Time Out guide to Earls Court 2030 - My Earls Court

To have your say on the future of the area,visit www.myearlscourt.com

Earls Court 2030Earls Court2030A future imagined

Here at Time Out we’vebeen listing what’scutting-edge and

exciting in the capital rightnow for more than 40 years.But in this specialsupplement we’re fast-forwarding to the future andimagining what Earls Courtcould be like in 2030.

London is a great world citythat has thrived throughconstant re-invention andchange. It’s a metropolismade up of a collection ofmany urban villages that areunrestrained by aregimented urban grid.

In recent yearsSpitalfields, Shoreditch,Stratford to the east andKing’s Cross to the northhave all undergone anevolution. Yes, there’s beennew building work andnotable commercialventures, but lifestyle andcommunity have been an

important part of thepackage too.

Spitalfields, with itsshops, bars and TradersMarket, is not only a must-see for visitors but a greatplace to live and work, withoffices and studios for thecreative industries as wellas local festivals, events,and workshops. Kings Placehas gone a step further as acreative hub by bringingtogether music venues, artspaces, offices, restaurantsand community workshopsunder one roof for King’sCross residents to enjoy.

The compass will soon be swinging west astransformation is expectedto come to Earls Court,West Kensington and NorthFulham. As well as meetingthe capital’s need forhousing and jobs, this newneighbourhood would makeuse of the excellent existing

transport links and continuethe area’s long tradition ofinnovation.

Sustainability and theenvironment will be at theheart of any changes andflexibility will allow it toevolve naturally and knitinto the local streets andcommunities over the nexttwo decades.

It’s hard to predict thefuture. Twenty years agofew could have seen howphenomena like theinternet would overhaul howwe live, while we haven’tseen the arrival ofhovercars or space suitsforeseen by sci-fi films. Sowe’ve taken current trendsand the best bits of thecapital to imagine how thispiece of central west Londoncould reach its full potential.

This guide is a vision, nota blueprint. We hope youenjoy the visit.

2 What improvements would you like to see in the area? Have your say at myearlscourt.com

Welcome toEarls Court

2030… a vision of the future

of the area

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Getting around

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Getting around1EARLS COURT

VILLAGEStart your tour at the

Warwick Road exit of EarlsCourt tube station.Architecture buffs should headto Warwick Crescent andEmpress Crescent: the smart,sustainable houses here areaward-winning 21st-centurytakes on the grand Victorianterraces nearby. Then browsethe boutiques along the HighStreet, stop off for a bite to eat or pop into The HistoryNetwork to see an exhibitionand a short film about thearea’s heritage.

2LOST RIVER PARK Turn right into thislandscaped ribbon of

greenery built along an oldThames tributary. Once aninaccessible wasteland ofrailway sidings, it is now apleasant park popular withlocals. When you see the spireof St Cuthbert’s Church toyour right, take a left downCromwell Hill on to thebustling Broadway.

Ever since Earls Courtbecame a residentialLondon district in

Victorian times it’s been atransport hub and its train,tube and bus networks todayare excellent. The Piccadillyline will take you to CoventGarden in only 15 minutes,Heathrow in 40 minutes andKing’s Cross, with itsEurostar trains to France andBelgium, in under half anhour. The District line linksthe area to the City andLondon Overground andSouthern Railway routes fromWest Brompton offerconnections to HampsteadHeath and on to the Olympic

site at Stratford. Six busroutes also stop at some ofthe city’s finest parks,museums and shoppingdistricts.

By 2030, getting aroundwill be even easier, asupgrades are planned for the District and Piccadillylines and the LondonOverground services fromWest Brompton station. Two Cycle Superhighways will skirt along the edges ofthis new neighbourhood,connecting to a network oflocal cycle routes that willencourage residents to taketo two wheels wheneverpossible.

5NORTH END VILLAGEThis urban village isvibrant and culturally

diverse, a legacy of thefamous fruit and veg marketnearby that’s still used by thelocal community. Check yourmobile guide to see what filmsor cultural happenings areplanned at Whitley Square andadmire the magnificent ’60sEmpress State Buildingbefore heading to WestBrompton Village.

