please empty your brain below

I used to volunteer for Open House, I only took tours around buildings I knew about and had a keen interest in, (theatres and cinemas.) I did it for several years and only stopped doing it because being sent to for example the Woolwich Granada, which is away from Central London and to the East,(I live in West London)it did not give me much opportunity to visit buildings myself. I used to volunteer for the 2 days.
It was enjoyable explaining, especially to younger people, the history and workings of those buildings. I always took along extra material, books photos etc. relevant to the type of building, from my own collection for visitors to look at.
Pity you got a poor guide in Camden dg- still it seems you got in the dry and coffee. I think sometimes health and safety or other issues mean that you have to be escorted around a building. So the guide may just be a volunteer to escort you round, I imagine that it is not always possible to get knowledgeable guides for the every venue.
Wondered if you'd complete the 'set' given that you went to 55 Broadway previously. Senate House is indeed a striking building and it was wonderful to study in through my uni years... I got to know that foyer so well that I instantly recognised it as the location for the courthouse in Batman Begins!

Great memories of sitting in a window alcove reading the next seminar's set novel/play and being distracted every so often by the amazing views. I think English lit was on the 5th floor, but I'd go and sit on higher floors for that reason.

I'd been thinking of taking out alumni membership for a few years now, not least so I could wander around again, but to get my fix in the meantime, every so often I'll just attend a free seminar (which is almost always fascinating and recommended as a way to get in and view the building).
Senate House, eh? Did you have to dodge any Triffids?
http://triffids.wuthering-heights.co.uk/locations.htm
You can access the library during the Bloomsbury Festival: http://www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/event/id/292
Is the building that Hitler wanted for his London HQ? (Urban Myth)

ps. I don't think the "Senate House" link works.

dg writes: Didn't. Does now. Ta.
Part of the north end of Senate House, 2nd and 3rd floors from memory, was the larger of two locations for the School of Slavonic & European Studies (at the time, one of the smallest parts of the University of London. Now SSEES is just a UCL dept. and is located elsewhere). It had two further library rooms and a bust of its founder, the first president of Czechoslovakia, Jan Masaryk. A lovely building and I wish I could visit it again. Our urban myth at the time was that there was a floor in the tower above the main library where MI5 / MI6 met SSEES' tutors for their Russian (etc.) language lessons.
This is worth flagging up - a 2 day conference on the 150th anniversary of the Tube, to be held at Senate House in January, perfect for so many of your readers DG : )

http://www.history.ac.uk/events/london-underground










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