55 Broadway
UPDATE - APRIL 2017
Transport for London has decided not to sell its iconic headquarters at 55 Broadway for a luxury residential redevelopment. They will sell the building as an office investment via a sale-and-leaseback.
Thorney Tales (12) The Jerusalem Chamber
Westminster Abbey and its monastic surrounds have seen more great scenes of history than practically anywhere else but seldom more poignantly than the last visit of Henry IV. In 1413 Henry was on his way to the Holy Land in order to do penance for his misdeeds when he took ill, probably as a result of a stroke, while praying at the shrine of Saint Edward the Confessor in the Abbey.
He was carried unconscious to the Jerusalem Chamber in the Abbot's house and was seated by the fire. Much of the original stonework is still there as is the ceiling above and the walls behind the Victorian panelling. When he recovered his consciousness he asked where he was and was told the "Jerusalem Chamber". He realised then that he was about to end his life because of a prophecy mentioned in the Holinshed Chronicles that he would die in Jerusalem.
Shakespeare took the story further. In Henry IV Part 1, he allows Prince Henry, the future Henry V, to slip into the chamber and, believing his father to be dead, to try on the crown only for Henry lV to wake up in anger. Father and son, however, were soon reconciled and Henry IV realised that dying in this room fulfilled his destiny:
"It hath been prophesied to me many years,
I should not die but in Jerusalem,
Which vainly I suppos’d the Holy Land.
But bear me to that chamber, there I’ll lie,
In that Jerusalem shall Harry die."
The Jerusalem Chamber was also the place where the committee overlooking the writing of the beautifully written King James Bible met and where many celebrated people such as Isaac Newton were laid to rest before being buried in the Abbey. Today it is one of the private rooms of the Deanery - but it can be glimpsed from outside as it is the room above the Abbey bookshop adjacent to the main entrance. It is not open to the public except on certain open days but sometimes events and lectures are held there which are free to attend.
61-71 Victoria Street
MARCH 2017
We object to the proposed remodelling and extension of this building on the grounds that it will detract from the only remaining block on Victoria Street that contains a significant late-Victorian building, Artillery Mansions. The existing building compliments Artillery Mansions well, with the robust articulation of the façade, the bold corner turret feature, and a similar height. All these will be lost with the new scheme.
Follow this link to Westminster City Council to view details, documents and drawings. Click here - Ref. 17/02123/FULL
Thorney Tales (11) - The Abbey Garden
It is a little known fact to most people that the oldest garden in the country is located at the back of Westminster Abbey and is open to the public several days a week. It is an oasis of tranquility at the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world.
WCC say "No" (AGAIN!) to proposed sculpture outside Westminster Central Hall
UPDATE - January 2017
We regret to report that the Appeal has been dismissed by WCC. Many of the arguments used by the Council to prevent this small sculpture from being placed at Central Hall (eg. within its Monuments Saturation Zone) would apply to the Holocaust Memorial but will they take the same view ? We suspect not.
Appeal Decision Document - 9th January 2017
UPDATE - April 2016
Westminster City Council have disappointly turned down this application. Read more here in a Guardian article.
To sign the on-line petition to overturn the decision, click here.
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We support this application for the installation of the sculpture 'Homeless Jesus' in front of the Methodist Hall on Storey's Gate.
The sculpture is very moving and is appropriate in this location, near where there is so much wealth and yet so many rough sleepers.
Westminster Fire Station
UPDATE: December 2016
The Society is sorry to have to report that planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment of this important heritage building.
Following a public exhibition in May, please see our response here or on the Planning page.
Vauxhall Bridge Road/Tachbrook St Draft Development Opportunity
November 2016
Out of our area, but important enough to comment on. The block that contains the Queen Mother Sports Centre is being considered as a 'Development Opportunity' by Westminster City Council. They produced a draft document which can be viewed at: https://openforum.
Our response can be viewed here and on the Planning page.
June Stubbs 1927 - 2016
It is with great sadness to the Society that June Stubbs passed away on Friday 14th October, suddenly after collapsing at her nursing home.
June was a co-founder of the Society and for over 25 years was its Chairman and driving force. From her flat in Westminster Mansions, Great Smith Street, she was in an excellent position to keep a close eye on Thorney Island, and never missed an opportunity to represent the Society in public. She presided over many meetings, Christmas bazaars, parties and dinners. She was honoured with the award of an MBE in 2011 for services to conservation in the City of Westminster. June moved several years ago to an excellent nursing home in the New Forest, close to her family and enjoyed her final years in comfort and rest.
To send condolences to June's family, please write to info@thethorneyislandsociety.
Visit to Tate Britain's Archives & Library, November 2016
With huge thanks to Derek Rice, Library & Archives Co-Ordinator for a fascinating visit behind the scenes.
We were shown around the archives and store room. Temperature controlled with tight security arrangements and flood protection in place. Large moveable storage shelves and cupboards house the many treasures. We were shown prints and documents relating to the Millbank Penitentiary on the present gallery site. Next we entered the library to see documents, books and computer displays about the Thames and its history, part of a special project that changes monthly called Show and Tell. Finally Derek took us to view the Nash exhibition. A fascinating visit.
One of the many in the collection, here is a photograph of the gallery at the time of the 1928 Thames Flood.
