings in which they are being built.
S Cook, by email
I would add Portcullis House. Dark brown is seldom a good colour for a building and this is no exception.
Robert Cook, by email
London 2012: Great Britain name powerful rowing squad - BBC News
Great Britain have named 48 rowers in the squad for the London Olympics, with four places still to be decided.
Remaining selections in the men's and women's eights will be finalised "in due course", said a Team GB statement.
Katherine Grainger“There is a sense that the upcoming home Games will be on a different scale to anything we've ever seen before”
Britain will compete in 13 of the 14 rowing events at Eton Dorney, with the men's four and men's lightweight double scull defending titles.
The host nation hopes to improve on the record haul of six medals that saw them top the rowing medals table in Beijing.
"We go to the start in London ready to defend our status as the leading rowing nation from Beijing but we are under no illusion as to how tough winning medals, especially gold medals, will be at this Games," said David Tanner, GB Rowing Team performance director.
As expected, Andrew Triggs Hodge, Tom James, Pete Reed and Alex Gregory will attempt to win a fourth consecutive gold medal for Britain in the men's four, following in the footsteps of Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell among others.
The crew have won both World Cup races this year but were pushed hard by Australia in Lucerne last time out.
"I'm thrilled to be part of the biggest British team ever at our London Olympics," said Reed.
"I have been training for this all my life one way or another. I am a proud lieutenant from the Royal Navy, a proud Olympian and a proud Briton. I'm racing to win."
Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger are firm favourites in the women's double scull, with Scot Grainger looking to win a first gold after taking silver at the last three Games.
Britain row to Beijing glory
"It's been an incredible honour and privilege to be part of the past three Olympic Games and, as wonderful as they have all been, there is a sense that the upcoming home Games will be on a different scale to anything we've ever seen before," said Grainger.
World and Olympic champions Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter will defend their men's lightweight double scull title, while Helen Glover and Heather Stanning are currently the world-leading women's pair.
Greg Searle will get the chance to go for gold in the men's eight 20 years after he won the coxed pairs title in tandem with his brother Jonny and tearful cox Garry Herbert in Barcelona.
Searle, 40, returned to the sport in 2010 having last competed at an Olympics in Sydney 12 years ago.
Only seven rowers have been named in the men's eight, leaving the door open for Constantine Louloudis to be named as stroke despite having missed both of this year's World Cup regattas with a back injury.
A world under-23 champion, it is hoped Louloudis could give Britain the edge after they pushed world champions Germany hard in Belgrade and Lucerne over the last month.
Ten rowers have been named for the women's eight, with selectors likely to use the upcoming Munich World Cup to assess their options once again before making the final decision.
Team GB rowing squad:
Men's Pair - George Nash, Will Satch
Men's Four - Alex Gregory, Tom James, Pete Reed, Andrew Triggs Hodge
Men's Eight * - Richard Egington, James Foad, Matthew Langridge, Alex Partridge, Tom Ransley, Mohamed Sbihi, Greg Searle, Phelan Hill (cox)
* one further rower will be added at a later date
Men's Single Scull - Alan Campbell
Men's Double Scull - Bill Lucas, Sam Townsend
Men's Quadruple Scull - Charles Cousins, Stephen Rowbotham, Tom Solesbury, Matthew Wells
Women's Pair - Helen Glover, Heather Stanning
Women's Eight * - Jo Cook, Jessica Eddie, Katie Greves, Lindsey Maguire, Natasha Page, Louisa Reeve, Emily Taylor, Victoria Thornley, Annabel Vernon, Olivia Whitlam, Caroline O'Connor (cox)
* Eight from the ten rowers listed will be confirmed as racing in the eight. The two rowers not racing in the eight will be selected as reserves.
Women's Double Scull - Katherine Grainger, Anna Watkins
Women's Quadruple Scull - Debbie Flood, Frances Houghton, Beth Rodford, Melanie Wilson
Lightweight Men's Four - Chris Bartley, Peter Chambers, Richard Chambers, Rob Williams
Lightweight Men's Double Scull - Mark Hunter, Zac Purchase
Lightweight Women's Double Scull - Katherine Copeland, Sophie Hosking
London newspapers produce special Jubilee e-editions - Lancashire Evening Telegraph
A group of newspapers in South London has put together a series of online special editions enabling them to publish hundreds of pictures of Jubilee celebrations across the capital.
Newsquest titles including the News Shopper and Your Local Guardian series are bringing out the e-Xtra Jubilee specials alongside their usual e-editions today, tomorrow and Friday.
Other titles taking part in the initiative include the Surrey Comet and Richmond Twickenham Times.
The group’s web team worked over the Bank Holiday period to put them together, missing out on the chance to join in the celebrations themselves.
Web manager Paul Jones said: “When our readers started sending in details of their street parties and other jubilee events, we knew we’d struggle to do them justice in our papers due to space.
“So we decided to utilise our online newspapers, adding innovative and interactive content, allowing us to publish hundreds of pictures from across south London, as well as video and interactive maps from the weekend.
“It was a mammoth effort meaning myself and the News Shopper web manager, Jamie Ross, didn’t see much of the celebrations ourselves – but we hope our readers think it was worth it.”
Croydon Guardian assistant editor Matthew Knowles added in a Tweet: “Hats off to our snappers over weekend who between them went to more parties than the Queen could shake her sceptre at.”
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