2018-03-10

The changing face of Hatton Garden

The 6-year lease on Steve Wager's workshop in Hatton Garden came to an end in February, and terms for renewing the lease proved (very) unrealistic. It has unfortunately been impossible to find anywhere else in the vicinity, so this is the end of a 6-year era. Although new workshop premises have been acquired in Camberwell, this is too far away from Central London to integrate with my daily work shifts. So, alas, it is likely I will have to put silversmithing, and indeed all metalwork, on hold for an indeterminate period. This is part of a wider trend of the marginalising of craft and artistic businesses, with the possible exception of sales premises. But even the latter are not immune; the Rountree Tryon Gallery is to quit London after nearly 70 years, retaining only its Petworth site.