News

Polling closed on the 21 June, and a count of the votes gave the following results:

Oxford Blue, which is the existing colour is therefore the choice of the ballot, with 58% of first choice votes, and 71% of votes cast mentioning it as either 1st, 2nd or 3rd colour.

The next most popular colour was Saxe Blue, followed by Forest Green. The least popular colour was Brown, with no first choice votes and a solitary second choice.

A total of 31 votes were cast, representing 21.3% of the flats in the block. 27 were received on paper and 4 by email. To avoid any legal challenges, we can also declare that there were no (zero) spoilt ballots.

Come and see at Davy’s City Boot on Moorfields Highwalk next Tuesday 15th – drop in between 6.30 and 8pm for a glass of wine or a soft drink at the “big table” near the centre door.

Dear neighbour

External redecorations of Willoughby House will be carried out by the Barbican Estate Office’s contractors this summer. We have the opportunity to specify the colour. We are consulting with all residents in order to see what the new colour should be. The Barbican Estate Listed Management Guidelines, agreed with English Heritage, offer us a limited palette of colours, most of which are in use on other blocks. We may choose any of these colours on the palette:

1. Saxe blue: Used on Speed House at podium level

2. Oxford blue: the existing colour at Willoughby House

3. Olive green: Gilbert House

4. Dark green: The Postern

5. Grey: Cromwell Tower and Defoe House

6. Brown: not currently used anywhere

Your house group committee is recommending either switching to grey, or retaining the existing Oxford blue. However, we are willing to propose any of the colours, if there is a consensus for change.

You can give us your vote in one of three ways:

• By printing this page, cutting our and marking this form, and leaving it with the Willoughby 01 CPA
• By voting at the drop-in session at City Boot
• By sending an email to chair@willoughbyhousegroup.com

Please specify 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. We will pick the one that achieves more than 50% of the votes cast, after taking into account 2nd choices; if it is still not 50% we will take into account 3rd choices too.

The House Group’s Annual General Meeting this year will now take place on Tuesday 20th April in the Redgrave Room at the Barbican Centre (level 4, between Cinemas 2 and 3). The meeting will start at 7.30pm and we expect it will conclude by 9pm, after which we will adjourn to the bar area at the Balcony Bistro for drinks (cash bar).

The main agenda of the AGM is to elect representatives to the committee for 2010-2011. In addition, we will be presenting a digest of current proposals and development schemes around the Estate that will have an impact on Willoughby House, including St Alphage, the hotel proposals for the telephone exchange site and also for Roman House, Crossrail construction at Moorgate Station, as well as information on proposed changes to licensing hours at Digress CityPoint.

Though the climate for property development is still harsh, we have learned that two developments are now being drawn up that will affect residents on the South and South-West corner of Willoughby House. Hammersons are working with the City of London to bring forward a new scheme for the St Alphage House site. This is likely to be just the original site – from Alban Gate to Moor House, and up to the existing line of Fore Street. However, rumours in the building press seem to indicate they are still considering a very large 700,000 sq ft building on this site. The developers have appointed MAKE as the architects, whose founder, Ken Shuttleworth, is known for creating iconic buildings. Resident representatives from the BA and WHG will be meeting with Hammersons in January to learn more and raise their concerns.

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Wednesday, 16 December, 6:30- 8pm, £3 for adults, under 16s free.

This year we aimed for something that hopefully made it easy – and fun – to pop along to. Our little soiree is being held in the middle of the lake – directly underneath the waterfall. (Access through speed gardens, or walkway on other side.) It’s going to be scenic, festive and an opportunity to wish your neighbours a Merry Christmas, drink mulled wine or hot (non-alcoholic) apple cider and eat some festive nibbles. So dress up very warm and come and join us. We look forward to seeing you there.

Launching EatMeet

In early July, we’ll be launching EatMeet – an opportunity to meet up with fellow residents and eat out at some local restaurants. Our first EatMeet in July will be held one evening in a restaurant somewhere very close to us and we’d love for anyone who is interested to come along and join us, try the food and get to know their neighbours. It’s an open invitation to all Willoughby House residents and it’s the first of what we hope will become a regular event.

First date and venue to be announced soon. Keep an eye on the Podium-level noticeboards and our web page at willoughbyhousegroup.com.

Susan Hosking

Summer Party, 15 July

Our ever-popular Willoughby House summer party will be taking place on 15 July. There will be food and drinks on the lawn of Speed House Gardens in the evening. Note the date in your diary today – we hope to see you there.

New to Willoughby?

If you have recently moved in to Willoughby House, I wish you a warm welcome on behalf of Willoughby House Group. You will soon discover that the Barbican is one of the best examples of an urban village to be found anywhere, and Willoughby House is, in our view at least, one of the nicest streets to live on in our village.

The eccentricities of living here may already be apparent to you – it can be mystifying how things work here or what to do if there is a problem. Make sure you have obtained a copy of the Residents’ Handbook from the Barbican Estate Office, which is full of useful information. You can easily obtain one by contacting our House Officer, Helen Davinson on 020  7029 3963, or by sending an email to barbican.estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

We, in the House Group, would also like to hear from you. You are entitled to be a member if you live here (regardless of whether you rent or own your flat), and there is no charge for membership – we simply need to know your name and the number of your flat. You are also welcome to join us for any of the committee meetings as these are open to members and are advertised on our notice boards.

Tim Macer

Don’t be a Sack-slacker

A perennial complaint to the House Group concerns a small minority of residents who leave refuse and recycling bags outside the doors to their flats during the day, and especially at weekends, awaiting the next rubbish collection. This is inconsiderate to other residents: not only is it untidy for residents and their guests, it can get unpleasantly smelly. If you have missed the daily collection time, please don’t dump rubbish outside your door for others to step over all day – please take the short walk down to the bin or recycling store on Willoughby 03, by the vehicle entrance into Moor Lane.
Please use the locker for your rubbish wherever possible. If you are not placing rubbish in your locker, only place it outside your door either late at night or in the morning before the daily collection has taken place at around 8am.  Remember, there is no refuse collection on Saturday, Sunday or at Bank Holidays.

Tim Macer

WHG Committee 2009

Our AGM took place at the Old Dr Butler’s Head, Masons Avenue, on 17 March, and was very well attended. There is one change to the committee for the current year: Dafne Ter-Sakarian decided not to seek re-election, and instead, Nik Mehta offered himself for election. All nominees were then elected by default. We welcome Nik to the committee, and are grateful to all those who attended the meeting.

Since that meeting, Dafne has been elected as a member of the Barbican Association General Council at the BA’s AGM on 24 April. Willoughby House is therefore particularly well represented at the Barbican Association because, in addition to Dafne, Tim Macer is an elected member of BAGC, and Simon Ebbins has taken over Dafne’s position as WHG’s nominated representative on the BAGC.