weary, silly routine of battlements, mullions, transoms, and the nasty little spandrels of doorheads. ” “The Gothic period has left many beautiful things in Oxford as well as many dull; but not a kind of building for living and working in. ’’ The new buildings projected for Lincoln, Mr. MacColl’s old college, are, on the score of “congruity” to be Gothic re
vivalist, and he has a pious hope, when the subscription list has decided how much of this ambitious scheme can be carried out, that the committee will revise its ideas as to the true bearings of congruity and set a belated example to other builders. The committee might even study The Manchester Guardian’s recent article on Gothic Revivalism, and Manchester was once a stronghold of that misguided movement.
The arrangements for the John Wood Bi-centenary Celebration at Bath on Tuesday, November 1, are now practically complete. After luncheon at the Guildhall, where the Mayor of Bath, Alderman Cedric Chivers, is entertaining the chief guests, motor cars will be in readiness to convey all those attending the celebration round Bath to see some of the principal works of the great Georgian architect and pioneer of town planning, including Prior Park, the great mansion he built on the outskirts of Bath for Ralph Allen, whose business capacity and generous patronage made Wood’s work possible. The tour will he under the guidance of Mr. Mowbray A. Green, F. R. I. B. A., author of the standard work on ‘‘The Eighteenth Century Architecture
of Bath. ” The President of the Royal Institute of British Architects will place a laurel wreath on John Wood’s house, No. 24 Queen Square. The celebration meeting will then be held at the Pump Room, where speeches will be delivered by Sir H. Kingsley Wood, M. P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, K. T., F. R. S., Hon. F. R. I. B. A., and Mr. Walter Tapper, A. R. A., President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. After the meeting an exhibition will he opened of original drawings by John Wood, old prints, documents and various objects of interest relating to his work. An influential Advisory Committee is assisting in the collection of material for the museum and in the general organisation of the celebration. Interest in civic architecture and town-planning is not confined to professional architects, and a wide interest is being shown in the celebration. Special railway facilities from London have been granted by the Great Western Railway, and particulars of these and a detailed programme of the proceedings may be obtained from Mr. John Hatton, the Pump Room, Bath, Hon. Secretary to the Celebration Committee.
The protest of Surrey residents and others against the acquisition by the War Department of Commons in that county has been successful up to a point. The deputation which waited upon the War Secretary last week was an exceedingly influential one, and included four ex-Cabinet Ministers, Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Philip Snowden, Mr. H. A. L. Fisher and Lord Midleton; also Lord Crawford for the C. P. R. E., Sir John Brunner for the Commons and Footpaths Preservation Society, Mr. R. C. Norman for the National Trust, Mr. Frank Lemon for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Lord Farrer for the Kent and Surrey Commons Preservation Society, Mr. A. G. Thompson for the Federation of Rambling Clubs, and the Mayors of Guildford and Godaiming. While the protesters did not secure the abandonment of the War Office proposals, they obtained from Sir L. Worthington-Evans numerous guarantees against any spoliation of the Commons, and a suggestion that the deputation should appoint a small representative committee to confer with the War Office as to the safeguards which
were required. The suggestion was finally accepted by Lord Midleton on behalf of the deputation, although he did not admit that such a step implied any surrender of the contentions he had put forward, or that he was satisfied with the War Secretary’s guarantees, particularly in the matter of temporary buildings. We cannot follow Sir L. Worthington- Evans’ point that owing to the great increase in the range of the modern rifle, the safety areas of the training grounds had to be increased, not diminished. With the great and growing increase of population in the home counties it would seem more desirable to consider the question of moving the training grounds to some less populated part of the kingdom. The danger of the whole business is that while the present War Secretary may bind himself to various undertakings, he cannot bind his successor, and that, while his tenure of office may be limited, the tenure of the permanent officials who formulate policies may continue long after he has gone. It is apparent that those who wish to preserve the Commons from destruction will have to watch the War Office as a cat watches a mouse, safeguards or no safeguards.
We are reminded that the Royal Commission appointed to consider the means for preserving London’s squares and open spaces will be in active session almost immediately, and the London Society draws our attention to the illustrated booklet, ʼʼLondon Squares and How to Save Them, ’’ which it published a little while ago, giving particulars of the present position of these lungs of the Metropolis. In the meantime the L. C. C. has received a report from its Special Committee appointed to consider the Holborn and St. Pancrass town-planning scheme, which includes the Bloomsbury squares, the total area of which is 19½ acres. The Committee hope it will be possible under this scheme “to provide for an area, exclusive of roadways, equivalent to that at present existing, to be preserved. It is also hoped that, having regard to the statutory and legal position, and the desirability from the point of view of owners of maintaining such squares unbuilt upon, payment of compensation will not be required. Should the question of compensation arise at a later stage, the Council would, of course, be in a position to reconsider any part of the proposals. ” These rather cryptic utterances will not carry, on face value, any particular comfort to those who fear that the amenities of Bloomsbury are in danger of destruction, but it is probable that much more is implied by them than can, at this juncture, be definitely stated in unmistakable words. Obviously, now that the Royal Commission has been appointed, its findings on this vexed question must be published before any of the interested parties can move. Incidentally, The Manchester Guardian has given publicity to the latest proposal for utilising the Foundling Hospital site and buildings as a Hostel for Overseas Students in London. It is a fine site for a worthy and much-needed institution, and should make its appeal to the generous instincts of the self-governing Dominions. The poor old hospital is now beginning to look somewhat derelict. Coram and his pedestal have gone, the glass is out of the Chapel windows, which are boarded up; the pylons that flanked the centre walk have vanished; and even the little roundels on the lodges have been removed. Presumably, the Governors reserved the right to remove any work of artistic importance or sentimental association when they sold the estate.
