The Tower Of London

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:31 pm

Ruthie-Baby wrote:Outrageous.

That's St Paul's, the big cathedral place?

Surely it's there for the use of the public as and when. What is the world coming to?

Most cathedrals seem to charge now...

Ruthie-Baby(old a/c) · Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:40 pm

Great Plum wrote:
Ruthie-Baby wrote:Outrageous.

That's St Paul's, the big cathedral place?

Surely it's there for the use of the public as and when. What is the world coming to?
Most cathedrals seem to charge now...

... then they're all outrageous.

A cathedral is part of our heritage and society. The Church of England can hardly complain that its congragations are dwindling if it charges people to enter its buildings.

Disgusting. Someone should pass a law.

JamesF35 · Post by **JamesF35** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:26 pm

I remember getting into the Tower without paying. There was a small group of us and we walked down from 26 Gt Tower Street just to see if we could get in. I can't remember what we were doing at 26 GTS - probably some sort of choir jolly.

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:26 pm

JamesF35 wrote:I remember getting into the Tower without paying. There was a small group of us and we walked down from 26 Gt Tower Street just to see if we could get in. I can't remember what we were doing at 26 GTS - probably some sort of choir jolly.

We went there for lunch when we took our entrance exam.

Laura M · Post by **Laura M** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:44 pm

I went all the way from CH with some mates in my last year to go to the Tower of London. It was quite funny arriving at Victoria station in full Housey, we did get a few odd looks and we even manage to inspire an artist!! The funny thing about being in the tower was, as expected people took phots of us (mostly without asking) but when talking to a costumed tour guide a woman asked for our photo and not his!! I'll see if I can find some pictures we took on the day.

We also thinking about it nearly got into the London Dungeon for free, they said if we had called ahead we might have made it!! So to any current Grecians why not give that a try?

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:41 am

Ruthie-Baby wrote:
Great Plum wrote:
Ruthie-Baby wrote:Outrageous.

That's St Paul's, the big cathedral place?

Surely it's there for the use of the public as and when. What is the world coming to?
Most cathedrals seem to charge now...
... then they're all outrageous.

A cathedral is part of our heritage and society. The Church of England can hardly complain that its congragations are dwindling if it charges people to enter its buildings.

Disgusting. Someone should pass a law.

I agree

Even when they say it's free but donations are welcome they suggest the amount you should pay and usually have some fierce looking woman on the counter you have to walk by

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:47 pm

Vonny wrote:
Ruthie-Baby wrote:
Great Plum wrote: Most cathedrals seem to charge now...
... then they're all outrageous.

A cathedral is part of our heritage and society. The Church of England can hardly complain that its congragations are dwindling if it charges people to enter its buildings.

Disgusting. Someone should pass a law.
I agree Even when they say it's free but donations are welcome they suggest the amount you should pay and usually have some fierce looking woman on the counter you have to walk by

and it is supposed to stay up by the grace of God I suppose?

Hendrik · Post by **Hendrik** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:55 am

it's a good point actually. there's all these millions of people burning incense to him, and he can't even fix a few of 'his' own buildings himself...

hardly worth genuflecting for....

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:28 pm

Hendrik - you are such a cynic!

sejintenej · Post by **sejintenej** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:44 pm

The City of London has a mass of functions which occur for historical reasons and the ability of boys in Housie uniform to get into anywhere under corporation control for free is simply a relic of the City's close connection with the school. (I'm not saying you will get in - many money grabbers probably don't know the "rules").

The "benefits" bring responsibilities; I suspect that the annual attendance at St Sepulchure's Church is a Bowdlerisation of the old practice of charging members of the public to view the pupils at supper.

I don't have my books here so I'm going from memory; the Senior Grecian is required to attend upon the new Lord Mayor and present an address; I think it is part of the Lord Mayor's Parade every year.

In my day ex-members of the Housie CCF - which was everybody - could (subject to the Army's health and physical attributes regulations) join the Honourable Artillery Company and drill with muskets, pike and drum in 17th century garb (a modernisation of 16th century CH garb) and which is TA. It was perhaps the most prestigeous "club" in the City with its own cricket pitch, lawns, field guns etc. right in the heart of the City. The payback was that you would automatically get a Commission if called up.

