How does Hyde Park's "Speaker's Corner" work?

Factual Questions
1

I’m probably going to be visiting London with my family sometime in the next few months, and I would very much like to give a speech in Speaker’s Corner at Hyde Park. Can people still do that? Does anyone determine who gets to speak? Is there a program I need to sign up on, or a permit, or can I simply bring a soapbox and speak?

If I can give a speech - how are such speeches traditionally given? What is the standard length? Is there a particular rhetorical style that is encouraged? Are there any traditions or standards at all?

If anyone could give me information or advice, that would be excellent. If you simply want to tell me I’m daft for wanting to do this - that’s good too. :slight_smile:

2

According to this Wikipedia article

And here is Hyde Park’s website, which has some information that might help. From what I see there, it seems to support the quote above.

3

Remember the line from Dire Straits’ “Industrial Disease”? It mentioned Speaker’s Corner with one of my favorites lines in a song:

“I go down to speaker’s corner I’m thunderstruck
They got free speech, tourists, police in trucks
Two men say they’re Jesus one of them must be wrong.”

4

I was there about a little over a year ago. You just get a little platform, set it up and commence to yelling. I was really looking forward to that part of the trip. Unfortunately almost all of the speakers were Christian evangelists. The rest were sort of strange loonies. I guess I was expecting smarter political discourse particularly considering that I was there a couple of days before the first bombs started dropping on Iraq.

Haj

5

It’s pretty much like that street scene from “Life of Brian” except generally weirder and more funny. There are no rules, really.

6

If I had a hurdy-gurdy,
I’d hurdy in the morning.
I’d gurdy in the evening,
All over this land.

I’d hurdy out of sequence,
I’d gurdy out of boredom,
I’d hurdy out the cobwebs,
Between my cousins and my grandma,
Aaaaaaaawwwlll over this porch.

Yeah, you don’t hear songs like that every day. :cool:

7

Why bother with the cliche of Speakers Corner? Just set yourself up anywhere and start ranting, outside Brixton tube is a good place, there is a guy there who never appears to leave. Give him a run for his money, I know you got it in you…

8

I remember visiting Speaker’s Corner during a visit to England. The Middle Eastern-looking dude screaming about how terrible America is got quite a bit of attention, but the guy who quietly wanted to advocate the use of Esperanto was almost completely ignored.

9

I think Lambeth council make it obligatory to have a backing track of bad reggae on an underpowered amplifier :wink:

10

You can just go down to the corner and rant - just be warned that:

  1. People will heckle. Particularly if they twig that you are a tourist

  2. You may not get much of an audience - since there are normally a good selection of wackos on show. Think of us Londonner’s as being like the citizens of Ankh Morpock - we love a good show

  3. There is a risk you may look like a twat :wink:

AFAIK the official government legislation goes something like this:

11

Brilliant stuff, Garius!

In response to the OP, there are really no rules to it at all. Just bring along a platform or a box to stand on, and preferably a megaphone if you can get your hands on one. Then just stroll up to the park and start talking. There are no restrictions on the subject, format or length, but if you become too abusive or offensive, you will likely be shouted down by the crowd. Passionate is good, loony is always good for a laugh, but loud is always a must.