For those who may be interested in such things, and because I will now visit Fitzrovia fairly regularly for a while... according to Peter Berthoud (with this info gathered from fitzrovia.org.uk)
It is quite well known that Fitzrovia gained its name from the Fitzroy Tavern and the artistic and literary crowd that hung out there and neighbouring pubs in the 1930s. With the Tavern itself being named after Charles Fitzroy who began developing the area in the 1750s.
(but) I didn't realise until recently that the name "Fitzrovia" had fallen out of use during the 1950s and 1960s and was only revived in 1973. The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association have the story on their website.
“In 1973 the organisers of the first street festival in Charlotte Street wanted to create a title for the Festival. The name Fitzrovia Festival was suggested by Eric Singer a German immigrant who recalled the use of the name in the 1940s. So the name Fitzrovia came back into common currency reinforced by the annual Fitzrovia Festival and people now had a name from which to try to define their neighbourhood.” (From about Fitzrovia, London.)
(A) poster (by Nancy Fouts of Shirt Sleeve Studio) was produced to promote the first annual Fitzrovia Festival and its beautiful design did much to publicise and popularise the use of the name. I was lucky enough to find an original poster during my research for my new tour: “Walk Every Street in Fitzrovia in a Day”.
Peter Berthoud does “Walk Every Street in Fitzrovia in a Day” Saturday 5 July 2014, 10am – 5.30pm.
As for me, I am planning to be there on Saturday coming up (12th July) and not only to enjoy the espresso on sale at the Workshop Coffee bar in Mortimer street, but also to look around with a somewhat different, and even a more appreciative, viewpoint than last time!
More about Fitzrovia
For those who may be interested in such things, and because I will now visit Fitzrovia fairly regularly for a while... according to Peter Berthoud (with this info gathered from fitzrovia.org.uk)
It is quite well known that Fitzrovia gained its name from the Fitzroy Tavern and the artistic and literary crowd that hung out there and neighbouring pubs in the 1930s. With the Tavern itself being named after Charles Fitzroy who began developing the area in the 1750s.
(but) I didn't realise until recently that the name "Fitzrovia" had fallen out of use during the 1950s and 1960s and was only revived in 1973. The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association have the story on their website.
“In 1973 the organisers of the first street festival in Charlotte Street wanted to create a title for the Festival. The name Fitzrovia Festival was suggested by Eric Singer a German immigrant who recalled the use of the name in the 1940s. So the name Fitzrovia came back into common currency reinforced by the annual Fitzrovia Festival and people now had a name from which to try to define their neighbourhood.” (From about Fitzrovia, London.)
(A) poster (by Nancy Fouts of Shirt Sleeve Studio) was produced to promote the first annual Fitzrovia Festival and its beautiful design did much to publicise and popularise the use of the name. I was lucky enough to find an original poster during my research for my new tour: “Walk Every Street in Fitzrovia in a Day”.
Peter Berthoud does “Walk Every Street in Fitzrovia in a Day” Saturday 5 July 2014, 10am – 5.30pm.
As for me, I am planning to be there on Saturday coming up (12th July) and not only to enjoy the espresso on sale at the Workshop Coffee bar in Mortimer street, but also to look around with a somewhat different, and even a more appreciative, viewpoint than last time!