To hard agree with Sadiq Khan re Central Londoners moaning about nightlife?!

Overitallnow · 11/06/2026 19:26

Those pedicabs are a nightmare though. Blaring out music and ripping people off.

ShutupLwren · 11/06/2026 18:29

I’ve read about soho in a Martina Cole book and that was enough excitement for me. I’m a simple soul, very much don’t enjoy nightlife or the bustle of any cities these days, but I can imagine if that’s your thing living there is pure heaven.

Somersetbaker · 11/06/2026 17:22

VickyEadie · 11/06/2026 16:55

Soho is tame now, compared with in the 50s, 60s and 70s, when it was full of sex shops, brothels and extremely sleazy bars and blokes.

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There were some good cheap restaurants, Bar Italia has been going since 1949, Bar Bruno opened in the early 60's and don't forget the Italian deli on Brewer St. So luckily it wasn't all sleaze - just most of it.

EmeraldRoulette · 11/06/2026 17:22

Lomonald · 11/06/2026 16:57

The elderly people who lived there at the time of the sex shops prostitutes and gay bars ?

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I don't know which period of time you're talking about

But there is an argument, not saying it's valid, I don't know anyone who lives there... There is an argument by some people that those who benefited from all the nightlife have now reached an age where they might find the noise annoying at night.

As I say, I don't know if this is true or not

And I was curious about this situation in particular because @mumofoneAloneandwell mentioned it so I looked it up. There's a lot of stuff to be found but of course it's all the opinion of a range of different residents.

JacketPotatoFoodOfTheGods · 11/06/2026 17:18

He’s right. Love our mayor! 👏👏👏

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 17:16

Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 17:12

Whats the london mayor branding

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Maybe it’s just my area but every seating area or bus stop or what not has a mayor of London brand on it.

Original poster

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 17:14

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 16:57

I just don’t think it’s great to be so dismissive of your residents

he could have said something more diplomatic by acknowledging their concerns around litter and crime

I'm fed up of his 20mph and LTNs and replacing bus lanes with cycle lanes (not a driver). London is a living city and it doesn’t feel like he knows that

I'm fed up of his 20mph and LTNs and replacing bus lanes with cycle lanes (not a driver). London is a living city and it doesn’t feel like he knows that

Hard agree - its like he is right on nightlife but wrong on everything else

We're like New York imo, makes no sense to force cars out of london 😒

Not everyone can cycle.

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Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 17:12

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 17:07

Round me they removed the bus lane to put in cycle lanes and the buses are glacial that way now

i also can’t bear all the ‘London mayor’ branding everywhere. Not been a fan of any of the mayors though!

Whats the london mayor branding

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 17:07

Round me they removed the bus lane to put in cycle lanes and the buses are glacial that way now

i also can’t bear all the ‘London mayor’ branding everywhere. Not been a fan of any of the mayors though!

Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 17:03

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 16:57

I just don’t think it’s great to be so dismissive of your residents

he could have said something more diplomatic by acknowledging their concerns around litter and crime

I'm fed up of his 20mph and LTNs and replacing bus lanes with cycle lanes (not a driver). London is a living city and it doesn’t feel like he knows that

Bus lanes are cycle lanes

Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 17:01

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 16:57

Yes they are because it applies to buses!

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Which is great! But buses arent the only way to get around

ACynicalDad · 11/06/2026 17:00

whilst i get his sentiment, I think it's bullying behaviour and not very mature, but it will probably be appreciated by his base.

Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 16:59

Tabarnak · 11/06/2026 14:18

The poor beleaguered Soho dwellers will all move to the country to avoid nightlife and complain about early morning cockerels, cow shit on the road and the smell of fertiliser spreading.

I think SK is ok.

They probably already have country homes...

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 16:57

Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 16:55

The 45% of londoners who do not own a car are not made to do 20 mph - so not 'all'

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Yes they are because it applies to buses!

