Full report on the excellent blog by Canon Gary Jenkins, vicar of St James Bermondsey: Bermondsey boys remembered.
Category Archives: History
Thames Tunnel Mills on Great Interior Design Challenge
Thames Tunnel Mills in Rotherhithe was the setting for the fourth heat of the BBC’s Great Interior Design Challenge, shown on BBC Two on Thursday night.
You can watch the programme on iPlayer until Thursday 13 February.
Council agrees to honour Bermondsey’s remarkable Grace Jones
This week Southwark councillors of all parties unanimously backed a motion calling on the council to name a new public building after Bermondsey resident Grace Jones who died last year at the age of 113.
“Grace Jones led a long and remarkable life, which should be noted with a fitting tribute by Southwark Council, said Cllr Eliza Mann (Lib Dem, Riverside ward).
“Naming a public building after her would be a mark of respect for somebody who lived through the whole of the 20th century and beyond, and was one of the best-known residents of our borough.”
1978 film about redevelopment of Surrey Docks
A Southwark Council film from 1978 about the proposed redevelopment of Surrey Docks – presented by Brian Redhead – has been published on YouTube
Do you have old photos of the Albion pub in Albion Street?
Pauline Adenwalla writes:
We are undertaking some research into The Albion Public House on the corner of Albion Street and Neptune Street.If you have any old photos of the building, particularly the inside, please could you drop them off at either Up Market Charity Shop, 48 Albion Street, or Deli Felice 40 Albion Street marked for the attention of Pauline E Adenwalla. It would be very helpful if you could please date the photos.If you wish to have the photos returned please be sure to include your name and address with the photos.Many thanksPauline
Where should the Surrey Quays dolphins go?
The sculpture which once stood within the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre now needs a new home and Southwark Council wants your ideas.
The Family of Dolphins by David Backhouse is a 2.74-metre sculpture which was given to Southwark Council. Through a public consultation process the council would like to find it a new home within the Canada Water area.
Due to previous thefts in the area security is a key consideration in deciding upon the location. The council is looking for suggestions that naturally provide a secure environment; for example heavy footfall areas which have a high natural surveillance or a water based location.
“This is a great opportunity for the local community to have a say in the location of this stunning sculpture and hopefully it will become an important focal point for residents,” said Cllr Veronica Ward, cabinet member for culture, leisure, sport and volunteering.
“I look forward to hearing the location ideas that come out of the consultation process and getting this sculpture re-homed as soon as we can.”
The public consultation process will have three stages. Stage one will call for location ideas, stage two will assess feasibility of the locations and stage three will report the most viable options to the community, and give a final opportunity for residents to add comments to enable officers to make a final decision. To find out more and give the council your ideas please visit www.southwark.gov.uk/art and click on the public art tab.
£5k boost for Salter Statues fund
Bookmakers Ladbrokes have donated £5,000 towards the campaign to create new statues of Alfred and Ada Salter to replace the statue of Dr Salter stolen from the riverside in 2011.
“We were delighted to receive such a generous donation of £5,000 from Ladbrokes community fund,” said Gary Glover, chair of the Salter Statues appeal.
“Along with donations from other local charities and from the many people moved by the terrible theft of Dr Salter, we are now well over half way towards our target of £50,000.
Catherine Dale, treasurer of the Salter Statues campaign, said: “We have fund-raised £29,400 which is being match-funded by Southwark Council, meaning we need to raise another £20,600 to reach our target and see new statues of Alfred and Ada reunited with Joyce and the cat on the Bermondsey riverside.”
You can donate online at salterstatues.co.uk.
Richard Royal of Ladbrokes added: “We believe in supporting local communities in the neighbourhoods that we are represented within.
“Our Community Fund supports specific localised causes that have a strong community link, and the restoration of the Salter Statues which are symbolic of the history of this area, is a prime example of this.”
Southwark Park’s coronation tree rededicated
A chestnut tree planted by London County Council in Southwark Park in 1953 to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II has been rededicated to mark its 60th anniversary.
The rededication ceremony took place on 19 June which also coincided with the 140th anniversary of the opening of Southwark Park.
A plaque and new railings were unveiled by Jenny Bianco, deputy lieutenant for Southwark.
Gary Glover, chair of the Friends of Southwark Park, said: “It was a lovely to have the Queen’s representative to unveil the the new plaque and railings to celebrate the Queen’s accession to the throne.”
He said that the 60-year-old tree is “as strong as ever” even though it was nearly lost in the great storm of October 1987.
Tommy Steele becomes local history society patron
The Rotherhithe & Bermondsey Local History Society has announced that Tommy Steele OBE has become the organisation’s first-ever patron.
At a packed AGM held last week at Time & Talents in Rotherhithe, members of the society which Tommy referred to as both”thoughtful and exciting” voted unanimously in favour of the appointment.
Outgoing chairman Michael Daniels said: “Tommy was born and bred in these parts and has often spoken of his affection for the neighbourhood in which he started out.
“He is an amazingly multi-talented individual who has been a household name for as long as I can remember, and I am delighted that he has agreed to become our first ever patron.”
The appointment also marks the end of Michael Daniels’ six-year stint as chairman, a period which has seen the conversion of the organisation into an independent society and a near doubling of membership.
Daniels goes on to become vice president and is replaced at the helm by Claire Sexton.
Help the Salter Statues appeal raise another £34,000
The fundraising campaign to replace the stolen sculpture of Dr Alfred Salter has raised over £16,000. Southwark Council will match all donations with the aim of reaching the £100,000 needed.
The Salter Statues Campaign is appealing to residents and local business to help raise the additional money to replace the statue of Dr Alfred Salter, which was stolen in 2011, and to create a new statue of his wife, Ada, who served as a councillor and Mayor of Bermondsey.
The campaign – spearheaded by Bermondsey and Rotherhithe residents – needs to raise £50,000 to fund new statues of the pair who lived in Bermondsey from the 1890s up until their deaths, which will be matched by the council.
The money will be used to buy two statues to be placed on Bermondsey Wall called Dr Salter’s Daydream 2013. The new statues have been designed by artist Diane Gorvin to create a family group which will include the original sculptures of their daughter Joyce, and her cat.
“Alfred and Ada Salter made a significant contribution to the welfare of Bermondsey and it will be a fitting tribute to raise enough money to buy the statues,” said Cllr Veronica Ward, cabinet member for Culture, Leisure and Sport.
“Southwark Council is generously matching the donations so I would encourage anyone to make a donation so we will be able to have a permanent reminder of their life and work in Bermondsey for years to come.”
Donations can be made through the website: www.salterstatues.co.uk
Diane welcomes additional photographs of Alfred and Ada Salter to ensure their likenesses are as accurate as possible. Any photos or contributions should be sent to [email protected] or call 020 7525 0860.