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Londony stuff.
 On Saturday, after being closed for the best part of two years, the Banqueting House on Whitehall is opening its doors once again to the public. What is Banqueting House? Banqueting House is the last surviving building on Whitehall, that was once part of Whitehall Palace, a sprawling maze of buildings that grew from Cardinal Wolsey’s residence, York Place to become the largest Royal Palace in Europe. In 1698, a fire devastated the area, but Banqueting House survived. The building itself was designed by Inigo Jones and completed in 1622 during the reign of King James I, the first of the Stuart Monarchs, replacing an earlier Elizabethan Hall. What happened there? Strangely, not too many banquets, but aside from ceremonies and celebrations, one of the main things that happened inside Banqueting House were ‘Masques’. Today, we’d probably refer to these events as ‘immersive theatre’, but Masques were a popular form of courtly entertainment that came over from Italy and involved a lot of guests getting dressed up, singing, dancing, acting, accompanied by music and lavish theatrical sets. The main historical event to feature Banqueting House was the execution of King Charles I on the 30th January 1649. Although the actual execution took place on a scaffold outside the building on Whitehall, the King was walked through the hall, under the ceiling he’d commissioned which extolled the divine right of King’s, including a depiction of the apotheosis of his father, which is basically James I being carried up to heaven on the wings of an eagle. Charles I then climbed out of one of the Banqueting House windows to the scaffold to be executed.  Tell me more about this ceiling? The ceiling, which is actually numerous canvases painted by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, was commissioned in the early 1630s and is the largest surviving work by Rubens in Europe, still in its original location. It is spectacular and was largely commissioned to ‘big up’ the Stuart monarchs, which is probably why King Charles I was forced to walk beneath it just before his execution. Why would I visit? The ceiling is obviously the main draw. That alone is worth the visit, but down in the under croft, I believe new interpretation boards are being installed, telling the history of the building, along with a few artifacts. Also, just to be able to experience this incredible survivor of an early 17th building from the Royal Court, which was the scene of one of the most significant moments in British and Royal history; the execution of King Charles I.   Why’s it been closed? A lot of the renovations and refurbishments have been made to create an environment that can maintain and control the temperature and conditions within the building, and therefore preserve the life of Rubens' Ceiling. A lot of it is unseen. Heat pumps. Ventilation etc. The entire floor of the hall has been re-laid with sustainably sourced English Oak and looks and feels great and as well as being given a paint job (not the ceiling) the biggest thing is that Historic Royal Palaces have removed a staircase and replaced it with a super-duper lift, meaning that for the first time in its history, wheelchair users can now enjoy the splendour of the hall and Ruben’s ceiling and also access the under-croft, which also has an accessible toilet. Got any fun facts about Banqueting House? The ceiling painting was actually made to measure in Belgium on canvas, rolled up and shipped over to London. However, upon arriving and unrolling them, Ruben’s assistants realised the canvases were far too big, so changes had to be made to the ceiling to fit them. It took ages, but it wasn’t Rubens’ problem …he didn’t even come over and it would seem, never even saw his masterpiece in situ. Whilst in the hall, if you look out of one of the windows on to Whitehall, you can see the clock on Horse Guards opposite. The roman numerals for ‘Two’ and Ten’ have been blacked out, marking the time that Charles I had his head chopped off. How can I visit? Banqueting House will be open to the public this coming Saturday (20th March), with subsequent open days on the 3rd April, 1st May, 29th May and the 26th June. Adult tickets cost £7.50. Between 1st August & 20th September Banqueting House will be open for 'A Season' and adult tickets cost £10.00. For more information and tickets, check out the Banqueting House website.  
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If you fancy escaping central London for a day, and heading somewhere a bit more leafy, then I can heartily recommend Richmond in west London. You can even take a boat all the way there if you like, and if you do venture out that way, then I can also recommend taking a wander down the Thames and stopping off at Ham House, a magnificent 17th Century mansion and National Trust property. 
Ham House - Richmond-upon-Thames
Ham House was built in 1610, but was leased to a courtier called William Murray by Charles I, as a gift in 1626. What did Murray do to receive such a splendid gift? Well, he’d probably earned it, as William Murray had the misfortune (or fortune, depending on how you look at it) of being the young Charles’s ‘whipping boy’. A whipping boy, in case you are unfamiliar with the term, was a young boy who was chosen to be schooled alongside a Prince (in this case Charles) and receive any punishment, meant for the future King, each time he misbehaved. It all seems a little unfair, but that’s how things were. The two men became life long friends, and Murray set about renovating and decorating his new abode. Unfortunately, his enjoyment of his rather grand home was reasonably short lived, as Civil War broke out resulting in King Charles I having his head chopped off. No doubt Murray was thankful that Oliver Cromwell did not apply the ‘whipping boy’ protocol to the execution, but as a devout Royalist, found it necessary to leave the country. Murray’s daughter Elizabeth managed to keep the house away from Republican hands and no doubt breathed a huge sigh of relief in 1660 when Charles II was restored to the throne and all was well again with the wealthier echelons of English society. Her father unfortunately, did not live to see the restoration. However, Elizabeth wasted no time in returning Ham House to a place of entertainment and extravagance for all who moved in Whitehall circles and was rewarded by the restored King for her support during his exile with a rather handsome annual pension. Her first husband, Sir Lionel Tollemache died and Elizabeth married again, this time the Duke of Lauderdale, John Maitland. Together, they transformed Ham House in to one of the finest Stuart houses in England and after Elizabeth’s death, the house was passed down through the children from her first marriage until it was passed to the National Trust in 1948. That is a rather brief, whirlwind-esque appraisal of Ham House’s history, but if you have even the slightest interest in Stuart England, then it’ll give you a brilliant insight in to the life and times of 17th century courtiers. 
