Refurbishment of 7 Millbank
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.
LIVE Carols & Thorney Christmas Quiz via Zoom - December 2020
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 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
Autumn/Winter 2020 Newsletter
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A History of St James's Park through Trees, Talk by Greg Packman - October 2020
"HENRY VIII - AN UNLIKELY PIONEER OF REWILDING! "
To watch, click image below:
A History of St James's Park through Trees - Talk by Greg Packman
Consultation Begins - Southside, Victoria Street
Consultation Begins - Southside, Victoria Street
10 Greycoat Place - Developer's Consultation
There is a new public consultation on 10 Greycoat Place, opposite the Grey Coat Hospital (School) and as an exhibition cannot be held, it is available online at https://10greycoatconsult.
Our comment can be viewed on the Planning page via tab above.
Westminster Coroner's Court
Please see our response on our Planning page via the tab above.
St. James's and The Green Park Update and Movement Strategy - 10th July 2020
Read here the latest on loos, kiosks, road closures and more ! CLICK HERE