Election Court Dinner and the Joys of Giving

The Company's Annual Election Court Dinner followed the annual Service which was led by the Honorary Chaplain - the Rev Canon David Parrott and held in Hawksmoor's only City Church - St Mary Woolnoth. We had been driven from our customary home (and David's Church) - St Lawrence Jewry - by a Jazz concert scheduled for the same time in Guildhall Yard.

The dinner is the occasion on which the Company seems to give things away. Among our guests were four crew members from the RNLI Tower Lifeboat Station - Coxswain William Ellwood and crew members Sue Body, Paul Tattam and Richard Abbot. 

See here is William Ellwood receiving a donation from the Company to assist in the work of the RNLI.

Additionally, this is the occasion on which the Company's award to the person or organization which does most to raise the profile of the Architects Benevolent Society. This year's winner was Dawson Stelfox MBE who is one of those people for whom exercise and adventures are a way of life. He has climbed Mt Everest and, in order to raise funds for the ABS, has climbed practically there is to climb in Northern Ireland where his practice - Consarc is based. 

Dawson is pictured here receiving the award from the Master Edward King. This splendid trophy was painted by eminent architect (and ABS President) Dr Ken Shuttleworth.Close views of both front and back of the plate are shown below.

While presenting the Award, the Master also presented a cheque to the ABS Secretary - Keith Robinson (below)- assist the organization in the invaluable work they do for those in need on behalf of the profession.

The final presentation of the evening was made to Richard Brindley who accepted, on behalf of the RIBA, a contribution from the Company to the Institute's Student Hardship Fund.

 

The principal guest was the Richard Summers - the current President of the Royal Town Planning Institute. In responding to the toast to the guests, Richard spoke about the issues facing both his own institute and the RIBA in connection with the forthcoming Localism Bill.

A new Liverymen, three new Freeman, and a new Student...and the 'Shard'

At the Election Court held in a meeting room at Guildhall, the meeting received several new members.  In a simple ceremony they were each welcomed into the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects of the City of London.

Liveryman Christopher Philip Johnson

Freemen; Messrs. Hopkins, Ioannou and Brooker

Freeman Peter Andrew Hopkins

Freeman Stella Ioannou

Freeman Grant Brooker

Student Member Jennifer White with Mentor Peter Muray


meanwhile

5 July 2011 - from the 'Wobbly Bridge'.

How well the famous Italian has come to understand the scale of London's mediaeval buildings...

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The WCCA Part I and Part II drawing prizes, 2011

Robert Ware, a RCA student,  won the WCCA Part II Drawing Prize 2011 with the drawing below:

Adam Shapland won the WCCA Part I Drawing Prize 2011 with the drawing below:

click on the images to see the drawings a bit bigger

Here are some of the 'runners up'

Part II: Henrietta Griffiths of Westminster

Part I: Ryan Roberts of London Met

Part II: Robert Grover of London Met

Seaton Delaval floor layout. Shapur Keshvari of Kingston. 

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Newsletter Issue 24 - May 2011

WCCANewsletter24

Sir Edwin & the gardener...

Who will send me their best picture to add to the ones below

 of 1) Goddards and 2) Munstead Wood?......

Goddards: a real Inglenook, complete with side windows

Munstead Wood; the Surrey style & the home of Mrs. Jekyll.

The Lutyens Trust

&
The Landmark Trust

....and some one might like to send me some text about our day out in the Surrey woods.

***

contributions  to

howardcopping@gmail.com

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come on; you know you want to...

17 - 29 June 2011

No contributions have been sent so far, despite an e-mail sent to each member of the visit party, so....

....here's another picture -

elements on the Lutyens Surrey palette

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Valencia - the movie

Ardwina Event

8th June 2011

What a great event! Ardwina is a proper sailing barge with great facilities, a few bunks and 'heads', a well-equipped galley and an even better-equipped bar. The main room is fantastic for just this sort of architects' event: a beautifully-catered light lunch, a few(?) drinks and a lecture.

