King's Cross Poetry Trail

The King’s Cross’ poetry trail features children’s poets that are derived and form a celebration of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education CLPE Poetry Award back in 2014. It is brought together with the King’s Cross Limited Partnership and the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.

"We don’t want children to be frightened of poetry, we want them to be given it as an everyday part of their lives and having the poetry trail in such a prominent place and the poems displayed so beautifully gives a high profile to this really important aspect of children’s literature. In Kings Cross we have been lucky enough to be able to display a real range of the best children’s poetry available in an accessible and exciting way, which is exactly the purpose of the CLPE Poetry Award." - Roger McGough, Chair of the judges for the Poetry Award 2014

In total there are 12 poems that form a treasure hunt around the King’s Cross area. Some of which have been moved about due to the development of the area. Originally, the trail had 11 clues which allow the children to decipher allowing them to navigate between each poem.

"King’s Cross is enjoyed by lots of children already, including the ones living in the new homes here; from September next year a new Academy will open, bringing primary school kids together with the relocated Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children. We hope they will enjoy the poetry trail as part of the gardens and public spaces here at King’s Cross." - Robert Evans, Argent

"The aim of the award is to make good children’s poetry books known to a wider audience and to make poetry central to literacy teaching. The Kings Cross Partnership have helped us to show the shortlisted poetry in an engaging, exciting and really high profile way. We are delighted with the experience the trail provides for children, parents and teachers. It makes poetry relevant and fun." - Louise Johns-Shepherd, CEO of CLPE

Trees Are Great - Roger McGough

 Sshhhhh! - Julia Donaldson

 The Teacher Tells us How to Play at Playtime - Joanne Limburg

 Steel birds - Kathy Henderson

 The Brill - Aidan Dun *

 The Day We Went to the Multi-Skills Festival - Joanne Limburg

 Wayland: The Tale of the Smith from the Far North - Tony Mitton

 The Dragon with a Big Nose - Kathy Henderson

 Miss Spring - Grace Nichols

 The Lake's Bottom - George Szirtes

 Voices of Water - Tony Mitton

 Sonnet to an Earthworm - Grace Nichols



Aidan Dun's poem The Brill reads:

Kings Cross, dense with angels and histories. There are cities beneath your pavements. Cities behind your skies. Let me see!

#foundit

Bishopsgate Institute

Bishopsgate Institute boasts a library that is independent, public and free as well as hosts cultural events and courses for adults held at the institute. Opening in 1895, it has since then become a tour de force in opening minds and challenging perceptions. It is not only known for its collections and programmes but it has a rich history to it. The institute was built ‘for the benefit of the public to promote lectures, exhibitions and otherwise the advancement of literature, science and the fine arts’ are met from the initial concepts to this present day.

In 1891, a scheme was green lit for a library to be opened by the Charity Commissioners, using funds from donations covering 500 years to the parish of St Botolph without Bishopsgate. In 1893, the plans for the institute were laid down and the charity set up. Interests piqued as they set up a marquee outside the site in 1893. In 1894, the institute was completed and opened up by Prime Minister, Lord Roseberry. 

Reverend William Rogers headbust statue in the Boardroom

A key figure in the development was Reverend William Rogers, who pushed for educational reform and free libraries. He saw through the whole development and made sure that the goals for the original charitable intentions of the build were met. He believed that intellectual wellbeing succeeded spiritual wellbeing and hung theology and religion. Reverend William Rogers wanted to create a scheme for the poor and to further educate young people to continue on their learning past 11 years of age. For the grand opening of the institute, Reverend Rogers held a ceremony which included a ball, floral displays and a live band. The platform was open for anyone to attend. 

