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.

 

 

 

 

Proposed memorial statue to Lady Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square

UPDATE !  January 2018 - Westminster Council have turned down the application for this statue.  They feel less strongly about the ten-year rule, and have based their decision more on the quality of the sculpture.

July 2017  STATUE BLOCKED ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40529770

May 2017  - Our response to Westminster City Council (Nelson Mandela statue details corrected 7th July 2017)

We acknowledge the significance of Lady Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister and the longest serving of the twentieth century, but we feel that the principle of leaving a ten-year gap between the death of a subject and the erection of a public memorial should in this case be adhered to. We note that the statue of Nelson Mandela was erected before he died but that should not set a precedent, especially as Mandela was an entirely uncontroversial figure, respected throughout the world. While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country. There is a strong case for the ten-year rule to be respected - there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism.

We also feel that the quality of the sculpture does not do justice either to the subject or the site. The understated and reverential character of the statue is disappointing given that the Churchill statue is so much more interesting. We understand that Lady Thatcher's daughter dislikes the statue.

For further details or to give your own comments to WCC, follow this link (CLICK HERE)

AGM 2017 & Talk

On Wednesday 15th November 2017, the Society held its 31st AGM with the generous support of Grange Hotel Rochester.  Following the business of the meeting Caroline Shenton spoke on her fascinating new book "Mr Barry's War", sequal to "The Day Parliament Burned Down". 

Tour of St James the Less church in Pimlico - September 2017

 Tour of St James the Less church in Pimlico - September 2017