Moored at the Tower Hill end of St Katherine's Dock, the barge has fantastic views of the Tower of London.

First up, upon arrival, was Camel Valley Vineyard's Bacchus (great name for a grape variety!), one of our own English specialities. A dry, delicate white wine, like a light, Sauvignon Blanc with more elderflower and nettle, perfect for a summer's day with the sunshine and great conversation with our guests and fellow liverymen.

After a delicious fresh buffet lunch, with marvellous salads, meats and fruits, brilliantly prepared by one of our favourite caterers, the real fun began.

We were treated to a marvellous talk by Adrian Barlow, Director of Public and Professional Programmes at Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education, and a modern polymath. Perhaps best known in the non-architectural world for his expertise in English Literature and Arts in general, Adrian is most-recognised by us architects as one of the few true experts in the art of Stained Glass. His topic: Charles Eamer Kempe (1878-1887) and his work as an interior architect, stained glass designer and producer.

Adrian gave us excellent biographical details, including Kempe's early upbringing at Ovingdean Hall, near Brighton, and his education at Rugby and Pembroke College, Oxford (must declare an interest here, as the latter was also my husband's College, more than a century later, hence the photo of the Chapel quad.)

Kempe's original plan was to become a clergyman, but his severe speech

impediment led him to take an apprenticeship with his friend, Charles

Frederick Bodley, an architect.

Kempe, though, saw Interior Design and Church Decoration as a serious

profession. Thus he decided to spread the Christian message through

design of stained glass.

So, he joined Clayton and Bell and made his first masterwork, Gloucester Cathedral's

Bishop Hooper window, still in situ.

Kempe was enamored of 15th century Gothic windows and began to imitate them.

The St Leonard window shows Kempe's early technique, quite plain and simple.

This later section of St Dorothy shows much more

detail and texture in the rendering.

According to Adrian, Kempe was a 'purist', who tried to mitigate the 'silver-staining' techniques, which cause damage, lose colour and definition (see above St Leonard!), and don't survive. So Kempe began to work in other techniques that held colour better. That said, much of his work is in the 'grissaille' style (see above St Dorothy), where definition is better and more leading evident.

After 1869 Kempe used wheatsheaf as an emblem often with fleur de lis or leaves. Foliage and

vines, as at St Michael's, Cuckfield, (below) and dragons are some of Kempe's trademarks and so is armour. The portable organ is often another way to recognise a Kempe window.

Kempe was a technician and was always keen to be careful of the design of the tracery, often positioning supporting 'saddle' bars and tie-wires on the outsides of windows to 'blunt' the horizontal lines and not obstruct the faces too much. Of course, there was the issue of corrosion...leads do fail even in a mere (?) 100 years!

As the 'master' of his atelier, some 50 people at its height, Kempe was certainly a master of his chosen art, but he was also a collaborator, with such as John Lisle at Burgess Hill.

Kempe worked with many Royals, including on the mausoleum of Prince Fritz in 1884.

Amoung his stained glass works are:

St Wulfran, Ovingdean, Sussex, 1869

St Ethelburgh, Bishopsgate, London 1871

St Mary, Folkestone, 1873-1877

St Tyrnog, Llandryrnog, Clwyd, 1877

St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, 1878

St Bridget, West Kirby, Cheshire, 1878

Gloucester Cathedral, 1878-1887

St Congar, Badgeworth, Somerset, 1879

St Peter, Heswall, Cheshire, 1881

St Mary's, Monmouth, Gwent, 1882

All Saints, York, 1887

St John the Baptist, Burford, Oxfordshire, 1887-1907

St Mary's, Eastham, Cheshire, 1889-1903

Holy Trinity, Stirling, Scotland, 1890-1906

Lichfield Cathedral, 1894-1904

Eton College Lower Chapel, 1895-1897

Southwark Cathedral, London, 1895-1907

Winchester Cathedral, 1897-1900

St David, Exeter, Devon, 1900-1902

Malvern College, Herefordshire, 1902-1906

St Hilda's, Whitby, Yorkshire, 1902-1906

Maybe we should go and check them out.

