BOKA HOTEL
Spencer Parsons, owner of Boka Hotel in Earl's Court Article and Photographs Copyright: Cinzia D'Ambrosi
“We have one group (staying at the hotel) for the Earls Court Exhibition at the moment and one of them saw the postcard 'Save Earls Court' and asked me what it was all about. I explained and he said that was a ridiculous idea.
The Ideal Home exhibition is great among the other exhibitions. Olympia is not the same. It has smaller halls and cannot do the same. And we don't want to go to Excel . You are miles away from anywhere.
While we are here, we are not just exhibiting, but we are also seeing clients. Then, we will have to travel in and out and the hotels in central are more expensive, so it is an added cost for the exhibitors.
Apart from all this, why shouldn't West London have an exhibition centre?
Already this year, January, February and March we would have had, gambling exhibition, ICE, the people that sells gambling machines to the industry, and that was not on. Already, we have had, I would say 50 percent less trade this year.
I spoke to the guy that does the IT for their business and he said that they wanted to come to Earls Court, but Capco did not allow it because whomever organizes their exhibitions, Reed, I think, asked to Capco a permission for a three year deal but Capco answered that they were only allowing it for this year.
So in some senses they are refusing but in such a way that no one could accuse them of refusing, but they are. They are putting down such stipulations on what people can book that they are having to move. One of the clients staying here their company does work for Earl's Court, he told me that the maintainance guy at Earls Court told him that ' the people at Capco said: planning permission or not planning permission this place is going down'. So that's the type of company they are.
You can all look around in the country to see that Capco doesn't give a stuff. The trouble that you going to have in knocking it down, there is a swimming pool, the place is full of abstesos. What's going to do around here? And I find it interesting that the council has asked Capco to make arrangements an insurance in place. So, are they expecting problems? And I would love to know how London Underground would think. It is right above their Piccadilly line and what kind of effects is going to have. Who the hell is a private company to coming in and say 'all right this is what we are doing. We are going to knock down your home” and the council says we don't care, because the council is getting money for it.”
Spencer Parsons, Boka Hotel, Earls Court"
“We have one group (staying at the hotel) for the Earls Court Exhibition at the moment and one of them saw the postcard 'Save Earls Court' and asked me what it was all about. I explained and he said that was a ridiculous idea.
The Ideal Home exhibition is great among the other exhibitions. Olympia is not the same. It has smaller halls and cannot do the same. And we don't want to go to Excel . You are miles away from anywhere.
While we are here, we are not just exhibiting, but we are also seeing clients. Then, we will have to travel in and out and the hotels in central are more expensive, so it is an added cost for the exhibitors.
Apart from all this, why shouldn't West London have an exhibition centre?
Already this year, January, February and March we would have had, gambling exhibition, ICE, the people that sells gambling machines to the industry, and that was not on. Already, we have had, I would say 50 percent less trade this year.
I spoke to the guy that does the IT for their business and he said that they wanted to come to Earls Court, but Capco did not allow it because whomever organizes their exhibitions, Reed, I think, asked to Capco a permission for a three year deal but Capco answered that they were only allowing it for this year.
So in some senses they are refusing but in such a way that no one could accuse them of refusing, but they are. They are putting down such stipulations on what people can book that they are having to move. One of the clients staying here their company does work for Earl's Court, he told me that the maintainance guy at Earls Court told him that ' the people at Capco said: planning permission or not planning permission this place is going down'. So that's the type of company they are.
You can all look around in the country to see that Capco doesn't give a stuff. The trouble that you going to have in knocking it down, there is a swimming pool, the place is full of abstesos. What's going to do around here? And I find it interesting that the council has asked Capco to make arrangements an insurance in place. So, are they expecting problems? And I would love to know how London Underground would think. It is right above their Piccadilly line and what kind of effects is going to have. Who the hell is a private company to coming in and say 'all right this is what we are doing. We are going to knock down your home” and the council says we don't care, because the council is getting money for it.”
Spencer Parsons, Boka Hotel, Earls Court"