6WEST BROMPTONVILLAGEYour mobile audio guide

will now take you on a tour ofBrompton Cemetery’sheadstones of the Victorianera’s rich and famous. Finishoff your tour with a pint attraditional pub The Atlas at 16 Seagrave Road, then popinto ZeST ContemporaryGlass Gallery on Roxby Place(www.zestgallery.com) for aone-off trophy (pictured left) ofyour tour of Earls Court.

Pedestrians and cyclists have right of way in this new urban districtthat’s already well connected to the rest of the city

Today, if you want to getfrom Warwick Road to NorthEnd Road, you have to walkalong the busy A4 or down toLillie Road. In 20 years’ timeyou could be ambling througha new network of pedestrian-friendly roads, lined with treesand street art, with widerpaving and safer pedestriancrossings. With soaring petrolprices and crippling carbonfootprints, car ownershipcould be a thing of the past by2030. But for those who preferfour wheels, undergroundparking, electric car poolschemes and charging pointswill be woven into the area’snew infrastructure.

6 How can we improve the pedestrian experience in Earls Court? Have your say at myearlscourt.com

At Exhibition Square, download the mobileaudio tour to this dynamic new district

Walking tour

3THE BROADWAYThe mansion-styleresidential blocks along

North Broadway’s tree-linedboulevard give way to strikingoffices as you approach WestKensington Village. Linger inCromwell Place and check outthe latest artworks in this self-styled ‘front door of London’.

4WEST KENSINGTONVILLAGEContinue the audio-tour

down West Kensington Road.Keen gardeners should notethe clever ecological plantingin Gibbs Green and North EndGardens.

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Living & w

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8 Do you have ideas for the area? Have your say at myearlscourt.com

Living & workingSocial shifts and changes in the way we work today will dictate ourneeds for homes and office space in the future

London’s population is setto increase by nearly amillion in the next 15

years, and there’s not nearlyenough housing to meetdemand over the comingdecades. With an ageingpopulation there’s a shortfallof homes that can be easilyadapted for different physicalneeds. As we’re also gettingmarried and starting familieslater in life, there’s a massivedemand for flats to buy or rentfor those of us who choose tolive alone. Young families findit hard to afford a space to

accommodate a growingbrood, and once the kids haveleft home it can be tricky forempty-nesters to find asmaller place that’s still neartheir friends and community.New housing schemes andpart-ownership are helping keyworkers like teachers, nurses,firefighters and those in thepolice force get a foothold onthe housing ladder, but theseare few and far between.

The four villages in this newurban neighbourhood willeach have distinctivecharacters and will provide

around 8,000 new homes,from mansion blocks andretirement flats to familydwellings and affordableplaces for first-time buyers.

Variations in scale andarchitectural design, buildings containing a mix ofhomes, offices, retail andentertainment and a stringof tranquil parks and squareswould make Earls Court feelvery much like a typical Londonneighbourhood in 2030. Withconstruction and developmentspanning two decades, itwould also be unique in its

flexibility to plan and createworkspaces that can adapt tochanges in the way Londonerswill work in the future. Beforethe rise of the internet in the1990s the world of work waslargely restricted to offices,and large corporations stillprefer to have their staff basedin a branch office or HQ. Butthese days, wi-fi networks andlaptops have given us thefreedom to get our jobs donealmost anywhere. Manycreatives thrive on theintensity of a live-work space,but others find working from

home claustrophobic andsitting in a coffee shop with alaptop far too public. Culturalcentres are becomingincreasingly popularworkspaces for the freelancer

or consultant, and meetingrooms that can be rented bythe hour are an affordablesolution for teams who need tomeet and brainstorm.

The Earls Court of the futurewould have the IT infrastructureto accommodate both biginternational corporations and small, dynamic localbusinesses. With supportoffered by enterprise andinitiative centres, it couldcreate 12,000 jobs, become ahotbed for entrepreneurs andprovide work opportunities foryoung trainees.


Com

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10 Tell us about the community services you need at myearlscourt.com

gerontology workshops,occupational therapy sessionsand Pilates, yoga and tai chilessons. The centre also haslinks to Hunter’s Pharmacy,Empress Dental Hygiene Centreand Holland House Opticians.

