The Spitalfields Society

04/03/2026

resident and active member Matthew has asked us to forward this message: Good Luck Matthew!

" Dear friends & neighbours,

As some of you may know, I'm going to be running the London Marathon with my aunt Sydney Sawyier, on 26 April. A first for both of us!

For the marathon, we're running for Shelter dedicated to tackling homelessness in London and around Britain. However, at the core of our efforts, Sydney and I are running in honour of Calvin, my late older brother who's sadly not here to see us compete but whose memory we want to keep near and dear.

I currently have an ambitious funding target for which I’ve made a good start. But with nearly two months to go, I am turning to the warm and generous community I know and love in the hopes of boosting my fundraising efforts.

Please find the link to the fundraising page here: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/matthew-migely

Many thanks in advance and hope to see you soon.

Matthew Migely ""

https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/matthew-migely

I am running the London Marathon this April with my aunt Sydney in support of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter tackling a national emergency, with millions without a safe place to call hom

07/10/2025

The Spitalfields Society presents the 2025/26 season of Spitalfields Talks.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-spitalfields-society-52240611283

A season of eight talks to be held on the third Thursday of every month commencing in October 2025 and running to May 2026

1. 16 October. “Spitalfields & Whitechapel in old photographs”. The Gentle Author.

2. 20 November. “The Galvin Brothers – De Luxe”. Interview with the Essex Geezers turned
Michelin stars.

3. 18 December. “The Matthew Collings Experience” with the artist, writer and broadcaster
himself.

4. 15 January. Spitalfields Society “new year” party with special guest, Sandra Esquilant in
conversation with Basil Comely.

5. 19 February. “Tailoring in Spitalfields”, Timothy Everest MBE

6. 19 March. “Hawksmoor & Vanburgh. The Drama of Architecture”, Sir Charles Saumarez
Smith.

7. 16 April. “The Pub Design Quiz”. Rupert Wheeler in conversation with Esther Stanhope.

8. 21 May. “Reimagining the Whitechapel Gallery”. Gilane Tawadros. Director of the
Whitechapel Gallery.

The talks will be held at Hanbury Hall - E1 6QR, starting at 6.30pm and finishing at 8.00pm allowing for questions and debate.

The hall will be open from 6.00pm and 9.00pm to allow the local community and visitors to the area to socialise before and after the event.

21/09/2025

https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/09/21/a-public-inquiry-into-the-truman-brewery-redevelopment/

It was astonishing moment back in July when Tower Hamlets Council voted unanimously to reject the Truman Brewery’s planning application to build a corporate office plaza across the entire site. This was an impressive result for the Save Brick Lane campaign which is advocating for housing in this c...

21/07/2025

A lovely, A-level Geography Student doing course work (NEA) has kindly asked for us to share this to locals - if you live locally and have a few seconds - please click the link and help this Student learn more about the Gentrification in Spitalfields.

many thanks in advance! :)

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Dew8qem9BkWCXpk6t1fhLH1PYvnI8TxNnqKsqYuR65JUME02NlBHQjdUWkpBS0lGUlRNVFJZQzQ5Sy4u&fbclid=IwY2xjawLraEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETB5SXJlM0R1cjk0aXY1SVZBAR7J4yLIkoop7CLwV4JOOWXmdHxPWMG7LArQVGSbtXaIEhFiEAPNnmm1P_DZbA_aem_GLqdBF13g4vpgsi5Fj-tkw

04/07/2025

URGENT
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE LEILA'S - Leila's Shop
This October, Leila’s Shop faces eviction by Tower Hamlets Council, which wants to triple the rent, threatening this vital pillar of the community.

23 years ago, Leila McAlister took over a derelict grocer’s shop on Calvert Avenue that had been empty for over ten years. At the time, nearby Arnold Circus was overgrown and neglected, avoided for its violence.

She opened Leila’s Shop with sustainable values that continue to this day: zero-waste operations; direct trade with small regenerative farms; fresh, wholesome food with unprocessed ingredients, avoiding single-use packaging; encouraging loyal customers to make enlightened choices about the food they eat.

