Venues across the Capital will host ‘counterfeit countdowns' on New Year's Eve in a bid to entice customers out and beat coronavirus restrictions.
Landlords, hoteliers and casino bosses will ring in 2021 as early as 10am on December 31 so that punters can make it home in time for the 10pm Covid curfew.
But the beleaguered hospitality industry is waiting with baited breath to see if Boris Johnson will make a decision on whether to move London into draconian Tier 3 restrictions in the coming days – meaning any celebrations will be off.
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This also comes after Transport for London announced it would not offer free transport on New Year's Eve as Mayor Sadiq Khan attempts to stamp out revellers celebrating the end of the year.
The Hippodrome casino in Leicester Square will kick off the celebrations from 10am
Kerridge's Bar & Grill will operate a ‘resort time' and turn back its clocks by two hours
Tubes will NOT run overnight on New Year's Eve to put off partying revellers celebrating the end of 2020 in London
Tubes will not run overnight on New Year's Eve to put partying revellers off celebrating the end of 2020, Transport for London has revealed.
Andy Lord, Managing Director of the London Underground, told a meeting of the TfL board that trains would not be running through the night on New Year's Eve.
Night buses would still be running as normal, but otherwise the last service out of London will run at around 12.30am, he said.
Meanwhile, the Waterloo and City line will close until April as bankers work from home amid coronavirus.
The Waterloo and City Line is also expected to close until at least April next year, as bankers continue to stay away from the office in favour of working from home.
New Year's Eve falls outside of the five-day Christmas bubble between December 23 and 27 – when people can meet up in bubbles of up to two other households to celebrate the festive period.
It means potential revellers may be forced to stay home, especially if the capital is moved from Tier 2 and into Tier 3 – closing all pubs and restaurants that can't offer a takeaway service – by next week. Louisiana riverboat casino law.
The popular Prince of Wales pub in Brixton, south London, will host a ‘socially distanced soiree' on its rooftop from 6pm until 10.30pm, with table service.
Thomas Kochs, managing director at the Corinthia London in Whitehall, told the Evening Standard: ‘We will apply the principle of ‘resort time' and will turn back our clocks by two hours, celebrating a New Year moment at 10pm with a champagne toast and chorus of Auld Lang Syne. Each guest will be given a party bag to take away with a sparkler, party popper and popping candy for the real midnight.'
Simon Thomas, chief executive of the Hippodrome casino in Leicester Square, told the Evening Standard its bars and restaurants would kick off the celebrations from 10am.
This comes amid fears the Capital could be plunged into Tier 3 restrictions in days after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
Lightning slots free coins. Bosses warned the Prime Minister that being placed under the stringent restrictions would be the equivalent of slapping a ‘do not resuscitate' order on the city's struggling businesses.
A decision on whether to move the capital into the top tier – which would see pubs and restaurants closed – will be made in the next few days and will come into force on December 16.
The capital is now the region with the highest seven-day Covid rate per 100,000 people in England.
But this week the British Beer and Pub Association said Tier Three would be the ‘writing on the wall' for many more of the capital's locals.
The Northall will host a black tie gala dinner and ring in the New Year early
Moving London into Tier Three would be the equivalent of slapping a ‘do not resuscitate' order on the city's struggling businesses, Boris Johnson was warned last night
Bell tolls for our traditional pubs
Thousands of traditional pubs risk being lost for ever because of the impact of lockdowns, according to an industry expert.
Fiona Stapley, editor of The Good Pub Guide, sounded the warning as it published its latest list.
She said this year had been a ‘nightmare' for pubs with ‘the industry facing the darkest of moments'.
But she added that while the road ahead was ‘frighteningly rocky', publicans were ‘plucky and extraordinary people who retain a teeny spark of hope'.
She urged drinkers to return to pubs when the rules allow. ‘It is imperative we support them – the pub… is the beating heart and focal point of countless communities,' she said.
The guide gave its latest Pub of the Year award to the Olive Branch in Clipsham, East Midlands.
