Summary:
Postman’s Park is often overlooked by the visitor, but it can make for a touching and memorable visit. This article gives an overview of the small green space in London dedicated to the country’s unsung heroes.

Details or Sample:
Postman’s Park

Postman´s Park is a small green space, situated in the City of London. It´s a tribute to the country´s unsung heroes; those everyday people who lost their lives saving others.

The park was the idea of G F Watts, a painter and philanthropist, who wanted a memorial to celebrate the heroism of people who would otherwise have been forgotten. Watts was a radical socialist who campaigned for the rights of the working classes and refused a baronetcy. In 1887 he wrote to the Times newspaper suggesting that a park commemorating those who had lost their lives saving others would be a fitting way to mark Queen Victoria´s Golden Jubilee year. His idea failed to attract any backers, however, so he decided to go ahead alone and created a 50ft-long open gallery in public gardens on the site where the churchyard of St. Botolph, Aldersgate had once stood.

The park gets its name from the postal workers from the nearby old General Post Office who used to frequent the park during their breaks from work. On a wall in the park are 47 hand-painted tiles detailing the heroic acts members of the public undertook in order to help save the lives of others. The descriptions of the acts of heroism are extremely touching: many involve children who were saved from house fires or drowning. One tile reads: "Thomas Simpson died of exhaustion after saving many lives from the breaking ice at Highgate Ponds. Jan 25 1885." Another reads: "William Freer Lucas MRCS LLD at Middlesex Hospital risked poison for himself rather than lessen any chance of saving a child´s life and died. Oct 8th 1893." The tiles, most of which are decorated with Art Nouveau motifs, were made by the Royal Doulton factory.

While the General Post Office may have long since gone, Postman´s Park is still a popular spot for local workers. Although it´s located in the heart of the city´s financial district, the park manages to offer the visitor peace and tranquility. It provides refuge from the sometimes frenetic pace of London life.

Postman´s Park was featured in the 2004 film "Closer." At the beginning of the film, Jude Law and Natalie Portman´s characters stop in the park and look at the tiles. Only at the end of the film is it revealed that Natalie Portman´s character adopted her name, Alice Ayres, from one of the tiles.

The park is very close to St. Paul´s Cathedral, and if you´re sightseeing in the area it´s the perfect spot to sit and contemplate your next move.

Purchase this content for your website...

Pricing:
Usage:	$10	[Add to Cart]

Downloads: 0
Written by: JD
Available File Types:Text
Words: 425