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Londoners are planning to come together this evening (Thursday September 24) in solidarity against the closure of the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre.
A poster circulating on Twitter is encouraging traders, campaigners and locals to meet at 5pm at the Faraday Monument in Elephant Square in Elephant and Castle. The poster reads: ‘Let’s make some noise and continue our fight for traders and real social housing at the Elephant.’
The Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre is set to close today to make way for a new development, which is part a £4 billion ‘regeneration programme’ scheme by Southwark Council.
Once the shopping centre closes, some of its traders will relocate to a temporary retail park in Castle Square on Elephant Road, which opens this weekend. The famous elephant statue will be moved to Castle Square too.
Many Londoners have taken to Twitter to express their sadness about the shopping centre closing:
The Elephant and Castle gets demolished today, and I’m a bit emotional about it! It’ll be no surprise to anyone that it wont be replaced with real social housing...On a side note, it’s where I had my first ‘Rachel’ from friends haircut as a school kid. Those were the days 💔
— Rebecca O'Neal (@rebeccaoneal_84) September 24, 2020
I know elephant and castle shopping centre gets a lot of stick on here for how it looks but it is officially closing on the 24th of this month and being replaced w flats. as a local, it’s really really sad. I’m absolutely going to miss it with its out of date interior and all.
— ሶፊያ (@SophiaTassew) September 16, 2020
22 of the 55 years in the lifetime of #elephantandcastle Shopping Centre spent walking the streets around it for home visits. The Elephant was the beating heart of Bermondsey. It’s the end of an era. The Elephant is dead. Long live the Elephant 😢. pic.twitter.com/qrri7yoyT3
— Dr Tony Rao (@oldagepsych) September 24, 2020
Read our ode to the shopping centre.
Read presenter Yinka Bokinni’s ode to Rye Lane in Peckham.