The Xtra Diary - 'Democracy Village' removal and the wonderland of film pioneer Cecil Howarth

Published: 23 July, 2010

SO, that was that. Democracy Village – the tented hamlet of peace protesters, green activists and, latterly, the homeless in Parliament Square was disbanded on Tuesday.

When Diary strolled down to Parliament Square the day before the “removal”, three days after their appeal was turned down, all but the most die-hard had packed up and left, presumably, not waiting for the inevitable stand-off with the police.

Whatever else, the last two months has brought the question over the right to protest, and what exactly that entails, into sharp focus.

Is that any clearer now? Probably not.

One thing is for certain, even when the near obligatory “protest cost the taxpayer £x million” stories appear, the episode won’t have done anything to bring the public and parliamentarians closer together. 

And if we can just make an addendum, Westminster’s council leader Colin Barrow and former leader, now London mayor Boris Johnson’s number two, Sir Simon Milton, have both spoken out to save what they keep telling us is a World Heritage site.

Diary would like to point out, Parliament Square is not in fact recognised as a Unesco World Heritage site.
That honour goes to Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret’s Church.

Wonderland of a film pioneer

IN recent months Cecil Court has been held up as a beacon to independent book sellers.

With the trade under assault from the internet, high street chains and the dreaded Kindle (most evident around the corner in Charing Cross Road, which has seen a spate of closures), the Edwardian thoroughfare is a modern-day survivor story.

It was not always thus, however.

Before it was a destination for bookshops, map and print dealers, it was the heart of British film, earning it the nickname Flicker Alley.

One of the founders of the British film industry, the director, writer and producer Cecil Hepworth , hired and sold films on the street. Now, a century on, traders are coming together to remember it.

On Saturday, with a little help from the British Film Institute, they will be a screening a number of films, including the first ever Alice in Wonderland, which was released by Hepworth from number 17 Cecil Court in 1903.

Film historian Simon Brown will speak about the early days, and shops will be erecting themed window displays.
For full Saturday programme details, see www.cecilcourt.co.uk

Churchill and the art of war rooms

WINSTON Churchill was pretty handy with a paintbrush.

Given its cathartic properties, it’s unsurprising that the Prime Minister liked nothing better than to stand at the easel to vanquish his well known black dog.

Now, thanks to a 21-year-old student, Churchill’s paintings have been brought to life in an exhibit at the Churchill War Rooms, which encourages visitors to step into his shoes and have a go at painting.

Suzi Fuller has won the London Volunteers in Museums Award for her contribution to the museum.

“Churchill felt happiest when he was painting,” she said.

“It was a big part of his life, so I started to research his.

I got experts to lecture on the topic and set up the painting sessions.

The public can just come in and pick up a paintbrush. It’s a break from going round a museum with an audio guide, a different twist.”

• The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, Clive Steps, King Charles Street, SW1A 2AQ

Space for more coffee?

UFO landing in Marylebone Station!

It’s the headline we wanted to write, but the spaceship-like building is actually the radically reimagined AMT Coffee – a firm favourite among caffeine-starved commuters and Marylebone residents.

The shop celebrated its new look with a cake-cutting ceremony earlier this week.

Diary spotted AMT regular, London Assembly member Murad Qureshi, having a sneaky nibble.

He said: “I was surprised to see it’s turned into a spaceship with flashing lights, but it still does the best coffee around.”