Lock In At The Tower Of London!
How many people can say they’ve had a lock in at the Tower of London?
On Thursday 17th August, Steph Harrison, Founder of My Sevenoaks Community and one of the Founding Members of Charity Angels – a breast cancer fundraising group – invited friends and business owners to join the Charity Angels committee (and their guests) to a very special and exclusive event at the Tower of London.
Here’s how it went down…
Sevenoaks Businesses Take Over The Tower of London
Hosted by Spike Abbott – one of just 36 Yeoman Warders at the Tower – attendees had the privilege of a private tour around the grounds after-hours. No tourists, just the group and those who live at the Tower. A fantastic storyteller, Spike regaled tales and traditions of old from the Tower’s 900-year history.
The group then moved into ‘The Keys’ for some drinks and mingling. Our resident Sevenoaks magician, Bob Pound, couldn’t resist dazzling and entertaining with some close-up magic. The Keys is the on-site pub run by and strictly for the Yeoman Warders (all of whom live at the Tower) and their families and invited guests only. Established in 1483, it is – quite literally – the oldest and most exclusive drinking club in the world. Exclusive because no amount of money entitles you to a visit. You must be an invited guest (well, except if you are a member of the Royal Family!).
As if all this wasn’t enough, the group were then taken to witness the ‘Ceremony of Keys’, a tradition that has taken place every single night for over 700 years. The Chief Yeoman Warder takes a military escort (on this occasion, the Welsh Guards dressed in their famous bearskin hats) to lock the outer and inner walls of the Tower, keeping it secure until the morning. Guests were totally awed by the pageantry of this ancient tradition.
This night was a once in a lifetime experience and a real slice of history. A fantastic £1,285 was raised for Charity Angel’s chosen charity: Against Breast Cancer. PLUS, an additional £600+ was raised on the night for a separate charity chosen by the Yeoman Warders. These are the kind of high calibre fundraising events that Charity Angels produce – check them out on Instagram and Facebook to see what’s coming up soon!
Learn more about the Sevenoaks Businesses who attended
Jemma Hatt, Children’s Author
Award-winning children’s author of ‘The Adventurers’ series, Jemma has released two books this year already in her latest series, ‘Mysterious Mansions’. When she’s not scribbling away, Jemma runs writing workshops around the area for the locals or runs interactive and engaging sessions for schools.
Ruth Hyde – Founder of Cryojuvenate
Revolutionising the way we ‘do’ wellness with celebrity-grade treatments at local prices delivered by qualified sports therapists.
Simon Lee, Founder of Unlimited Courage
Simon Lee is a mindset mastery coach, speaker and thought leader who has established himself as a pioneer in a new approach for delivering personal development coaching, healing and lasting mental strength.
Bob Pound – Professional Magician
For over 18 years, Bob has been entertaining the like of the British Armed Forces, the Royal Family, stars of stage and screen as well as working with world-renowned magician Dynamo.
Ruby Plenderleith – Freelancer and writer for My Sevenoaks Community
With 10+ years of experience in the marketing and events world, Ruby’s worked for industry titans such as The Telegraph, Channel 4, and Hearst UK and on campaigns for top brands like Reebok, Oatly, Timberland and LOADS more before forging a freelance career by herself.
Check out some of Ruby’s other blogs for My Sevenoaks Community
Ruth (of Cryojuvenate) shared this video of her experience.
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Did you know? More people have been to space then have been a Yeoman Warder! Since its conception in the 1400s, there have only been 420 Yeoman Warders in history!
