University of London

This Week in London – Charles Holden’s university vision; Two-Tone at the Barbican; and celebrating Winston…

by exploringlondon
Senate House. PICTURE: Tim Abbott (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

• A new exhibition celebrating the vision architect Charles Holden had for the design of the University of London – including the iconic Senate House – has opened at the venue. Holden had a hand in designing some 48 Tube stations and 55 Broadway – London’s first skyscraper - before in 1931 being appointed to develop the university’s Bloomsbury estate, including its headquarters. While the master plan was never completed (only the Senate House and its library were finished), it provides a fascinating insight into a part of London that could have been. Charles Holden’s Master Plan: Building the Bloomsbury Campus tells the story of institution’s design through architectural models, archival documents, photo albums, and other mixed media. The display in the Chancellor’s Hall Lobby on the first floor of the Senate House runs until 17th March. Entry is free. For more, see www.london.ac.uk/news-events/events/charles-holdens-master-plan-building-bloomsbury-campus.

• A new exhibition tracing the origins and influence of the popular British music genre known as two-tone has opened at the Barbican Music Library. Two-tone, which is also known as ‘ska-rock’ or ‘ska revival’ and which had its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s, fused traditional Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae music with elements of punk rock and new wave music. Its name comes from record label 2 Tone Records which was founded in 1978 by Jerry Dammers from The Specials, one of the most popular Two-tone bands of the time. The display – From the Caribbean to Coventry: Plotting the Rise of Two Tone – features band memorabilia as well as clothing, literature, art, photographs, and fan contributions, and explores how Caribbean immigration influenced UK youth culture. Runs until 25th May. Admission is free. For more, see https://fromthecaribbean2coventry.co.uk.

• FURTHER AFIELD: Sir Winston’s family home – Chartwell in Kent – is hosting a new outdoor photography exhibition to mark what would have been his 150th birthday which features some of most spectacular birthday cakes. Press interest into Churchill’s birthday extravaganza – and in particular the cakes – was considerable and historic photographs from TopFoto have now been colourised for the first time, bringing the baking creations vividly to life. The images can be seen until 25th February. For more, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/chartwell.

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What’s in a name? – Bloomsbury

by exploringlondon

Famous for its literary, intellectual and artistic heritage, Bloomsbury covers an area in central London which lies between Holborn and Euston Road.

The area, which became a fashionable residential district in the 17th and 18th centuries, derives its name from an earlier era and is named after William de Blemund (‘Blemundsbury’ means the manor of Blemund), who acquired land there in 1201.

It was later owned by the Earl of Southampton, who had begun developing the area in the 1660s – a task which was continued when the land passed, through the marriage of his daughter, into the hands of the Dukes of Bedford. Successive dukes were then involved – to varying degrees – in the development of series of residential squares and streets which eventually included the likes of Bedford, Russell and, of course, Bloomsbury Squares.

In the early 20th century, the area become home to what is known as the Bloomsbury Group – its members included the writers Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey and EM Forster. These days the area is noted for being home to the British Museum (first opened to the public in 1759) and the University of London.