Memories of Southwark Park
What are your memories of Southwark Park?
I can remember that in about 1943 near the end of the 2nd World War, when, as children a group of boys and girls would go to the park for a picnic. At this time the Park was run by the LCC (London County Council) and the Park Keepers, in their brown uniforms and hats would keep tight control of what went on in the park - no nonsense in those days!
Everyone was kept off the fenced flower area and the children - except when accompanied by adults - were banned from the Rose Garden.
I remember the large Boating Pool to the rear of the Rose Garden, with rowing boats and a motor boat that had in the past been used to give people rides round the lake. This was later filled in because it leaked, and the whole area was made into a Flower Garden. To the rear of the Lake, stood the Lido, unused in those days of course.
The Army still occupied the far end of the Park, where the Sports Complex now stands, and anti-aircraft (ackack guns for the defence of Surrey Docks ) stood in the distance and a fence kept the public from this area.
In the shadows of the old St Olave's Hospital was a children's Swing Park, with the unusual boat-swings which held two children, each with a rope to pull to make the swing move, similar to those you would find in a fairground today.
The Sports Ground was to the left as you entered the Park (on the Southwark Park Road side of the Park) in a long gravelled area with a wire fence - this was for football and cricket.
A Bandstand stood in the centre of a green field near the Jamaica Road entrance and at the Gomm Road entrance was the Park Nursery where the plants were cultivated and grown before being planted out.
I can remember going to the Park on the Tram from Riley Road School to Southwark Park every Wednesday afternoon for Sports activities.
What are your memories?
Joe Foster.
Hi Joe
Unfortunatley I can't go back that far.
The earliest I can remember would have been in the early 60's about the time when that video was shot by Patrick Long (Southwark Park 1966) and most of that was kicking a football about or swimming and posing in the Lido, and that water was always freezing or is that just me?
I do remember the bandstand and now I have learnt something else, I never did realise they had those anti aircraft guns there.
Was there ever one left there for display purposes? something in the back of my mind says there was some military artifact there.
bermondseyboy
Southwark Park Bandstand.
Not my sort of music, but it was nice to listen to on a sunny day.
Just seen the picture of the bandstand in Southwark Park. You mentioned that it was not your sort of music bermondsey boy but maybe because you are so much younger you will not know that on Saturday nights around about 1952/53 in the summer there were live bands and the dancing was free so many teenagers, I was one of them with my friend Pam, would go jiving and because we were taught ballroom dancing at our mixed school 'Bermondsey Central' we might even get asked to dance from one of them by the way do you know what year the photo of the bandstand was taken?
Millylinseyst
Hi Millylinseyst
Yes you are correct, a little younger, born 1949
The only music I heard was older band music.
The only bit of history of the Bandstand I could find is that it was at the Horticultural Society at South Kensington and moved to Southwark Park I think in 1884.
It also has a Sister in Peckham Rye Park.
Not sure about the date of photo.
The image of all the teenagers dancing to live bands makes me wish i was a little older, I feel that Iv'e missed out of something special.
Bermondseyboy
my girlfriend used to work in the warrior pub on the corner of redriff an lower rd i think i'ts changed its name now anyway we used to cut across the park over the fence by the jolly chalkers to get to her house in tranton rd an one night as we walk by the lido there were a load of people swimming so we joined them skinny dipping anyone remember she was the only girl there it must stick in someones mind 
it was august 1970
Does anybody remember the entrances to the WWII bomb shelters by the Jamaica Road entrance to the park? There were three wedge shaped structures built of brick, about 8ft high. As a child I would run up them and slide down the incline. They are no longer there and I don't remember them being taken down. Does anybody know if the bomb shelters were filled in or are still there?
i remember them shelters well done the same as you running me legs off i would think they are still there because one time we got into one an it was quite extensive also what about the big stage in front of them where the little band stand is now there was this big corragated iron stage where in the summer they used to put on variety shows.and the big film van that showed films out the back ring any bells with any one
talking about southwark park, reminds me of the time i found a head or more correctly a skull they were filling in some ground near the pond an i found this head , run home to show me mum she screamed an told me to chuck it in the yard,then she gave me a newspaper to wrap it up in an told me to take it to the police station paradise st so when i get there the copper says wot ya got there sunny jim, im thinking how does he know my name so i say i've got an nead, he says a nead wots a nead so he opens the paper an says oh a head! then i get a ride in a black maria to show them were i found it an they picked up some more bones couple of weeks later its in the south london press it seems the earth they were filling in the hole with came from a graveyard and was about two hundred years old i've never seen the artical do'es anyone know if i can search the slp archive
