Open House 2017

Last weekend was London Open House, the annual event (now in its 25th year) when hundreds of buildings across the capital open their doors to the general public. If you are not aware of this fabulous initiative, check out their website at www.openhouselondon.org.uk.

My visits this year were not picked for their clock interest, so I have included some clocks seen along the way as well as ones at the specific locations.

The first is a glimpse of Holy Trinity on Marylebone Road, a John Soane church of 1828.

The next exhibit is from a tour of Piccadilly station. There are several ordinary clocks around the ticket hall concourse, and then there is this oddity.

This shows the time anywhere in the world, with the focus of course on London, including the hour's difference during British Summer time.

The clock is still functioning mechanically, but no longer keeps good time. But as everyone passing seems to ignore it, perhaps this doesn't really matter.

Piccadilly Circus station was opened in 1906, but the clock dates from when the below surface booking office was completed in 1928.

The next clock is also from an Open House visit, and would not normally be accessible to the general public. But once year I allow them to be included in this blog. The clock in question is in one of the meeting rooms in the Royal College of General Practitioners on Euston Square.

Now to St Saviour's in Pimlico, which somewhat confusingly is on St George's Square. I haven't explored this part of London before, so it is the first time that I have come across this church. Which, if you are interested, was consecrated in July 1864.

Next is a clock of which I am familiar, but not from this vantage point.

The building in Buckingham Palace Road now houses the National Audit Office, but was originally completed in 1939 as the central London terminus of Imperial Airways.

And now another new church to me. This is St Barnabas, just off Pimlico Road. This church dates from 1850.

Eventually it is time to go home, starting from Sloane Square underground station. One interesting fact about this station is that the Westbourne River is carried in a huge pipe (not shown in the pictures below) across the platforms.

Now make a note that next year's London Open House event is on 22 / 23 September 2018.