HOLT’s Director Nicola Stacey on the Standard 100 list

We are thrilled that HOLT Director, Dr Nicola Stacey, has been listed as one of the 100 top people shaping London as part of The Standard 100’s list published today. The list covers a wide range of categories including the arts, politics, media, sport and charity: "the movers and shakers...representing the rich tapestry that defines our great city."

The list includes amazing Londoners from Dr Tim Spector to David Attenborough and Tracey Emin. The three people in the Heritage category are Shobi Khan, CEO of Canary Wharf, Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, and Nicola Stacey.

With over 850 projects completed and 8,000 young people involved in our projects in the last four years we’re excited about future developments. Please stay in touch with us!

To see the full Standard 100 list see here:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/standard-100-list-shaping-london-influential-names-2024-b1190708.html

For our entry:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/science/100-list-people-shaping-london-science-medicine-environment-b1190247.html

Christchurch drinking fountain

Work has started on restoring the Christchurch fountain in Blackfriars’ Road, Southwark.

This drinking fountain was erected in the churchyard of Christchurch in Southwark in 1900 by John Passmore Edwards, a philanthropist and newspaper owner who financed 70 public buildings and 11 fountains across London. 

The fountain was in poor condition with a damaged roof, missing stone basin and had not been working for some years. HOLT is working with Southwark Council to include a new concrete foundation, repairs to the masonry and timber roof, recarving a stone basin, new slate tiles and inserting new taps in order to restore it to public use. Our thanks to Delancey for supporting this project.

As part of our Proud Places programme, around 75 young people from alternative provision schools, youth groups and primary schools have already visited and met the conservators on-site.

Christchurch fountain is one of 14 historic drinking fountains currently being restored by HOLT, with 13 already fully restored to working order.

Commerce Welcoming All Nations frieze

Work has started on a huge 73 foot long Victorian frieze in Battishill Gardens, Islington.

Carved in 1842 by little-known sculptor Musgrave Watson (who also carved one of the base reliefs of Nelson’s Column), the Commerce Welcoming All Nations frieze was originally across the front of a grand Hall of Commerce on Threadneedle Street in the City. Inside the building were two huge halls, with Corinthian columns and pilasters and elegantly coved ceilings, plus a reading-room, a room where commission agents could exhibit their samples, a place for wool sales, an auction for railway shares and rooms for meetings of creditors and private arbitrations.

The frieze, carved in Portland Stone, shows a winged Commerce with arms outstretched as she welcomes allegorical figures of the arts, Enterprise and Genius.

The Hall of Commerce was demolished in 1922 but the frieze was rescued. After spending fifty years in a basement of UCL, it was re-erected in the newly-created Battishill Gardens and unveiled by Sir John Betjeman in 1975.

In recent years undergrowth had begun growing into the stonework and new cracks were appearing. HOLT has been working with Islington Council to cut back the undergrowth, repair the stone and replace cement pointing with lime mortar. Our Proud Places team have been working with young people from alternative provision schools and youth groups to meet the conservators, learn about its history and have a go at stone carving for themselves.  

The gardens will be landscaped and the project completed in spring 2025.