Empress Dental Hygiene Centre88 High Street East, SW5Oral hygiene for life, for all ages.Private and NHS patients arewelcome, as well as second-opinion seekers. No treatment,no fee. Free nutrition-for-lifeworkshops on Friday mornings.

Hunter’s Pharmacy102 High Street East, SW5Whether you’re suffering froma stomach upset or a ragingheadache, the pharmacy’s in-house doctors offer on-the-spotmedical diagnosis and adviceon products and treatments.Visit the traditional Chineseherbal remedy counter or consultone of the reiki assistants.

Holland House Opticians67 High Street West, W14Free eye tests for under-15s andover-70s and a range of framesto suit every budget, plus adviceon sun-management optics.

North End Community Hub67 High Street West, W14Within walking distance of allfour villages, this is the meetingpoint, community political arenaand social magnet for the wholedistrict. It has virtual links to allhomes in the area, includes theDe Vere Gallery, and offerscouncil services and careercounselling from 8am to 8pm.Monday mornings are allottedto senior residents, Wednesdayafternoons are dedicated to gayparenting and Thursdayevenings are for youth groups.

EC World4 High Street West, W14; 5 Broadway North, W14A bank, retail consultant andbarter unit, EC World handlesfinance issues when you needface-to-face advice or want toattend an enterprise workshop.Alongside qualified financialstaff, a team of volunteerscoordinates the local currencyunit, the Earls Court Pound, andthe district’s Freecycle schemeprioritising local key workers.

Westside Hardware21 High Street West, W14Twinned with Westside IT, thishardware shop has a pay-as-you-go network of top-ratedlocal handymen, electriciansand plumbers. Pop in formaintenance tips and DIYdemonstrations, or browse thehome fixtures and fittings.

Love Life 24-hour Medical Centre30 Broadway North, W14Stridently holistic, thisintegrated health hub has GPconsultation, scanning services,

Community This community-led new neighbourhoodwill be culturally and economically varied

Londoners are at thevanguard of communityself-help and respond to

local needs, whether that’s inthe form of multi-ethnicfestivals or multimedialibraries like the Idea Store inWhitechapel. The BrixtonPound and Wedge Cardscheme have successfullykept commercial profits in thecommunity, so why not taketheir lead and launch the EarlsCourt Pound?

Earls Court has traditionallybeen home to a colourful mixof people including post-warPolish immigrants, transientAustralians, London’s first gayscene and a large Somalicommunity. Thesecommunities are constantlyevolving and civic local pride isfocused by The Earls Court

Society and The FulhamSociety. The expansion of theEU in 2004 brought an influx ofEastern Europeans, and newlaws on gay marriage,adoption and anti-discrimination have led toincreased integration.

Responding to internationalsocial, economic and politicalchanges is what makes thecapital a truly global city. Withthe current radical shift in theworld’s superpowers, thecity’s ethnic and culturaldiversity will shift again in thecoming decades. The flexibilityof this new neighbourhoodoffers a unique chance tocreate services and health andeducational facilities that willcomplement existingcommunities and evolve tomeet the needs of new ones.

It’s only been a few yearssince climate change, carbonfootprints and recyclingbecame political and socialpriorities in our communities.Thanks to education, livingsustainably is second natureto the next generation, whichis why this new Londonneighbourhood hasbeen designed to beable to adapt astechnologicaladvances insustainabilityevolve.

A brand newinfrastructure willmean recyclingglass, paper and kitchenscraps to minimise landfillwill be effortless, reducingthe number of rubbish vanson the streets. Buildings willbe positioned to make themost of natural light for herb-filled balcony boxes androoftop allotments, wherefruit and veg will be grown forthe restaurant or café on thecorner. Solar energy will help

keep heating, cooling andlighting costs down, andrainwater and grey water fromkitchens and bathrooms willbe re-used to water the plantsin squares and gardens.

Two hundred years ago,Earls Court was famed for itsmarket gardens and Earls

Court Farm stood on the site of theUndergroundstation. With the rail line from WestBrompton stretchingdeep into theChiltern Hills, thedistrict could createa new Earls Court

Farm in the countryside,which would supply freshproduce, brought in daily bytrain, as well as providingtraining for restaurant staffand educational trips forlocal schools. It would helpcreate a truly self-sufficientand sustainablecommunity – somewherethat generations to come willbe proud to call home.

