|
Focus Autumn 2001 - Menu - Index -
Previous - Next
The Tramlink Heritage Trail: A Museum Without Walls
If you use Tramlink you will have seen information panels
at some stops about the history of the locality and archaeological
finds made nearby. These are the first phase of the Tramlink
Heritage Trail originating with our parent society, the Croydon
Natural History and Scientific Society, and brought to fruition
with the support of Croydon Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund,
and local businesses.
Tramlink stops so far covered are:
Therapia Lane Lavender and peppermint fields, perfume
distillery
Church Street Croydon Palace, Parish Church and Surrey
Street Market
George Street Whitgift Almshouses
West Croydon Croydon Canal and the Atmospheric Railway
East Croydon Transport and prehistoric finds
Sandilands The East India Company
Woodside Brickfields and the former racecourse
Gravel Hill Addington Palace
Addington Village Mediaeval Church and the Archbishops' Memorial
Further proposed sites may include Ampere Way, Waddon Marsh,
Wandle Park, Reeves Corner, Wellesley Road, Lebanon Road, Addiscombe,
Blackhorse Lane, Arena and Lloyd Park.
The designers of the project were the Free Form Arts Trust,
and on 23rd October 2001 the Society heard a talk from Alan Rossiter
of the Trust about their work in promoting public art. The Trust,
which is a registered charity, began by developing large scale
artworks and events in public places in the 1960s A funded programme
of work involving the public, with a strong emphasis on work
in underprivileged areas was developed later, and Alan Rossiter
showed slides illustrating several regeneration projects, notably
the Fish Quay Project in North Tyneside where a programme of
physical improvements and enhancements and the revival of the
local fish festival attracted over one million visitors in 1990,
and helped to restore a sense of place and community to the area.
Nearer home, work on the pedestrian passageways at Green Park
and Hyde Park Corner Underground stations and the transformation
of the derelict Tower Cinema in Peckham were shown as examples
of the varied and socially constructive work of the trust.
In discussion reference was made to the opportunities for
more public art in Croydon and to the roundel in the entrance
to the Clocktower Centre, designed by local Primary School children.
Mr Rossiter's talk was well received by the audience, many of
whom left with thoughts for future public art in the Borough.
The Trust's excellent website is at www.freeform.org.uk
Geoffrey Myers
|