And UK Hospitality said moving London into Tier Three before Christmas could cost 150,000 jobs in pubs, restaurants and hotels.
Kate Nicholls, the trade body's chief executive, said it would be a ‘killer blow' to hundreds of struggling businesses in the capital.
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry told the Prime Minister that his dream of a Global Britain would not materialise ‘without London operating at full power'.
Chief executive Richard Burge urged the Government to demonstrate that they grasp that London is Britain's world city whose economy and global reach benefits the whole of the UK.
‘If scientific evidence of transmission levels of Covid-19 in London warrant moving the capital into Tier Three then the Government must, at the same moment, significantly increase its support for London businesses,' he said.
‘The inevitable collapse in footfall, particularly in central London, means there should be an immediate extension of the business rates holiday, and instant cash support to enterprises in retail, hospitality and leisure.
Without help, the Government will be issuing a ‘do not resuscitate' order on companies which otherwise would be successful and thriving contributors to the most important economic asset in the country – London.'
The City's Mayor Sadiq Khan said: ‘I urge all Londoners to follow the rules – for the good of the loved ones that we want to see over the festive period and to help all our local businesses.
‘No one wants to see a devastating further surge in cases or the need for more restrictions.'
Hippodrome Shows
Emma McClarkin, of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘Tier Two is already killing pubs' ability to trade –but Tier Three would truly be the writing on the wall for many more of the capital's locals.'
The Mayor of London previously explained the annual fireworks display, which typically takes place near the London Eye, will not go ahead as ‘we can't afford' to have large numbers of people congregating amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: The 2020 celebration
She added: ‘The Government has to stop picking on our pubs and recognise its own evidence that shows they are safe. If it won't, then it must deliver grant support in line with that of Scotland and Wales.'
It comes after the annual New Year's Eve fireworks were scrapped by London's Mayor in September.
Sadiq Khan confirmed the display, which typically takes place near the London Eye, would not go ahead because ‘we can't afford' to have large numbers of people congregating amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Khan added the New Year will instead be welcomed by ‘something that people can enjoy in the comfort of their living rooms,' but he was unable to give details.
The move was quickly slammed by industry insiders, with Peter Heath of the Professional Lighting and Sound Association urging Mr Khan to ‘think about the impact of cancelling live events on industry, on the UK economy and the wellbeing of citizens.'
Coordinates: 51°30′41″N0°07′43″W / 51.5114°N 0.1286°W
| Address | Charing Cross Road Westminster, London |
|---|---|
| Designation | Grade II listed |
| Type | circus and variety shows |
| Capacity | 1340 seated (1909) |
| Current use | Casino |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1900 |
| Rebuilt | 1958 |
| Architect | Frank Matcham |
| Website | |
| hippodromecasino.com |
The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survivors. Hippodrome is an archaic word referring to places that host horse races and other forms of equestrian entertainment.
History[edit]
Hippodrome[edit]
The London Hippodrome was opened in 1900. It was designed by Frank Matcham for Moss Empires chaired by Edward Moss and built for £250,000 as a hippodrome for circus and variety performances. The venue gave its first show on 15 January 1900,[1] a music hall revue entitled 'Giddy Ostend' with Little Tich. The conductor was Georges Jacobi.[2]
Entry to the venue was through a bar, dressed as a ship's saloon. The performance space featured both a proscenium stage and an arena that sank into a 230 ft, 100,000 gallon water tank (about 400 tons, when full) for aquatic spectacles. The tank featured eight central fountains, and a circle of fountains around the side. Entrances at the side of the auditorium could also be flooded, and used for the entry of boats.[3] Shows included equestrian acts, elephants and polar bears, and acrobats would dive from a minstrels' gallery above a sliding roof, in the centre of the proscenium arch. The auditorium featured cantilevered galleries, removing the columns that often obstructed views in London theatres, the whole was covered by a painted glass retractable roof, that could be illuminated at night.[3] The building included the headquarters of Moss Empires.[4]
Restaurants Near Hippodrome
Theatre 1909–1951[edit]
In 1909, it was reconstructed by Matcham as a music-hall and variety theatre with 1340 seats in stalls, mezzanine, gallery, and upper gallery levels. It was here that Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake received its English première by the Ballets Russes in 1910. The Albert de Courville revues were performed here from December 1912.