SUSTAINABILITY…

Everything will be

designed withsustainability

in mind

Earls Court community as imagined in 2030


Shopping

Earls Court 2030 1312 What shops do you want to see? Have your say at myearlscourt.com

up a pink low-fat cupcake and a skinny cappuccino at the in-house café upstairs.

Gunter’s Confectionery89 High Street East, SW5This heritage-inspired sweetshop recreates original recipesused by the Gunter family, local19th-century confectionerylegends who built vast swathesof Victorian Earls Court andstill found time to bake QueenVictoria’s wedding cake.Traditional humbugs or theshop’s signature pineapplesherbets, wrapped in elegantrecycled paper illustrated withscenes of London, make theperfect gift. Evening classes inbaking and chocolate-makingtake place in the kitchenshowroom upstairs.

Lost River Antiques33 High Street West, W14Catering to those who want toown something that’s not mass-

produced, this quirky antiquesshop is brimming with one-offfurnishings and unusual nick-nacks. Each purchase comeswith a background storyto download, writtenby the previousowner. Looking for some originalgarden furniture?Pick out a pieceand have itwaterproofedusing the in-houseseamless rubberisingtechnique.

Tailor & Taylor51 Broadway North, SW5Fusing style with speed, thisshop’s chic digital tailor kits outthe area’s office workers withbespoke hand-finished attire injust 24 hours. Step into the state-of-the-art scanning booth thatmeasures the body’s precisecontours; pick out a pattern, anditems will be machine-sewn

using high-quality Britishfabrics, before being lovinglyfinished by human hands.

North End Road MarketNorth End Road, SW6

Stallholders havebeen selling freshproduce at thisthriving marketsince the 1880s.Seasonal fruit andveg is sent fresh

from Earls Court Farmand other organic sources

every day, and suggestedrecipes will be downloaded toyour phone automatically whenyou pay. Gourmet sausages and free-range smoky bacon aresold from refrigerated stalls,fresh herbs are grown inbalcony boxes nearby andBrompton Honey is produced inbeehives on local rooftops. Ifyou’d rather refuel than stockup, there are mobile kitchensselling healthy meals to go.

Absolute Vintage24 High Street West, W14A haven of quirky fashionpieces and accessories from the ’90s and noughties,Absolute Vintage is perfect forthe girl on a budget who lovesall things retro. Browse throughstacks of Topshop and H&Mdesigner collections, then pick

ShoppingBy encouraging independent shops, EarlsCourt could foster the next big British brand

The growing popularity ofe-commerce is changingthe face of the high

street – in the future, travelagents, bookstores and musicoutlets could go the way ofvideo rental shops. But whileevery retail business that cansell online will have a strongweb presence, there willalways be a place on the highstreet for expertise, customerservice and the thrill ofpurchasing that unique findfrom a specialist boutique.

The way we shop willprobably change too. Ikea’sview-and-collect concept andOcado’s friendly homedelivery service might fuse tosignal the rise of showroomson the high street – placeswhere you can choose to leavewith a branded bag or arrange

for delivery to your door.Perhaps in decades to comewe’ll be shopping with ourmobile phones or paying viairis or fingerprint scans.

Multi-functional spaceshave already emerged intoday’s high streets -– theApple Store, for instance, is ashop, an event space and aneducational hub rolled intoone. That is why Earls Court’snew high street will haveflexible spaces that canchange as the nature of retailevolves. In a bid to move awayfrom the usual high streetbrands and globallyrecognised chains, priority will be given to independentoutlets, ideally run byenthusiastic local people whowill be offered support fromenterprise centres.

Britishbrands like

Paul Smith andThe Body Shopstarted out lifeas a good ideaand a single

shop

Sho

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Earls Court shopping as imagined in 2030


Eating out

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14 How could eating out be improved? Comment at myearlscourt.com

herbs used in the kitchen comefrom Earls Court Organic Farmin Buckinghamshire. Learn ToEat also makes use of the rare-breed pork and beef produced atthe farm to make a stunningrange of sausages and air-driedcharcuterie. The restaurantruns a training programme forlocals in cooking and restaurantmanagement and the menusprovide plenty of informationon the food’s journey from farmto table.