BeardySchnauzer · 11/06/2026 16:57

I just don’t think it’s great to be so dismissive of your residents

he could have said something more diplomatic by acknowledging their concerns around litter and crime

I'm fed up of his 20mph and LTNs and replacing bus lanes with cycle lanes (not a driver). London is a living city and it doesn’t feel like he knows that

Lomonald · 11/06/2026 16:57

EmeraldRoulette · 11/06/2026 14:54

I think the "checks notes" bit is quite relevant if you look at the detail of it

I initially thought that the objections were being made by elderly people who perhaps lived in Soho when it wasn't such a thriving place with so many late licenses

It looks more like the people objecting are the ones who moved there knowing damn fine what it's like. And they seem to be on a mission to reject every single late license

so checking the notes on the situation is reasonable in this case

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The elderly people who lived there at the time of the sex shops prostitutes and gay bars ?

Flamingojune · 11/06/2026 16:55

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 16:49

Yeah i remember - i wouldnt say youre out of touch, just its gotten bad hasn't it!

I'm in zone 2 and would kill to be in zone 1! Love the busy vibe, and the different people

The soho society just want the convenience of living centrally whilst ruining it for others 😒

I'm the same with Sadiq, i'm sure I voted him in as mayor. I think hes focused on making us all do 20mph, but not sorting the housing crisis in london or the crime crisis 🤔

The rent changes have come in now far too late imo. I'm not a fan and this is his latest bid to stay in power. Hope he follows through on standing firm!

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The 45% of londoners who do not own a car are not made to do 20 mph - so not 'all'

EmeraldRoulette · 11/06/2026 16:55

2msoundsright · 11/06/2026 15:03

There's a bit more to it than this- the Soho Society were originally complaining about insufficient policing given how many places now have a late licence. I don't think that's inherently unreasonable. The threat to oppose licence applications is a bargaining tactic in a negotiation that has largely broken down, as far as I can see.

Oh, that's interesting

None of that came up when I was trying to look it up, but it's hard to research this kind of stuff isn't it, if you don't live there, you don't know

Yeah, I can see that the reduction in policing would cause a problem there

@Mulledjuice I don't think you need to be 400. I think you probably need to be about 70.

The number of late licenses went up a lot in the 00s I think? I did wonder if it was something to do with their level of tolerance for it. Because obviously 00s is age years ago but they do seem to have been complaining for a while.

VickyEadie · 11/06/2026 16:55

EmeraldRoulette · 11/06/2026 14:54

I think the "checks notes" bit is quite relevant if you look at the detail of it

I initially thought that the objections were being made by elderly people who perhaps lived in Soho when it wasn't such a thriving place with so many late licenses

It looks more like the people objecting are the ones who moved there knowing damn fine what it's like. And they seem to be on a mission to reject every single late license

so checking the notes on the situation is reasonable in this case

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Soho is tame now, compared with in the 50s, 60s and 70s, when it was full of sex shops, brothels and extremely sleazy bars and blokes.

Original poster

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 16:54

Tabarnak · 11/06/2026 14:18

The poor beleaguered Soho dwellers will all move to the country to avoid nightlife and complain about early morning cockerels, cow shit on the road and the smell of fertiliser spreading.

I think SK is ok.

😄😄

Maybe suburbia is for them.

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Original poster

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 16:54

Lomonald · 11/06/2026 16:52

HA ! He is sick of it isn't he 😂

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😄😄 hes had enough of them

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Original poster

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 16:53

AuContrairePubicHair · 11/06/2026 14:24

I live in buttfuck nowhere and I totally agree with him.

I live where I do precisely because I don't want to live near noisy nightlife. I want owls and cow shit and single track country lanes and church bells.

I feel the same way about people who move to the countryside and complain about owls and cow shit and single track country lanes and church bells!!!

This!

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Lomonald · 11/06/2026 16:52

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 13:40

Finally some sense from this man

I'm still not a fan, but he's right here.

HA ! He is sick of it isn't he 😂

Original poster

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 16:52

Fairyliz · 11/06/2026 14:58

I’m assuming he didn’t write this himself but has a media team, does anyone know?
If he approved it I think he comes across as very condescending and I know better attitude. Not unexpected as a Labour politician.

Oh i like it 😄 - its sassy but reflects a lot of opinions

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Original poster

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/06/2026 16:51

Somersetbaker · 11/06/2026 15:28

It's pretty tame now compared with the glory days of Soho in the 1960's and 70's, brothels, clipjoints and porn cinemas, with the "dirty squad" making more in bribes from the people they were supposed to be arresting than the Met paid them.

👀👀

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