Neal’s Yard (Courtyard)

You are standing in Neal's Yard, a vibrant, multi-colored courtyard that serves as a colorful oasis tucked away from the surrounding city streets. Just fifty years ago, this location looked nothing like the picturesque spot you see today. It was a derelict, rat-infested back alley filled with boarded-up warehouses that were not even listed on the London A to Z map. In the mid-nineteen-seventies, the space was mostly used as an unofficial communal latrine, and its future seemed to point only toward demolition as the nearby fruit and vegetable market vacated the area.