The Mahatma8 High Street West, W14 The Mahatma’s head cheftrained under the CinnamonClub’s Vivek Singh back in the’10s, but here has developed amore informal tapas-style menufrom the best of coastal cookingstyles and western Indiancuisine. Unhurried diners headfor the decorative booths liningthe wall, while solo and time-pressed customers prefer thelong bar overlooking the kitchen.The Locals’ Lunchbox is greatvalue at five Earls Court Pounds.

Kowloon Dining Hall89 High Street East, SW5When the Kowloon Dining Hallfirst arrived in 2020, it satisfiedthe demand at that time for

top-rate but super-affordableCantonese dim sum. Over thelast decade its menu (alongwith its layout and interiors) hasevolved to embrace othercuisines like Japanese, Thai andVietnamese, without movingaway from its core ‘bite-sizedfood’ philosophy.

White Apron38 Broadway North, W14Molecular gastronomy is at thecore of White Apron’s menu,which caters to executives fromthe offices of West KensingtonVillage. The kitchen createsdishes that make an impactacross the senses with precisioncooking at a phenomenallycomplex level. Taste andtexture combinationslike these areimpossible toachieve in yourown kitchen,despite thetechnologicaldevelopments indomestic hardwareover the last decade.

Living Food Garden41-47 Broadway North, SW5 Everything you eat at LFG, asthe locals call it, makes it to yourplate from earth or stem in half

an hour or less. That’s thepromise at this vegetarian templeof the living food movement,

where all the dishes are servedraw. The flavours are

innovative andsometimessurprising, but thedishes are alwaysexpertly puttogether. Inwarmer weather

you can sit out on theroof garden among the

growing shoots and leavesand watch the chefs strollaround plucking titbits for theorders flooding in below.

De Vere’s Coffee Shop and Art Gallery67 High Street West , W14 De Vere’s is used much like astaff canteen by the artists anddesigners residing in the live-work studios surrounding thegallery, which adds to thedecidedly friendly atmosphere.It doesn’t look like a staffcanteen, though – with its darkwood tables and chairs andplain white walls, it acts a littlelike an extension of the gallerynext door (see p18). All the workon the walls is for sale.

My Kitchen, Your Kitchen53 High Street West, W14 The menu is kept short at thiscafé-cum-takeaway with anemphasis on deliveringnutritionally balanced meals atreasonable prices – homecooking to eat in or take away. It was set up on an ad hoc basisby two local women who saw themarket for convenience foodwithout any of the associateddownsides. Last year theymoved the business from theirhome on Mathias Square tobigger premises on the HighStreet, with the help of the EarlsCourt Enterprise Initiative. Eachday’s ten main dishes rangefrom comfort food likeshepherd’s pie to lighter mealslike stir-fried vegetables andbrown rice. There are ten tablesfor those who want to eat in.

Holistic 1 Lillie Gardens, W14 Sit down at the interactive tablesand place your hands on thescreen. Your nutritional deficitsare read through the traces ofsweat on your hands, and then achoice of ‘replenishment foods’appear on-screen. Indicate yourchoices by tapping the screen,and the food arrives in the mini-dumb waiters beside each table,fresh from the kitchens below.Fixed-price menus reign in thecost of a night out here.

Learn To Eat 165 Broadway South, SW5 Classic British dishes are givena light modern twist in shabby-chic surroundings at this friendlycafé with a keen eye on theprovenance of its ingredients.All the fruit, vegetables and

Eating outIn the future, technology, value and healthwill rank high on London restaurant menus

Eating out in the capital isno longer the preserve of the wealthy or those

who wield expense accounts.Fierce competition keeps the quality high and pricescomparatively loweverywhere, from the mostupmarket eateries to the localfamily-run establishmentsthat grace the high streets ofLondon’s villages. And a risein café culture and street foodhave banished the notion thatBritish hospitality is confinedmerely to lunchtime anddinner shifts.

