The Queen Mother Centre at London's historic All Hallows By the Tower Church was formally opened in a grand ceremony on 7th December 2000.
A plaque above the door into the Queen Mother Centre reads as follows:
"THE QUEEN MOTHER CENTRE
Was dedicated by the
LORD BISHOP OF LONDON
The Rt. Revd. And Rt. Hon.
DR. RICHARD CHARTRES
And opened by the Rt. Hon. the
LORD MAYOR OF LONDON
Alderman
DAVID HOWARD
On the 7th of December 2000"
The Queen Mother Centre was named in honor of the Queen Mother in the centenary year of her birth because of her long connection to the church through her friendship with beloved former Vicar, the Reverend "Tubby" Clayton (founder of the Toc H movement and memorialized at All Hallows with a magnificent tomb: (
visit link) ).
In 1948, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of All Hallows church after it had been damaged during WWII. The silver trowel she used that day is on display in the Undercroft Museum. (
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The Queen Mother Centre at All Hallows By the Tower houses a cafe and a small garden, which is open to the public. See: (
visit link) for cafe details, and (
visit link) for more information on the garden.
Many thanks to Angie Poppitt, the Vicar's Assstant & Finiance manager for the church for her help in providing information about the Queen Mother Centre that helped create this waymark.
From Wikipedia, a biography of Sir David Howarth Seymour Howard, 3rd Baronet, Lord Mayor of London in 2000: (
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"Sir David Howarth Seymour Howard, 3rd Baronet (born 1945) is an English aristocrat, businessman and public official.
Early life
David Howarth Seymour Howard was born on 29 December 1945. His father was Sir Hamilton Edward de Coucey Howard, 2nd Baronet (1915–2001) and his mother, Elizabeth Howarth Ludlow. His paternal grandfather was Sir Seymour Howard, 1st Baronet (1886-1967). He graduated from Radley College, a boarding school in Radley, Oxfordshire, and from Worcester College, Oxford, where he received a Masters of Arts degree.
Career
He joined the Charles Stanley Group (LSE: CAY) in 1967. He was appointed Managing Partner in 1971, Managing Director in 1988, and Chairman in 1999. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers (APCIMS) and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.
Public service
He served as an Alderman of the City of London in 1986, Sheriff of the City of London in 1997, and Lord Mayor of London from 2000 to 2001. He was County Master of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners in 1990. He also sat on the Board of Trustees of the London Gardens Society.
He became the 3rd Howard baronet of Great Rissington in 2001. He also became a Knight in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in 2000. He also received the Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence of Jordan in 2001.
Personal life
He married Valerie Picton Crosse on 6 June 1968. They have four children:
Caroline Picton Seymour Howard (born 1970).
Robert Picton Seymour Howard (born 1971).
Victoria Picton Seymour Howard (born 1975).
James Picton Seymour Howard (born 1979).
They reside at 8 Monkwell Square in London. He is a churchwarden at St Michael's, Cornhill in the City of London."