Victoria Park has long been known as The People’s Park. Over 30,000 East End residents signed a petition to the Queen in 1840 to have a park built in this densely populated area of London, and when construction was delayed local people simply began using the space before it could be officially opened. Soon Victoria Park became famous as a site of free speech and protest, echoed in the Rock Against Racism gig held in 1978.
Today Victoria Park has received £4.5 million through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund’s (BIG) Parks for People programme. Coupled with funding from Tower Hamlets council this means £12 million will be spent on improving the park ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Alongside the improvements this will bring to the physical fabric of the site, we want to collect your memories of Victoria Park in the form of photographs, old and new.
To have your images scanned and included in an online archive simply come along with your photos to one of our events in the Park on 15th August, 11th September and 10th October. Barker Langham will be setting up near the Pavilion Cafe. Alternatively, upload your digital images to our Flickr site at www.flickr.com/groups/thepeoplespark
For further information please refer to the Flickr site or email colin@barkerlangam.co.uk