In any case, a good day was had by all!

Valencia-the finale

14th and 15th May 2011

Some of the other places we visited included the Valencia Exhibition Palace for the 1908 International Exhibition. The design incorporates many of the motifs and styles of previous Valencian architecture, mimicking the cathedral tower, Neoclassical facades, vaulting of La Lonja (Silk Exchange) and blue-and-white ceramic tiling. Intriguing.

Then it was off to the markets, at least the two most important. Mercado Centrale, just across the Placa from the Silk Exchange, is where the locals sell and buy the most amazing produce, meat and fish...and a few less common products, like snails.

Far more 'up-market' is Mercado Colon, just outside the old City walls. The expansion, in the latter years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th, created an elegant-if somewhat reminiscent of turn-of-the century Paris and Vienna-neighbourhood. The decorative quality of the market is superb, inside and out.

Next, for me, anyway, was the Museo de Ceramico. The alabaster facade, designed by Hipolito Rovira and sculpted by Ignacio Vergara in the 18th century, is a tribute to Rococco at its most exuberant, or garish? Inside is a most amazing display of furniture and textiles, and, of course ceramics of all descriptions.

The intricate wall and flooring patterns were the most exciting because many of them are early examples of my patchwork patterns. In the museum they are carved and set in a myriad of marbles and granites. All the colours of the rainbow, or stone, anyway. Can't forget the Moorish influence either, since one of my absolute favourites was an Arabic fountain from the 12th century in the most beautiful of very pale sea green, dark brown and rich cream.

I rather like the rose room with exotic French-styled furniture and restrained geometric cream-and-brown flooring pattern, too.

Sunday morning was church. Although officially a secular state, Spain still holds onto its Catholic traditions. And where better than Santa Catalina, a delicate little church whose tower forms the end of La Paz?

Next, a walk around the area including another gem of a church, San Vicente Ferrer, formerly part of a Dominican monastery.

The typical Valencian blue mosaic dome and cupola have a shape reminiscent of the Moorish traditions.

Meanwhile a few images of street signs and building names.

...and a couple of less savoury artistic additions.

Last but by no means least was a visit to the Valencian San Pio V Museo des Artes. An excellent collection of Spanish art, second only to El Prado in Madrid. Perhaps a little too much on Gothic and Renaissance religious art, but it certainly helps to put Spanish artists like Zubaran, Murillo, Velasquez and even Picasso in perspective, as it were.

Then off to La Sardineria, just off the Placa de La Reina, for-what else? Sardines in two forms, one grilled and the other with a slightly spicy red pepper-based sauce. Yummy! ...and most of the crowd were locals having tipped up after church.

copyright Patricia Stefanowicz 2011

Valencia: a foodie break, or How to Build a Great Paella

2nd June 2011

Some of you know that I am a bit of a food-and-wine-type, so it would be impossible to blog about Valencia without a comment about the local dish, Paella Valenciana. It can be delicious; it can be modest; it can be odious.

It seems as though paella was indeed developed around Valencia. The City and its surrounds are flat, very flat. There are no hills or even hillocks, but there are plenty of cienagas, marshes perfect for growing rice, cheaply and abundantly.

An ancient tale suggests that slaves of the Moorish kings' created rice dishes by mixing the remaining meats and fish from royal banquets in large pots to take back to their homes rather than chucking the dregs, as it were, out. Certainly a possibility. It is also said that the word paella stems from the Arab word baqiyah, meaning left-overs. Most linguists believe the term paella comes from the Latin word for a flat plate, patella, which was used to offer gifts to the gods. Enigma, correct?

Ignoring the romantic aspects, all that is clear is that it was mid-19th century when modern paella was created in the Albufera bay, south of Valencia, where workers in the fields cooked, for lunch/dinner, the rice-dominated dish in a flat pan over an open fire and mixed in whatever they could find, whether snails, bits of meat and freshly gathered vegetables, maybe even a little bit of orange zest from the local trees. Apparently for high-days and holy-days, chicken or rabbit were added, a sound tradition, in my view.

