Shing a Light On: Somerset House
An interview with Lorraine Thorne, Head of Events at Somerset HouseWith the hottest days in June fluttering down upon us this week, all we've wanted to do is sit in the Courtyard of Somerset House being lightly cooled by the spray of the fountains or enjoying too much vino on the River Terrace - Summer in London at its finest!
With these sunny thoughts in mind, we caught up with Lorraine Thorne, Head of Events at Somerset House about how blooming fantastic this Central London venue really is:
Photo Credit: 1) Harry Pseftoudis, 2) Polar Black, 3) Matt Chung
Hi Lorraine, what's your favourite spot in Somerset House?
It has to be The Edmund J.Safra Fountain Court – wherever you stand whether the water fountains are switched on or not – the vista is just stunning.
Photo Credit: 1) Harry Pseftoudis, 2) Somerset House, 3) Pinstripes and Peonies
Agreed - we always love walking in from the Strand and seeing the Courtyard in all it's glory, it never fails to wow. What is something that people don't know about Somerset House?
The courtyard featured as St Petersburg Square in the GoldenEye James Bond film - they even imported 40 Russian cars to drive around the square! It was even used as a civil-service car park before the dancing fountains were installed in the 1990s and it was opened to the public.
What? We’ll never see GoldenEye in the same way! Which spaces do you wish clients used more?
The Dead House - hidden underneath our famous fountains away from public view it has a great atmosphere for clients looking for something bit unusual – and to reach them you have to walk via the Lightwells which have been used in many films and television series including Downtown Abbey.
Photo Credit: Somerset House
What would be your dream event at Somerset House? –
A spooky/horror or Harry Potter-themed event in the Dead House filled with lots of creepy surprises….
Photo Credit: 1) Sandra Campino, 2) Matt Chung, 3) Sandra Campino
We have a lot of Potterheads at Pinstripes HQ that would LOVE that! Fingers crossed it won't be too long until we can see you again!
If you'd like to enquire about their fantastic spaces, you can reach the team here or take a virtual tour of their spaces at https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/venue-hire