SALON NO.135: The Rise and Fall of Fleet Street

Headline +  Deadlines

7.00pm Thursday 25th June 2026

The Horse Hospital

Colonade

London 

WC1N 1JD

Admission: Tickets £13.80 inc. in advance only HERE

For more than a century, Fleet Street stood at the centre of British journalism: a world of ink, noise, deadlines, gossip, scandal, idealism, corruption, camaraderie and relentless deadlines. It shaped the political and cultural life of Britain from its narrow alleys, smoke-filled pubs and clattering print rooms.

But its presses have long since fallen silent.

We explore the rise of Fleet Street as the home of the newspaper industry, and its dramatic decline in the late twentieth century.

PHILIP BENNISON is a developer currently involved in the restoration of the magnificent Art Deco Telegraph building on Fleet Street. Drawing on the rich architectural and industrial history of the area, he will trace the emergence of Fleet Street as the beating heart of Britain’s newspaper empire: from the age of hot metal printing and booming circulation wars to the grand newspaper headquarters that defined the street’s identity.

Author ANDREW MARTIN witnessed Fleet Street during its final years as a working newspaper district. He recalls the hot metal men showering down in the Gents; the dense haze of cigarette smoke hanging over the canteen; covering telephones while journalists disappeared for three-hour lunches.
In 1988, Andrew observed the dislocation of journalists abruptly severed from the world that had defined them. Combining personal recollection with literary reflections, he will evoke the vanished culture of Fleet Street, in all its chaotic, smoky, convivial glory.

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PHILIP BENNISON is a developer and heritage advocate currently overseeing the restoration of the former Daily Telegraph building on Fleet Street.

ANDREW MARTIN is the author of numerous books, including The Necropolis Railway, Underground Overground and the recent novel The Moquette Mystery. He worked in Fleet Street during its final years as the centre of the British newspaper industry.

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Our home, THE HORSE HOSPITAL, is a unique Grade II listed not for profit, independent arts venue within the only existing unspoilt example of a two-floor, purpose-built stable with public access in London. 

Built in 1797 by James Burton. the shell is constructed with London Stocks whilst the interior features a mock cobbled re-inforced concrete floor and ramps with slats to prevent the horses from slipping. Each floor has 5 cast iron pillars and several original iron tethering rings.

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