RENT CEREMONY 2003

London’s Town Crier, Peter Moore, sips a quick coffee outside Spreads Café which is opposite the Trust office in New Row, Covent Garden. He and Trustee Peter Scutt (also seated) are gathering their strength for the march ahead. Waving the Trust’s flag is Westminster City Councillor and Trustee Alexander Nicoll

And they’re off! Heading for the Piazza behind the jazz band are the rent-carrying Trustees. In the foreground are a windswept trio of lawyers: Sylvia Marder carries a posy of flowers; to her left (in the white floral dress) is Rowena Lusty and to her right is Rosie Ivison. Both carry red apples. Leading the Trustees is Sylvia’s husband, Bernard, a retired judge.

The “rents” of red apples and posies of flowers have been paid to Timothy Legge (left) and Simon Radford of Atlantic Fund Management. The payment is for the headlease on a terrace of historic houses on the west of James Street, Covent Garden. The arcaded building behind is Bedford Chambers on the north of the Piazza. The beautiful bouquets were designed by florist Sophie Hanna and donated to the Trust by New Covent Garden Market.

The jazz band leads the way around the Piazza, past the Royal Opera House’s arcade. Peter Moore, London’s Town Crier, rings his bell to add to the musical din.





Two little dogs who have led the procession take a breather – Asta, a wire-haired fox terrier is patted by Peter Moore; Bunty, a cavalier King Charles spaniel belongs to Katy Alexander who also carries a red apple. To Katy’s right, all in black, is Jack Klaff, a writer/performer and, just for today, “rent” bearer. To the right of Peter Moore is Stefania Mantelli from Italy who is enjoying the curious custom of carrying a red apple around the Piazza.

An interesting connection with the past: Fiona Rippon, daughter of Lord Rippon, the first Chairman of the Trust, hands over a lovely posy to Peter Webb, Senior Investment Manager of Scottish Widows. Behind, and between them, is Sarah Slater of Henderson Global ready to collect another posy. The background is Covent Garden Market. Scottish Widows and Henderson Global (collectively known as the Covent Garden Market Limited Partnership) jointly own the Market, the Bedford Chambers block and the Museums block for which the three “rent” posies and apples are due. On the far right is the Trust’s Vice Chairman, Neil Bisset.

After the rent payments, a romantic couple waltz to the band’s music within the North Hall of Covent Garden Market.







Happy birthday and thank you! Trustee Sylvia Marder is handed an attractive watercolour of Covent Garden Market by talented local artist (and fellow Trustee) Jo Weir. Jo exhibits and sells her art in the Apple Market in the Piazza. In the 1980s when the Trust was being set up Sylvia was the solicitor who wrote the Trust’s lease. It was her idea to include “an annual payment of red apples and posies of flowers for each headlease”. She set the payment for her birthday in June. Little did she know then that the Rent Ceremony would eventually happen each year.


All photographs by Sheila Burnett

Covent Garden Area Trust
13 New Row, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LF
Tel: 020 7497 9245
Fax: 020 7240 2405
Registered Charity no. 299874