So, in answer to yesterday's "Where Am I?" post: I was in the Lawyer's Lounge of the Supreme Court. This used to be Middlesex Guildhall, and was a typical English county council office: a mess of cheap furniture, flimsy partitions and overspilling filing cabinets. When Middlesex county council were eventually persuaded to move out to … er … Middlesex, the Government could complete the plan for Parliament Square and convert the place into the Supreme Court.
The Square now has Parliament sitting on one side, Westminster Abbey on another, the Treasury on the third and the Judiciary on the fourth, and is completed by the anti-war protest camp in the middle.
Anyhoo … We're through security, having been scanned, groped, had most of our clothing removed and x-rayed and laughed at Phil who had to hold his trousers up while being frisked. Now let's head up the stairs.
Our London office (the ones to blame for the big crane currently towering over Downing Street) spent rather a lot of years refurbishing this place from top to bottom and we're going to take a look at some of the spiffy things they did, and at the same time poke our noses into places the public never gets to see. Yay!
As the old council - in typical bureaucratic style - had ripped out all the original fittings and replaced them with crappy tiled ceilings and wall-board, we had to use the original drawings and old photos as a basis for putting stuff back. This involved tracking down the firm who made the original lights and getting them to make some more. Ditto the carvings. Spiffy, huh?
This is inside Court No.1. The building is actually a steel-framed structure, dating from around 1909 and lined with limestone. It's in the cross-over Gothic Revival cum Art Nouveau style and the tracery is wonderful. One of our jobs was bomb-proofing these windows. Fun.
Court No.1 was in session but they knew we were coming so they took a recess to allow us to defile their sanctuary. It was strange watching all these Supreme Court judges and barristers filing out of the room and into the lobby just for us.
The carpets were designed by Peter Blake (the Pop artist who did the Sgt. Pepper album cover) and incorporate the English Rose, Scottish Thistle, Welsh Leek and for some strange reason a blue flax flower to represent Northern Ireland. The seats were rescued from the old council chamber, where they were the only remaining bits of original furniture. Love the scary hare hand rest. Very Alice.
This is where the Supreme Court sits to make and amend our laws. And that's Dale, scratching his name into the desk.
More rooms tomorrow.
10 comments:
What a great privilege to get to see the Supreme Court lucky you, and lucky us as you have delved into the history of the place.
Wonder where you got your brains from certainly was not me… Looking forward to more information…
I stole my brains from other kids at school.
What a stunningly beautiful place! And I bet you're proud to be working at such a fine company, one that guides craftsmen to do great work.
What does that bit of flying paper in the stained glass window represent? Is the woman holding a bunch of tulips or dumping Easter Skittles into her hand?
I love working on stuff like that, Speedway. I joined this lot too late to work on the Supreme Court but I've been doing some stuff on Parliament Street for the London office.
The bit of flying paper is a plumed knight's helmet; a jokey signature by the stained glass artist. And the woman is holding the horn of plenty - cornucopia - though I have no idea why. I wish she'd send some my way.
This is beautiful! I especially love that rabbit arm rest. I want one!
Me too, Vanda, but stealing an entire bench from the Supreme Court might prove a leetle tricky.
This interior is so gorgeous. I'm jealous that your country bothers to refurbish older buildings. I know this one is new by your standards, but over here, we'd just tear it down and put up crap. Happens all the time.
This is gorgeous! Looks like a great refurb job. I love the staircase, the stained glass, the lights. You're right; the court seats are very Alice. Perfect for a court of law....
Robyn, I think things are gradually improving over there; I hear from around the US (from Speedway and Petrea, anyway) that their local buildings are being beautifully preserved. Perhaps Small Town needs to get in on the act. Take a look around town and see if you can find any nice buildings worth preserving and then kick some ass to make sure they're restored.
Hee hee, Ms.M. You are so right: the law is definitely based on Wonderland rules.
Well, I was going to make a joke but I'm much too impressed. Very fine, Dive. I'm proud to know you.
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