"BI" branding on stairwell

Through a design competition, Charles Harrison Townsend designs was chosen to represent the architecture of the building. The competition was kept anonymous as the choice was done as to not get in a well-known architect. He employed Art Nouveau and from his interests, arts and crafts influences from Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, which is apparent in the building from the arch entrance, mosaic floor, and twin roof turrets. Townsend affections towards the “Tree of Life” themes of fruit and flower motifs are carried throughout the designs. The design flows and is very organic showing off the maturity of the institute. In other aspects of the institute’s design was that they became early adopters of branding at a time when it was ever conceived as you’ll notice the initials “BI” sprawled in some places in the institute and most notably on the stairs from the hallway leading up to the upper levels of the boardroom.

The Great Hall is also referred to as the oyster room having found many pots of oyster shells during refurbishments. During the Elizabethan times, oysters were cheaply obtained and highly available. Townsend design of the hall was to allow natural skylight and floor light to come through. Because many of a lecture was held in the halls with lanterns, Townsend planned and located exits all around the hall for quick evacuations in case a fire broke out. The floor was made with solid oak that was fireproof.

By the early 20th century, interest activities started to spring up with from hobby horse combat to Christmas parties. During the First World War, changes started to come in with introductions to a whole new wave of activities such as social dances, fundraising, treasure hunts, table tennis and badminton. A pipe organ was built in by Townsend for music concerts.

There was once a newsroom and reading room at the institute where there were big stands to hold the enormous newspapers that were printed on large sheets of papers. Because newspapers were so expensive then and the newspaper was free to read in the institute, it became a popular destination to get the latest fix on news so much so that a time was required to be imposed for each person that wanted to read it.

Not only that, the institute became a hub for information in the corridors to the library, which held statistical information regarding gains and losses much like the exchange. It also held job board advertisements.

The library’s lamps were replaced and replicated to the originals and the shelves are all of the originals in the library. The bookcases still retains the step at the bottom and handles to the side so as to reach books on the higher shelves. This proved a problem at an earlier time, when ladies didn’t want peeing toms to be eyeing her up so the reading room was split between males and females. The problem was further addressed when a catalogue of the books and archives were implemented. One noticeable feature of the library is the dome glass roof which is of the Nouveau style. The glass pane was damaged when an IRA bomb exploded at St Mary Axe causing great damage to the vicinity which included St Helen’s Bishopsgate.

The archives holds donated items from charities such as Stonewall and Shelter, which show the sheer volume in the institute’s social and radical collection. The basement to the archives is where some of their collections are held, where books are also binded and restored in a temperature controlled environment.

George Howell’s desk resides in the library/archives, which was restored in 2002. In 1848, George Howell started himself off in Chartism and later, he got involved with the bricklayers strike having become involved in trade unionism in 1861. He also successfully campaigned for urban male household suffrage with the Reform Act which was passed in 1867. He was elected as secretary to the TUC’s Parliamentary Committee in 1871 and then Liberal MP for Bethnal Green from 1885 to 1895. He was the first labour historian. In 1906, His collection of books and pamplets that covered 19th century political and economic issues were acquired by the governers of the Bishopsgate Institute.

Ronald Heaton was chief of Lewisham Library until he moved to Bishopsgate Institute to work as the librarian there. He was heavily involved in running concerts for the institute. He kept on working for the institute and has become a permanent fixture of the institute. A portrait of him can be found in the library.


Courtyard Room

Refurbishments took place in 1994 which saw an 18th century house Brushfield Street added into Bishopsgate Institute. In 1997, light fittings and a colour scheme were both added in the library. From 2009 to 2011, a £7.2 million renewal programme to bring the institute to the highest standards helmed by Charles Sheppard Architects.

Upper Hall

Boardroom

Bishopsgate Institute holds programmes ranging from talks and discussions to social dances and concerts. On Friday lunchtime, they hold music concerts in partnership with the City Music Society. They do a range of courses for adults which centred on language, performing arts and culture. The library there is free and open to all to use, with a massive collection on London and political history including archives of Freedom Press and the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive (LAGNA).

Plantation Lane

In one of London’s oldest parts is Plantation Lane and now features an art installation, which was installed in 2005.

Scrawled against the floor is texts that run across history making use of light, language and space. It is brought together through a collaborative project between Arup Associates and Simon Patterson.

