Spectator's Notebook
IN an article in the Sun- day Times Robert Harling advocated the turning of Leicester Square into a pedestrian precinct. This would be a pleasant rever- sion to the Edwardian era when I believe Leicester Square was the precinct of the Ladies of the Town, who used to perambulate around and about the Alhambra and other palaces. Pointing out that Leicester Square would under such a scheme have to be sealed off from traffic, Mr. Harling suggested that if the LCC were sufficiently imaginative Temple Bar would be the best barrier across Coventry Street. Temple Bar, which is at present languishing in Hertfordshire (and owned by Ian Gilmour), is included in the Holford plan for the environs of St. Paul's. But whether we shall ever see it there is another matter. Plainly St. Paul's would be more suitable than Coventry Street. Equally Coventry Street would be pre- ferable to Hertfordshire. I don't know if it is lack of imagination that has so far prevented Temple Bar's return to London. The City was first offered the Bar in 1948. It has not yet got around to accepting it.
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