Broadway Market

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

Broadway Market
Broadway Market looking north from the western end of Andrews Road, by Cat & Mutton Bridge
LocationHackney, London, E8
Coordinates51.5367°N 0.0618°W / 51.5367; -0.0618
AddressBroadway Market
ManagementHackney London Borough Council
OwnerHackney London Borough Council
EnvironmentOutdoor
Days normally openSaturday
Websitehackney.gov.uk/markets-traders

The street is on the traditional boundary of the Haggerston area of Shoreditch (the south-west part of the street) and Hackney proper. Old 'Borough of Shoreditch' signs can still be seen above street name signs in that south-west part of the street.

History

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.

A fruit stall in the street's market

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.

  • Francesca's café re-occupied after some demolition. (January 2006)
  • Protest at Hackney Town Hall against the proposed eviction of Spirit, a local shopowner. (February 2006)
  • The Dove gastropub. (January 2006)
  • F Cooke's pie and mash shop stands at the southern entrance to Broadway Market. (January 2006)

See also
  • Ben Eine (artist)
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