Broadway Market

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Broadway Market
Location Hackney, Greater London
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Address Broadway Market
Management Broadway Market Projects CIC
Owner Hackney London Borough Council
Environment Outdoor
Goods sold General goods, food
Days normally open Saturday
Website www.broadwaymarket.co.uk
F Cooke's pie and mash shop stands at the southern entrance to Broadway Market. (January 2006)

Broadway Market is a street running from London Fields to the Regent's Canal in Haggerston in the London Borough of Hackney, east London.

Before the late 20th century it was the site of a busy fruit and vegetable market, but this slowly dwindled over time - in the early 2000s, market activity was limited to a couple of stands selling produce. On 8 May 2004 a food market was launched on Saturdays which has since become firmly established. Broadway Market is closed to traffic when the market is being held (9am - 5pm). Thanks largely to the market a number of new restaurants and boutiques have opened in the area.

The ongoing development of Broadway Market has sparked a local debate about the perceived gentrification of Hackney and the way Hackney council disposed of some of their commercial property portfolio. In late 2005 a group of local protestors occupied 34 Broadway Market (Francesca's café) to bring attention to the issue. Despite being evicted on 21 December 2005 the building was successfully reoccupied on 27 December (replacing the demolished roof in the process) before the protestors were again evicted on 23 February 2006. Ultimately the battle was lost and the former proprietor of Francesca's cafe now runs the Little Francesca's juice stall on Saturdays in Broadway Market. The battle did not end, however, and local shopkeeper Spirit, whose shop was sold to an overseas developer by Hackney Council, fought several court battles to regain his property after proving that Hackney Council had cashed the cheque for his purchase deposit prior to selling his property to an overseas development company. Ultimately Spirit lost his battle too - winning in court but unable to reverse the transaction.

Broadway Market, and specifically the barber shop, was the location for David Cronenberg's 2007 film, Eastern Promises. The opening scenes of the 1988 movie Buster were shot at the Regent's Canal end of the market. It was also used for filming some scenes in the 1947 film Odd Man Out. Along with many squares and streets in the East End of London, it is rumoured that the old Broadway Market partly inspired the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Getting there

Closest London Underground station:

Railway stations:

Buses: 55, 394

Gallery

  • Francesca's café re-occupied after some demolition. (January 2006)

  • Protest at Hackney Town Hall against the proposed eviction of Spirit, another very popular shopowner. (February 2006)

  • Spirit broadway market.jpg

    Spirit, a face of Broadway Market

  • Fresh fruit, in a vibrant market. (December 2006 )

  • The Dove gastropub. (January 2006)

See also

External links

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