News Article Archive

Autumn Helps QM Cool Off After the Heat of the Summer!

Autumn has well and truly arrived and give us all time to reflect on another successful summer here at QM. It was wonderful to welcome back familiar faces to the College and to welcome for the first time new clients and guests, who we hope to see again in the future.

The summer vacation gave us the opportunity to refurbish our accommodation and an extensive programme of re-carpeting and painting took place to ensure we provide smart, clean, comfortable accommodation not only to our students, but to all our customers.

Looking ahead to 2012 the focus will of course be very much on the Olympics. As a result of this we now have limited availability for next summer, so if you are planning an event or bringing a group to London then contact the Sales Team.

BBC Question Time comes to QM for a Third Time!

This month saw the BBC return to Queen Mary with something of a national institution - ‘Question Time’. Filmed in the historic Octagon this is the third time the programme has used Queen Mary in the last year and the venue is fast becoming a favourite with the production team and crew.

Speaking about the event, Sue Mussett, Business Development Manager says: “Question Time always presents us with a challenge from the logistics of parking all the production vehicles, to the individual requirements of the panelists, but it’s a great opportunity for all the QM teams to work together and ensure the show runs smoothly and to schedule. The camera crew always make the Octagon look stunning with some great shots and David Dimbleby is now a familiar friendly face around the campus".

Focus On: Whitechapel Campus

Located adjacent to Whitechapel station and within the Royal London Hospital site, Queen Mary facilities offer a range of easily accessible lecture theatres and 
seminar rooms ideal for meetings, presentations and lectures.

The eye catching Blizard Building houses the striking Perrin lecture theatre seating up to 400 whilst the Innovation Centre is home to the Clark Kennedy lecture theatre (pictured). The nearby Garrod Building also offers traditional seminar and classrooms ideal for training days, workshops and meetings.

Love is in the Air at QM!

Love is in the air at QM where our focus shifts to weddings! Our most unique and beautiful venue - the Octagon provides newlyweds the perfect backdrop to celebrate their special day in style with their family and friends. We are busy putting the finishing touches to our brand new range of wedding reception packages which will be accompanied by the launch of our new 'Wedding Receptions QM' website later this year.

Summertime is in Bloom at QM!

The summertime is officially upon us and the residential summer season here at QM is in full swing! Not letting the summer sun distract us, we are focused on delivering high standards of customer service to all our guests.

We recognise how important it is for us to work closely together to ensure we deliver the best service possible. On Saturday 21 May we held an ‘away day’ for all teams within QM Commercial Services, giving staff the opportunity to share experiences, discuss best practice and move forward with ideas generated by the group.

With attendees from security, cleaning, sales, catering, reception, finance, housekeeping and business services, we looked closely at how each of our customers can have different requirements to improve and tailor the service we offer. The day was a great success and is something we will be repeating on a regular basis to ensure continued excellence in customer service and teamwork.

Venue of the Summer: The Robin Brook Centre

The Robin Brook Centre is an educational centre located on the St Bartholomew’s Hospital site at West Smithfield in the heart of the City of London. Located close to both St Pauls and Barbican tube stations, the centre offers a variety of meeting and teaching rooms with capacities from 16-215.

Refurbished in 2010 the modern seminar rooms, classrooms and lecture theatres offer an ideal venue for training courses, lectures and meetings. For further information please contact the Sales Team.

Improvements: Residences Reception, Westfield Village

Our newly refurbished Residences Reception now offers a spacious modern area with comfortable seating, local information and a fully trained dedicated Reception team providing customer care 24 hours a day to ensure guests receive a warm welcome and to assist with any queries during their stay.

In addition, we’ve introduced some additional services at reception including the sale of postcards and necessity items such as umbrellas and adaptors, and a booking service for theatre tickets at discounted rates.

Local Area: ‘The Big Screen Under the Stars’

We all enjoy a trip to the cinema to see a film or a DVD in the comfort of our own homes, but this summer why not try one of these alternative cinemas set up to make the most of the long summer evenings:

The Floating Cinema:
A customised narrow boat created by Hackney based architects Weave,
the Floating Cinema can be found this summer navigating the waterways that connect the Olympic boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest and Hackney: http://floatingcinema.info/

The Rooftop Film Club:
Located on the rooftop of the Queen of Hoxton public house in Shoreditch, this film club offers a series of classic, cult and recent films in the open air with great food and drink, comfy seating and that big screen experience. Only a stones' throw from the College Shoreditch can be reached via the new London Overground train (one stop from Whitechapel Station): http://www.rooftopfilmclub.com/

Film 4 Summer Screen at Somerset House:
Finally the grandeur of Somerset House with a return of the film series where you can appreciate the wonderful architecture of the elegant surroundings whilst enjoying a film on the big screen under the stars: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/film

Local History: Wilton’s Music Hall
‘An East End Gem Battles for Survival’

Wilton’s is the oldest surviving grand music hall in the world and was given the protection of grade II listed building status in 1971. Built in the 1850’s, it reputedly played host to the first ever can-can in London which was promptly banned.