Since then, Leila has provided training and employment for scores of young people, offering a springboard to entering the workforce. In 2004, Leila co-founded the Friends of Arnold Circus, leading its regeneration to become one of east London’s most beloved garden spaces. From 2006-2016, Leila was governor of
neighbouring Virginia Primary School,

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKxXvMWf74d7Yg2I7tQ3AxWnW-RJGHzZSX_oR41H1bdbOTlw/viewform?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLOjlBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp7k3VVCz3LIyTcENUpbM9hT2Nfy5l9g1fWM5Sx8W-F749YdtqezKk4LD4Mvw_aem_S8Uwocq5r4Jvj0gyMsNleg

This October, Leila’s Shop faces eviction by Tower Hamlets Council, which wants to triple the rent, threatening this vital pillar of the community. 23 years ago, Leila McAlister took over a derelict grocer’s shop on Calvert Avenue that had been empty for over ten years. At the time, nearby Arnol...

18/06/2025

Please, if you can support Attlee Centre - the most amazing resource for you people in the area , supporting young people in this area for over 20 years.... Please, if you can - support them.

https://donate.justgiving.com/charity/attleefoundation/donation-amount

29/05/2025

TOMORROW NIGHT ON REDCHURCH!
see u there
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/threads-on-redchurch-launch-party-tickets-1376712467049?aff=oddtdtcreator

21/05/2025

‼️

Save Genesis Cinema

02/04/2025

Celebrated chefs and Spitalfields residents, Angela Hartnett and Neil Borthwick, will be interviewed by food writer and food critic, Tom Parker Bowles!

Neil and Angela will be talk about their life as cooks, their life in Spitalfields, and the joys and frustrations of cooking for their community and their neighbours.

Wine and signed cooking books will be on sale with the proceeds going to Neil and Angela’s nephews as they run the London Marathon in aid of good causes.

Date and time:

Tuesday 8 April 2025. The talk starts at 6.30pm and will finish by
8.00pm, allowing for questions and debate.

Refreshments will be available, and the
venue will be open from 6.00pm and 9.00pm to allow the local community and visitors to the area to socialise before and after the event.

Venue: Unit 3, Ely’s Yard, The Truman Brewery, 15 Hanbury St, E1 6QR.

Tickets: available from Eventbrite.
⬇️

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/angela-hartnett-and-neil-borthwick-cooking-for-the-community-tickets-1033622501727?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&_gl=1*7uo5cv*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTMxMTEzOTQxMi4xNzQzNTk0MTE1*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*MTc0MzU5NDExNS4xLjAuMTc0MzU5NDExNS4wLjAuMA..

19/02/2025

David Stuart. Street Art in the East End.

Like it or loath it, it is hard not to notice it, the East End of London is one of the foremost street art locations on the planet.

Join us and Dave Stuart as he gives us a slideshow presentation examining how this culture evolved in the Spitalfields and Shoreditch area, reveals some of the many forms of street art and graffiti found in the area and looks at key locations and participants.

Presenter Dave Stuart led one of the first street art tours back in 2008, founded Shoreditch Street Art Tours 2012 and has taken about 150,000 photographs of street art and graffiti.

Tuesday, March 4 · 6 - 8pm

The Market Coffee House & Bar
50-52 Brushfield Street London E1 6AG

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/david-stuart-street-art-in-the-east-end-tickets-1033619974167?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&_gl=1*jypdew*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTMwODE1NTI4MS4xNzM5OTcyMDU0*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*MTczOTk3MjA1My4xLjAuMTczOTk3MjA1My4wLjAuMA..

24/12/2024

“A Life of Crime in the East End”. An illustrated talk by Anthony Edwards

For 50 years Anthony Edwards worked as a criminal law solicitor in the courts and police stations of the East End. He prosecuted and defended clients whose crimes were minor and major and who were dangerous, manipulative, amusing and very normal. He watched the criminal justice system develop but always imperfectly.

Anthony is the third generation of his family to lead the East End law firm, TV Edwards, founded by his grandfather in 1929.

Venue: The Market Coffee House, 50-52 Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, London E1 6AG.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/anthony-edwards-a-life-of-crime-in-the-east-end-tickets-1033607416607?aff=erelexpmlt&_gl=1*11krdqj*_up*MQ..*_ga*MzAzMjM0NjIyLjE3MzUwMzg0NzY.*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*MTczNTAzODQ3Ni4xLjAuMTczNTAzODQ3Ni4wLjAuMA..

04/12/2024

Join us on Tuesday - December 10th - for stories from the Jewish East End: an illustrated talk exploring a lost landscape.

The Spitalfields Talks. 2024-25 season