Technology has alsostarted to alter the experienceof dining out. A new PizzaExpress in Richmond, openedin 2010, was designed totackle the clatter of sleek,miminalist spaces withsound-absorbing light fittings,and booth tables each with

their own iPod dock, allowingcustomers to have controlover ambient noise. We’ll seemore of this in the future, aswell as innovations like theinteractive ordering tables atInamo in Soho.

As a nation we’ve becomemore food-savvy, thanks tothe rise of the celebrity chef.We’re more preoccupied withfood miles and we want toknow exactly where ouringredients have come from.Organic and free-range foodsare likely to become the norm,but the stamp of sustainabilitywon’t end there. Thanks topioneering establishmentslike Jamie Oliver’s Fifteenrestaurants and eco-jointAcornhouse in King’s Cross,restaurants will increasinglybecome centres of learningand job creation that give backto the community.

Innovation and quality willincreasingly influence our

desire to eat well

Earls Court eating out as imagined in 2030


Nightlife

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16 What types of events and venues would you like? Comment at myearlscourt.com

Gilbert, who went to WesternGrammar School in Bromptonbefore going on to find famewith his writing partner,composer Arthur Sullivan.

Hattie’s Comedy ClubNorth End Road, W14This first-floor fringe venue(above the Mesurier Café) isnamed after legendary localcomedienne Hattie Jacques.Mostly known for its comedynights, Saturday morningsessions offer locals speakingand presentation classes, inworkshops aimed at enhancingbusiness communication skillsthrough stand-up. The ‘pay bythe laff’ nights at Hattie’s invitethe audience to pay only whatthey think the acts are worth.Earls Court Pounds (the localcurrency) are accepted.

Thaxton Brew House73 High Street West, W14London’s latest microbreweryleads the way in sourcingorganically grown hops fromwithin 50 miles of the capital.Exploring traditional brewingmethods became a developmentproject for the food science

department of the local collegeand the Brew House’s smallselection of pale and sessionales are produced by a team oflocal volunteers and sponsoredapprentices who are still linkedto the college. Sample the beersat Thaxton’s small public bar,or you can buy them at localshops and delis.

Measure For Measure84 High Street East, SW5. Measure For Measure takes itscarbon footprint as seriously asits wine. Half of its cellar comesby freight into West Bromptonstation from its vineyards outnear Rickmansworth. The otherhalf is made up of the best winesfrom Europe. The 100mlmeasures (atcommensurateprices) allowdrinkers to samplea good variety ofwines on everyvisit. The place ispacked for itsinformal winetastings and locals makegood use of this cosy space formeetings, parties and filmnights.

Dance Centre67 High Street West,

W14Part of theCommunity Hub,these studios runclasses for a rangeof ages and abilities,in dance styles from

salsa and ballroom todance fitness. ‘Cultural

exchange’ sessions are alsopopular, where students fromdifferent backgrounds andcommunities teach each other.Small studios with self-operatedsound and video facilities can behired for personal training orcommunity performances, atsubsidised rates.

Whitley Square ArenaWhitley Square, SW5The slate steps that form an arenain Whitley Square become aperformance space in the warmermonths. It’s the setting for theEarls Court Festival Parade inJuly, free open-air moviesthroughout August, and livestreet theatre and music eachweekend from May to September.

Space Oddity 40 High Street West, W14Named after the song DavidBowie wrote in his Earls Courtattic, this old-world music shopand intimate live music venue isfull to the brim of independentlabels and niche bands. Despitehaving a connectivity hub forlistening, buying andrecharging, the shop walls areplastered in old album sleevesand chaotically stacked shelvesso you can browse vintage vinylthe old-fashioned way. The barand stage area at the back havebeen designed using the latestin soundproofing materials toensure the neighbours neverhear a beat or a basslinethrough the walls.

New Empress Hall120 High Street East, SW5 From drop-in theatreworkshops and drama classesfor schools each weekdaymorning to major productionsof Shakespeare presented bytouring theatre companies, thisEarls Court Village venue is afluid space all year round. Itsdesign – which can switch froma series of small studio spaces toa large theatre with minimaleffort – has allowed it to bring a diverse range of shows tomainstream and highbrowaudiences.

