Throughout the year, we have covered a range of exciting locations in our ‘Meet the Venue’ series, helping you to discover more about the fantastic places we have worked at. For the final month of 2018, we are turning our focus back to London’s Historic Royal Palace venues. While the Tower of London was the first to be featured, today, we’d like to introduce you to the second venue in this iconic group: Hampton Court Palace.
Welcome to our next venue:
Name(s): Hampton Court Palace
Age: 503 years old
Location: East Molesey, Surrey
Size: 47,330m2 (floor area)
Capacity: 9550 (combined)
History:
One of London’s most majestic buildings, Hampton Court Palace was originally rebuilt in 1515 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey from a manor house into a lavish palace, but later became occupied by Henry VIII, who frequently visited with all six of his wives (at separate intervals, of course).
During the following century, the palace received an update by Sir Christopher Wren, who was contracted by the reigning monarchs of the period– William III and Mary II – to create vibrant new facades and stylish interiors in line with the rising popularity of Baroque architecture.
After making it their home for several years, the royals departed in 1737, and the Palace became a grace-and-favour home for several penurious aristocrats. However, in 1938, this magnificent building transitioned from private into public and was opened to visitors by Queen Victoria.
Today, as well as drawing almost a million visitors every year, Hampton Court Palace has also become one of the UK’s most renowned venues, hosting an extensive range of private and public events inside the Palace as well as within its beautiful grounds, many of which Gallowglass have helped bring to life.
Gallowglass at Hampton Court Palace
Since 2003, Gallowglass have worked on a whole host of events at this prestigious venue, with between 200 and 500 crewmen working onsite annually depending on the projects taking place.
As principle contractors for all of the Historic Royal Palace venues, our crew frequent the Palace at least twice a week, carrying out general tasks and providing support during large scale events such as BBC Festive Fair, Hampton Court Flower Show and The One Show, as well as smaller gatherings including Christmas parties, dinner and dances and weddings.
While our crewmen are assigned several basic jobs during their time at this impressive venue, one of the more novel tasks takes place in the dining hall and involves dismantling the throne and carefully tidying away each of the original plates, chalices, cutlery and dining silverware prior to an event. Although handling these ancient artefacts comes with heavy responsibility, the honour and privilege of being allowed to do so is undoubtedly a highlight for crew members, many of whom revel in sharing this unique experience with family and friends afterwards.
Additionally, another perk for our crewmen while working at Hampton Court Palace is the chance to explore this Tudor mansion and its exquisite grounds completely free of charge after completing their shift - yet another exclusive opportunity afforded to those working at Gallowglass!
Whether you’d like to experience working at Hampton Court Palace or another of the Historic Royal Palace venues or are searching for event crew jobs in London, at Gallowglass, we could have an opportunity that’s perfect for you, so why not get in touch with our team today?
You might also be interested in:
Meet the Venue: The Saatchi Gallery
A Guide to Gallowglass Careers: Part One
Meet the Team: Interview with Ben Humphrey, Regional Senior Crew Chief
