Earls Court To Be Bulldozed !

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23175255

I for one will be sorry that this great building will soon be bulldozed. I attended many happy Saturdays there in the 60's and 70's at the Motor Show. Then, years later I went to the Ski Shows...all good memories !

Now it seems that it will yet more expensive housing, and even more shops.
London needs more shops like a hole in the head !

[emmie]

i loved the place, it's iconic.

[Baldric]

Got some very good memories of Earls Court from 70's

[emmie]

it doesn't need more expensive housing, it does need affordable housing... more shops perhaps, but not at the expense of decent housing.

[LazyGun]

I went to see Queen live @ Earls Court back in 1977. And attended one or twp of the Motor Shows. Then at least 1 Ideal Homes Show, and a couple of business and scientific exhibitions either as delegate or participant. It was not a bad location to get to as a delegate, but not the most exhibitor friendly of venues :)

[Octavius]

Pah, when was the last time the motorshow was at Earls Court?!

And affordable homes in West Kensington! They'll be beautiful (not).

Like the old Wembley, its outdated and is surpassed by better venues in the vicinity. At least new homes, shopping areas, hotels, restaurants and bars would invigorate the area rather than this white elephant which spends much of its life empty and groaning under the strain of maintenance costs and underuse.

[New Judge]

I love the way this is announced as "news". True the plan was approved only today, but it was announced at least two years ago. I knew of it when I attended the Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court in August 2011. I knew that the arena was to be used for some Olympic events in 2012 and that would be about it. There was not a cat in hell's chance of the plan being rejected - there's too much dosh involved.

By the way, the GBBF is being held at Olympia this year (as it was last year) from August 13th to 17th. So get down there and taste the real stuff.

[emmie]

you must have been there when i was... i will remind a mate it's on...

[tamborine]

Ideal Home show is v.small now. Parking & tube connections not good, so I havent been for last 3years.

White elephant on a valuable site; flatten it

[emmie]

and put more white elephants on it, can see it now. there won't be any property i could afford i'll bet.

[FredPuli43]

Parking isn't brilliant at the Exhibition Halls but the tube connections are excellent; the station (Piccadilly and District lines) is right opposite the doors.

But it is outdated as a venue. Cruft's used to be there but the site was cramped, and the facilities were poor ( the smell wasn't good either!)

[mikey4444]

I know its not perfect as a venue but it still holds many memories for me.
( I attended the Great British Beer Festival, although my memories are a little hazy for some reason ! )

But I am just questioning the need for yet more shops. We seem to have a real crisis in our High Streets today but has anybody thought that the main reason for this crisis is that we far too many shops ?

[LoftyLottie]

Ah, the Royal Tournament. I was taken there as a child and to many other events, including the Ideal Home Show. Just a short trip on the District Line from Wimbledon where I was brought up.

Happy Memories, but I agree with Octavius on this.

[Booldawg]

see you there New Judge. The GBBF is something I don't miss. Been going for 12 years. We're going up on the Friday this year.

[Kevink]

It's all the poor. homeless Aussies I feel sorry for.

[youngmafbog]

Been there many times, but it's time move on.

Nostalgia does not pay the bills.

[FredPuli43]

Kevink, there haven't been Aussies in Earl's Court for thirty years!

[EcclesCake]

As a venue it has certainly had its day.

From what I have read EC and some surrounding areas are to be redeveloped to create four 'villages' with shopping areas. Given that affordable housing is a priority it sounds like a win-win to me, with community shops and services.

[craft1948]

Fred I lived on Kensington High Street in 1990, Earls Court was full of bloody aussies..............

[sp1814]

Good Lord.

I was at the Great British Beer Festival in 2011.

Seriously.

So em10, New Judge and I were in the same place at the same time.

I was the drunk one.

My overriding memory of Earls Courts is seeing Madonna's 'Confessions' tour there in 2006. We were in the third row from the stage.

It was a very good night.

[Zeuhl]

/By the way, the GBBF is being held at Olympia this year (as it was last year) from August 13th to 17th. So get down there and taste the real stuff. /

New Judge
sp1814
em10

there just has to be a Reunion in 2013