Gilbert Theatre2 Whitley Square, SW5Situated in the podium of theEmpress State Building, thismid-sized auditorium stages awide range of musicals, as wellas the annual local schoolsinging festival celebrating thework of the great librettist WS

NightlifeThis buzzing new neighbourhood will bedesigned to host a wide variety of live events

Culture vultures havealways sought toexperience an event

rather than just watch it on TV,whether it be at the theatre,sitting in a tiny jazz club orbeing in the front row of a gig.

For the last World Cup,HDTV created a rise indemand for new home viewingsystems, yet many still went tothe pub to watch importantgames. Meanwhile, outdoorscreens showing live feedsfrom the Royal Opera Houseand National Theatre haveredefined the concept of anevening out, democratisinghigh culture. And plummetingsales in recorded music havemeant artists are embracingthe live gig again.

In the next few decades live entertainment will boom.We could even see the rise ofhybrid entertainment mash-ups with a live singeraccompanied by a virtualband, orchestra or choir. Asold arthouse cinemas like theCurzon Soho and the Electricin Notting Hill have becomeglammed-up bar ’n’ movieexperiences, spaces whereyou can present your homemovies and favourite filmswith select audiences or thewider public will invite us allback to the communal setting.

With innovative design andarchitectural vision, venuesand even whole streets will beflexible, multi-use resourcesfor events large and small.

Earls Court nightlife as imagined in 2030

The wide main

streets will belandscaped with

café culture and

festivals in mind


Heritage &

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18 What cultural facilities would you like to see? Have your say at myearlscourt.com

Lost River NatureFoundationLost River Park, SW5 Largely run by local volunteers,this nature conservation andenvironmental education centre has close ties to EarlsCourt Farm. Local childrenregularly take courses onbiodiversity here before makingtrips out to the countryside to seethe bigger picture. Adults areoffered courses in urbanbeekeeping and in how to tend toherbs, fruit and veg in theirwindow boxes and on their roofterraces. The small wildlifegarden at the back of the facilityis a secluded haven for visitorsand residents and is teemingwith breeding and migratingbirds, amphibians, mammals,insects and bees.

The History Network72 High Street West,W14 This interactive local archivecentre encourages residents tocome in and digitally preservetheir own stories for futuregenerations to enjoy. Usingphotos, videos and writtenaccounts of their home andworking life, the centre aims tobuild a comprehensive picture ofwhat life was really like in EarlsCourt in the 21st century. Thearchive stretches further backthan that, though, as it includesprogrammes, posters andsouvenir paraphernalia from theexhibition centres that oncestood on this site. The centre’sarchivists are on hand to helpwith content loading andpresentation and are alwayshappy to dig out fascinatingoriginal material, such aspostcards depicting the EarlsCourt Gigantic Wheel, built in1895, or programmes of the lastRoyal Tournament in 1999.

Rootstein Mannequins 12-14 West Kensington Road,W14 Adel Rootstein came to Londonfrom her native South Africa inthe 1950s and saw a gap in themarket for mannequins withpersonality. With the help ofsculptor John Taylor she createdstartlingly life-like mannequinsbased on 1960s starlets likemodels Twiggy and Pattie Boydand singer Sandie Shaw. Visit thefactory’s Hall of Fame chartingcelebrity mannequins, and seehow perceptions of beauty havechanged through the ages.

De Vere’s Gallery67 High Street West, W14 The central exhibition space ofthis popular local cultural huband café (see p15) is devoted toshowing and selling pieces byartists based in the surroundinglive-work studios. Monthly OpenStudio Sundays offer a chanceto meet the artists, see a widerrange of work and perhaps evencommission an artwork.

Heritage & cultureCulture is a matter of local pride, learningfrom the past and educating for the future

London has some of thebest museums andcultural centres in the

world. From the BritishMuseum to St Paul’sCathedral, Exhibition Road andthe Tate galleries, the breadthand depth of its heritage isextraordinary. But whileLondoners are proud of theircity’s international status as aplace of cultural significance,and make the most of thewealth of information, art andstories to be enjoyed in the citycentre, they are also fiercelyproud of their own villages.

