Watts Memorial

[talktonite]

I went for a walk at lunchtime and took a few photos or Watts Memorial in Postman Park. I thought some of you may find it interesting and may even find an ancestor on it (I wasn't sure if the pics were available elsewhere online).

Feel free to take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossiterphotos/sets/72157625976245350/

Marc

Postman's Park is a small green memorial garden in the City of London. It is located between King Edward Street, Little Britain and Angel Street. It was created in 1880 from the churchyards of St Leonard, Foster Lane and St Botolph-without-Aldersgate together with the graveyard of Christ Church Greyfriars. St Leonard's had been a ruin since the Great Fire and was probably demolished at the time of the creation of the park. St Botolph's is still open and stands at the north east corner of the park. Christ Church was detached from its graveyard and is now a ruin on the other side of King Edward Street.

The park was the idea of the painter George Frederick Watts who wanted to celebrate people who may otherwise have been forgotten. Its name celebrates the postmen who work in the principal London post office and the former sorting office in King Edward Street.

A wall in the park has 34 hand-painted tiles paying tribute to everyday people who sacrificed their lives helping others. The hand-lettered tiles were made by Royal Doulton.

The park features in the film Closer - Natalie Portman's character takes her pseudonym 'Alice Ayres' from one of the painted tiles, as Jude Law's character discovers at the end of the film.