The art installation features laser-cut letterings as it lines up along paving slits which forms a journey conjoining the texts of history as it flows and curves. The work also features a light installation of a wall of the moon surface measuring 41 metres long and 6 metres high. The work to different points of history from the Battle of Hastings to the London Blitz.

#PlantationLane

Society of Antiquaries of London - Magna Carta Through the Ages

Magna Carta Through the Ages is an exhibition at the Society of Antiquaries of London held on 26 May to 31 July 2015. Conservations work were done on the 1215 draft and 1225 reissue of the Magna Carta by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Art Conservation Project, which is shown in this exhibition. The exhibition showcases three lots of Magna Carta and its reiterations, giving the history behind them.

Magna Carta Through the Ages

In January 1215, key members of the Baronial Elites demanded the reissue of the Coronation Charter that was created by Henry I which aimed to “abolish evil customs by which the kingdom of England has been unjustly oppressed”. King John at the time tried to find a leeway so said to them that he would make a decision on “Law Sunday” on 26 April (first Monday after Easter). King John and those that opposed him approached Pope Innocent to seek support from the Pope. The Pope, however, got behind King John which caused a rift between the King and Barons.

On 5 May 1215, the Barons performed the ceremony of diffidatio thus cutting ties with the king. A siege of sorts occurred when the citizens of London open the gates to the Barons with the latter declaring that they will not make peace until both parties came to an agreement. King John finding no way out agreed to the reissue of the charter.

In May 1215, the Barons were no longer happy with the reissue as well as growing demands wanted charters to be created for the Barons. Their demands were recorded first in the Unknown Charter (mid-late May) and the Articles of the Barons (10 June). In them, further changes were made with particular grievances addressed such as service in the King’s army in Poitou and raising of the war tax (also known as scutage). They Barons wanted to limit the King’s power so that he can rule accordingly to the law so the security clause was introduced (C. 49 in Articles of the Barons and C. 61 in the Magna Carta). The clause states that the King must follow the terms of the agreement even if he is reluctant to do so. Final terms of agreement were done during, what was known as Runnymede, which ran from 15 to 19 June.

The Black Book of Peterborough

A discarded draft of the Magna Carta was sent to Peterborough Abbey. The text was reproduced to become the Cartulary, which also contained information relating to the Abbey’s land. Upon the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, a lot of the land was seized by ther King. Some of the land was given to William Cecil, who also obtained the Black Book of Peterborough, and some others were given to Baron Burley, who established the fist most famous and politically influential dynasty.

In 1778, Brownlow Cecil, ninth Earl of Exeter, donated the Black Book of Peterborough to the Society of Antiquaries of London as well as the English translation of the book. The Black Book has remained with the society ever since then. The society expressed the gratitude for his generosity saying Cecil “expressed their most respectful acknowledgements and thanks to his Lordship for his very curious and valuable present.

The Great Seal of the Magna Carta

King John did not sign any of the Charters, instead authrorised his Chancellor to mark it with the Great Seal so as to officiate the documents. 1 of 4 1215 Magna Carta with the Great Seal survived but was horrendously damaged in a fire in 1731.

In 1733, John Pine engraved the writing of the original Magna Carta in a readable format so that the text itself was preserved. He created a depiction of the seal and recreated the 25 coats of arms of King John’s Batons which encased the text. This was obtained by the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1842. The exhibition only contained later copies so they would not have been stamped.

Halesowen Abbey Scroll

The 1215 Magna Carta was almost annulled by the Pope but a reissue by the minority government of King John’s son Henry III in 1216 and 1217. In 1225, Henry III come of age and was able to issue a definitive Magna Carta. He issued a contemporary which is believed to have come from the Halesowen Abbey. It became a companion to the 1217 Magna Carta which included the Charter of the Forest which included the government of royal forests. The Halesowen Abbey was founded by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, who formed the early foundation for the basis of Henry III. The monks created their own Magna Carta which could be somehow connected to Henry III’s connection to the Bishop.