I (and my family!) think that my recipe, although not totally authentic, is superior to any we ate there this visit, partly because I use both chicken and seafood.

Herewith the Stefanowicz version of Spanish paella for 8-10 people, maybe more or maybe fewer:

Ingredients:

200g diced pancetta or salt pork

6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1/4 c. virgin olive oil, Spanish preferred, as it's sweeter than French

1 tsp. powdered coriander

8-10 chicken thighs with skin

1-2 lb steamed lobster, if available, cut into serving pieces (optional)

Sardines, braised, if desired, or even chunky-meaty fish, such as cod or halibut (not too much, though, as they might give the paella a really fishy flavour.)

500g raw tiger prawns, shelled, although tails may be left on, if desired

2 chorizos, cooked and sliced into 1/4" thick slices

3/4 c. roughly chopped yellow onions

1 tsp. crushed whole saffron

2 Tbsp. capers, roughly chopped

2/3 c. tinned tomatoes, roughly chopped with a little juice

1 c. dry white wine

2-1/2 c. medium-grained uncooked white rice (worse case, use long-grained or short-grained, not basmati, but adjust cooking times)

3-1/2 c. (approximately) chicken stock, tinned or home-made, un-diluted, (or worst-case, from stock cubes)

20 mussels, de-bearded and scrubbed but not cooked

20 small clams, well-rinsed, but not cooked

1 medium jar of artichoke hearts, well-rinsed if in oil, drained if in brine

1 c. frozen peas

1/4 c. marinated sliced red peppers, not spicy

Black pepper

Lemon juice

Lemon wedges for serving

Method:

I use a heavy, oven-proof 4-quart casserole or high-sided pan rather than a paella pan, as the paella pan tends to permit the bottom to burn.

Saute on medium heat the pork until the fat is liquid and the pork bits are browned. Remove the pork and hold aside.

Mix the minced garlic, thyme, vinegar, oil and coriander in a mid-sized bowl. Add the uncooked chicken and coat throughly. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the pork fat (with a little extra oil if needed) saute the prawns quickly, adding the lobster pieces at the end, until both are bright pink but not over-cooked. Remove and reserve.

Saute the sliced chorizos for 5-8 minutes, if pre-cooked, 10-12 minutes if un-cooked. Remove and reserve.

Brown the coated chicken in the pot. Sprinkle in onion, capers, saffron and tomatoes. Saute, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.

Return the pork bits to the pot. Add the wine, rice and 3 cups of chicken broth. Season with pepper (and salt, if desired, but I don't usually add salt). Cover and steam for about 12-15 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C.

Meanwhile, boil a little water, around 1/4-to 1/2 c., in another pot, add the mussels and clams until open, around 3-5 minutes. Discard any that aren't at least partly open.

When rice is mostly cooked, add the prawns, lobster, sardines or other fish, artichoke hearts, and peas to the chicken and rice mixture and cook on the stove-top, uncovered for about 10 minutes more. If all the liquid is absorbed, add liquid from the mussels/clams or more chicken broth.

Remove from heat. Add red peppers and chorizos and mussels and clams and mix thoroughly but gently.

Cover and reheat in the oven for around 10 minutes. If the dish is to be kept warm for up to 30 minutes, reduce heat to 200 degrees F/125 degrees C.

When ready to serve, remove from oven, stir in lemon juice and black pepper to taste and serve with lemon wedges.

...and preferably a 1973/1978/1994/1997/2001/2004/2007 Ribero del Duero or a Rioja Reserva from the same vintages. If those aren't available, well, any good quality 'soft' red wine will do, but Tempranillo/Cencibel/Tinto de Toro/Tinto Roriz (all the same grape variety by the way) is preferred. If not, in a pinch, head for the southern Rhone, Garnacha-based, red. Anything Rhone-ish will suffice.

copyright Patricia Stefanowicz MW 2011