please empty your brain below
(unless of course you know better)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 25.06.20 - 1:00 a.m. | #

Something I've noticed on assorted travels is quite how blessed London is with green space particularly when compared with South American cities and the one I’ve been to in South East Asia, Bangkok.

Robert Butlin | 25.06.20 - 7:09 a.m. | #

West Ham Park reminds me of my local childhood parks. Bedding plants, well cut lawns, bandstands, drinking fountains, park keepers and gardeners. Where has municipal pride gone?

We have lost our soul.

chicker | 25.06.20 - 7:34 a.m. | #

My map shows something at the West end of grovesnor road and St George's road. Is that too small for the Newham dig population?

Ian | 25.06.20 - 8:17 a.m. | #

Oh, it might be a school playing field. Never mind. As you were

Ian | 25.06.20 - 8:19 a.m. | #

Municipal pride? Unfortunately councils barely have enough funding these days to perform their statutory duties let alone anything discretionary. Central government funding for local authorities has reduced markedly in the last decade or so, and council tax is still based on property values in 1991. At a minimum, the valuations need to be updated and more bands added at the top end. Arguably business rates are in an even worse state. With the current crisis, there is a good chance a number of councils will become effectively insolvent.

Andrew | 25.06.20 - 8:22 a.m. | #

Thanks Andrew. Municipal pride doesn’t pay the bills.

Bryn Davies | 25.06.20 - 8:47 a.m. | #

Brings back many happy memories DG as I grew up about quarter of a mile from Plashet Park and spent many hours playing football, cricket, and tennis there with my friends. No problem in those days with “stranger danger” as East Ham Borough Council employed Park Keepers to keep an eye on things and make sure your parents could send you there with confidence.

In those days it used to be that kids staying indoors were the oddity as the question was “why aren’t you outside playing with your friends?”.

The Good Old Days, who knows? it was just how it used to be growing up in the 1950’s / 1960’s. And looking back I’m glad the Borough Council were able to provide such places for the benefit of their citizens, of whatever age.

IanD | 25.06.20 - 9:11 a.m. | #

All this mention of Green Street is reminding me of the film "Green Street", a piece on East End football hooliganism with Elijah Wood in the starring role. I particularly remember his interview in one of the film magazines headlined "From Hobbit to Hooligan".

TheLupineOne | 25.06.20 - 9:18 a.m. | #

For once, London is the envy of the French. I read recently that the Mayor of Paris is anxious to create more green space in his city.

DG's French equivalent would find it much easier to find large areas of Paris that are remote from green parks.

Petras409 | 25.06.20 - 9:22 a.m. | #

the old West Ham ground at the foot of Green Street would've perfect for a massive park connecting with Priory Park, but alas £££ and the need for housing got in the way

Abdullah Abdullah | 25.06.20 - 10:01 a.m. | #

"I read recently that the Mayor of Paris is anxious to create more green space in his city."

Her city. Anne Hidalgo is the mayor of Paris.

AlanBG | 25.06.20 - 10:23 a.m. | #

It's often claimed that Islington is the borough with the least green space (as a percentage), but I suspect that doesn’t really reflect the reality of living here, as we have lots of parks just across the boundary into neighbouring boroughs (eg Clissold Park and Finsbury Park).

Frankie Roberto | 25.06.20 - 10:36 a.m. | #

I remember spending many happy hours in West Ham Park. It was a bit of a way to go for a park but it was more interesting than the park behind our house (which is not to say that I didn't spend a lot in time in that park as well).

X-Plaistow | 25.06.20 - 11:05 a.m. | #

It seems that, so far anyway, none of us commenters knows better.

Bob L-S | 25.06.20 - 12:22 p.m. | #

I live just off Green Street and the limited park provision has been very noticeable during the lockdown. West Ham Park normally closes at dusk but due to staff shortages it currently closes at 18:30 and there was a period around Easter when it was facing being permanently closed because too many people just weren't socially distancing. There were a few days of closure to ram home the message.

The alternatives have required what can be surprisingly exhausting walks - it's amazing what effect not being able to rely on public transport can have.

Tim Roll-Pickering | 25.06.20 - 12:33 p.m. | #

Not many trees lining the street in that photo either - tree lined streets can make a big difference in areas without much green space otherwise.

Sykobee | 25.06.20 - 1:38 p.m. | #

Don't assume too much from a single photo.

This is the precise park-distant street corner.


diamond geezer | Homepage | 25.06.20 - 1:45 p.m. | #

Possibly one of the best chances to rethink the fabric of London occurred after WW2 had ended and whole areas had been flattened by bombing. Indeed, there was actually a proposal to use the opportunity to create an entire belt of parks and open spaces around the city, known as the Abercrombie Plan. Unfortunately, although some new spaces were formed, it never reached full fruition.

RogerW | 25.06.20 - 2:16 p.m. | #

Wasn't aware that West Ham Park was so charming, will have to check it out this weekend.

The lockdown has seen me stumble upon Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park which is a real treasure and a proper calming oasis I was completely unaware of. I'm so glad that I've been able to find so much new nature during an otherwise gloomy period of time.

Sean | 25.06.20 - 3:50 p.m. | #

RogerW My Nan's house is under what became Shoreditch Park! Luckily they'd moved out before the bombs flattened her street.

Councils are so strapped for cash a lot of park upkeep now falls on volunteers and "Friends of" groups, of which I am one.

Thanks for the map link DG. Yesterday I started trying to map a ring of interesting green spaces around my house and wasn't having a lot of success with Google!

Interestingly Google either doesn't name a green space at all, or has a different name from the one given in the link.
A case in point is Yeading Brook Meadows near Hayes/Hillingdon which is just named Regional Open Space (Belmore Playing Fields) in Google!

Cornish Cockney | 25.06.20 - 4:45 p.m. | #

IanD: The motor car arrived. Kids couldn’t play out in the street. They got “knocked down” in ridiculously large numbers as they crossed previously quiet and safe roads to the park. “Stranger danger” got the blame due to a couple of notorious killers but we now know that most child abusers are known to the victim. The motor lobby is powerful. Commercial media relies on car advertisers with huge pockets. Penalties for killing using a car are far more lenient than other forms and juries rarely convict. Road deaths barely make the news. Stranger danger made for a better headline, parents feared their children being abducted. When kids go out in groups on foot or bike, like they did in the good old days, they’re seen as troublemakers. Best pack them in the car and drive them a mile to school or put their bike in the boot to drive them half a mile to the park for a ride. Want kids to play out in the street? Apply to the cash-strapped council for a once a year street party closure. Try to filter the road so it’s safer and face opposition from the car owning parents who applied to have an annual street party.

irked | 25.06.20 - 6:25 p.m. | #

Not that i live there but Chadwell Heath / Goodmayes lacks any real decent space.

Bruce Wayne | 26.06.20 - 6:48 a.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy