THE VENUE
CLTs 2008 will be held at the Church House Conference Centre in the centre of London, in the shadows of Westminster Abbey and within walking distance of St James Park and Westminster tube stations and Victoria rail station.
The current building was designed by the renowned architect, Sir Herbert Baker, and the foundation stone was laid by Her Majesty, Queen Mary on 26 June 1937. The completion of the building took until 1940 and was officially opened by His Majesty, King George Vl, on 10 June 1940.
The building suffered a direct hit on the Assembly Hall in November 1940 but due to the exceptional construction of the building only minimal damage was done. The Prime Minister of the day, one Mr. Winston Churchill, was so impressed by this fact that he requisitioned the building for use by the two Houses of Parliament when London was threatened by the Luftwaffe. In fact the building was used for this purpose in 1940, 1941, and 1944. Many historic speeches and events took place within the building during this time and one in particular was the announcement, by Mr. Churchill from the stage of the Hoare Memorial Hall, of the sinking of the Battleship Bismarck.
On the 27 November 1945 the first meetings of the United Nations Preparatory Commission and Security Council were held in the Hoare Memorial Hall. Over the years. many national meetings of importance have been held in the building.
The majority of the venue will be used on the day including the Hoare Memorial which will be the location for the catering and refreshments.
For detailed directions visit: www.churchhouseconf.co.uk/findus/index.shtml