Welcome
The Society was formed in 1985 to save from demolition London's first public library in Great Smith Street (above right). Since then we have kept a watchful eye on developments in this area, which includes the World Heritage Site encompassing the Abbey and Houses of Parliament. We respond on behalf of residents and businesses to local planning applications. Our 350+ members enjoy local visits & talks of historic and other interest, social events and an archive of books, prints, plans and ephemera.
Dear Members
We wish you all the best for 2021 and encourage you to join our virtual events. More specialist talks are being planned but to kick off the year on February 2nd at 6.30pm, member Andrew Jones talks on The Buildings of Green Park. Reduced rate of £7 for members and £10 for non-members. Further details below and please spread the word by sharing the link.
The Buildings of Green Park, A talk by Andrew Jones via Zoom - 2nd February 2021 6.30pm
Andrew Jones will be talking about his new book, The Buildings of Green Park (The Buildings of Green Park - ACC Art Books UK). The book was researched and written during the first lockdown of 2020 when the usually peripatetic Piccadilly resident decided to document his travels around Green Park, writing about 65 of its buildings, monuments and structures.
To book please visit our Eventbrite page CLICK HERE !
The Buildings of Green Park, A talk by Andrew Jones via Zoom - 2nd February 2021
St John's Smith Square Online Concert - 15th February 2021 at 8pm
Raphael Wallfisch, world famous cellist, and son of Holocaust survivor, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, kindly suggested that he would hold a fund-raising concert for SVTG. St John’s Smith Square will host the concert which will be recorded and available online from 8pm on 15th February. Before the concert, Raphael Wallfisch will be talking about the cello, music and his interest in Victoria Tower Gardens and St John’s Smith Square. It will be available to view until mid-March.
THE PROGRAMME:
I) Brahms - Cello Sonata No.1 in E minor II) Op.38, Schumann - Romances III) Brahms - Cello Sonata No.2 in F major, Op.99
CLICK HERE TO WATCH from 8pm, 15th February 2021
The concert is free but donations to the Save Victoria Tower Gardens Campaign can be made here: https://savevtg.org/
Concert in aid of Save Victoria Tower Gardens Campaign - 15th February
LIVE Carols & Thorney Christmas Quiz via Zoom - Monday 7th December
Our normal Christmas party was cancelled because of Covid-19 so we had an experimental one instead in the lovely garden of the Wellington Hotel in Vincent Square. It started with a live carol performance by a small group from our own local South Westminster Community Choir singing to a Zoom audience such favourites as Silent Night, While Shepherds Watched and Ding Dong Merrily amongst others. There was strong brass instrumental accompaniment aided by an occasional bark from a chorister’s guide-dog and passers-by, including families with children and babies, gathered near the gate to enjoy the rare sight and listen.
After the break, the Zoom continued with a Thorney themed quiz with enough puzzling questions like “What caused the clock in the Elizabeth Tower to lose nearly 5 minutes in 1949?” to stump some of our finest Thorney Island scholars!
It was a special and very enjoyable evening and, hopefully, we will be back to normal next year.
CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW A SHORT CLIP:
Carols & Thorney Christmas Quiz LIVE via Zoom - Monday 7th December
The definitive book on the history of VTG ......
To purchase Dorian Gerhold's book, please CLICK HERE to be redirected to eBay. You do not need to have an eBay account, you can Check Out as a Guest. Alternatively, please send £12 + £3 p&p per copy; cheques made payable to 'The Thorney Island Society' to TTIS, 10 Old Pye Street, London SW1P 2DG with your name and address.
Visits & Events 2021
Our visits and events are open to all unless specified and we hope non-members will enjoy our programme and consider joining the Society. Visits may be transferred to virtual events where possible (or postponed) in accordance with UK Covid 19 restrictions.
Read further details and book on our Eventbrite page CLICK HERE TO BOOK.
If you do not wish to book online, please contact us and we will be happy to make your booking (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post to 10 Old Pye Street, London SW1P 2DG) A full description of visits is on our Events/Visits page.
