In light of the festive season approaching us, I wanted to share with you an excerpt of our curator Miranda Poliakoff's historical tale of past Christmas parties at the Palace and to invite you to our own Volunteers' Christmas Party on 5 December 2017.
"Bishop and Mrs Creighton lived at Fulham Palace from 1897 until the Bishop’s sudden death in 1901. Mrs Creighton wrote “It was a great delight to have so large a house that it was always possible to take in anybody we wanted. Christmas was a great family gathering… we danced a great deal in the big hall, which had a good floor… sometimes the servants were fetched in to dance with us.” She also wrote of family expeditions to London to see the sights, something we might take for granted now, but a novelty for the Bishop’s family to be with their busy father. He was a public figure much in demand, receiving 10,000 letters a year, all of which were replied to without the help of a secretary.
Bishop Winnington-Ingram was the next bishop to occupy the Palace. He was a bachelor, and the highlight of his Christmas was the annual party he gave just after Christmas for the children (aged between ten and seventeen) of the clergy of London, and the choir boys of St Paul's. This meant 300 young guests and 150 mothers. One of the Bishop’s relatives wrote: “The poverty of some of those clergy families had to be seen to be believed”. The Bishop gave this party every year for 38 years, and they were lavish events; in 1903 the party cost £92, about £7,000 in today’s money."
If you want to learn more about past Christmas parties at Fulham Palace, and to hear Miranda recount the story of someone who remembers attending one, please register here for Miranda's guided tour "A Celebration of Christmas Past" on 7 December 2017. As a volunteer you get to enjoy a large discount on your ticket. Price includes a glass of mulled wine at the end of the tour!
And last but not least, beloved volunteers, our very own annual Volunteers' Christmas Party will take place on 5 December 2017 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Expect fun games, nice people and delicious food! Booking is essential, so please register here. Guest tickets are £5 and will be sold at the door.
Wishing everyone happy Holidays!
Ahou - Vol comms assistant