Winter 2021 Timeline
Interview with Antonio Polledri of Bar Italia about the trials of Soho during the pandemic and beyond.
Antonio Polledri is the owner of Bar Italia and member of the family dynasty who has managed the iconic Soho bar since 1949. He talked to us about what is going on in Soho and what are the prospects for the future as a result of the pandemic and other challenges.
Antonio, the pandemic has been going on for nearly a year. How has it affected Soho and Bar Italia and how has it affected you?
For Bar Italia it has been a massive transition and a shock. Bar Italia is open 24/7 and we don’t even switch off the coffee machine on Christmas Day because we are open on Boxing Day. So to see the place with the lights off and Soho as a ghost town is very demoralizing.
I’m a Soho person at heart so it’s very difficult for me to stay away. I come often to check the shop front and the mail and to think of alternatives.
Soho bounced back with some amazing street life during a short summer. For years it has tried to do that but powerful forces resisted the move. How did you manage it this time?
Initially it was my idea during the first lockdown to have a plan for the summer. Unless we brought some trade outside into the streets, then the Soho landlords would not have been able to collect any rents, the Council would've suffered too.
I contacted and explained the dire situation to John James, of Soho Estates. He is a large voice here so I proposed that if he could organize the street closures with the Council, the local business would be getting behind him, which is what happened.
We managed to operate during the summer within the pandemic protocols and the landlords collected some rents. Thankfully, we manage to get that through. For the first time there was a lot of solidarity around at all levels.
How did the local independent business responded?
Local business got together and formed a new association. I have been trying to do that for many years but was unable to. So we collected everybody’s emails and names and now we have a collective which is a loud voice. It has become a force.
The street trading doing the summer months was essential. At the beginning it was difficult to manage because it was something new and London had been in total lockdown for months. But we got that right after a few days and I now believe that this continental feel for Soho will be essential to our survival.
Street trading will attract tourists, theatergoers and people who want to experience the eclectic diversity of Soho.
What’s the name of the collective?
It’s called Soho Business Alliance. The general manager of Zima, a Russian restaurant across the street from Bar Italia is very proactive and he is a wizard in computers, a great communicator. We are talking about hundreds of businesses which are now on a database used by our collective. Lucas and John James helped to put it together.
We now have a committee chaired by Mark Fuller from the Karma Sanctum Hotel which has been very positive in negotiating with Westminster City Council. We also liaise with local residents, with the emergency services for access to ambulances and police. Thank god we have a voice now.
Antonio Polledri is the owner of Bar Italia and member of the family dynasty who has managed the iconic Soho bar since 1949. He talked to us about what is going on in Soho and what are the prospects for the future as a result of the pandemic and other challenges.
Antonio, the pandemic has been going on for nearly a year. How has it affected Soho and Bar Italia and how has it affected you?
For Bar Italia it has been a massive transition and a shock. Bar Italia is open 24/7 and we don’t even switch off the coffee machine on Christmas Day because we are open on Boxing Day. So to see the place with the lights off and Soho as a ghost town is very demoralizing.
I’m a Soho person at heart so it’s very difficult for me to stay away. I come often to check the shop front and the mail and to think of alternatives.
Soho bounced back with some amazing street life during a short summer. For years it has tried to do that but powerful forces resisted the move. How did you manage it this time?
Initially it was my idea during the first lockdown to have a plan for the summer. Unless we brought some trade outside into the streets, then the Soho landlords would not have been able to collect any rents, the Council would've suffered too.
I contacted and explained the dire situation to John James, of Soho Estates. He is a large voice here so I proposed that if he could organize the street closures with the Council, the local business would be getting behind him, which is what happened.
We managed to operate during the summer within the pandemic protocols and the landlords collected some rents. Thankfully, we manage to get that through. For the first time there was a lot of solidarity around at all levels.
How did the local independent business responded?
Local business got together and formed a new association. I have been trying to do that for many years but was unable to. So we collected everybody’s emails and names and now we have a collective which is a loud voice. It has become a force.
The street trading doing the summer months was essential. At the beginning it was difficult to manage because it was something new and London had been in total lockdown for months. But we got that right after a few days and I now believe that this continental feel for Soho will be essential to our survival.
Street trading will attract tourists, theatergoers and people who want to experience the eclectic diversity of Soho.
What’s the name of the collective?
It’s called Soho Business Alliance. The general manager of Zima, a Russian restaurant across the street from Bar Italia is very proactive and he is a wizard in computers, a great communicator. We are talking about hundreds of businesses which are now on a database used by our collective. Lucas and John James helped to put it together.
We now have a committee chaired by Mark Fuller from the Karma Sanctum Hotel which has been very positive in negotiating with Westminster City Council. We also liaise with local residents, with the emergency services for access to ambulances and police. Thank god we have a voice now.
Bar Italia by Carl Hyde
©CarlHyde
How did the street closures work out?