The Hippodrome hosted the first official jazz gig in the United Kingdom, by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, in 1919.[5]
Its reputation was for revue and musical comedy, among them The Five O'Clock Girl, the West End production of Vincent Youmans' hit Broadway musical Hit The Deck (1928) and also Mr. Cinders, both in 1929; Ivor Novello's Perchance to Dream in 1945 with Margaret Rutherford; and the revue High Spirits in 1953 with Cyril Ritchard and Diana Churchill. Julie Andrews made her stage debut here at the age of 12. From 1949 to 1951 it was the London equivalent of the Folies Bergère.
The Talk of the Town[edit]
The original interior was demolished in 1958, and Bernard Delfont had the Hippodrome converted into the nightclub The Talk of the Town. It featured appearances by many of the popular artistes of the time,[6] including Diana Ross & The Supremes, Judy Garland,[7]Eartha Kitt, Shirley Bassey,[8]The Temptations,[9]Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Sammy Davis Jr., Lena Horne, Sergio Franchi, Sophie Tucker, Engelbert Humperdinck, Val Doonican, Lonnie Donegan, The Carpenters, John Denver, Ella Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli, Tom Jones, The Jackson 5, Lulu, Danny La Rue, Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Paul Anka, Anne Murray, Sandie Shaw, Johnnie Ray, Matt Monro, The Andrews Sisters, Frankie Vaughan, Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Dionne Warwick, Raphael, The Seekers, Stevie Wonder, Sacha Distel and Neil Sedaka. In February 1964, Ethel Merman made her only British appearance in a season of cabaret. Dusty Springfield recorded a TV special at the venue, broadcast 15 February 1968 on BBC2Show of the Week: Live at the Talk of the Town.[10]The Seekers' final concert was recorded for the album The Seekers Live at The Talk of the Town in July 1968. Tony Bennett set his 1972 series for Thames Television, Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town, there. This form of entertainment, in its turn, fell out of public favour, and the venue closed in 1982.
In 2009, the Hippodrome was named by the Brecon Jazz Festival as one of 12 venues which had made the most important contributions to jazz music in the United Kingdom.[5]
The musical drama End of the Rainbow, nominated for a number of Olivier Awards in 2011 during its London run and Tony Awards in 2012 while on Broadway, is set at the Talk of The Town during a Judy Garland engagement there near the end of her life.
The London Hippodrome[edit]
Renovated yet again, the building was reopened as a nightclub/restaurant called The London Hippodrome by nightclub tycoon Peter Stringfellow in 1983. Some years later, Stringfellow sold it to a chain company called European Leisure. Under the stewardship of David Chipping the club went on to win many BEDA and DI awards, regularly attracting crowds in excess of 2,000. Following its sale to Luminar the club soon went out of fashion; it was not until April 2004 that the Hippodrome regained its standing, when it was transformed into Cirque at the Hippodrome. The interior was taken back to hues of reds and golds, and burlesque was the theme. Cirque at the Hippodrome won the BEDA award for best UK nightclub in 2004.
It was revealed in October 2005 that the club had lost its public drinks licence and would no longer be able to serve alcohol, as the local police did not want what they called 'vertical drinking' (the majority of patrons standing rather than sitting) in Leicester Square. The police also shut down most of the venues in the local area. Following this, in December 2005, the club was eventually forced to close, following reports of violence involving rival gangs after they had left the building of the Hippodrome, which reflected on its closure later in Westminster licensing court.
The Hippodrome Events Space & Theatre[edit]
In January 2006, entrepreneur Charmaine Haig took over the lease of the Hippodrome building on a short term before a casino licence application could be secured for future use. Haig initially maintained and managed the empty venue on her own, and then changed the venue's name back to the London Hippodrome from its previous name of Cirque.
