Wilton's

The second in our series of shots capturing the changes to specific rooms and spaces over the last six months. This time, the room previously known as the Library, always popular for party hire and overflow seating from the Mahogany Bar. Tucked behind the Box Office desk, this cosy, multi-purpose front parlour has been through a variety of incarnations and earned its most recent name from the collection of flyers, leaflets and books that were stored in the racks, bookcases and cabinets that lined the walls. For a while, it was known as the Dining Room because it was the perfect retreat from the packed and noisy bar if you were looking for a quieter spot to enjoy your food.

Time for tea, 2010

Way back in the day, it was one of the many rooms that served as an office and also featured in several promenade productions, such as David Mamet's Edmond in 2010, The Horror! The Horror! in 2012 and, of course, interval sing-songs round the piano during both runs of The Great Gatsby.

 
Photo: Mike Twigg, 2011

Over the years, the walls became home to our collection of signed posters from previous productions:

 
Photo by Andrea Marchi, 2012

By the end of August, things were looking a little less comfortable but still cosy in a strange way:



Once the floorboards had been lifted, the room was filled with the smell of the soft, damp earth that had been hidden underneath. It was at this point that we realised we’d left a bookcase fixed to the wall.

 

By the end of September, new steel joist supports were in … 



… followed by brand spanking new joists. Note the beautiful herringbone struts that will prevent the joist from bending or twisting over time:



Which we can compare to originals between joists on one of the upper floors:



Since then, temporary boards have been laid over the joists and the room is serving as one of Anelay’s much-needed storage areas for equipment and materials:



Nice to see the bookcase is holding out well, though:



When this room re-opens next summer, it will be as the John Wilton Room, our first ever dedicated history space, open to the public four afternoons each week. At last, we will be able to use items from our archive and archaeology collection to create permanent and temporary displays and multi-media installations to tell people about every aspect of our history and heritage.

Wonder what we’ll put in the book case?