The centuries-old Smithfield meat market in London has been set to close after the traders and city authorities agreed to move the market to a new location.
Opening every weekday at 03:00, Smithfield is one of Europe's largest and oldest wholesale meat markets. It dates back to at least the 11th century -- at which point it was outside the walls of the young city -- as an open-air market selling live animals from around the country. In 1868, it relaunched as a wholesale meat market in a specially designed building, but little else has changed over the years.
Trader Greg Lawrence has been working there since he was 16, building a solid family business in the meat trade and becoming chairman of Smithfield Market Tenants Association.
"Serving all London, the southeast of London, all the institutions, the prisons, the care homes, the hospitals, the schools, directly and indirectly. So it's very important. We're selling it to butchers, small supermarkets, caterers, hotels, anyone who wants to buy meat," he said.
The run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year at Smithfield. Staff work long hours to supply all kinds of meat to commercial and private customers.
The Smithfield market is part of a modern and thriving city, and is also key to London's tradition and heritage. But city authorities are calling time on this facility. In November 2024, it proposed closing it by 2028, after which the site would be taken over by the London Museum.
While the venue will be put to good use, many Londoners are saddened at losing their iconic market. A public petition to stop the closure collected nearly 30,000 signatures. But traders have agreed a settlement with the City of London.
Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation Chris Hayward said: "We've worked closely with the traders and thank them for their input and understanding. We're committed to making sure they have the financial support and guidance they need to transition seamlessly and successfully to new locations."
With no room to grow and frustrated by traffic problems, most traders are ready to move on.
"It is the right time now. Ten years ago I wouldn't have said that. It would be quite emotional for me because I've been here since 1966. It is the right time. The road closures, the emissions, everything is against it at the moment," said Lawrence.
A new location is yet to be announced, but traders hope the traditions of this market are transferable.
Centuries-old Smithfield Market in London set to close
Centuries-old Smithfield Market in London set to close
Centuries-old Smithfield Market in London set to close
The opening ceremony of the upcoming 9th Asian Winter Games in China's renowned "ice city" will tell a story of pursuing dreams and demonstrate the spirit of China's vibrant ice and snow sports culture while deploying technologies on an "unprecedented" scale, according to the ceremony's director.
The Games, scheduled to open on Feb 7 in Harbin City of the northeastern Heilongjiang Province, marks China's first major international ice and snow event since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This edition is set to see record participation with over 1,500 athletes from 34 countries and regions.
As the countdown to the Games continues, Sha Xiaolan, chief director of the opening ceremony, said rehearsals for the grand showpiece are progressing well, and noted that young people are set to take center stage at the event.
"We began rehearsals in Nov 2024, utilizing the main venue and branch locations, including at gyms and basketball halls of five universities. Nearly 1,000 students and various art groups were rehearsing simultaneously. After more than a month of practice, we are now integrating everything. Students and other ordinary people will take the spotlight in the ceremony as we want to create more opportunities for young people," he said.
Sha also said the opening ceremony will feature various elements which are sure to stir a strong emotional response among audience members, with an array of colorful performances which will incorporate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), all culminating in the all-important torch lighting.
He stressed the key themes will be about embarking on a journey across the region and on fulfilling dreams and ambitions, capturing the sporting ethos of the Games. "The ceremony will last approximately 80 minutes, and the performance will be divided into three parts. It has two themes: one symbolizes a journey from Harbin, to [the rest of] China, and then to Asia, while the other tells an emotional story of a child's growth, their dreams, and how to pursue and realize their dreams. We will employ interactive imagery, including AR technology. The scale of the technologies used, their duration and the specific images created by technologies will be unprecedented," said Sha.
In addition, the ceremony will also utilize elements which showcase the vitality of winter sports in China and highlight the charm of the country's ice and snow culture, while reflecting the spirit and enthusiasm of the Chinese people, Sha said.
"We want to focus on the development of ice and snow culture, which has flourished across China in recent years. Our goal is to present the spiritual outlook of the Chinese people during the cold winter time," said the director.
Sporting events will get underway several days prior to the official opening ceremony on Feb. 7, with athletes from across Asia set to compete across a total of 64 different disciplines during the course of the 12 competition days.
Asian Winter Games opening ceremony set to deliver on "unprecedented" scale: director
