Colin Brown, Chief Executive
The latest in our ongoing series of updates about activities at the Institution.
It seems ironic that we have been writing these ‘Birdcage Walk’ notes for over a year now and yet we have so far failed to mention the building itself. Today is the perfect day to put that right as we open our new Members' Hub in the Library on the first floor.
This is a welcome step forward for those members who have struggled with the mobile telephone signal and indeed lack of natural light in the previous member centre in the basement. We hope it will also attract more members to come to Birdcage Walk for the first time to enjoy the facilities that we have on offer. We also have a plan to make an online tour guide that will help to make that visit all the more enjoyable and informative if you do.
As many know, the building itself was designed by Basil Slade and opened on the 16 and 17 May 1899. It is described as being in the Queen Anne style which was nicknamed ‘streaky bacon’ but was the height of fashion at the time. It incorporated state-of-the art features like an electric lift, a telephone system and a synchronome master clock that meant all clocks in the building would show the same time. Importantly, it also incorporated room for the catalogue of books that had been built up since the inception of our Institution in 1847. Indeed at that time there was a fine on any member of £1 per year if they had not contributed to our proceedings during the previous year that would be used to buy more books to expand the catalogue.
Today of course we hold thousands of books, as well as e-journals that are all free to access for members online. We had almost half a million downloads from that resource last year. In addition we are digitising more and more of our archive to make that available worldwide too. Last week, a new online exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of the beginning of World War Two went live with material from the collections of the IET and the ICE as well as ours. There are some great stories in there including ones of candidates completing their entrance examinations whilst being prisoners of war.
And so we now look forward to the next phase in the building’s contribution to our Institution. Unlike many of us, it actually gets a mention in our Charter and By Laws. Clause 73.1 states that, “The Trustee Board shall not charge, sell, or otherwise dispose of any part of the land or buildings at No. 1 Birdcage Walk, Westminster and No. 1, 3 and 5 Storey’s Gate, Westminster unless at a Special Meeting of the Institution called for the purpose, the Trustee Board is authorised to do so by not less than two-thirds of the Corporate Members and Associate Members entitled to attend who were present and voted thereat …” That doesn’t mean that Birdcage Walk is here for ever, but while it has now passed its 120th birthday we continue to do what we can to make sure it still earns its keep.
Chief Executive
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