On Thursday April 1, the Guardian published a poignant article with this title and unfortunately it was not a joke! In it, Michele Hanson talks about the rebranding of Covent Garden, where the future vision is one of a big posh department store without a roof to replace the quirky street performers and often outstanding opera singers and classical musicians that entertain and surprise us at present.
Away goes all that is unpredictable, creative and out of the ordinary, in with the big brand names, the elite products and marketing strategies! And, so the argument goes, this will bring the piazza back to the Londoners rather than provide for the tourists. . . Really? Are CapCo, who are the ‘brains’ behind this, seriously thinking that we who live in London will spend our time on an overcrowded underground to travel to the piazza to buy from more posh shops which are easier to access elsewhere anyway? Why is Covent Garden special? Write your comments on what makes it special for you. Read the full article
With love from Neal's Yard 
Leave Covent Garden alone! You can find fancy shopping malls and department stores anywhere! But rarely can you find something as original as Covent Garden. That’s what makes it special.