In 1558, the scroll was acquired by the Lyttelton family. Bishop Charles Lyttelton was elected as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and became president in 1765 until death. He left the scroll to the society upon his death.

A Debate between Fellows

William Blackstone, who was a lawyer, wrote The Great Charter and Charter of the Forest which differentiated all the different Magna Cartas. This eventually led to his recommendation for election as a Fellow of the Society and his recommendation said that he was “particularly skilful in the legal and historical Antiquaries of our country”.

Bishop Lyttelton allowed Blackstone to view the Halesowen Abbey Scroll and then his private collection. Their relationship was not always rosy as Blackstone accused the scroll as not of the original. In January 1761, he wrote a paper defending his decision.

In 1762, he was elected as a Fellow of the society and yet again presented a paper that the scroll was not the original saying he had “decisive proof, or at least a violent presumption, that this Roll never passed the Great Seal”.

The Hart Book of Statutes

The 14th century volume is a collection of statutes of written laws brought together by the country’s legislative body but it is not known who commissioned this piece. It was compiled for use by the lawyers and administrator. Henry III’s 1225 Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest is incorporated in the Hart Book of Statutes showing the importance and how accepted the Charter was. It was exhibited and presented by Wulliam Henry Hart to the Society on 6 March 1862.

Presented on the side of the book are two examples of 16th Century printed editions of the Magna Carta. One from 1508, which is the first printed edition of the Magna Carta created by Richard Pynson and is possibly donated by John Bruce. The other is of Richard Pynson’s rival Robert Redman who created the first English translated edition of the Magna Carta with the copy in the exhibition possibly donated by Dr Edwin Freshfield.

#MagnaCarta

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre was originally the venue for tennis and the hockey pitches were across two bridges on Hopkins’ Fields. During the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, the venue had 9 competition pitches and 4 warm-up pitches. It was reopened in June 2014 as a conjoined site. The centre is at what is known as Eton Manor at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. You’ll be able to find the poem Carol Ann Duffy wrote for Eton Manor. War memorials dedicating to people who fought in World War I on Eton Manor are displayed on site.

The centre now holds 2 hockey pitches, 4 indoor tennis courts and 6 outdoor courts. There is Hockey training and weekend matches for all ages and skill levels that run as sessions weekly. The Hockey stadium holds up to 3,000 people. There is a café on the first level of the centre.

In early 20th Century, 4 pioneering men who attended Eton school decided that they wanted to give something back to the community so set up the Eton Manor Boys' Club. In over 100 years, Eton Manor provided underprivileged boys and men a chance to take part in sports, which built a community around it.

Carol Ann Duffy was commissioned to write the poem for Eton Manor which is now displayed on the outside the hockey pitch wall attached to the main centre:

The past is all around us, in the air,
the acres were once ‘the Wilderness’ –
“Blimey, it’s fit for a millionaire” -
Where Eton Manor Boys Club came to train;
Or, in the Clubhouse (built 1913)
translated poverty to self-esteem
camaraderie, and optimism smiled in smiles.

Hackney Wick –
Fleas, flie, bin-lids, Clarnico’s Jam;
the poor enclosed by railway, marshland, factories, canal –
where Wellesley, Villers, Wagg, Cadogan came,
philanphropists, to clear glorious space;
connect the power of place to human hope,
through World War One, the Blitz till 1967…
on this spot; functional, free, real - heaven.

This is Legacy –
young lives respected, cherished, valued, helped
to sprint, swim, bowl, box, play, excel, belong;
believe community is self in multitude –
the way the past still dedicates to us its distant, present light.
The Same high sky, same East End moon,
above this reclaimed wilderness,
where relay boys are raced by running ghosts.

The design of the poem was created by Stephen Raw who worked with a local sign maker to create the lettering. The lettering were created from brass using water jet cutting techniques which were then placed upon the stainless steel plating. The Eton Manor poem is part of the "Art in the Park" series.