Mycenae House, Mycenae Rd, SE3
Moving on from Westcombe Park, today of all days feels right to talk about Mycenae House. I will explain later.
Mycenae House, a large old Victorian mansion, is now a community centre which houses pretty much all of the events in the local area and seems to have classes going on in its various rooms most days of the week. It has extensive gardens and is a friendly, spacious and not outrageously expensive place to hire from time to time.
Next door is the famous Woodlands – a sad story indeed. This gracious building, originally erected in 1774 by John Julius Angerstein (After whom the Angerstein Pub on Woolwich Road is named though I am not sure he would be delighted to have the scruffy trading estate across the road also named for him.) Angerstein founded Lloyd's of London from humble-ish beginnings. Widely believed to have been the illegitimate son of the Empress of Russia (who was in her turn the illegitimate daughter of Peter the Great,) he was sent to London at 14 to make his fortune.
After putting Lloyd's on a firm footing, being commended by Nelson and contributing to the National Gallery (the gallery's first donor,) he built Woodlands as a retreat from his Pall Mall town house. He wined and dined George III and was friends with the notorious Princess Caroline, who attended parties there.
But it was all downhill after that for this poor old building, still quietly resplendent with its doorway mosaics and beautiful stained glass windows. Nuns took over the building for a long while, and then it was designated a local history centre and art gallery for some time. But the poor old girl was damp – very damp by now, and the artefacts were mouldering in their boxes.
When the brand new Heritage Centre at Woolwich Arsenal was built, Woodlands was denuded of its status and a flood put paid to its life as an art gallery. It currently faces an uncertain future. Most residents want to see it put back to community use – whether this will happen is in the laps of the gods – if you can call the local council gods… The latest thinking is that the Steiner School will take it over - but there are arguments about just how many luxury flats will have to be built in the curretly lovely grounds to pay for it.
Monday Night Jazz at Mycenae House
It's a tribute to Dave and Sandra Silk who ran this evening for what is over ten years now, that it is still continuing to get bigger. The evening sets out with a regular professional trio who form the core for the rest of the night. As the evening progresses, musical guests – both instrumental and vocal - come up and join the band to play for themselves and each other. You get the occasional big name – and local professionals who go down to keep the chops in shape and play for the fun of it – oh – and the traditional curry afterwards. The vocalists – for it is really their night – range from the seasoned professional – smooth crooner Anton Browne is a regular, to the gifted – and not so gifted - amateur. All are given space and the atmosphere is light and fun.
Dappled with the odd dancer or poet, there is a camaraderie among these players of all abilities which is quite addictive. Some of these people have been coming as long as stalwart Dave Silk has been running the place. Long may it continue.The reason I write about it today is the sad fact that yesterday I attended the funeral of Sandra Silk who co-ran the club with Dave.
Sandra frankly often ended up the voice of reason behind a lot of Dave's delightful but wild schemes and yet was supportive - and tirelessly worked for the cause of jazz in Greenwich to the end. She will be sadly missed, though I suspect that her legacy will continue through the deep foundations she made for the Monday night club at Mycenae House.
Mycenae House, a large old Victorian mansion, is now a community centre which houses pretty much all of the events in the local area and seems to have classes going on in its various rooms most days of the week. It has extensive gardens and is a friendly, spacious and not outrageously expensive place to hire from time to time.
Next door is the famous Woodlands – a sad story indeed. This gracious building, originally erected in 1774 by John Julius Angerstein (After whom the Angerstein Pub on Woolwich Road is named though I am not sure he would be delighted to have the scruffy trading estate across the road also named for him.) Angerstein founded Lloyd's of London from humble-ish beginnings. Widely believed to have been the illegitimate son of the Empress of Russia (who was in her turn the illegitimate daughter of Peter the Great,) he was sent to London at 14 to make his fortune.
After putting Lloyd's on a firm footing, being commended by Nelson and contributing to the National Gallery (the gallery's first donor,) he built Woodlands as a retreat from his Pall Mall town house. He wined and dined George III and was friends with the notorious Princess Caroline, who attended parties there.
But it was all downhill after that for this poor old building, still quietly resplendent with its doorway mosaics and beautiful stained glass windows. Nuns took over the building for a long while, and then it was designated a local history centre and art gallery for some time. But the poor old girl was damp – very damp by now, and the artefacts were mouldering in their boxes.
When the brand new Heritage Centre at Woolwich Arsenal was built, Woodlands was denuded of its status and a flood put paid to its life as an art gallery. It currently faces an uncertain future. Most residents want to see it put back to community use – whether this will happen is in the laps of the gods – if you can call the local council gods… The latest thinking is that the Steiner School will take it over - but there are arguments about just how many luxury flats will have to be built in the curretly lovely grounds to pay for it.
Monday Night Jazz at Mycenae House
It's a tribute to Dave and Sandra Silk who ran this evening for what is over ten years now, that it is still continuing to get bigger. The evening sets out with a regular professional trio who form the core for the rest of the night. As the evening progresses, musical guests – both instrumental and vocal - come up and join the band to play for themselves and each other. You get the occasional big name – and local professionals who go down to keep the chops in shape and play for the fun of it – oh – and the traditional curry afterwards. The vocalists – for it is really their night – range from the seasoned professional – smooth crooner Anton Browne is a regular, to the gifted – and not so gifted - amateur. All are given space and the atmosphere is light and fun.
Dappled with the odd dancer or poet, there is a camaraderie among these players of all abilities which is quite addictive. Some of these people have been coming as long as stalwart Dave Silk has been running the place. Long may it continue.The reason I write about it today is the sad fact that yesterday I attended the funeral of Sandra Silk who co-ran the club with Dave.
Sandra frankly often ended up the voice of reason behind a lot of Dave's delightful but wild schemes and yet was supportive - and tirelessly worked for the cause of jazz in Greenwich to the end. She will be sadly missed, though I suspect that her legacy will continue through the deep foundations she made for the Monday night club at Mycenae House.
Labels: Places of Interest
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
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