Refugee Week 2025: Celebrating Karel Vogel with young refugees

This Refugee Week, we're celebrating the work of refugee artist Karel Vogel, and his ability to inspire today's young refugees.

Refugee Week is the world's largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees.

Last year, Heritage of London Trust restored Karel Vogel's Leaning Woman statue in Hammersmith. A beautiful piece of public art, Leaning Woman was commissioned by the London County Council in 1958. Artist Karel Vogel had arrived in Britain from Prague in 1938, escaping Nazism.

As part of the award-winning restoration, young refugees have taken part in Proud Places youth engagement projects, learning more about the artist, the sculpture and the importance of public art and the heritage of Hammersmith.

Of all the young people engaged in Proud Places projects, 15% are refugees.

Young refugees visit the Leaning Woman statue in Hammersmith as part of the Proud Places youth engagement programme

'I found it interesting that the sculptor came to London from Czechoslovakia because World War II started and it wasn’t safe. But now he’s become part of this history and culture,' said Lysander, age 18.

'I really liked visiting the Leaning Woman and learning about Karel Vogel. I found his story really inspiring,' added Assan, age 16.

As well as being inspired by the artwork and learning about the site's history, the students benefitted from engaging in related art projects, including working with clay and testing their skills at stonemasonry. Importantly, the workshops were accessible to everyone who took part, irrespective of language differences.

'People like us who come from other countries know the historical sites in our countries, but it's good to see what's here in the UK so we can learn about different traditions and civilizations,' said Vicky, age 18.

'This art is meaningful to me, because it was made by a refugee,' added Hasti, age 18.

The students from West London college enjoyed their visit to Karel Vogel's statue

This Refugee Week, we're thrilled that thanks to HOLT's restoration work and Proud Places, Karel Vogel's exquisite artwork can continue to inspire young refugees.

Replica HOLT-restored Boston Manor House wallpaper now available to buy

Classical Ruins, a new wallpaper on offer at Hamilton Weston Wallpapers, is a replica of the HOLT-restored wallpaper from Boston Manor House.

If you fancy adding a touch of HOLT's restoration work to your own living space, you're in luck. Hamilton Weston Wallpapers now offers a replica of the beautiful Boston Manor House wallpaper painstakingly restored in 2022 by Heritage of London Trust with support from Frank Knight.

The original wallpaper dates from 1757, and shows scenes inspired by the Grand Tours to Greece and Rome undertaken by young aristocrats at the time.

The rare linen rag-based paper features two young men exploring ancient ruins. The men are surrounded by a neo-classical sphinx on a pedestal, an obelisk and ruined temples. Foliage grows around the ruins, adding to the sense of abandonment and the otherworldliness of the men's adventures.

The Heritage of London Trust project on the wallpaper at Boston Manor House included surface cleaning, consolidation of the pigment, repair and removal of fragile sections to the workshop for detailed scans and treatment.

Allyson McDermott removes old backing and dirt from the wallpaper at Boston Manor House.

The painstaking wallpaper restoration process at Boston Manor House.

A conservator works on the wallpaper at Boston Manor House.

Allyson McDermott cleans the surface of the Boston Manor House wallpaper

Allyson McDermott, arguably one of the world's leading authorities on conserving and recreating historic wallpapers, worked on the project. McDermott is the Former Head of Sotheby's Conservation Studio, Advisor to the National Trust and Chair of the Historic Interiors Group of ICON.

You can now visit Boston Manor House, which is open to visitors six days a week, and see the amazing restoration work carried out throughout this stunning Jacobean manor house.

And if you're inspired by what you see, you can recreate part of the house's unique 'look' at home thanks to HOLT and Hamilton Weston Wallpapers.

Restoration begins on historic Surrey Street drinking fountain

The London Stone Conservation team on site at the historic Surrey Street drinking fountain

Restoration work has begun on the historic Surrey Street drinking fountain in Croydon this week.

This historic Victorian fountain has been out of repair for many years, offering no fresh water for local residents and passers by. We have started work this week on a full restoration project: cleaning, poulticing, repairing joints and returning drinking water to the lion’s mouth, via a new push-button above.

The fountain was originally erected in 1896 and unveiled by the Mayor of Croydon, Frederick Thomas Edridge (1843-1921). Surrey Street is one of the oldest street markets in the UK dating from 1276. This drinking fountain on its junction with Croydon’s High Street was part of the Victorian redevelopment programme to widen the street. Heritage of London Trust’s focus on Surrey Street was one of the catalysts for a major Croydon Council redevelopment and investment programme in the market. The scheme aims to drive growth, reactivate empty shops and spaces so they can be used by culture, arts and community groups and create safer, greener public spaces.

We’re thrilled the historic Surrey Street drinking fountain can be part of this wider regeneration programme.

The project, supported by Croydon Council and the Jones Day Foundation, takes place through June 2025. Local young people will be involved in the restoration through our youth engagement programme, Proud Places.