2021
Tuesday 2nd February 2021, 6.30pm The Buildings of Green Park, A talk by Andrew Jones via Zoom - £7 members/£10 non members
Saturday 3rd April 2021, 2pm Visit to St Stephen’s Church, Rochester Row, SW1P 1LE - £15 members/ £20 non members
Wednesday 5th May 2021, 12.30pm SOLD OUT - Westminster/Kingsway College, Vincent Square, SW1P 2PD Lunch in The Vincent Rooms Restaurant and tour - £20 members/ £25 non members
Tuesday 1st June 2021, 3pm Visit to RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), 61 Whitehall, SW1A 2ET £15 members / £20 non members (This visit is likely to be POSTPONED TO 2022 due to building refurbishment)
Tuesday 15th June 2021, 10.15am SOLD OUT - Tour of Shepherd’s Bindery and Talk on Antiquarian Books by Anthony Davis, 76 Rochester Row, SW1P 1JU - £15 MEMBERS ONLY
(DATE TO BE CONFIRMED) T@36 Celebrations – Anniversary Summer Party, Benugo, St James's Park
Saturday 3rd July 2021, 2pm ‘Caring for the Poor & Vulnerable on Thorney Island’ - A local walk by Michael Marriott. Meet at Broad Sanctuary, SW1P 3EE - £15 members/ £20 non members
Tuesday 13th July 2021, 2pm (tbc) The IncrEDIBLE RHS Collections Tour, Lindley Library, 80 Vincent Square, SW1P 2PE - £15 members /£20 non members
Saturday 25th September 2021, 2pm T@36 ‘In Celebration of Thorney Island’ - A new local walk by Victor Keegan. Meet at our Archives, 10 Old Pye Street, SW1P 2DG – £15 members/ £20 non members
(DATE TO BE CONFIRMED) 12noon The Guards Museum and Guards Band Recital in Guards Chapel. MEMBERS ONLY. Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, SW1E 6HQ - Free of Charge.
(DATE TO BE CONFIRMED) T@36 Celebrations - Cocktails and Canapés at The Cinnamon Club, Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU
Thorney Tales (20) A History of Parliament in Two Glimpses
History often comes in glimpses and few are more poignant than what you see from the main cloister of Westminster Abbey. If you go into the cloister, which is free and open to the public most days of the week (though not at the time of writing during 2nd lockdown) you will see the top of the Chapter House in the middle of the picture (below) at the back. This is where the monks used to meet daily to discuss the business of the day. In 1352 it became the first place where the King, whose Palace was nearby, formally met Parliament which usually meant he needed to ask for more taxes. In 1362 a statute established that Parliament must approve of all taxation.
View of the Refectory wall (right) with the Chapter House in the background.
In 1397 Parliament moved from there to the Refectory, or dining hall, of the monastery. A single remaining wall of that medieval refectory is still in existence and can be seen peeping above the wall of the cloister on the right of the photo (above).
The other side of the wall is part of Westminster School in the garden of Ashburnham House and can’t be experienced unless you are lucky enough to get on a tour. But it can be glimpsed if you go to the upstairs section of the Abbey’s Cellarium café where if you look out of the window you will see a small section of the medieval wall in all its pristine glory (photo below). The dining hall was much bigger than the Chapter House and more fit for purpose even though it was inconvenient for the monks to have to clear up to make room for King and Commons.
View from the Cellarium window
After the Reformation Parliament was moved over the road in Old Palace Yard to the chapel of St Stephen’s College after the monks were forced to vacate it as it no longer served any religious purpose. In 1547 the fiercely Protestant Edward VI gave the Commons full use of the chapel where they stayed for nearly 300 years until it burned down in 1834. The Commons retained the shape of the old chapel where monks faced each other in long lines which is why the design of today's Parliament is oppositional rather than circular as in many other countries.
