It was a great weekend for thousands of London enthusiasts who had a chance to visit places which are not normally open or accessible. Open House is a great idea - and a terrific success. Once again, people were travelling all over the capital and taking an opportunity to learn more about this great City.
Pat and I were interested in the livery companies - so we planned to visit four of them, starting off with the amazing Vinter's Hall down by Southwark Bridge. This building, built around 1670, has some great treasures, remarkable paintings, elegant rooms and a sense of history and tradition everywhere you look. The Vinter's are one of the great 12 senior livery companies with a charter dating from 1364
Then we went onto the Painters Hall in Little Trinity Lane. A new hall was built after the great fire of 1666 and it was badly damaged by an air raid in WW2. There are some fine paintings here - as you would expect - including two by Sir Joshua Reynolds. From there we went to Butchers' Hall, also rebuilt after bomb damage, and from there to the most recent, Haberdasher's Hall.
Haberdashers' is an excellent example of how a stylish building, light and airy and using modern building materials in a sympathic and effective way, can enhance the historical importance and tradition of a fine organisation (see picture) Dating from the 14th century, this Livery company controlled the making and selling of ribbons, beads, purses, gloves, pins, caps and toys and has survived since then to become one of the great charitiable institutions of the City of London.
All livery companies saw their power and influence beginning to fade away in the 15th and 16th century, yet they managed to retain their wealth and used it to finance education and support a wide number of small charities. Today, this role has earned the Livery Companies great respect and they are an integral part of City life.
Yes, Open House is a great day out. A bit tiring on the feet...but well worth the effort.
