Paleys upon Pilers

The Aldgate Installation

Alderman Peter Hewitt of Aldgate Ward and Michael Wilkey, the Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new Aldgate installation sponsored by the Company on July 27th 2012. An exhibition of archaeological finds from the area, organised by Museum of London Archaeology was on display and suitably Chaucerian tots of mead were served. 

The installation marks the location of the historic Aldgate – where Chaucer lived from 1374-1386 - and the start of High Street 2012, the route to the Olympics. It forms part of the London Festival of Architecture and and will remain in place throughout the Olympics and Paralympics.

Created by the young, award-winning architects, Studio Weave, the construction is supported by the City Property Advisory Team (CPAT) and eight other Worshipful livery Companies and will be built from sustainable British Larch supplied by BSW Timber. It is sponsored by 4C Hotels Ltd, funding which was facilitated by Dexter Moren, a member of the Company, and architect to 4C for the nearby Aldgate bus station site.

A gate stood at Aldgate from the Roman Period until 1761. From 1374 to 1386 Chaucer (1343-1400) lived in the rooms above the Aldgate. Studio Weave’s design is inspired by the two dream poems written by Chaucer while resident in the rooms above the gate from 1374 to 1386. ‘The House of Fame’ and ‘The Parliament of Fowls’; both include images of fantastic dream-like temples of impossible materials and scale, elevated on precarious, precious structures above vast, bizarre landscapes conceivable as analogies for the City.

Paleys upon Pilers is an abstraction of the uppermost room of the old gate and an invocation of Chaucer’s luxurious dreamed temples. The structure consists of a kind of timber embroidery and will sit in the air above the busy Aldgate High Street, supported on pillars decorated with images from Chaucer’s illuminated manuscripts.

Studio Weave is an emerging architecture practice profiled as one of “Britain’s Brightest Young Architects”. The studio’s work encompasses a diverse range of projects from furniture and art projects, to buildings, landscapes and urban design. Since setting up in 2006 we have delivered a number of award-winning projects including ‘The Longest Bench’, a £475k seafront regeneration scheme in Littlehampton, West Sussex that recently won the 201 Civic Trust Award for Community Impact and Engagement; ‘Freya and Robin’, two allegorical pavilions peering over the water as part of the Kielder Art and Architecture Programme, Northumberland; the ‘Floating Cinema’, a project for the Olympic Delivery Authority to transform a canal boat into a travelling host for film screenings, and St Pancras Church Garden, a new public space in the City of London on the Scheduled Ancient Monument site of a Romanesque church lost to the Great Fire of 1666.

The installation is built from British Larch supplied by BSW Timber, the largest sawmilling business in Great Britain with six sawmills in the UK and production capacity of over 1,000,000 cubic metre of sawn timber per year.

Supporting Companies:

Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects 

Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors

Worshipful Company of Clothmakers

Worshipful Company of Carpenters

Worshipful Company of Lightmongers

Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants

Worshipful Company of Paviors

Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers

Worshipful Company of Fruiterers

Worshipful Company of Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders

Professional team: 

Architects: Studio Weave

Structural Engineers: Structure Workshop

Development Managers: M3 Consulting

Planning Consultants: DP9

Funded by: 4C Hotel Group

British Timber supplied by BSW Timber Group

Timber grown by Forestry Commission Wales

Streetworks by: Conways

Concrete donated by: Laing O’Rourke

Fabrication and Installation by: AB3 Workshops

Pattern Design and Print by: Linda Florence

Ground Scanning and Services: Reach Active

Barriers donated by: John F Hunt

Legal advice by: Ashurst LLP

Archaeological monitoring and input by: Museum of London Archaeology

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After the Silent Ceremony, the Noisy One

The Master, supported by his Upper and Renter Wardens and Student member Michael Bailey took part in the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday 12 November. As is customary for the Company they were part of a gathering  of Modern Livery Companies who formed up in a more or less orderly  formation behind a vintage auto bus. They managed a brief appearance on the televised  cover of the event but only the most eagle eyed observer would have been able to spot them among the crowd. 

