Archive

 

This page of the website contains archival information of general historic interest.

The Millennium Clock

The Kensington Society donated a clock to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to commemorate the year of the Millennium. Strangely enough there was no clock on the Town Hall, and the Council was delighted that the Society was prepared to remedy that.
A clock was chosen whose design fitted into the 1960s building, and it is completely high-tech and never needs to be wound or adjusted. It is sited on the wall above the Princess Alice Memorial garden (which was also given by the Kensington Society) facing the Library so that it can be clearly seen from Hornton Street.

Queen's Golden Jubilee Concert On Monday 15th July a concert was held in St Mary Abbots, sponsored by the Kensington Society as their contribution to the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Musicians from the Royal College of Music and the London Handel Players presented an appropriate and interesting selection of music, led and introduced by Roderick Swanston who also gave a commentary. Drinks were available for all before the concert and the Kensington Society members present were invited back to the Mayor's Parlour at the end for some refreshment. Altogether it was a most enjoyable evening and as it was the day that the Queen's baton passed through
Kensington, it rounded off the Jubilee celebrations in an appropriate way.
Princess Diana Fountain Members will have noted the controversy over the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. When the whole question of a Memorial Fountain arose, our MP Michael Portillo, arranged for your Secretary and President to go and see the Minister about the question of where it should be. We managed to convince them that there was no room in the Kensington part of the Park, where we already have a Memorial Playground (double the size originally proposed) and the Diana Walkway. Although we managed to get our opinion over on that point, the Committee led by Rosa Monkton turned down our suggestion about having a local person join them, on the excuse that all the members were landscape architects. "A recipe for disaster" we said. And so it proved, with rival groups pressing for their own design. The design by Anish Kapoor seems to be in the ascendant, but we shall see more clearly in the future, no doubt!
New Vicar of Kensington On 26th June 2002 the Reverend Gillean Craig was inducted at St Mary Abbots Church as the new vicar of Kensington. During the service, which was taken by the Bishop of Kensington, the new Vicar was welcomed by the local community. Sir Ronald Arculus, the President of the Kensington Society welcomed him in the
name of the Society. The service was very dramatic and at the end most of the congregation went up to the Vicarage garden for a wonderful evening of refreshment.
Gaye Christiansen First Hon Sec until 2001. See Tributes
Ethne Rudd Second Hon Sec until 2008. See Ethne Rudd
Back to Top  
© The Kensington Society
Last Revised:04/04/2009