Being a start up it took a few days to put right. The local businesses that participated were very professional. We followed the guidelines. There were some issues with some people who thought we were going to do a summer ‘festival’. But it was not. There were numerous meetings at the Groucho Club to make sure it was managed properly.
We had to deal with a guy who came on his own accord with a portable DJ outfit and started playing his set. People started dancing which sent the wrong message. We approached the police and got him out. We need to get the right message across. We managed that. We had a serious survival business plan we wanted to put forward to the public.
Soho is a mosaic of people from very diverse backgrounds, countries, business. How do you think that you can keep the historical Soho coming through all that?
Soho is a strange creature. It re-invents itself all the time. It has this magnificent way of reinvigorating itself decade after decade. I have been lucky enough to see it happening over the last four or five decades. It will continue reinventing itself. It's what Soho does.
Soho has a lot to offer to London’s culture and history. You only need to do your research, to study the place. So my advice to people is: take the trouble to know our history. From hundreds of years ago to the recent gangsters, local artists, filmmakers, musicians and sex shops to what it is today. It's all part of the Soho milieu. It has something for everybody. So lift your head up, look around you because there is always something to see.
We will list here a few books and films that can help understand Soho's recent past but how do you feel about the future?
I honestly fear about Soho going forward. But not because of our determination to succeed. There are powerful negative forces over the horizon. The reason for my fear is Crossrail. Once we get over this pandemic, we are worried that rents will be raised due to new business coming in to take advantage of the increased influx of chains brought in by Crossrail. That's our biggest threat after the pandemic.
Local business, independent businesses, family run businesses which is what Soho is all about: the diversity. That might suffer. I fear for them going forward. I have spoken to John James about it. He has been very sympathetic and is working hard to keep the Soho independent and family businesses alive. This has been my personal experience.
We are launching the SOHO IMAGE website to support art and business in Soho. What is your message to them?
To your readers I have this advice. Don’t be upset too late when the local independent businesses are gone and then find yourself saying ‘what a shame’. Take action now. There are a lot of good local shops, restaurant and cafes. We have great plans for the future of Soho thanks to our Soho Business Alliance. Stay in touch. Stay plugged in.
Your readers must, must, must, use the businesses and trades we have now. Take the trouble to understand them. Without our customers’ support we have nothing. You can buy from any chain shop or café anywhere in London but if you are looking for a different experience, come to Soho and enjoy the local independent businesses at the center of the city.
Talking for myself at Bar Italia, take the trouble to come to us for a different experience. You will meet me here, you will meet a member of the family, you will be a real person for us, you will meet my staff who will be pleased to see you, who will understand your needs, who will befriend you. Those are the positive attributes we have against the big mega chains. Come and see us. We thank you for your support.
Have you received any government support during the pandemic?
We have but as you can imagine if does not cover our costs of losing so much business during the last year. We are still taking to the government for more support.
A final word about street trading?
That it was positive, a lifeline. Our capacity was enlarged and we had a waiter service to help out. We managed to pay bills, pay staff.
But there were tough moments too. Later in December at the start of the pandemic second wave we were given 24 hours to close the business.
We had perishable goods that we could not use. We had to give them away to the local church. It’s was very challenging.
Outside tables was a very positive experience and we maintained the necessary pandemic protocols. After the pandemic and maybe next summer we will be able to do it again. We need to survive for the next generation. That’s our business plan.
PS. Further info on Bar Italia can be found here
Photo by Pablo Behrens.
LIST OF BOOKS AND FILMS ABOUT THE RECENT STORY OF SOHO.
There are a lot of people involved in the story of Soho. Workers, baristas, filmmakers, photographers, writers, artistes, (take a breather) musicians, advertising creatives, shop owners, waiters (take another breather), actors, drinkers, punters and regulars. They have all been and are Soho's legendary characters for decades. Many have been and gone and many will come again soon.
They are known by the generic name of 'Sohoites'.
Soho was where a few planted the seed of inconformity in the 1950s and that exploded into modern London with the Singing Sixties. This process had worldwide repercussions. The history of Soho can be found researching the films and books in the list below. SOHO IMAGES will rediscover them all during 2021.
Get to know Soho via the films and books that tell the story of Soho. A most unusual story.
F I L M S
Adrift in Soho, 2019, directed by Pablo Behrens. Based on the novel by Colin Wilson.
The Look of Love, 2013, directed by Michael Winterbottom.
Absolute Beginners, 1986 , directed by Julian Temple. Based on the novel by Colin MacInnes.
The Small World of Sammy Lee, 1963, directed by Ken Hughes.
Free Cinema Documentaries, 1954-63, 2006 BFI DVD collection featuring 1950s documentary shorts by Lindsey Anderson, Tony Richardson, Claude Goretta, Alain Tanner, Lorenza Mazzetti and Karel Reisz.