Shortly afterward, Haig's in-house events company, Hip Events, began running private events in the venue, but once again using the space to its full capacity as a variety venue with album launches, dance shows, gala dinners, awards ceremonies and Leicester Square film premiere after parties.
In 2008, Haig and her business partner acquired a theatre licence for the venue and subsequently turned the venue back into a theatre. The adult cabaret show La Clique was found at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2008; by the beginning of October 2008, the show previewed at the London Hippodrome with great success, and stayed running until the end of Haig's Hippodrome lease in June 2009. During this time, the show La Clique at the Hippodrome won an Olivier Award in 2009, in the 'Best Entertainment' category.
The Hippodrome Casino[edit]
In 2009, the lease on the Hippodrome was acquired by Leicester-born father and son entrepreneurs Jimmy and Simon Thomas, who began an extensive restoration programme taking the Hippodrome back to Matcham's original designs for use as a casino and entertainment venue. During the planning stage, the adjacent Cranbourn Mansions building became available and plans were redrafted to incorporate this former gentlemen's apartment block into the design, doubling the eventual floorspace and linked using a new structure sited within the existing light well between the two buildings.
Investment in the building reportedly came to over £40 million, the funds being raised by the Thomas family from the sale of a number of bingo halls prior to the UK smoking ban, which made it illegal to smoke within an enclosed workplace, on 1 July 2007.
The Hippodrome Casino was opened on 13 July 2012 by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who described it as 'yet another ringing endorsement of London as a great place to invest'.
The venue on opening included four floors of gaming, including a Gold Room casino sited in the original basement[11] with access directly into Chinatown to the rear of the building, Heliot restaurant, six bars, a smoking terrace and The Matcham Room cabaret theatre. The restoration and construction of the casino was followed on the blog of LBC presenter Steve Allen.[12]
In January 2013 the casino was awarded Best Land-based Casino at the Totally Gaming Awards, which also gave Jimmy Thomas a Life Achievement award for his contribution to the gaming and entertainment industries.
The Matcham Room at the Hippodrome Casino is currently the home of nationally renowned Boom & Bang Circus[13] (created and produced by Bioux 'Boom' Hayes and Kitty Bang Bang) and Soho Burlesque featuring co producer Miss Polly Rae (Hurly Burly Show by William Baker) and London's burlesque elite. It is also the London residency of the internationally renowned The Definitive Rat Pack
In 2009, the Hippodrome was named by the Brecon Jazz Festival as one of 12 venues which had made the most important contributions to jazz music in the United Kingdom.[5]
The musical drama End of the Rainbow, nominated for a number of Olivier Awards in 2011 during its London run and Tony Awards in 2012 while on Broadway, is set at the Talk of The Town during a Judy Garland engagement there near the end of her life.
The London Hippodrome[edit]
Renovated yet again, the building was reopened as a nightclub/restaurant called The London Hippodrome by nightclub tycoon Peter Stringfellow in 1983. Some years later, Stringfellow sold it to a chain company called European Leisure. Under the stewardship of David Chipping the club went on to win many BEDA and DI awards, regularly attracting crowds in excess of 2,000. Following its sale to Luminar the club soon went out of fashion; it was not until April 2004 that the Hippodrome regained its standing, when it was transformed into Cirque at the Hippodrome. The interior was taken back to hues of reds and golds, and burlesque was the theme. Cirque at the Hippodrome won the BEDA award for best UK nightclub in 2004.
It was revealed in October 2005 that the club had lost its public drinks licence and would no longer be able to serve alcohol, as the local police did not want what they called 'vertical drinking' (the majority of patrons standing rather than sitting) in Leicester Square. The police also shut down most of the venues in the local area. Following this, in December 2005, the club was eventually forced to close, following reports of violence involving rival gangs after they had left the building of the Hippodrome, which reflected on its closure later in Westminster licensing court.
