Lambs Conduit Street

The 3rd Lamb’s Conduit Street Festival is to be held on Friday 1st December, 12-8pm. This year it is even more important than ever to get down there and support the independent traders that give back so much to the community, and create the charm of the street. Despite new threats these small businesses are going from strength to strength and with your help can continue to fight off the pressure from the big business chains. For full information on all the activities click here. Put the date in your diary!

Sadly Starbucks in now open. However, I do not believe this campaign has been a failure. Through all the support from local businesses, residents and visitors a lot of people were made to stop and think about what it was they were doing and why. Hopefully this whole initiative will ensure that those in charge will think very hard about introducing any further chains into the area and, if not……..watch this space!!! Thank you to you all.

Here is a link so you can see the progress of the online petition. Interestingly 91% of those who have ’signed’ it did not sign the paper one. So most of this is additional support for the campaign - not repetition of the hugely successful paper one.

Alexei Sayle, a local resident, has just returned from abroad to be confronted by the proposed new Starbucks store. He has written to us saying:

“Lambs Conduit Street is a magical little street with lots of independent stores and cafes that make it lively and vibrant and it doesn’t need a chain store like Starbucks driving up rents and making it look like any other dead high street in the UK.”
 

Read the Daily Mail coverage and also in the international Drudge Report

Make sure you pick up today’s copy of the Evening Standard.As part of of their Save Our Small Shops Campaign they are featuring the plight of Lamb’s Conduit Street on page 19.

Have a look at this week’s copy of the Camden New Journal. Not only is there a great article and photo on page five, but also a big logo directing you to the article in the top right hand corner of the front page.

People are listening.

Please add your name to the online petition and forward the link to everyone you know who cares about the area.

In the interest of fairness, transparency and honesty…..read rugby-letter.pdf to see the response to our concerns from Farebrother, the agents who manage the area on behalf of Rugby School.

A press release has been sent out that has attracted the attention of local reporters. Yesterday lunchtime the Camden New Journal came down to take a photo and to interview local residents and business owners. So please look out for this week’s issue of your local paper.

F Safa and his wife Evelena have been running this neighbourhood café for 3 years. He arrives at 6am every morning to make up the fresh salads that are sold out every day. He says that he is not afraid of losing trade but feels it ruins the community spirit of the area and could potentially result in dramatically increased rental charges for his premises.

He says “In a way we are paying for our own success. Over the past few years the independents business owners have all worked together to host street parties and festivals, which have become well known, and raise money for Great Ormand Street. Annoyingly, by raising the profile of Lamb’s Conduit Street, we have attracted an unwelcome guest.”