William Booth College

[Alan Dale]

As previously discussed elsewhere there is budget accommodation available at the Salvation Army place near Denmark Hill Train Station.

Here is a link:

http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-sublinks/A4E872A1A4B5FA8C8025704300378202?openDocument

Has anyone stayed there or had friends/relatives stay there? If so a review would be appreciated.

Open house weekend (http://www.openhouse.org.uk/london/home.html) is coming up and I believe it is usually possible to climb to the top of the tower- best views in London apparently.

Sat 15th September 2pm-4.30pm.

Entry to Tower 2pm-4.30pm. Talk on building in Assembly Hall 2pm, 3pm, 4pm.

[pablogrande]

not bad - breakfast and tambourine for ?35

a night

[SeanMacGabhann]

"Aren't unmarried partners forbidden there?"

Question left in to make sense of subsequent posts but I was wrong to think that

[Alan Dale]

Doubt it. Why not ask?

If you have any questions or to request a booking form, please email [email protected] or telephone 020 7326 2744.

[Keef]

Sean there's no mention of that on their website, and I'm not sure they could actually do that..

As for going up the tower, that would be quite a view! That tower scares me though, there's something very Omen about it! (6)

[mockney piers]

That there is, scares the willies out of me on a twilit morning.

Very interested in going up there, always thought views would be magnificent.

any excuse!!

[Alan Dale]

Quite agree. They should put a glass fronted revolving restaurant up there. I'm sure the profits would keep the brass band in new uniforms for a very long time...

Or perhaps they could use the funds to spread the word of God to vulnerable poor people..

[Ant]

I'd definitely be interested in having a gander oop t'tower.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I can't for the life of me recall where I had that idea from - I'll edit post and remove the comment. Cheers

[Alan Dale]

Sounds like it's going to be pretty busy.

I hear there's no lift.

That's what it needs. A huge lift up to an expensive revolving restaurant.

That would put Camberwell right on London's tourist's map.

What are the chances?

[SimonM]

It always reminds me of the tower at the University Library, Cambridge where, according to legend, Hitler had been living since 1945....

[*Bob*]

SimonM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It always reminds me of the tower at the

> University Library, Cambridge where, according to

> legend, Hitler had been living since 1945....

He's moved out now. To Plaistow, so I 'eard.

[Administrator]

Lounged (then De-lounged)

[OutOfFocus]

SimonM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It always reminds me of the tower at the

> University Library, Cambridge ....

They were both designed by Giles Gilbert Scott http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Gilbert_Scott

[Brendan]

The college was built by the same guy who designed the phone box. He is also responsible for Battersea and Bankside power stations.

You can certainly see the similarity in the buildings. Although I reckon he should have painted them all bright red like the phone box.

[Brendan]

Just as Andrew has said!

[MadWorld74]

okay so this has nothing to do with the college...but seeing as you've been lounged already... another interesting (to me) building on the Old Kent Road is the huge Driscoll House. Why is it borded up? Please don't tell me they're knocking it down. A philanthropist built it to offer ex service men a home when they came back from the trenches and a place to rehabilitate (that's what I can muster from googling it!)

Anyone know anything different.....

[MadWorld74]

I've just answered my own question by moonlighting on another forum...

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/forum/read/1/40692

it's on New Kent road and is indeed being demolished for more poncy flat building. It's a brilliant building and simply mustn't be knocked down.

[Keef]

Yes but if developers are possibly happy to torch a Greek forest killing 60 odd people to get their way, I can't see them stopping because a building looks nice.

That said, they haven't got the concrete house yet, and as much as I love it, it seems to be getting more and more dangerous, and a risk to health. Starting to turn against it!

[SimonM]

>>They were both designed by Giles Gilbert Scott :D<

Do you supposed GGS had the brass neck to charge a full fee for designing both though, when one design is so obviously a rip-off of the other? And.....which is Blackpool Tower, which Eiffel??

[Alan Dale]

As this has been delounged I think it might me worth reiterating that WBC is open to the public on Saturday 14th September as part of Open House Weekend and that it is usually possible to climb to the top of the tower and witness unparalleled views of London.

[Ladygooner]

Apparently the Tower was built high enough to be on a level with St Pauls Cathedral.

[Ultraconsultancy]

GGS is underappreciated as an architect, and his influence in using brick in the period after victorian gothic was very influential. He did a lot of bread-and-butter work too, Giles Church in Camberwell I'm told, but I'm sceptical.

His Grandfather designed the Great eastern Hotel, popularly known as the St Pancras Hotel, currently being restored.

UC

[*Bob*]

I love 'The Booth' and would definitely be up for a look-see.

I shall remain incognito but keep an eye out for you, Alan.

[buggie]

can't believe I'm going to miss the open house w/e again - requested it off work especially this year and then a family thing came up so I'll be heading off to Portsmouth - drat!! Luckily I can get a good view sneaking onto the roof at work(just down the road from WB college)!