St James's Park Tree Walk - May 2018

Visit to the Institution of Civil Engineers - May 2018

We had an enjoyable visit to the handsome Institution of Civil Engineers at 1 Great George Street. This year they are celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of their founding, by eight civil (as opposed to military) engineers at Kendall’s coffee house in Fleet Street. As the Institution grew they moved premises several times. The last move, which was caused by the demolition of their building for the construction of the present Treasury Building, was across Great George Street, where the present stone-clad building was completed in 1913, incorporating the very fine wooden panelling from their old headquarters, only finished in 1986.

We were lucky to be able to see all the ground floor rooms, in which the earlier panelling was installed. These are often used for conferences, and are each called after a distinguished early engineer and feature many portraits of past presidents – there were many familiar names: Brunel, Stephenson and Telford among them. We then proceeded up the magnificent stairs to the first floor, where there is a lecture theatre and a very sumptuous reception room, previously used for engineering examinations and their annual ball, as well as the old library in which the Institution puts on exhibitions open to the public. We were also taken upstairs to their excellent modern library, which is much used by their 90,000 members.

On the way the portrait of a past president was pointed out: Mr Brodie, who was president from 1920 to 21 and solved the problem of disputes over whether football goals had been scored or not, by proposing the attachment of nets to the back of goals! A good example of the wide-ranging problem-solving that engineers are trained for.

The main entrance, staircase and exhibition room are open to the general public, Monday to Friday and are well worth a visit, especially to view their bi-centenial "Invisible Superheroes" exhibition. 

Unveiling of Millicent Fawcett Statue in Parliament Square - April 2018

The statue to suffragist Millicent Fawcett has been unveiled in Parliament Square. The first statue of a women (by a women, Gillian Wearing) in the Square.  A joyous and musical ceremony with female choir, poet, dancers & singers from the new musical Sylvia and speeches by the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London and the campaigner and organiser Caroline Criado Perez, who also successfully campaigned to put Jane Austen on the £10 note. 

Visit to Watts & Co, Ecclesiastical Furnishers & Outfitters - April 2018

With the sound of sharp scissors in the background, Richard Hawker, Creative Consultant, described enthusiastically the history of one of the most remarkable survivals of the Gothic Revival of the C19th. Established in 1874 by three leading late-Victorian church architects, George Frederick Bodley, Thomas Garner and George Gilbert Scott, the Younger, all friends and in competition with William Morris at the time.  

Their first workshop in Baker Street was run by none other than Ms. Charmaine Windows ! They kicked off with a prestigious private client list but launched on to the national stage for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee at St Paul’s Cathedral. So it was not the furnishings that first took off, it was the vestments and especially the copes. In 1911 they moved from Baker Street to Dacre Street and established their embroidery school. At this time they produced the exquisite ‘Lady of the Rosebush’ for exhibition, which we were shown.

In 1939, their safe storage unit took a direct hit and much was tragically destroyed, but after the war, the business was handed down through the Scott family and reinvented itself.  Family member, Graham Hoare was tempted to sell the business to Liberty but his wife took an interest and ran it very successfully. She moved the business from Dacre Street to Tufton Street, to the Edwin Lutyens building it now occupies. Elizabeth Hoare had a passion for embroidery and put out a call for 18^th and 19^th century work to preserve it and create a collection at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. She sent samples of wallpaper and fabric to Augustus Pugin for the new Palace of Westminster and whilst recovering the alter kneelers in Westminster Abbey, discovered when stripped down, they had been made in wartime from Tate & Lyle sugar crates, which they dutifully re-upholstered. On to the 1980’s, when David Gadesley, took over with a sure eye for good design and expanded the collection testing the new technology of digital machine embroidery. Today Watts makes copes for all Royal Weddings and have numerous customers in palaces, parliaments, private houses, cathedrals and churches around the world, including St Thomas’s, 5^th Avenue, New York.  With such knowledge, they advise set and costume designers for film and TV.

A wonderful visit and many thanks to Richard for sharing his enthusiasm and showing us some of the most beautiful patterns and intricate, delicate embroidery.

Broadway & Carteret Street

The proposal being considered by the council for the site on the corner of Broadway and Carteret Street. We are objecting to the extremely 'heavy' and oppressive window surrounds in the mansard roof overlooking Broadway.  See the Planning page for our full response.

Spring 2018 Newsletter

Thorney Tales (15) Henry Purcell's Birthplace

It has been believed for some time that Henry Purcell, one of Britain’s greatest composers, was born in St Ann’s Lane, Westminster in 1658. The problem is that no-one seemed to know exactly where. This is of particular interest to us because the archive of the Thorney Island Society is on the corner of St Ann’s Lane and Old Pye Street and there are in existence several versions of a sketch which place Purcell’s birthplace on this corner.  Could it be on the site of our archive?

Alas no - but it looks as though the honour belongs to our esteemed neighbour, the St Andrew’s Club, which is literally a few yards away from us across the lane. 

The evidence for this is the earliest version of a drawing that has recently come to light (see above) thanks to help from the Tate Gallery. It shows fairly clearly a road sign saying “St Ann’s Lane” on the corner of Old Pye Street which only makes sense if it is where St Andrew’s is now because you would have to turn left from Old Pye Street to enter St Ann’s Lane. 

