London club Turnmills announced today that they will shut up shop for good on March 23rd, yet another clubland casualty of the King Cross redevelopment programme.
The closure of Turnmills, the very first UK venue to obtain a 24 hour Music and Dance Licence back in 1985, follows the demise of The Cross, The Key and Canvas (formerly Bagleys’) at the end of last year.
But while these last three are actually in Kings Cross, right behind the flashy new Eurostar terminal and right in the developers sights, Turnmills is located down the road in the more salubrious Clerkenwell. It should have been safe. But as the surrounding area gets dragged up by gentrification, the lure of office space and luxury housing is too much for Turnmills’ landlord.
I admit, I’ve not passed through Turnmills turnstiles for a few years, but I liked knowing it was there, that on any given Sunday at around 10.00am Trade would still be going strong, an enclave, a safe-spot for those who were still clinging on hard to Saturday night.
Still, new Eurostar terminal, I guess we’ll always have Paris.
Damn! I heard about this but wasn’t so sure… sad really but thankfully London is dynamic enough there will be somewhere else that will crop up and start a new era.
As my wife said to me, “I thought that place would go on forever”, it will, but only in memory.
† R.I.P. Turnmills †