The Town House blog

How did our servants’ basement manage to stay untouched for so long?

Paul Couchman's picture
Submitted by Paul Couchman on Wed, 02/08/2017 - 11:27

 
We often get asked the question how our basement managed to stay untouched for so long. Well, here is the story.
 
Many years ago Nick Tyson, the curator, became friends with an elderly lady that lived in the basement of №10 Brunswick Square. He would fetch her groceries. He discovered that her home was a ‘time capsule’ full of original Regency features. It was virtually untouched by time.
Nick says:

Who were the people in Brunswick Square. How long did they stay?

pauline's picture
Submitted by pauline on Tue, 24/05/2016 - 11:40

Whilst I was home sick I began wondering about the people of Brunswick Square; Who were they?  How long did they stay?, all these questions.  So I started searching the records of the British Newspaper Archives and Ancestry.co.uk and a new branch of the project started!  Over the next weeks/months I will be adding pages of information about residents of numbers 10 and 13 and will then start to add other houses as I uncover their residents.

Never boring: Silhouette Exhibition, Brighton Photo Fringe, Electrics in the basement. W/e 28th September,2014

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Wed, 01/10/2014 - 16:49

Another new intern joined us this Monday - and will be with us until March 2015. Alina has only just finished High School and will go on to study Media and Design at University. So our “United Nations” is now complete: we have 1 Spanish, 4 Italian and, now, 2 German interns bringing us their enthusiasm and creativity.

Shutting the doors on the Silhouette & Costume Exhibition. Week Ending 21/09/2014

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Wed, 24/09/2014 - 15:54

It was with mixed feelings that we finally shut the doors on our Silhouette and Costumes Exhibition after 7 weeks.

Feelings were mixed, because while it will be good to have one's weekends to oneself again, there is something rather sad about the fact that the RTH will no longer be showing off its best face to eager - and flattering - visitors each weekend. Though fanciful, it's rather tempting to believe that the old house preens itself on praise and enjoys showing itself off.

A potted history of the basement Kitchen.

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Fri, 12/09/2014 - 13:48

There have been frequent references in this column to the on-going work in the kitchen of the Town House.  There's been a lot of excitement and satisfaction in each move forward: - a wall completely plastered, the skylight being fixed, the start of the installation of electricity, the clearing out of pigeon detritus and putting up of new lathes.

Perhaps a potted history of the room itself might  explain the excitement of seeing it come to life.

Fabulous Historical Costumes on display.

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Tue, 09/09/2014 - 17:25

Week Ending 07/09/2014

We had another busy week-end period this week with visitors coming to see the Sillhouette and Costume Exhibition. It's been rather nice to meet so many people who have come in to find out all about Silhouettes; to look at the costumes; see the interior of the RTH for the first time; or just because their eye was caught by the poster outside. Quite a few of these visitors have been from overseas and it's also very rewarding for Volunteers to be able to pass on information that will travel to so many different places.

Summer at the Regency Town House

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Fri, 05/09/2014 - 15:20

Summer in the Regency Town House is always a very busy and febrile season. There’s so much going on and most of it is the result of months and months of planning and preparation which suddenly erupts all around us.  It is, at the same time, also a period when everyone here takes their holidays.

Now, however it’s time for me to pick up the reins and gallop through some of the highlights which have occurred since the blog last appeared.

Winning an Award! 29/06/2014

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Wed, 02/07/2014 - 12:20

The Regency Town House has won a national award!

The Heritage Open Days Awards ceremony was held on Monday evening at the Freemasons Hall in London. A crowd of volunteers all went up to cheer on Nick, our Curator, as it was announced we had won in the ‘Innovative Minds’ category. The awards relate to the ways in which various historical associations celebrate the Open Door weekend and the activities they arrange. It was such things as our ‘Graffiti Tour’ that came to the attention of the organisers and we intend to keep our edge for the coming year.

Large Arch Revealed in Basement Kitchen! 22/06/2014

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Wed, 25/06/2014 - 15:00

As mentioned last week, Isis Gallery is once more using the Town House as the site for one of its exhibitions, Time for Magic by Jamie Reid. A large, ceiling-high tipi now stands in the middle of our Regency drawing room. The tipi's interior spaces are strewn with cushions to simulate what was once called a 'chill-out' space. Visitors are encouraged to enter inside and utilise both cushions and space. This exhibition represents a hippy squat and is colourful, bright and a lot of fun. Do come in and see it for yourselves.

16th What We’ve Been Up To. Week Ending 15/06/2014

Submitted by Cireena Simcox on Wed, 25/06/2014 - 14:49

With the Summer, our busiest season at the Town House is upon us. For the next three months there will be constant activity for everyone associated with The Regency Town House.

Barely have we settled down from the last Art exhibition than Isis Gallery prepares for its seasonal display timed to open on the summer solstice. The artist on display will be Jamie Reid and the title of the exhibition is, intriguingly, Time for Magic.  Further details will follow but in order to whet appetites, it must be mentioned that a tipi is involved.