Open House Retrospective

Open House truly is one of the most wonderful weekends in the London Calendar. It is a unique opportunity to wander so many exclusive and gorgeous buildings usually closed to all members of the general public. The biggest issue with Open House is that you are totally spoilt for choice. Indeed, I’ve worked out that had I gone at the pace I managed that weekend and tried to do the same number of properties every Open House weekend, every year, it would still take me about 75 years to complete all the listings. That is not even taking into account the fact they add new listings every year. You are left with some tough decisions to make. Below are the places I was able to fit into the all too brief couple of days. I was particularly delighted that so many things I am quite passionate about I encountered that weekend…

Saturday

So, after a failed attempt to get into the Foreign Office (the queue was insane, everyone wants to see that cat Palmerstone, I guess he is quite cute) I ended up in Admiralty House, which is used by the Cabinet Office. Quite a fetching place with some truly beautiful pieces of artwork. I could see the appeal in having the place for entertaining guests (which is apparently what the Cabinet Office and ministers use this place for). The combination of items from around the globe made for a very exciting aesthetic, and I was tempted to try and get one of the Chinese screens for my own flat. Sadly I think the ceilings in my flat might be a tad too short for it for fit and the thought of lugging it up three flights of stairs put me off a bit.

After the Cabinet Office, I popped next door into 22 Whitehall, the Department of International Development. The video and information sheets about the work of the department were quite interesting, but the real treat came when I made it to the centre of the building and found myself in the Admiralty Board Room. Sadly, photography was not permitted, but it is a stunning carved wooden boardroom, still in use today with many riveting artefacts dotted around. The ex-curator Charlotte Henwood gave a tremendously engaging talk about this history of the room and its function. I also had the good fortune to have a chat with her and ask a few questions. Such a knowledgeable woman; it was a real treat to pick her brain about the maritime history of this place. I’m now on a hunt for her out of print book. If you are interested in the maritime history of Britain this is a location you must visit.

Further wandering in the area saw a failed attempt to get into the Reform Club (I found you must book the tours in advance, but I still had a nice chat with its friendly doorman). I then ended up in the Royal Society who kindly gave out free bags. The tour guide of the building (which was an interesting edifice having been the German embassy before WWII) was enthusiastic and it was an extremely educational experience. Well worth a visit, especially to see the new exhibition, a history of women whose work was related to the Royal Society, now on show in the building.

My attempt to seize power in the Royal Society doesn’t go too well. No one shows up to my first meeting…

The day culminated with a visit to Marlborough House. The headquarters of the Commonwealth was very grand. There were paintings galore (the stairs were so decorated with paintings it was a bit overwhelming when you walked up them). The board room, with a flagged seat for every member of the Commonwealth, was a rather imposing room. The gardens were a nice place to relax and enjoy a sandwich after a hard day of scampering around. I was particularly amused by the tiny wooden summer house built in the garden; it looked a bit out of place amidst all this opulent finery.

I finished Saturday very content with what I had seen, little knowing the best was yet to come…

Sunday

Sunday began with a trip to The Apothecaries Hall, probably my favourite building across the entire weekend. Firstly, in terms of friendliness and engagement with the visitors the Apothecaries were second to none. I was greeted by none other than the master of the company, who shook my hand welcoming me into his hall. I was then given an exciting quiz to complete as I wandered the building and everyone was so happy to engage me in very informative chats.

But more importantly I discovered that the symbol of the Apothecaries is the Rhino. Now I absolutely adore Rhinos, since I was a child they have been by far my favourite creature. I did work experience for Save the Rhino, I raised money for the charity at uni and I’ve trekked rhinos in Africa. My home is a fairly decent place to visit if you wish to experience a variety of rhinoceros imagery in art. I have always been proud of my little collection of stone, wooden and pictures of Rhinos. Then I entered the Apothecaries and fell in love with the place even as they put my flat to shame.