The evolution of Parliament wasn’t quite as linear as it might seem. Assemblies of one kind and another - such as Witans - had existed for centuries. The first recorded use of the word “Parliament” was in 1236 under Henry III but it was not like the Parliament of today any more than Simon de Montford’s was in 1265 which involved imprisoning the king and packing parliament with cronies.
Refurbishment of 7 Millbank
The Society's 34th AGM & Talk via Zoom - Tuesday 10th November
Our AGM was held on 10th November. After the business of the meeting, we were pleased to welcome historian Dorian Gerhold to talk on The history of Victoria Tower Gardens - From Palace and Abbey to public park. Please click the image below for a recording of the talk.
The Society's 34th AGM & Talk via Zoom - Tuesday 10th November
Articles
- St John's Smith Square Online Concert - 15th February 2021 at 8pm
- The Buildings of Green Park, A talk by Andrew Jones via Zoom - 2nd February 2021 6.30pm
- Visits & Events 2021 - Details
- LIVE Carols & Thorney Christmas Quiz via Zoom - Monday 7th December
- Thorney Tales (20) A History of Parliament in Two Glimpses
- Refurbishment of 7 Millbank
- The Society's 34th AGM & Talk via Zoom - Tuesday 10th November
- The definitive book on the history of VTG ......
- A History of St James's Park through Trees, Talk by Greg Packman - October 2020
- Westminster Coroner's Court
- 10 Greycoat Place - Developer's Consultation
- Visit to the RHS Lindley Library
- St. James's and The Green Park Update and Movement Strategy - 10th July 2020
- Caring for the Poor and Vulnerable on Thorney Island, Guided Walk
- Stephen Myers
- The Truth behind the National Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens
- Bearskins, Bayonets and Bravery - New Guards Museum podcast
- Victoria Tower Gardens - Judicial Review brought by the London Gardens Trust
- Two Africans with strong links to Thorney Island escaped slavery to become role models in London over 250 years ago
- Collecting fine bookbindings Zoom Talk - June 2020
- RUSI, The Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall
- London History Day, 31st May 2020 - 10 Old Pye Street
- Urban Tree Festival 2020 - Online
- Live Video of Feeding St James's Park Pelicans
- St Stephen's Church, Rochester Row
- Westminster Kingsway College
- Save Victoria Tower Gardens - Planning Inquiry 6th October - 13th November
- Thorney Tales (19) Revd James Palmer and Palmer's Village
- Dear Members
- Workshop by Jens Jakobsen, Master Florist at the Blewcoat School - March 2020
- Consultation Begins - Southside, Victoria Street
- Ignatius Sancho, Short Talk by Victor Keegan - February 2020
- Christchurch Gardens Reconstruction Short Talk - January 2020
- Christmas Party 2019
- 55 Broadway - Planning application
- Richmond House, Whitehall - The Northern Parliamentary Estate
- 20mph Throughout Westminster ? YES !
