London - Old Compton Street in Soho
Historic Area, With Good Pubs, Unusual Shops and a Great Nightlife
Oct 29, 2009
Way back in history, before Soho even existed, the area that is now Old Compton Street was a nameless route used by farmers and their livestock. But slowly the area became a place for the wealthy to build houses and by the middle of the 17th century Old Compton Street being built up by Dukes and Earls and other members of King Charles II court. Perhaps today we might call them property speculators.
London Soho - Old Compton Street
Over the years the aristocrats moved out and the French Huguenots moved in. This was the result of the persecution of French Protestant Huguenots by King Louis XIV of France. They were offered asylum in England by King Charles II and hundreds fled France for London - many ending up in Old Compton Street. Some of their descendants still live here today. As time passed, the number of foreign inhabitants increased and the street became a meeting place for exiles. French poets Rimbaud and Verlaine could often be found drinking in one of the taverns. Richard Wagner lived on the street in 1819 and it still is a place for writers and artists to gather.
By the middle of the 19th century, although there were a fair number of restaurants and taverns most of the houses were still being used as shops, as they had been since the Huguenots arrived, so it really has been a shopping street almost from its beginning.
A 19th Century Menagerie on Old Compton Street
Old Compton Street has always had its share of eccentrics and one of these was a dwarf called Fred Wombwell. He owned a boot and shoe shop on the street between 1804 and 1810 and is said have been a bit of an entrepreneur. He created a menagerie which consisted of two indigenous snakes - not exactly a crowd pleaser. However, he persisted, and in time collected many exotic species. It was a great hit as few Londoners had ever seen such creatures as a lion, a giraffe or a camel. His menagerie was a great hit on Old Compton Street and eventually it toured England and he ended up a wealthy man.
Prince Edward Theatre - Old Compton Street
The theatre opened in 1930 with a romantic musical comedy named Rio Rita, but the big hitter was the American cabaret artiste Josephine Baker who performed in London for the first time in 1933. Her star turn was the famous ‘Banana Dance’ which she had previously performed at the the Folies Bergere in Paris.
The war and the blitz on London closed down many London theatres, including the Prince Edward. It reopened and was renamed the London Casino which mainly put on variety shows. However, the theatre was refurbished in 1992 and established itself as one of the best places for musicals, the purpose for which it was originally built. It reopened with the world première of the musical Evita on 21 June 1978 and the run lasted almost eight years.
Old Compton Street - Most Cosmopolitan Street in Soho
Old Compton Street is stuffed with great shops,cafes and restaurants - a great place to wander and explore. Try Pattiserie Valerie, a real Soho institution. Another excellent (somewhat eccentric) pattiserie is Maison Bertaux just a few steps away from Old Compton Street on Greek Street. Almost at the end of Old Compton Street is the brightly painted ‘Ed’s. If you crave a hamburger, this is the place. Today, the street is the centre of London's gay community and there are several gay bars, restaurants and cafés
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