More information:
Adrift in Soho is available on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes and DVD. Website www.adriftinsoho.com.
The Look of Love is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Absolute Beginners is available on Amazon Prime Video.
The Small World of Sammy Lee is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Free Cinema Documentaries can be found on a BFI DVD. The closest to Soho of this fantastic series is Night Time, about Piccadilly Circus and Every Day Except Christmas about Covent Garden market. The Free Cinema manifesto was written in a coffee shop on Charing Cross Road in 1954.
OTHER FILMS SET IN SOHO
Piccadilly, 1929, directed by EA Dupont.
Murder At The Windmill, 1949, directed by Val Guest.
Night and the City, 1950, directed by Jules Dassin.
Street of Shadows, 1953, directed by Richard Vernon.
Passport to Shame, 1958, directed by Alvin Rakoff.
Expresso Bongo, 1959, Val Guest.
Where Has Poor Mickey Gone? 1964, directed by Gerry Levy.
Ping Pong, 1986, directed by Leong Po-chih.
Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait by Francis Bacon, 1998, directed by John Maybury.
More information: https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-films-set-soho.
B O O K S: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
The following books can be found or ordered in second hand bookshops. They are also on eBay and Amazon. If we missed one, please let us know.
Soho in the Fifties, by Daniel Farson.
Adrift in Soho by Colin Wilson.
The Surrender of Silence by Iron Foot Jack, edited by Colin Stanley.
The Writing of Colin Wilson's 'Adrift in Soho', edited by Colin Stanley.
Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes.
Soho: Street Guide to Soho's History by Dan Cruickshank.
Tales From the Colony Room, Soho's Lost Bohemia by Darren Coffield.
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell play by Keith Waterhouse.
Reach for the Ground, collection of writings by Jeffrey Bernard.
Low Life: Irreverent Reflections from the Bottom of a Glass by Jeffrey Bernard.
Soho: The Heart of Bohemian London by Peter Speiser .
Soho in the Eighties by Christopher Howse.
The Guilded Gutter of Francis Bacon by Daniel Farson.
Soho Cooking by Alister Little.
Members Only: The Life and Times of Paul Raymond by Paul Willetts.
Soho Past by Richard Tames.
Soho in the 1950s and 1960s by Jonathan Fryer.
A Scribbler in Soho by Naim Attallah.
Dog Days in Soho by Nigel Richardson.
Soho: A History of London's Most Colourful Neighborhood by Judith Summers.
I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau by Gary Kemp.
Gangland Soho by James Morton.
Soho by Keith Waterhouse.
Soho Black, by Christopher Fowler.
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho by John Brittan.
Soho Square: Stories, Essays, Poems, Pictures by Philip Roth.
Music in Soho: A Brief History by Kenneth Dunn.
The Seven Noses of Soho by Jamie Manners.
The Hidden Lives of London Streets by James Morton.
London Made Us by Robert Elms.
Inside Soho by Mark Edmonds.
Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch.
Soho by Richard Scott.
Shakespeare in Soho by Jeremy Reed.
Soho Nights Series by Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Soho Lives by Catherine Garcia.
The Soho Don by Michael Connor.
Soho House Guide by Shena Mason.
Soho 4 A.M. by Nuala Casey.
Goodbye to Soho by Clayton Littlewood.
Lord Soho by Richard Calder.
Soho Angel by Greg Keen.
Soho Blues Neil Blackmore.
Soho Square, African Anthology series by Simon Ogude.
Soho Square: New Writing from Ireland, Anthology.
INTERNET SITES
Our History, by Bar Italia Soho
Soho Stories: celebrating six decades of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, by Laurence Lynch, intro by Colin Vaines, Guardian Internet.
8 of the Best Music Venues in Soho, London, by The Culture Trip Internet.
The battle to save the Curzon Soho, Guardian Internet.
The Fifty Best Coffee Bars In the World
Soho, London: the Ultimate Guide to the Neighborhood, by Time Out Internet.
Soho 24 Hour Guide, by The Nudge Internet.
Inspiration Soho, by Culture Trip Internet.
The Soho Guide by The Nudge
London Soho Guide: Where To Go And Things To Do, by Last Minute Internet.
Things to do in Soho - London Guides, by Visit London Internet.
Things to do in Soho by Tours By Foot.
Ultimate Guide to Visiting Soho, by Strawberry Tours Internet.
London Soho Guide, by Katie Berrington, Vogue Internet.
In recent times the film Bohemian Rhapsody was launched with a huge neon display occupying the entire length of Carnaby Street. A little earlier the entire Catalogue Raisonnee of artist Francis Bacon was launched with a collection of his paintings worth together more than £100 million in an unassuming first floor on Lexington Street known only to locals.
But the everyday Soho has to make do with the money spent by punters from all over London, the UK and the world. Their support is essential for the weekly survival of the place.