The theatre is an unrestored example of the ‘giant pub hall’ and is today owned by the Wilton’s Music Hall Trust who aim to provide a spotlight for new and imaginative talent.

Wilton’s is determined to raise the £3.8m needed to conserve, renovate and protect this stunning historic building. For more information, please take a look at the website: www.wiltons.org.uk

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QM Springs into Summer!

With spring well and truly here and summer on the way, the focus here at QM is to now prepare for the busy summer season and continue improving the service that we provide to you, our customers.

We are currently in the process of working towards gaining the Hospitality Assured accreditation for our services, which is an award focusing on meeting customer expectations and the whole ‘customer experience’. We’ll keep you updated on our progress.

Following the launch of our new website in January, this month we will be adding a page of frequently asked questions, which we hope you find useful when planning your visit or event at Queen Mary. It will cover questions regarding the campus, its facilities and also the local area. If there’s anything we’ve missed or you’d like included, please let us know.

In April we will be introducing a new invoicing system. For you it means invoices will be sent electronically rather than by post and you will see a different layout to the current document. We hope this will provide an improved and more efficient service.

Focus On: The Award Winning Westfield Village

Our Westfield Village was built in 2004 and completed in 2008 with some
eye-catching award winning buildings offering a modern spacious feel. Over 1000 bedrooms are arranged in 9 buildings, offering single and twin ensuite rooms and single standard rooms all in self-contained flats. The Village sits alongside the Regents Canal and Mile End Park and guests can enjoy sunny evenings watching canal boats float by with a glimpse of the new Olympic stadium in the near distance. A 24 hour reception, 2 laundrettes, a village shop, catering facilities and outdoor seating areas are just a short walk from all the meeting and teaching rooms and public transport.

New Hospitality Venue: Mucci's

Opened in September 2010, Mucci’s is a traditional Italian trattoria located at the heart of the campus in the Library Square adjoining the Francis Bancroft Building. Monday - Friday, it offers healthy, authentic food in a warm and relaxed environment and is open to staff, students and visitors. At weekends and evenings it can be hired for drinks receptions, informal and formal meals as part of your conference or event. Please contact our Sales team if you’d like further information.

QM Local Area of Interest: Spitalfields Market

Just a short walk or tube ride from the College is Spitalfields. Taking its name from the hospital and priory St Mary’s Spittel which was founded in 1197, originally it was in a field next to the priory where the now famous market first started in the 13th century.

Over the years the area has been home to a wide range of cultures and fell into decline after the 1820’s gaining a reputation as a cheap place to live proving a 
magnet to numerous waves of immigrants.

Today Spitafields has benefited from a regeneration programme once again offering the visitor a thriving market together with a host of fascinating new and restored architecture, a public art programme and a wide range of restaurants. No longer just a Sunday destination it has evolved into one of London’s favourite and most vibrant areas. More information can be found at: www.spitalfields.co.uk

Local People: George Lansbury 
‘A Great Servant to the People’

Local politician George Lansbury (1859 - 1940) was a campaigner for social justice and improved living and employment conditions for the working class, especially in London’s East End. He was a leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935 and his efforts to prevent World War 2 led him to controversially meet with both Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. He was an unusually popular politician and today his memory lives on in the Lansbury Estate, Lansbury Gardens and the Lansbury’s Lido in Hyde Park. His granddaughter is the well known actress Angela Lansbury CBE who will be visiting the East End in May for the ‘George Lansbury celebration’ as part of the programme to mark the 700th anniversary of the licensing of St Mary’s Bow in 1311 by the Bishop of London.

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Humanities Building Brings Contemporary to Mile End

In spring 2011 the College will add to its growing collection of eye catching architecture with the opening of the new Humanities Building. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects and boasting a 300 seat tiered lecture theatre and several smaller seminar rooms, the venue provides an ideal space for larger conferences, lectures and meetings.

Featured Venue: The Great Hall

Opened in 1937 and with an interior designed by renowned art deco architect George Cole, the Great Hall in the People’s Palace became a thriving East End venue for the performing arts with one of the largest privately owned stages in London. Over 70 years later the hall is to be refurbished in 2011 restoring it to its former glory to be re-opened in 2012 as the heart of the campus and a new exciting performance and meeting space seating up to 800.

London Greeters!

From January 2011, Visit East London is introducing a new initiative to give visitors the chance to see London in its truest form, through the eyes of a local. ‘London Greeters’ has been created to allow the often ‘forgotten’ areas of London the chance to shine, giving people the opportunity to discover many of the city’s hidden gems, located just around the corner from QM. For more information visit the Visit East London website.

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