Southwark Borough Market celebrates its millennium

For 1,000 years, Southwark’s Borough Market has been the bustling heart of the area, providing an opportunity to buy and sell both everyday essentials and exotic luxuries. Therefore, it seems appropriate that such an important part of local life is to be celebrated as part of the annual civic service at Southwark Cathedral, given the strong connections between the two institutions.

The event has been organised by the Mayor’s Office, Southwark Cathedral, and the Borough Market itself, and will take place on March 7th at 11am.

Attendees will be addressed by the Very Rev Andrew Nunn, the Dean of the cathedral, and Councillor Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council. There will also be musical performances provided by the Southwark Cathedral Singers, ARK All Saints’ Academy Choir and the David Idowu Choir, representing some of the borough’s best musical talent.

The Mayor of Southwark Sunil Chopra said: "The Civic Service is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our unity in diversity. This has been a key message of my mayoralty and I hope that many residents across the borough will join me to celebrate all that we cherish and hold in common. It is also most fitting that we mark 1,000 years of Borough Market in Southwark as a testimony to both trade and tradition."

To keep the Borough Market at the heart of the celebrations, a selection of its goods will be displayed in the cathedral, and a specially written poem by council employee and former apprentice Suléy Muhidin will be read. Vice chair of the Borough Market trustees David Lyon will also take part in the service.
The chair of the Borough Market trustees, Donald Hyslop, used the announcement to call for concerted efforts to ensure the market continues to thrive in the future. He also expressed his delight at the focus on the market as the community comes together for the celebrations.

Published 23rd February, 2015

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