Great Hall & Great Staircase - Ham House
The house itself is stunning. From the moment you step in to the aptly named Great Hall you really feel like you’ve rewound the clock 400 years. The equally aptly named Great Staircase, is just that and from then on you can loose yourself amongst the ornately decorated rooms, the furniture and textiles, wander down the Long Gallery and myriad of other assorted rooms and stroll around the gardens. The original walled kitchen garden still provides all the produce served up in the café. The other thing I like about Ham House, is that you get a real sense of the ‘upstairs, downstairs’ life of the place, and can scour the kitchen and pantry and find out what life was like for those who served and worked behind the scenes to keep the whole place going. Whilst ‘upstairs’ you are guided through the secret passage ways, doors and staircases that pass discreetly between walls so that servants could move around the house completely unseen, popping out to collect plates or refill glasses with minimum interruption … as if they were ghosts. Talking of ghosts, Ham House is also reputed to be haunted, by non other than Elizabeth herself and perhaps not too surprising for a Stuart mansion, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. So, if you’re in Richmond, why not pay Ham House a visit. 
The Long Gallery - Ham House
The Kitchen - Ham House
Each Friday, or at least, most Fridays, I do a Friday quiz over on the Bowl Of Chalk Facebook Page. Last Friday's question related to the statue below, of John Wilkes, which would appear to be the only statue in London that has a squint, because not surprisingly, John Wilkes did have a prominent squint. 
John Wilkes - Fetter Lane
It got me thinking, that I've discovered that many of London's statues which people wander past every day have interesting, strange or mildly absurd stories attached to them, so thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you here ... in no particular order. Elizabeth I This statue of Elizabeth I nestles up in the church of St Dunstan-in-the-West on Fleet Street, and made in 1586 during the Queen's own life time, originally stood on the old Ludgate, but was saved during the Fire of London, and later placed in its current position. (It's currently hiding beneath scaffolding, and won't be seen again until the autumn). The statue however, in 1929 received its own income, when Dame Millicent Fawcett, an English Suffragist and early feminist left £700 to the statue in her will. 
George Washington It is said that when this statue of George Washington (which stands to the north of Trafalgar Square, outside the National Gallery) was given to us as a gift in the 1920's by the people of Virginia, they sent with it, a load of American soil to be placed underneath, as Washington had stated that he never wanted to set foot in England. 
George Washington - National Gallery
Queen Anne This statue of Queen Anne stands very prominently outside the main entrance to St Paul's cathedral. It's not the original, made in the 1700's by Francis Bird, but a Victorian copy made by sculptor Richard Claude Belt. According to author Tom Quinn, Belt was forced to make the statue from prison after he was imprisoned for fraud having already been commissioned to make the statue. It could be entirely possible as Belt did spend 12 months behind bars at about the same time. 
Queen Anne - St Paul's cathedral
Charles I This statue of Charles I just south of Trafalgar Square is the oldest bronze equestrian statue in Britain, made during Charles' life time. After the unfortunate Monarch had his head chopped off in 1649, a metalsmith called John Rivet was ordered to melt down the statue and turn it in to trinkets, which people could buy as macabre souvenirs of the execution. However, Mr Rivet evidently melted down something else, realising perhaps that fortunes might change, and kept the statue hidden until Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and bought it back. Incidentally, you can see Nelson's Column in the background, which comes furnished with its own fascinating stories. 
Charles I
Prince Frederick, Duke of York This 137 ft statue overlooks St James's Park and the Mall. Frederick was the second eldest son of King George III and when he died, every member of entire British army forewent a days pay to help raise the funds for the statue. Depending on which sources you read, they either did this gladly, or were forced to, as no one was willing to fork out the £21,000 needed to build it. Either way, when it was eventually finished in 1834 it was joked that the statue was so high up, so the Duke could escape his creditors. He died, £2 million in debt. 
Duke of York Column
Even after the briefest of strolls around the area known as The City of London (or London in general) you'll very probably be struck (pun intended) by the number of public clocks, adorning buildings or hanging off churches. Quite often they're rather grand, ornate, pretty big and in many cases have their own unique history and back story. Going back to the 16th century, clockmakers' tended to be members of the Blacksmiths' Company, as they worked with ferrous metals and utilised many of the metal work skills that were required as part of their own trade. With the growth of domestic clocks, requirements changed and as different and quite specific skills were essential to domestic clock and watchmaking the two groups separated and domestic clockmakers developed their own identity and market. Inevitably, resentment grew between clockmakers within the City and those from outside plying the same trade who threatened their monopoly. After many years of lobbying, they managed in 1631 to obtain from King Charles I a Royal Charter, recognising them as 'The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers' and thus protecting 'the Art or Mystery of Clockmaking of the City of London.' Although the Clockmakers' Library was founded in 1813, the current museum is housed inside a modern annexe at Guildhall.  Clockmakers' Museum The original library of ancient manuscripts belonging to the Company gradually grew to include books, horological portraits and of course many examples of time pieces throughout the ages. It's all housed within one room, but never-the-less is chock full of information pertaining to the Company's formation and history, numerous 'celebrity' clockmakers and a collection which includes 600 English and European watches, 30 clocks and 15 examples of marine timekeepers, instrumental in the development of the science of navigation. In fact, you'll find yourself surrounded by the oldest specific collection of clocks and watches in the world, the earliest dating from c.1600, up until c.1850. The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers' motto is 'Time is the commander of all things', so I'd suggest that if you find yourself in the area, you could pop in and see their museum for yourself ... but only if you have time of course. If not, then maybe you should make time.    The Clockmakers' Museum is situated in Guildhall Library -Aldermanbury, London, EC2V 7HH and is open Monday to Saturday (9:30am - 4:45pm). It's FREE to visit.
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