Despite the current trend for racking up hundreds ofvirtual friends on Facebook,people want to feel involved at

a grass-roots level. They wanttheir own cultural life to beconnected to the people wholive around them. The enduringpopularity of pub quizzes, bookclubs, art and craft workshopsand allotments reveals a wishto belong. Centres of localhistory add to a sense of localcivic pride, and in recent yearsenvironmental concerns haverisen to the forefront. Urbanliving no longer excludes usfrom a passion for nature andconservation – there has beena marked rise in cityboundbeekeeping and thegroundbreaking Roots andShoots centre in Kenningtonhas become a benchmark inenvironmental education.

The Beatrix Potter PrimarySchool and Daycare Centrehas activities for families,children and babies and alifelong learningoutreachprogramme to give support topupils’ entire families. Theschool offers flexibletimetables for ages 2 to 11across all physical,social and learningabilities. Facilitiesinclude technical andperformanceresources in eachclass, computersand other electronicaids for teachers anda multi-use hall forsport, fitness, health and play.

Lost River Park playgroundwas designed by pupils fromBeatrix Potter School to bemore than a place fortoddlers to burn off energy –it’s intended to be a sensoryexperience for all ages andabilities. Play equipment ismade from sustainable wood,while theconvertibleplayhouses are designed for

imaginative play andencourage a betterunderstanding of how theseasons change in the park.

Monkey Business at theCounters Place end of LostRiver Park is a climbing andzipline centre for schools anddisability groups. It’s also

open to families. On the High Street

the Play Café servesnutritious food for allages and offers dailysinging, storytelling,cooking and artworkshops.

At Somersault (47West Kensington

Road) kids can try toys beforethey buy, and at its My FirstLaptop station toddlers canlearn about computers bygetting their hands on them.

Writers, editors and artistsare on hand to help kidscreate at Ministry of StoriesWest (6 Counters Place), oneof a series of culture hubsthat first opened on HoxtonStreet in 2010.

Childhoodshould be

about learning

through play

Earls Court heritage & culture as imagined in 2030

KIDS…


To have your say on the future of the area,visit www.myearlscourt.com

Earls Court 2030Earls Court2030A future imagined

Here at Time Out we’vebeen listing what’scutting-edge and

exciting in the capital rightnow for more than 40 years.But in this specialsupplement we’re fast-forwarding to the future andimagining what Earls Courtcould be like in 2030.

London is a great world citythat has thrived throughconstant re-invention andchange. It’s a metropolismade up of a collection ofmany urban villages that areunrestrained by aregimented urban grid.

In recent yearsSpitalfields, Shoreditch,Stratford to the east andKing’s Cross to the northhave all undergone anevolution. Yes, there’s beennew building work andnotable commercialventures, but lifestyle andcommunity have been an

important part of thepackage too.

Spitalfields, with itsshops, bars and TradersMarket, is not only a must-see for visitors but a greatplace to live and work, withoffices and studios for thecreative industries as wellas local festivals, events,and workshops. Kings Placehas gone a step further as acreative hub by bringingtogether music venues, artspaces, offices, restaurantsand community workshopsunder one roof for King’sCross residents to enjoy.

The compass will soon be swinging west astransformation is expectedto come to Earls Court,West Kensington and NorthFulham. As well as meetingthe capital’s need forhousing and jobs, this newneighbourhood would makeuse of the excellent existing

transport links and continuethe area’s long tradition ofinnovation.

Sustainability and theenvironment will be at theheart of any changes andflexibility will allow it toevolve naturally and knitinto the local streets andcommunities over the nexttwo decades.

It’s hard to predict thefuture. Twenty years agofew could have seen howphenomena like theinternet would overhaul howwe live, while we haven’tseen the arrival ofhovercars or space suitsforeseen by sci-fi films. Sowe’ve taken current trendsand the best bits of thecapital to imagine how thispiece of central west Londoncould reach its full potential.

This guide is a vision, nota blueprint. We hope youenjoy the visit.

2 What improvements would you like to see in the area? Have your say at myearlscourt.com

Welcome toEarls Court

2030… a vision of the future

of the area

A5_EarlsCourtSupplement_Cover_2011_NEW 17/03/2011 12:01 Page 1

Time Out guide to Earls Court 2030 - My Earls Court

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Transcript of Time Out guide to Earls Court 2030 - My Earls Court