Our Reunion this year will take place over Friday/Saturday 10/11th September and, dare I say it, we hope the sun will once more shine on the righteous as it has done in recent years!
After considering several alternatives at the AGM in April, the committee decided we should return to London, encouraged by the possibility of visiting the Guildhall, which will be a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity for many of us. Our long-time member Walter Barmford (himself a member of the Worshipful Company of Butchers) has undertaken to arrange this for us on the afternoon of Friday September 10th, with the proviso that the facilities are not required for one of the prestigious events they host – for example a banquet for a visiting head of state - which unfortunately would have to take precedence over the Bliss FHS. Therefore our visit cannot be finally confirmed until around mid-July.
However, I do not use the phrase 'once in a lifetime' lightly and, if Walter can pull this off, you will not be disappointed by the history, grandeur and architecture of this 800 year old landmark and home of the City of London Corporation. Please visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk to read more on this exciting prospect and indicate on the acceptance/payment slip whether you would hope to include a visit to the Guildhall if it becomes available – please include your phone number or email address so that I can keep you updated. The additional cost is at present unknown and will have to be advised later, but it should be limited to the sort of rate paid for a guided tour of any other top London venue. If it does not eventually prove possible then we do have an alternative tour pencilled in at the Bank of England Museum or the Museum of London.
On Saturday 11th September we continue with the theme from our 2008 Reunion at Stratford on Avon and visit the site of The Globe Theatre - built in 1599 by a consortium of actors and writers including William Shakespeare. The original open playhouse was destroyed by fire - reputedly caused by the firing of a theatrical cannon during a performance of Henry VIII. Today's faithful replica of the original Globe was conceived by the American actor and director Sam Wanamaker who founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust. Construction commenced in 1993 - sadly the same year Wanamaker died - and was completed in 1997.
We have arranged a guided theatre tour followed by a visit to the exhibition, which will be further enhanced as our visit falls on an 'activity weekend' with many additional events and features included. The theatre tour and exhibition will each take around 40 minutes and the meeting point for the morning is at 10.30 a.m. at the Exhibition entrance facing the Thames where I shall meet up with you and distribute your tickets.
Afterwards I have arranged a reserved section in the Swan at the Globe Bar where refreshments/ light lunches can be obtained (not included in the price).
For the afternoon I have opted for a visit to Southwark Cathedral, an oasis of tranquillity, where Sue and I stopped to rest our weary feet after walking back across the Millennium Bridge from a visit to St. Paul's cathedral during our 'recce' trip for this reunion weekend.
Southwark cathedral can trace its origins back over 1400 years. We hope to learn more about the life of Richard Bliss, a member of St. Saviour's vestry, whose life and work for the church is commemorated by a fine early 18th century monument in the cathedral. He is also remembered by the silver flagon presented to the church by his widow which is still in use today.
Our guide from the Cathedral will meet us at The Globe Theatre at 1.30 p.m. and take us on their historic Bankside walk. This will uncover the rich and colourful history of the area when bishops, bards and prostitutes once lived and worked alongside each other. Stops will be made at various locations and points of interests on the way to the Cathedral, where our tour will commence at about 2.15 p.m., ending at 3.45 p.m. when we will sit down together for a cream tea which we have included in the price.
The South Bank will be alive with activity this weekend, so we would recommend early hotel bookings. The weekend will feature the Mayor's Thames Festival – and although the final details have still to be announced – you can see the highlights from last year's event on www.thamesfestival.org.
This year's event will include Sing for Water 2010 a mass adult choir of over 800 people, a spectacular night carnival, a river parade and, on the Saturday night, the 'Feast on the Bridge'. Southwark Bridge will be closed to traffic and transformed into a spectacular open air dining space.
Add to this the attractions of Borough Market – open Thursdays/Fridays and Saturdays – London's largest and most renowned food and produce market and you will certainly not be short of places to visit over this weekend and for this reason we have not arranged an evening dinner or a set programme for Sunday!
The charge for the Saturday programme, inclusive of the cream tea at the cathedral is £21.00 for children and seniors, £22.50 for adults.