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An image of the West front of St Paul's Cathedral in the sunshine

70 years of the Friends

Welcome to our exhibition

 

In 2022, we marked the historic 70th anniversary of the Friends of St Paul's Cathedral with this special online exhibition exploring their story. 

The formation of the Friends owes much to a sense of continuity to the past, of a strong sense of community and commitment to our Cathedral formed during difficult times, and encouraged during times of regeneration.

 

Join us as we look back using the Cathedral's historic archives to tell the story of how the Friends — once described as 'the best club in London' — were founded and what they have achieved since 1952.

 

The Dean of St Paul's and The Duchess of Gloucester welcome you to our new exhibition and congratulate Friends members old and new for their ongoing support of the Cathedral. 

The Friends' story

Discover the story of how the Friends grew out of a time of wartime guardianship and bomb damage, learn more about key Cathedral figures, and find out what the Friends have achieved over the past 70 years.

Members of the St Paul's Watch during the Second World War
Explore the history of the St Paul's Watch and their activities during the Second World War.
Bomb damage sustained to St Paul's during the Second World War
It is a common myth that St Paul’s escaped damage during the Blitz, but in fact the Cathedral was to endure two direct hits by high explosives during the Second World War.
Portrait of Godfrey Allen, Surveyor to the Fabric between 1931 and 1956, taken during the Second World War
Godfrey Allen, Surveyor to the Fabric from 1931-1956 was described as 'the St Paul's terrier', and was devoted to the Cathedral.
A portrait of Dean Walter Matthew
Walter Matthews became Dean in 1934; a post he would hold for 33 years, during which time he was instrumental in the establishment of the Friends of St Paul's.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visiting St Paul's
Learn more about the companionable spirit of the St Paul's Watch, and their very special camaraderie.
An early newsletter to the Friends of St Paul's
The first 10 years of the Friends of St Paul's were a time of great activity, with rapid growth in membership and vital fundraising work.
Chapel
In the 70 years since their foundation, the Friends have made a considerable contribution to the life and welfare of the Cathedral.

Friends old and new

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people for their support and assistance with the creation of these pages. 

All attempts have been made to investigate copyright ownership for the images used on these pages and we have made efforts to credit where due. If we are contacted by a third party raising a copyright claim against any images posted, we will investigate, verify and take steps to remove the image as soon as possible if a claim is found to be correct.

 

HRH The Duchess of Gloucester 
The Very Reverend Dr David Ison
Robert Bowles
Laura Callan
Simon Carter
Peter Chapman
Stephanie Chapman
Jonathan Hellyer
Virginia Hopson
Graham Lacdao
Yodia Lo
David Morse
Louise Pollicott
Kit Richardson
Charlie Rowbotham
Alexandra Scott
Pauline Stobbs
Mike Tadman
Mary Tattersfield
Eileen Woods
Hannah Woolley
The Royal Household

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volunteer freinds hug sun churchyard

Become a Friend

For a small annual fee, you can join the Friends of St Paul’s, and benefit from free visits, discounts at our shop and priority access to events.