The sketch was done on April 15, 1845 by an artist called R W Withall and its reproduction in a book “The Great Musicians: Purcell” contains the following text: “Three ancient houses in Westminster; in the right hand one of which the great H Purcell was born, 1658 and passed his early life. They are now in the last state of ruin and have long been uninhabited. The houses adjoining that of Purcell are of modern date and project before the others, as well as encroach somewhat on Purcell’s doorway hiding one side of the doorframe. Of the old houses the windows and doorways were nearly all boarded up in the roughest manner, under which, however, the original panel doors are still to be partly found. The houses are of old red brick. The first door was the back way into the public house called the “Bell and Fish” kept by Mr Oldsworth who lost his license. The second door the entrance to the skittle ground. The third was Purcell’s house.”

Of course, the painting was done 150 years after the death of Purcell in 1695 so a lot must have been passed on by word of mouth. If anyone has fresh information or who knows anything about R W Withall, or indeed the Bell and Fish, please get in touch. The Society has been wanting to put a plaque up for some time but we have to be sure of our facts. 

Chelsea College of Art & Design Collaboration

^{In October we started our collaboration with our neighbour Chelsea College of Art and Design. As part of their BA Interior and Spacial Design course, 20 students were given an orientation tour, covering the history, culture and architecture of The Thorney Island area. They then visited the Archives in groups with their tutor, Shibboleth Shechter, browsed and found an object that sparked their interest. From this they sketched, measured and photographed, then went away to research, plan and create a new piece of work based on the item.}

^{We could hardly wait to see what they produced and eagerly accepted the invitation to their exhibition in early December. Attended by past and present tutors, including a curator at the V&A, each student presented their own and their group’s work and the tutors gave comment, praise and criticsm. There were a wide range of subjects that were well thought out, then skilfully and beautifully crafted.}

^{Here are some of the exhibits and what inspired them:}

^{From a 1950’s 'Bakelite-type' telephone, the 1953 Coronation Approved Souvenir Programme and souvenir cups, came an installation work; a 1950’s desk unit, complete with original tv footage of the Coronation playing on a fitted screen accompanied by other objects of the day and a study of the social significance of the first such public broadcast.  From an embroidered purse, or wallet, containing a personalised invitation to Queen Victoria’s Coronation complete with seat number, a study of the owner, Lady Gerard and her journey from her home in Mortlake to the Abbey on 28th June 1838 and a 3D pop-up paper collage, displayed with an embroidered fabric book.} 

^{From an C18th drawing of Dr Busby’s (Headmaster at Westminster School 1638-1683) chair, a study and reproduction of the caricatures depicting English grammar on the chair. From a description of Devil’s Acre, a small hand bound illustrated children’s book entitled “The Story of Old Pye Street through the eyes of Tommy”. Tommy was a pickpocket and the work included items that Tommy might have in his own pockets!  A study and architectural drawings of Millbank Penitentiary.} 

^{From an old photograph of once local Pulic Baths, a study of its use and a 3D pop-up cut out collage.}

^{From a shoebox containing objects found on the Thames foreshore and on local building sites, a giant box containing 3 students work. One was a working jug made of mosaic of old glass and ceramic fragments.  From a plaster model of Buckingham Palace, a number of same size reproductions in herculite, wax and clear Perspex, made from a rubber mould and a study of methods of fabrication and value depreciation caused by the mass production of souvenirs.}

^{From a small wooden plaque carved with the words “For My Pet” found in the foundations of 50 Tufton Street, a study into the house, its  inhabitants and possible pets!  Also a model of the interior of the ‘original’ house.  A pop-up book and study of the Abbey and The Chapter House. Copies of a newly created local newspaper full of Thorney Island articles and pictures. These were displayed in a lit case standing on carved legs copying the thorns in our logo.}

^{A study of the Womens Suffrage Movement, their local meeting places and how letters from June Stubbs to an MP to save a building, showed modern womens’ continuing determination to be heard.  Lastly a study of the Army & Navy Stores and comparison between a 1907 copy of their global mail order catalogue and the Argos catalogue and Amazon.} 

^{Apologies to those whose work is not described here due to lack of space, but we would like to thank all the students, Shibboleth, the tutors and Chelsea Local for making this collaboration such a success. We hope to exhibit this work again soon.}

^{Chelsea College of Art & Design Collaboration}

Introducing our New Chair

We are delighted that Sue Ball accepted nomination as Chair at our AGM in November 2017. Sue joined The Society after meeting June Stubbs at meetings of Westminster Police Community Consultative Committee and got to know members through Pippa Parsons' events programme. Sue has lived locally for 13 years and has a keen interest in Roman and London local history. She is Vice-Chair of the Cathedral Area Residents Group (CARG) and she looks forward to meeting many members in the coming months.

Thorney Tales (14) Siegfried Sassoon

If you walk down Bennett’s Yard off Tufton Street, you will be able to glimpse over the high wall a dignified, if lonesome, plane tree. It is located in what was the garden of the great First World War poet Siegfried Sassoon who lived there for over five years. It was believed to have been planted by Winston Churchill in memory of the poet, Col. d'Arcy Hall and their comrades of The Great War, though this has not been conclusively proved.

 

That it is there at all is thanks to a forceful campaign led by our co-founder June Stubbs, which failed to save the nearby houses (Sassoon’s house had been all but destroyed in the 2nd World War) but at least they preserved the tree, though sadly without public access.    He lived for five productive years at 54 Tufton Street where he entertained many celebrated friends including T E Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia - who lived nearby in Barton Street, E M Forster and W J Turner who lived with his wife in Sassoon’s house. Turner is not much known about these days but Yeats was “lost in admiration” at his work. 

 

Sassoon is remembered by a plaque on the wall of the new house on the site which was sponsored by the Thorney Island Society and the City of Westminster.