Bowie's Soho

by Mosoho

Museum of Soho will be hosting a "Pop Up" exhibition in collaboration with The British Record Shop Archive, highlighting "Bowie's Soho" as part of Record Store Day, 35 Beak St from 14-21 April.

David Bowie's love of music was nurtured by record shops in suburban Bromley where he frequented three shops: Medhurst's department shop, Roberston's music shop and Furlong's, a record shop where he briefly worked as a Saturday boy.

When David Jones - as he was still known then - moved into Soho as a teenager with dreams of stardom he continued to frequent record shops with Dobell's jazz, blues and folk shop on Charing Cross Road & HMV's Oxford Street shop being his favourites. Young David Jones would visit various record shops in the UK to promote his debut 45. Throughout his life he spoke fondly of the London record shops that helped shape his sound and vision.

Book your tickets for Bowie's Soho tour with Nika Garrett

15th April 7pm

17th April 2pm

#Soho24

by Ronnie Capaldi @From_Rons_Desk

At 3pm on the 19th June 2015, Soho24 commenced. For 24 hours London’s Soho district would be explored by four people: Nika, Paul, myself and later by Janet. We would also deliver a non-stop #Soho24 Twitter feed. This is my 13 hours (5.00pm – 6.00am) in 8 steps. Take a walk with me!

L’Escargot : Broken curfews and snails from Wales

I cut through the green haven of Soho Square where Charles II statue overlooks Londoners who are taking time out from the city bustle. I walk into Greek Street and half way down I meet Nika and Paul outside L’Escargot. Established in 1927 it is the oldest French restaurant in the capital and sits in a beautiful, nearly 200 - year - old, Georgian townhouse. A small plaster bust of M. Gaudin the restaurant’s founder is embossed just under the building’s apex high above us as we enter at around 5.05pm.

From #Soho24 to #SaveSoho

2014 is coming to its end as I am writing this post. A couple of months ago when an idea occurred to me to stay in Soho for 24 hours with no sleep, I didn’t know it would take place shortly after the closure of the much loved legendary Madame JoJo’s. There was no particular reason behind my Soho 24. For once I wanted to miss that last train home and have time on my hands and explore. My stay in Soho coincided with the march organised to commemorate Madame JoJo’s and draw everyone’s attention to the fact that Soho is losing its artistic, inclusive soul. Madame’s JoJo’s petition and the March were organised by theatre director Alexander Parsonage and performer Abigail O’Neill. Tim Arnold aka The Soho Hobo who led the march is a singer, songwriter, and Soho resident of many years. It was Tim who founded Save Soho: a coalition of performers, residents and politicians who want to ‘protect and nurture iconic music and performing arts venues in Soho that are disappearing at a terrifying rate.’ The chairman of Save Soho is actor and writer Stephen Fry.
Learn more about Save Soho at http://savesoho.com/about/

My 24 hours in Soho - #Soho24 Part One

Friday 28th November 9pm

If you turn left off Charing Cross Road into Manette Street, you will find yourself in front of the gateway into London’s most colourful square mile. Walk through the archway here and you will truly enter Soho. This is the same archway that Christopher Petit describes as ‘a border-post, the crossing where obligations could be left behind.’ It is Friday night and the pub on the corner in Greek Street is surrounded by usual clusters of young party-goers. If you take another look tonight though, you may spot a blond woman in a scarlet coat, standing on her own. Her face looks somewhat anxious and worried as she glances nervously at her mobile phone. That solitary figure is me just about to start 24-hour tale of exploration and endurance in Soho…