I'm not sure if it is the sovereign's funeral or Coronation when the Senior Grecian is required to present a loyal address to the sovereign.

There are a number of other duties which I certainly never heard about as a pupil but subsequently saw photos of. That, for me, is what makes the City so fascinating and I am glad to hear that pupils are enforcing their rights.

Sheep over London Bridge? This is a right of Freemen of the City of London and I would be far from surprised to learn that OBs have a fast track to being made Freemen.

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:24 pm

englishangel wrote:
Vonny wrote:
Ruthie-Baby wrote: ... then they're all outrageous.

A cathedral is part of our heritage and society. The Church of England can hardly complain that its congragations are dwindling if it charges people to enter its buildings.

Disgusting. Someone should pass a law.
I agree Even when they say it's free but donations are welcome they suggest the amount you should pay and usually have some fierce looking woman on the counter you have to walk by
and it is supposed to stay up by the grace of God I suppose?

Well I think it's fair enough to ask for donations but when they suggest the amount you should donate it kind of p*sses me off.

99yorkpj · Post by **99yorkpj** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:35 pm

darthmaul wrote:Last St Matthew's Day, about 6 of us made it into the Tower free of charge. We had walked through London in the pouring rain, in Housey, as well as having got on the Tube. Londoners are an amazingly adaptable bunch - they barely stared!!!

I know, that was amazing wasnt it? I just wonder why we didnt ask for free food too...

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:45 pm

sejintenej wrote:The City of London has a mass of functions which occur for historical reasons and the ability of boys in Housie uniform to get into anywhere under corporation control for free is simply a relic of the City's close connection with the school. (I'm not saying you will get in - many money grabbers probably don't know the "rules").

The "benefits" bring responsibilities; I suspect that the annual attendance at St Sepulchure's Church is a Bowdlerisation of the old practice of charging members of the public to view the pupils at supper.

I don't have my books here so I'm going from memory; the Senior Grecian is required to attend upon the new Lord Mayor and present an address; I think it is part of the Lord Mayor's Parade every year.

In my day ex-members of the Housie CCF - which was everybody - could (subject to the Army's health and physical attributes regulations) join the Honourable Artillery Company and drill with muskets, pike and drum in 17th century garb (a modernisation of 16th century CH garb) and which is TA. It was perhaps the most prestigeous "club" in the City with its own cricket pitch, lawns, field guns etc. right in the heart of the City. The payback was that you would automatically get a Commission if called up.

I'm not sure if it is the sovereign's funeral or Coronation when the Senior Grecian is required to present a loyal address to the sovereign.

There are a number of other duties which I certainly never heard about as a pupil but subsequently saw photos of. That, for me, is what makes the City so fascinating and I am glad to hear that pupils are enforcing their rights.

Sheep over London Bridge? This is a right of Freemen of the City of London and I would be far from surprised to learn that OBs have a fast track to being made Freemen.

The cricket pitch in the middle of the city is where all the bands for the Lord Mayors show line up - I think!

Moulam · Post by **Moulam** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:43 pm

i was also one of the group who went up on st mathews day (05). it was a great day, apart from the rain.

i will rember it, not because of the free entry, but because at the time i was carying the bags for 3 people and they were doing bag checks at the entrance to check we were not terorists! the man doing the checking the bags saw me coming and his face fell at the prospect of going through all of the bags.

the checking could not have been effective though, they let me through

pity we forgot to get the free food though

and, as it is our final year for all of us who went, we will not get another chance ... where to hide a spare housey and some socks, hmmmmmm

cj · Post by cj » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:16 am

sejintenej wrote:The City of London has a mass of functions which occur for historical reasons .... Sheep over London Bridge? This is a right of Freemen of the City of London and I would be far from surprised to learn that OBs have a fast track to being made Freemen.

Isn't the Senior Grecian allowed to marry and live with his wife at CH? As well as drive sheep over London Bridge, of course.