The Future of the West End

12/22/22 • 17 min

London’s West End, so vital to the capital and the country, took a huge battering from Covid-19. But it is recovering slowly and also adapting to changes brought about and accelerated by the pandemic. Dave Hill, London Society trustee and editor of On London, went into town and spoke to three people about the new West End that is emerging: John McRae of architects Orms, designers of the radical new entertainment venue The Outernet: Grosvenor’s Heather Topel, who talks about plans to transform the South Molton Triangle; and Geoff Barraclough, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for planning and economic development, who Dave met on Oxford Street. The West End’s latest reinvention is taking shape. The podcast tells you how.

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Love Letters to London 2022

Listen to the winners and runners-up entries from the first Love Letters to London writing competition organised by The London Society.

There were nearly 500 entries from all ages and from all around the globe, writing on the theme of "recovery and resilience", a celebration of the capital as it emerged from lockdowns.

We’re biased, but we believe London is the greatest city in the world. It is the nation’s capital, but woven from hundreds of separate communities; the economic powerhouse of the UK with a richly diverse demographic. It has an amazing history, but is constantly evolving; it offers world class art, music, theatre and other live performances. It is ‘home’ to nine million people but attracts dozens of millions more each year as visitors. Love Letters to London was our way of trying to celebrate this wonderful, glorious, infuriating city.

The pieces are read by Laura Adams and Tim Barron

Open Category and Overall First Place T C W Davies: The Lost City
Poetry Vicky Hill: Low Tide
International Jillian S Cadell: City of Forking Paths
Under 18 (Primary schools) Arhaan Khan: Why I Adore London
Under 18s Faith Cunningham: "how to warm up cold ears"

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Georgia Gould - the 2023 Banister Fletcher Lecture

The live recording of Cllr Georgia Gould's Banister Fletcher Lecture, given to an audience of 300 at RIBA in Portland Place.

The chair of London Councils and leader of Camden sets out a powerful agenda for change ranging from drawing on the strengths of communities to transforming relationships with national government.

In her 50-minute address Cllr Gould sets out a range of imaginative, already-emerging new approaches to working with London’s varied communities, together with proposals for building on those initiatives, for transforming relationships between London and other UK cities and national government, and for ensuring that the capital continues to be a magnet for international investment.

The event was chaired by Dave Hill of OnLondon.

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