- The Society's 33rd AGM, 12th November 2019
- Visit to the Palace of Westminster & Jewel Tower - October 2019
- Thorney Tales (18) The Buxton Memorial Fountain
- Mission: Invertebrate, The Green Park - August 2019
- Tour of Buckingham Palace Gardens - August 2019
- From Beer to the Bard - A Victoria Walk by Anthony Davis - July 2019
- Special Tour of Westminster Abbey - July 2019
- Gems of Thorney Island, A Walk by Victor Keegan - July 2019
- The Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks - Volunteers
- Victoria Tower Gardens, poem by Elizabeth Witts
- The Green Park Tree Walk - May 2019
- Visit to Bonhams Auctioneers - May 2019
- Visit to Westminster Cathedral - May 2019
- Visit to The Speakers House - April 2019
- Ann Carlton our Co-founder
- Thorney Tales (17) Westminster Coke and Gas Company
- Duck Island Volunteer Project
- Illuminated River
- Visits & Events 2021
- Dolphin Square Redevelopment
- AGM 2018
- Centenary of Armistice Cenotaph Service and Exhibition in St James's Park
- Visit to The Queen's Jubilee Galleries, Westminster Abbey - September 2018
- Thorney Tales (16) College Hall, Westminster Abbey / School
- Relocation of Emmeline Pankhurst statue from Victoria Tower Gardens
- Visit to The Church House - August 2018
- "The Devil's Acre before Peabody" Talk - August 2018
- Visits to Westminster School - July 2018
- Purcell Musical Tour of Westminster Abbey - June 2018
- Reception to mark the opening of The Queen's Jubilee Galleries, Westminster Abbey - June 2018
- Proposals for Christchurch Gardens, Victoria Street - June 2018
- Thorney Island Sources Tour of Westminster Archives - June 2018
- Visit to the Institution of Civil Engineers - May 2018
- St James's Park Tree Walk - May 2018
- Unveiling of Millicent Fawcett Statue in Parliament Square - April 2018
- Visit to Watts & Co, Ecclesiastical Furnishers & Outfitters - April 2018
- Broadway & Carteret Street
- Thorney Tales (15) Henry Purcell's Birthplace
- AGM 2017 & Talk
- Townsend House, Greycoat Place
- Thorney Tales (14) Siegfried Sassoon
- Chelsea College of Art & Design Collaboration
- Introducing our New Chair
- Lambeth Bridge Roundabout
- Tour of St James the Less church in Pimlico - September 2017
- Local Tree Walk with Paul Akers, WCC Arboriculturalist - September 2017
- Visit to HM Treasury building - July 2017
- Thorney Tales (13) - Elizabeth Woodville
- Suffragist Millicent Fawcett - First women honoured in Parliament Square ?
- Visit to St Margaret's Church - July 2017
- Parks: Our Shared Heritage Exhibition - July/August 2017
- Consultation by WCC on Future Growth/Building Height
- Proposed memorial statue to Lady Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square
- Thorney Tales (12) The Jerusalem Chamber
- 61-71 Victoria Street
- Vauxhall Bridge Road/Tachbrook St Draft Development Opportunity
- Visit to Tate Britain's Archives & Library, November 2016
- Thorney Tales (11) - The Abbey Garden
- St Andrew's Club - 150th Anniversary, October 2016
- June Stubbs 1927 - 2016
- Henry V's Chantry Chapel Visit, October 2016
- Thorney Tales (10) - Oliver Cromwell v Charles I
- The Victoria Tower Gardens & The National Holocaust Memorial & Learning Centre
- Old War Office, 57 Whitehall
- Our visit to Parliament's hidden medieval places, 28th July 2016
- Westminster Fire Station
- Thorney Tales (9) - Governor of Duck Island
- Thorney Tales (8) Westminster Opera House
- Fundraising Gala Dinner September 2016
- Fundraising Gala Dinner September 2016
- New Scotland Yard, 10 Broadway
- What is Thorney Island ?
- Millbank Tower grows taller
- Welcome
- Thorney Tales (7) - Storey's Gate
- Thorney Tales (6) - St Margaret's Church, the amazing history of a window
- Paddington Tower
- WCC say "No" (AGAIN!) to proposed sculpture outside Westminster Central Hall
- Objection to proposed cycle stands in Queen Anne's Gate
- A visit to the hidden archives of Westminster Abbey, 4th November 2015
- Visit to new Parliamentary Education Centre, 28th October 2015
- Thorney Tales (5) - Westminster Hall Roof
- Thorney Tales (4) - The tomb behind one of Britain's biggest fortunes
- Thorney Tales (3) - The Jewel Tower
- Visit to the RHS Lindley Library, 14th July 2015
- Thorney Tales (2) - The River Tyburn
- The Garden Bridge Controversy
- Visit to Bridgewater House
- Queen's Walk Cycle Route, The Green Park
- Thorney Tales (1) - Britain's Hidden Treasure Trove
- AGM 2016 & the Panorama of The Thames Project
- Annual Review 2014-15