Posted January 18, 200818 yr HARD-LIVING singer Amy Winehouse is to play a one off benefit gig at the George Tavern in Whitechapel in an effort to save the pub from developers. The gig, soon but as yet unscheduled, will see Amy sporting a 'Save The George Tavern' T-shirt' alongside other famous artists to launch a campaign to save the pub, popular among artists, against plans to build flats. Landlady Pauline Forster has been locked in a dispute with Swan Housing after it was sold the old Stepney's nightclub by its former owner in deal that saw him take the money and vanish abroad leaving legal ownership confused. With the two buildings sharing a wall and connected by internal doors, Pauline and Swan have struggled to establish land rights, and while Swan plans to demolish the 1950s building and replace it with shops and flats, Pauline says the club is a treasure. Kitted out with an original, rare and working 1970s flashing dancefloor, Stepney's has been the location for pop videos and celebrity photo shoots from stars as varied as Kate Moss, Justin Timberlake and Pulp. But Swan say the building has "no heritage value" and should make way for the pressing need for new housing. The pub is calling for supporters to urgently send objections to the planning department before the February 4 deadline.
