THE ST. MARYLEBONE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Autumn 2013 Number 339 www.stmarylebonesociety.org Registered Charity 274082 T R Y I N G F O R A C E N T U R Y ! Princess Anne unveiling the Royal Charter for Marylebone Cricket Club. Photo: Matt Bright – Copyright MCC. Marylebone Cricket Club has been awareness of the importance of sport for Marylebone Cricket Club since its notified by the Privy Council Office that it health, community, commercial and Foundation in 1787. political reasons, together with the has been granted a Royal Charter by Her St Marylebone is represented by the success of the London Olympics possibly Majesty The Queen. Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Holy helped Lord’s achieve its Royal Charter. Child, clad in gold and standing between MCC had previously applied for a Royal The St Marylebone Society were delighted two water lilies. To her right is an English Charter, in 1864 and again in 1929, so it to be invited to take part in the Charter Rose, on which sits the insect Gryllus was third time lucky this year with the Day celebrations which included meeting assimilis – better known as a field cricket. granting of the Charter which came into the Princess Royal, visiting the Museum, effect on 1 July. This altered the Club's hearing fascinating speeches and enjoying Father Time, the weather-vane, is also current status from that of unincorporated a wonderful luncheon in the famous Long represented and depicts the weather-vane association to that of a body incorporated Room. presented to MCC in 1926 as a gift from by Royal Charter. the architect Sir Herbert Baker, who The Royal Charter of MCC is made of designed the Grand Stand. In 1929 the petition was declined because, calfskin. From it hangs the Great Seal, it was explained to MCC Committee, that representing the signature of Her Majesty All countries playing Test Cricket are a Royal Charter had never been granted to Queen Elizabeth II, and it is illuminated represented with symbols including a a body whose objects are the promotion of with symbols in gold leaf and rich colour silver fern for New Zealand, Jasmine for sport and athletics. Today an increased which beautifully illustrate the history of Pakistan, a Palm Tree for the West Indies, Continued overleaf. the Flame Lily of Zimbabwe, the Lotus It is estimated that the entire project will provide a framework within which Ground Flower of India, Blue Water Lily of Sri cost between £180 million – £200 million. development over the next 15 years can Lanka and white water lily for Bangladesh. The Masterplan includes: be set. The phased approach allows room The Ashes Urn represents the friendly for flexibility and evolution. Our key Rebuilt Warner, Tavern, Allen, rivalry between England and Australia, and principles – on the absolute need to retain Compton and Edrich Stands; it was wonderful that the Ashes were won the size of both grounds, on keeping in this Charter Year to remain on display in The resiting of the Nursery Ground Lord’s as a Ground rather than making it a the Lord’s Museum. MCC is an important towards the Wellington Road; stadium, on the importance of green open institution we are proud to have in A new entrance on Grove End Road spaces, and on enhancing the experience Marylebone and its influence and which will be the main point of significance are of global proportions. for every visitor – will underpin all we do. access on non-match days; It is advanced work in progress, but can be MCC has recently announced a new Extensions to the Pavilion to flexed to reflect changing economic Masterplan for the development of Lord's reinstate its symmetry and establish circumstances, technology and research.” Ground with a phased plan which will start more pitch-facing facilities for with the redevelopment of the Warner MCC is not seeking planning permission players and match officials; An Stand in the autumn of 2014 and finish with increase to the capacity of Lord's by for the Masterplan as a whole. Instead the the reconstruction of the Compton and 2,700 to 32,000; Masterplan provides a long-term context Edrich Stands in 2027. The plan was for separate planning applications. It is compiled by MCC's Ground Working Party New buildings at the North, East proposed that the first application – for the (GWP) – under the chairmanship of and Grace Gates incorporating new Warner Stand – will be submitted to architect Colin Maber and has been banqueting facilities, retail space and designed by Populous, a design consortium offices for MCC and ECB staff; Westlminster City Council at the end of with expertise in sports planning. this year. The