Chelsea Insider Low - Cadogan

51 | INSIDER | Chelsea, past and presentThe Insider’s Guideto Chelsea, pastand presentNational Army MuseumAs a long-time Chelsea resident, I think itmust be one of the best places – if notthe best place – to live in London, whichitself is the most vibrant and cosmopolitancity in the world.My chief joy is walking round thestreets, squares and places that makeChelsea a village within a city. The mostspecial places are the Royal HospitalChelsea, which is still doing what it hasbeen doing for more than 300 years; theChelsea Physic Garden; the NationalArmy Museum, which is brilliant forchildren (and, in my case, grandchildren);and Duke of York Square, which – thanksto an inspired redevelopment as London’snewest public square – is a meetingplace for all ages.Then there are the wonderful churches,such as Chelsea Old Church, wheremy wife and I were married, as wasmy widowed mother on her secondmarriage. Her mother’s funeral tookplace there, which is appropriate asshe did so much to raise funds for itsrebuilding after bomb damage.Also, there is the chapel at the RoyalHospital Chelsea – where my ex-soldierBy Sir Michael Craig-CooperCBE TD DL, who has lived mostof his life in Chelsea and hasheld several important postsin the area.Following National Service inCombined Operations, he wasarticled to a solicitor andundertook many unpaidvoluntary roles in the serviceof Chelsea, the Royal Boroughand Greater London. He servedas a councillor for the HansTown Ward, during which timehe was chairman of theCouncil's Finance Committeefor two years, and then servedas one of the last of thealdermen. Having served in theTerritorial Army for many years,he was a deputy lieutenantfor Greater London and therepresentative deputylieutenant for the RoyalBorough of Kensington andChelsea until his promotion toVice Lord-Lieutenant in 2005 –a role he completed in 2011.He is currently president of theFriends of the Royal HospitalChelsea and is a trustee of theThames Diamond JubileePageant Foundation, as well asserving as vice president of theReserve Forces and CadetsAssociation of Greater Londonson was married and his two childrenchristened – Holy Trinity Sloane Street,St Luke’s in Sydney Street, and manyothers I have connections to.It is a great privilege to live inHans Town which, until the reorganisationof London local government in thelate 1800s, was the oldest secular unitof local government under its commissionersoutside the City of London.It was an additional privilege to representit on the council for six years and as analderman for a further four.The Wren Chapel at theRoyal Hospital Chelsea