This particular pachyderm is the symbol of the Apothecaries due to the historic beliefs in the aphrodisiac qualities of the rhino horn. Fortunately, the livery company no longer espouses such beliefs and now works with Save the Rhino as one of the former masters of the company informed me. So joyfully they have acquired a phenomenal amount of rhino art; I was very excited by the vast range of rhino imagery. I am quite jealous of the members and wish I was a doctor so I could apply for membership. There is certainly no other livery company I would rather be a member of. My only criticism is that the rhino tie being worn by members of the company was not on sale. If you are fond of rhinos or just desire a very warm welcome you must explore this place at the next Open House.

Move over Roy Palmer, this is to be my Coat of Arms. I particularly like the random hedgehog with a walking stick in the corner. Rhino and hedgehog is clearly the perfect combination.

I decided to stick with the livery companies and made my way next along a short walk to the Stationers’ Hall. The place lacked rhinos, but I did not hold this obvious failing against them as they too were running a very slick operation. A group of us were let in together and given a nice introduction to the history of the Stationers and their hall before being released into the building.

Their hall was just fabulous and I was very taken with the astonishing stain glass windows celebrating some of Britain’s most famous writers. After going through a number of beautiful rooms we were let into their courtyard, which had a truly beautiful tree in the centre and lots of tea and cakes to refresh and revitalise us as we carried on our journey. But there was no time to waste. The tea was skipped, and after only a brief pause enjoying a chat about a tiny spider in the stained glass (demonstrating just how phenomenally detailed this artwork was) I rushed off to my next location.

Right: A quick shot of a writer you may have heard of. His work is over four centuries old, so no worries if you’re not sure who it is.

The next stop was the impressive Middle Temple Hall. Frequented by such historical characters as Sir Francis Drake, the medieval hall was a grand old place with a particularly impressive roof. The heraldry and pictures covering every single inch of wall and window space made for some fascinating viewing. This would be the perfect place for a banquet in London (the toilets were tremendously luxurious as well).

Moving swiftly on as time was of the essence I found myself in the opulent Freemasons’ Hall. Of all the places I visited on my journey through London that weekend this one was probably the most surreal. It was a sort of Art Deco extravaganza with heaps religious imagery and ostentatious wealth scattered around a cathedral-like structure; very grand and very impressive. The masons on duty were informative and happy to talk about their organisation, what it stands for and what it does, although I do not agree with their stance of not admitting female members to the Order. They also have an extensive museum packed with interesting items.

I enter the Freemasons’ temple through their iron doors.

Running out of time I rushed to my penultimate visit, the Drapers’ Hall, another tremendous livery company with some rather spectacular rooms. I was particularly taken with the tapestries of Greek mythological events. Tapestries are very impressive and there are never enough around. If you want to see four fabulous tapestry depictions this is hall for you.

I enjoy a brief rest from my scampering around London to enjoy my new living room.

Wonderful though the hall was, I was particularly taken with the gents’ toilet (didn’t expect to be so taken with toilets in my time in London but some of these places’ facilities really are splendidly decorated). In this case there were the most beautiful antique maps dotted throughout the lavatories. As one who is very passionate about old maps it was truly delightful decoration easily matching the tapestries in the hall above.

One of the many maps you can enjoy on a visit to the Drapers’ loos

My wandering finished in Dr Johnson’s House, home of the man who created the dictionary. By far the smallest building I entered during my exploration, it is a wonderfully intimate place. The four floors of the house revealed the character of a delightfully eccentric and eloquent individual who once barricaded himself in to avoid the bailiffs. I fancy reading his dictionary now as some of his definitions seem quite entertaining.

A quick pop into the loo here also revealed a wonderfully whimsical addition (I probably did spend too much time in toilets on this journey…).

Additionally, as I discovered this house I also had the good fortune to encounter an old friend Joe whom I haven’t seen half a decade. It was a happy reunion. Very nice to conclude a day like this with a reacquaintance with an old friend.

So, I didn’t get into everything but I had a tremendous time dashing around London exploring these opulent edifices. Open House is one of the great experiences of London, a chance to see the beautiful, the weird and the wonderful, which is usually either hidden from view or costs to enter. I will leave the final summary to Dr Johnson, who puts it much more eloquently or succinctly than I ever could…