St Marylebone Society will A new Food "Street" behind the be consulted and is keen to be involved in MCC’s 10-year Strategic Plan commits the Compton and Edrich Stands to this exciting, innovative project. If you Club to ensuring that Lord’s is the finest replace the existing Food Village; and have a specific interest in this project and ground in the world and, aside from New, subterranean car-parking, would like to represent the Society in the improvements to facilities, the Masterplan access routes, waste management, reflects the importance placed on: catering and storage facilities. Lord’s Community Group please contact retaining the size of both the Main and the Society for more information. Colin Maber, the Chairman of MCC’s Nursery Grounds; establishing individual, Ground Working Party and Estates Please see the MCC website for more architecturally-significant stands; and committee explained, information about the club: maintaining the unique character of Lord’s complete with gardens and trees. “The Masterplan has been designed to http://www.lords.org The Lord’s Masterplan – indicative view. 2 B A K E R S T R E E T Q U A R T E R A M B A S S A D O R S L O O K I N G A F T E R Y O U R Q U A R T E R Since April this year you may have noticed the eye-catching Actions have been taken to clear the area and ensure that regular uniformed Baker Street Quarter Ambassadors on duty cleaning can be carried out as scheduled. Further improvements across Baker Street and Marylebone. But have you are planned to transform the underpass into a welcoming space - wondered what they do? These full-time Ambassadors are one that’s fit for the area. A little patience is needed however, much more than a friendly face. Welcoming visitors, is just there are quite a few hoops to jump through to make this happen. one aspect of their role, even so with over 30,000 people welcomed since they joined our streets, they’re certainly Another aspect of the Ambassador’s role is to keep a watchful kept busy! eye on people’s safety and help to reduce street crime. Thankfully the area isn’t known for high levels of crime and we Anna-Liisa and Amparo are full-time Ambassadors who would like it to stay that way. Having a uniformed presence on work tirelessly to ensure that the area’s standards of the streets certainly helps to deter crime and also offers a cleanliness and safety are maintained and improved where possible. With their bowler hats on, they monitor our friendly face and assistance to those few unfortunate victims. surroundings, looking out for any issues that need attention. Hopefully if you’ve not met Anna-Liisa and Amparo yet you soon Everything from anti-social behaviour to the amount of will. They’re a real asset to the area and we hope you’ll agree rubbish, graffiti and general wear and tear on our streets is that they’re doing a great job. Next time you pass our bowler monitored and assessed. Any issues are reported directly to hatted friends, do say hi! Westminster City Council, the Police, outreach charities and other partners, to be addressed and resolved. www.bakerstreetquarter.co.uk [email protected] The team is already having a huge impact in many ways with Telephone – 020 3056 5910 over 1,800 issues having been reported so far. Successes include assisting local businesses to comply with their allocated rubbish collection times so that our streets are not littered with unsightly rubbish bags all day, getting repairs to cracked and broken paving stones and arranging for unsightly and unpleasant graffiti to be removed. Progress is also being made to making the Marylebone Underpass more pleasant – something that we’re sure is welcomed by us all. 3 THE PROFUMO SCANDAL – A MARYLEBONE AFFAIR A month later Christine Keeler was found guilty of perjury during the trial of ‘Lucky’ Gordon who had been falsely imprisoned for brawling with Keeler at 33 Devonshire Street, where she was staying with a friend. Others who had sex with Keeler and Rice-Davies in Marylebone included Peter Rachman (the notorious landlord who employed thugs to intimidate tenants), Emile Savundra (the Sri Lankan insurance swindler), and John Bloom (whose washing machine empire later collapsed). It was in Marylebone Magistrates’ Court that Mandy Rice-Davies came up with her famous retort (when told Lord Astor had denied her claim they had been to bed): “Well, he would, wouldn't Mandy Rice-Davies (left) and Christine Keeler on the way to court on 27 July 1963. Getty Images. he?” According to Davenport-Hines, An English Affair: Sex, Class and secrets were passed from Profumo to however, this was just a "slick evasion", Power in the Age of Profumo.