The Hull City Council decided last week to erect a public abattoir, which it is expected will cost £250, 000. The Council bought a site for this building about 20 years ago.
vivalist, and he has a pious hope, when the subscription list has decided how much of this ambitious scheme can be carried out, that the committee will revise its ideas as to the true bearings of congruity and set a belated example to other builders. The committee might even study The Manchester Guardian’s recent article on Gothic Revivalism, and Manchester was once a stronghold of that misguided movement.
The arrangements for the John Wood Bi-centenary Celebration at Bath on Tuesday, November 1, are now practically complete. After luncheon at the Guildhall, where the Mayor of Bath, Alderman Cedric Chivers, is entertaining the chief guests, motor cars will be in readiness to convey all those attending the celebration round Bath to see some of the principal works of the great Georgian architect and pioneer of town planning, including Prior Park, the great mansion he built on the outskirts of Bath for Ralph Allen, whose business capacity and generous patronage made Wood’s work possible. The tour will he under the guidance of Mr. Mowbray A. Green, F. R. I. B. A., author of the standard work on ‘‘The Eighteenth Century Architecture
of Bath. ” The President of the Royal Institute of British Architects will place a laurel wreath on John Wood’s house, No. 24 Queen Square. The celebration meeting will then be held at the Pump Room, where speeches will be delivered by Sir H. Kingsley Wood, M. P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, K. T., F. R. S., Hon. F. R. I. B. A., and Mr. Walter Tapper, A. R. A., President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. After the meeting an exhibition will he opened of original drawings by John Wood, old prints, documents and various objects of interest relating to his work. An influential Advisory Committee is assisting in the collection of material for the museum and in the general organisation of the celebration. Interest in civic architecture and town-planning is not confined to professional architects, and a wide interest is being shown in the celebration. Special railway facilities from London have been granted by the Great Western Railway, and particulars of these and a detailed programme of the proceedings may be obtained from Mr. John Hatton, the Pump Room, Bath, Hon. Secretary to the Celebration Committee.
The protest of Surrey residents and others against the acquisition by the War Department of Commons in that county has been successful up to a point. The deputation which waited upon the War Secretary last week was an exceedingly influential one, and included four ex-Cabinet Ministers, Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Philip Snowden, Mr. H. A. L. Fisher and Lord Midleton; also Lord Crawford for the C. P. R. E., Sir John Brunner for the Commons and Footpaths Preservation Society, Mr. R. C. Norman for the National Trust, Mr. Frank Lemon for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Lord Farrer for the Kent and Surrey Commons Preservation Society, Mr. A. G. Thompson for the Federation of Rambling Clubs, and the Mayors of Guildford and Godaiming. While the protesters did not secure the abandonment of the War Office proposals, they obtained from Sir L. Worthington-Evans numerous guarantees against any spoliation of the Commons, and a suggestion that the deputation should appoint a small representative committee to confer with the War Office as to the safeguards which
were required. The suggestion was finally accepted by Lord Midleton on behalf of the deputation, although he did not admit that such a step implied any surrender of the contentions he had put forward, or that he was satisfied with the War Secretary’s guarantees, particularly in the matter of temporary buildings. We cannot follow Sir L. Worthington- Evans’ point that owing to the great increase in the range of the modern rifle, the safety areas of the training grounds had to be increased, not diminished. With the great and growing increase of population in the home counties it would seem more desirable to consider the question of moving the training grounds to some less populated part of the kingdom. The danger of the whole business is that while the present War Secretary may bind himself to various undertakings, he cannot bind his successor, and that, while his tenure of office may be limited, the tenure of the permanent officials who formulate policies may continue long after he has gone. It is apparent that those who wish to preserve the Commons from destruction will have to watch the War Office as a cat watches a mouse, safeguards or no safeguards.
We are reminded that the Royal Commission appointed to consider the means for preserving London’s squares and open spaces will be in active session almost immediately, and the London Society draws our attention to the illustrated booklet, ʼʼLondon Squares and How to Save Them, ’’ which it published a little while ago, giving particulars of the present position of these lungs of the Metropolis. In the meantime the L. C. C. has received a report from its Special Committee appointed to consider the Holborn and St. Pancrass town-planning scheme, which includes the Bloomsbury squares, the total area of which is 19½ acres. The Committee hope it will be possible under this scheme “to provide for an area, exclusive of roadways, equivalent to that at present existing, to be preserved. It is also hoped that, having regard to the statutory and legal position, and the desirability from the point of view of owners of maintaining such squares unbuilt upon, payment of compensation will not be required. Should the question of compensation arise at a later stage, the Council would, of course, be in a position to reconsider any part of the proposals. ” These rather cryptic utterances will not carry, on face value, any particular comfort to those who fear that the amenities of Bloomsbury are in danger of destruction, but it is probable that much more is implied by them than can, at this juncture, be definitely stated in unmistakable words. Obviously, now that the Royal Commission has been appointed, its findings on this vexed question must be published before any of the interested parties can move. Incidentally, The Manchester Guardian has given publicity to the latest proposal for utilising the Foundling Hospital site and buildings as a Hostel for Overseas Students in London. It is a fine site for a worthy and much-needed institution, and should make its appeal to the generous instincts of the self-governing Dominions. The poor old hospital is now beginning to look somewhat derelict. Coram and his pedestal have gone, the glass is out of the Chapel windows, which are boarded up; the pylons that flanked the centre walk have vanished; and even the little roundels on the lodges have been removed. Presumably, the Governors reserved the right to remove any work of artistic importance or sentimental association when they sold the estate.
The Hull City Council decided last week to erect a public abattoir, which it is expected will cost £250, 000. The Council bought a site for this building about 20 years ago.