The Company's duty photographer - Past Master Alan Downing (watching the procession from adjacent Guildhall Yard)  was able to get a couple of images - one is shown here recording Michael Bailey (cunningly showing the Company banner to those following), the Master and Jaki Howes (cunningly trying to snuff out the Chartered Accountsnts' banner). The Upper Warden, Mervyn Miller, may have been taking a breather on the bus at this stage - possibly conducting the band.

They were favoured with reasonable weather and joined with their marching colleagues to receive a welcome glass of something containing bubbles (courtesy of the Master Mariners' Company) and a lunch bag kindly sponsored by a local sandwich emporium. This was enjoyed on the HQS Wellington while the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs enjoyed the hospitality of the judges at the Royal Courts of Justice prior to commencing the return journey to Mansion House.

Again, the protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral had little effect on the proceedings and, hopefully, enjoyed the show and the early evening fireworks display.

A moment of silence

The transfer of power from the incumbent Lord Mayor to his elected successor traditionally takes place at The Silent Ceremony which is held in Guildhall on the afternoon before the Lord Mayor's Show - on 11 November this year. The Master and his lady and the Clerk attended to witness what is a most dignified and stirring event. It is not strictly true to say that the whole proceedings are conducted in silence as the incoming Lord Mayor does have to make his declaration. Apart from that, the only sound is the reassuring clinking of the City Marshall's spurs as he leads the procession to and from the dais. The remaining proceedings - involving much making of reverences, removing and donning of hats, the transferring of Sceptres, Seals of Office, Maces, Purses, Collars of Office etc - are carried out in extreme silence..

Happily all present - many a fair distance from the scene of all this activity - were given an order of proceedings to enable them to keep up with the activities.

It is not clear why Stephen Fry had a seat at the front but, as surely as he is on the telly most evenings of the week, he was there and in the thick of things later in Guildhall Yard before the mayoral motorcade moved off to the Mansion House. You can't keep a good man down.

The Youngest and Second Youngest Freemen

Pictured above - Paul Weston, the Clerk and Yasmin Shariff

On Wednesday 5 January two members of the Company were admitted to the Freedom of the City. Each enjoyed, in turn, the right to claim the title of the youngest Freeman.  

Kees van der Sande was admitted at 12 noon and held the title for all of half an hour before Yasmin Shariff was admitted. Both ceremonies were carried out by the Clerk to the Chamberlain's Court - Murray Chandler who, having administered the oath of allegiance to the City, handed the new Freemen their copies of the Certificate recording the event and of that splendid book 'Rules for the Conduct of Life'. 

In the informal parts of the ceremonies a number of photographs of other recent Freemen were flourished and a number of the treasures of the Court on display were discussed.

It is hoped that both new Freemen will now proceed to take up the Livery at the first opportunity.

The Baton Passes

The City of London's new Lord Mayor formally took over the reins of City government at a dignified ceremony this afternoon in Guildhall. The Ceremony of the Admission of the Lord Mayor - known as The Silent Ceremony - is held annually on the afternoon before the Lord Mayor's Show. 

A full house witnessed a civic procession into Guildhall prior to Alderman Michael Bear making and subscribing the historic Declaration of Office. This was the only part of the ceremony in which anything was said. There followed the transfer of the Sceptre, the Seal of Office and the Purse to the new Lord Mayor by the City Chamberlain. The Sword Bearer and Common Serjeant-at-Arms then presented (via the outgoing Lord Mayor) the Sword, the Mace and Collar of SS and Badge.

All these symbols of the Lord Mayor's authority over the various facets of City life are then handed back to resiode on their respective velvet cushions. There are various other presentations, signings and suitable reverences before the new Lord Mayor was welcomed by the Aldermen, Recorder, Sheriffs, the Chief Commoner, and members of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs' Committee. Formalities are concluded with a further procession with the new Lord Mayor wearing his splendid hat while his predecessor carried his hat under his arm.

Sound confusing? It makes more sense if you are there with a helpful set of guidance notes. All Liverymen are entitled to attend this ceremony subject to thier having applied for a much coveted ticket in good time. Mark the date in your diary and ask the Clerk to apply for a ticket on your behalf next year.

Sightlines in Guildhall being what they are, it would have been helpful to have had the odd screen around so that the event could be seen on closed circuit TV.