The Hippodrome Events Space & Theatre[edit]
In January 2006, entrepreneur Charmaine Haig took over the lease of the Hippodrome building on a short term before a casino licence application could be secured for future use. Haig initially maintained and managed the empty venue on her own, and then changed the venue's name back to the London Hippodrome from its previous name of Cirque.
Shortly afterward, Haig's in-house events company, Hip Events, began running private events in the venue, but once again using the space to its full capacity as a variety venue with album launches, dance shows, gala dinners, awards ceremonies and Leicester Square film premiere after parties.
In 2008, Haig and her business partner acquired a theatre licence for the venue and subsequently turned the venue back into a theatre. The adult cabaret show La Clique was found at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2008; by the beginning of October 2008, the show previewed at the London Hippodrome with great success, and stayed running until the end of Haig's Hippodrome lease in June 2009. During this time, the show La Clique at the Hippodrome won an Olivier Award in 2009, in the 'Best Entertainment' category.
The Hippodrome Casino[edit]
In 2009, the lease on the Hippodrome was acquired by Leicester-born father and son entrepreneurs Jimmy and Simon Thomas, who began an extensive restoration programme taking the Hippodrome back to Matcham's original designs for use as a casino and entertainment venue. During the planning stage, the adjacent Cranbourn Mansions building became available and plans were redrafted to incorporate this former gentlemen's apartment block into the design, doubling the eventual floorspace and linked using a new structure sited within the existing light well between the two buildings.
Investment in the building reportedly came to over £40 million, the funds being raised by the Thomas family from the sale of a number of bingo halls prior to the UK smoking ban, which made it illegal to smoke within an enclosed workplace, on 1 July 2007.
The Hippodrome Casino was opened on 13 July 2012 by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who described it as 'yet another ringing endorsement of London as a great place to invest'.
The venue on opening included four floors of gaming, including a Gold Room casino sited in the original basement[11] with access directly into Chinatown to the rear of the building, Heliot restaurant, six bars, a smoking terrace and The Matcham Room cabaret theatre. The restoration and construction of the casino was followed on the blog of LBC presenter Steve Allen.[12]
In January 2013 the casino was awarded Best Land-based Casino at the Totally Gaming Awards, which also gave Jimmy Thomas a Life Achievement award for his contribution to the gaming and entertainment industries.
The Matcham Room at the Hippodrome Casino is currently the home of nationally renowned Boom & Bang Circus[13] (created and produced by Bioux 'Boom' Hayes and Kitty Bang Bang) and Soho Burlesque featuring co producer Miss Polly Rae (Hurly Burly Show by William Baker) and London's burlesque elite. It is also the London residency of the internationally renowned The Definitive Rat Pack
On 4 March 2013, Simon Thomas announced the opening of Pokerstars LIVE, a collaboration between the Hippodrome and Pokerstars, the world's largest online poker website.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^London Hippodrome (Special feature, September 2003, Arthur Lloyd) accessed 18 October 2007.
- ^Silk Programme for the Hippodrome (1900) – Victoria and Albert Museum Collection
- ^ abTheatre Programme for 30 July 1900, see Arthur Lloyd site.
- ^Hip events (History section)Archived 28 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine accessed 18 October 2007.
- ^ ab'Buckingham Palace hits right note with jazz fans'Archived 26 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, London Evening Standard (3 August 2009).
- ^Performers at The Talk of the Town.
- ^'Judy wows 'em with songs to remember, Diana Ross and the Supremes, James Green (fan site)'. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. accessed 18 October 2007[dead link]
- ^Shirley Bassey Live at Talk of the Town (#38 1970).
- ^1970, Live at London's Talk of the Town (Temptations album).
- ^http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9201b12c34cd4072bb7b16ca5e24cb3b
- ^'Basement Waterproofing – Hippodrome Casino'. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^Allen, Steve. 'Sneak Peek: A Look At The New London Hippodrome'. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^'In Pictures: Boom & Bang'. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
External links[edit]
Hippodrome London Nightclub
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Hippodrome Casino
