Our Clerk Virginia Rounding has been busy researching ways we can stay connected to City & Livery life without venturing into the City of London in person. Please let us know if you have any other suggestions and we’ll add to the list!
Gresham College
First up must be the amazing collection of Gresham College Lectures: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch/. The subject areas are: art & literature, business, history, law, mathematics, medical science, music, politics, religion & science. Recently added lectures, just to give you a flavour, include: Leadership Lessons from Lockdown by Professor Alex Edmans; De-radicalisation – illusion or reality? by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC; Is Populism a Threat to Democracy? by Professor Sir Richard Evans; The Cashless Society by Professor Richard Harvey; What medicine can learn from restaurants about care by Professor Roger Kneebone; War Games at the Field of the Cloth of Gold by Professor Glenn Richardson; Covid-19 by Professor Chris Whitty; The Future of our Oceans by Professor Jacqueline McGlade, etc. etc. There are literally hundreds of lectures and all free to view!
Livery Hall virtual tours
If you feel in need of a visit to a Livery Hall, a number of Halls are offering virtual tours: https://cityandlivery.blogspot.com/2020/07/exploring-citys-livery-halls-in-lockdown.html. The tour of Goldsmiths’ Hall is rather amazing – not least being able to look at the ceilings without getting a crick in your neck. There are also a number of video tours of various Halls on offer – full list available through the above link.
Museum of London
The Museum of London has quite a few interesting videos & other online material: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/whats-on/imagined-london-city?id=269208. And at the Guildhall Art Gallery you can see the curator talking about & showing works from the current exhibition, The Enchanted Interior, at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/guildhall-galleries/guildhall-art-gallery/the-enchanted-interior
Live Concerts
If you would like to listen to some music, you can see live concerts presented by the City Music Foundation: http://www.citymusicfoundation.org/events/clock-tower-series-live-broadcast-foyle-stsura-duo/ or see videos of previous performances: http://www.citymusicfoundation.org/videos/
More videos are available from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, as part of their Young Artists’ Online Concert Series #MiddayMusic: https://www.wcom.org.uk/news/the-musicians-company-young-artists-programme-presents-middaymusic/
Films, videos and more!
While looking for other interesting things in the City, including St Paul’s, I’ve come across what looks like an interesting collection of videos presented by Blue Badge guides, including this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL7-5Y-6Sls – that includes aspects of City life such as the swearing in of the Lord Mayor & one of the most bizarre events in which we regularly participate, the Livery Pancake races.
The City of London Corporation also has its own YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBmtTLocKCa4hw2zp-iK9tg
Particularly interesting is the London Metropolitan Archives (run by the City) channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBmtTLocKCa4hw2zp-iK9tg where you can find many fascinating films, ranging from “Victory Day, 1946” and “City of London, 1951” to “Women in Construction, 1983”.
