On Sunday 14 June, members of the public and invited guests gathered to mark the official opening of the Trent Park House of Secrets Café - a milestone moment for the museum and for everyone who is working to bring this extraordinary House back to life.
The ribbon was cut by actor, writer, comedian and museum trustee Helen Lederer, whose grandfather, Ernst Lederer, was one of the wartime Secret Listeners who covertly gathered intelligence from high-ranking German officers held at Trent Park during the Second World War.
Among those joining us were trustees, local residents, members of the wider Sassoon family, heritage supporters, councillors and friends of the House. We were delighted to welcome Cllr Alessandro Georgiou, Leader of Enfield Council, and Cllr Chris Joannides, Deputy Mayor of Enfield. We were also pleased that Damian Collins, biographer of Philip Sassoon, was able to attend.
The morning included speeches from some of those who have each played a vital role in the museum's journey including Jason Charalambous, Founding Trustee and Co-Chair of Trent Park Museum Trust, Alan Perkin, Founding Trustee and Deputy Chairman, and Giuseppe Albano, Director.
The café is housed in the 'Blue Room' – a grand, historically significant space featuring restored 1930s murals by celebrated artist Rex Whistler, and a cherished painting spot for Sir Winston Churchill. The room has been carefully preserved as part of the restoration project.
Dr Giuseppe Albano, Director of Trent Park House of Secrets said:
We are delighted to be opening the café at Trent Park House of Secrets ahead of the public opening of the museum later this summer. Café visitors will be among the very first to step inside the newly restored house and will be welcomed into the historic Blue Room, once at the heart of Sir Philip Sassoon’s glittering weekend parties between the wars. We are very pleased to be working with Blends & Beyond to bring this beautiful room back to life once more.
Jason Charalambous, Co-Chair, Trent Park Museum Trust said:
After a decade of fundraising and restoration works we are so pleased to finally welcome visitors to Trent Park House and the wonderfully restored Blue Room. We were determined to find a café operator with strong roots in the local community and who appreciated the magnificent history of Trent Park. Blends & Beyond are a great fit, and we are confident that the café will become a much-loved place to visit for both local residents and visitors to the museum.
The day also had one very special four-wheeled guest: a gleaming 1931 Ford Model A Roadster which arrived courtesy of the Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, perfectly evoking the interwar era in which Sir Philip Sassoon entertained at Trent Park and bringing a real sense of occasion to the morning.
The House of Secrets Café is now open to visitors, Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5pm. We look forward to welcoming you - and to sharing more of Trent Park's extraordinary stories over a cup of tea.
