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| More than just a park. |
Saturday January 31, 2015.
It was during a wet Saturday morning, in January, when I found this quiet little park. I had been enjoying a stroll from St Paul's Cathedral, through Paternoster Square and up to Greyfriars Church Garden, when I noticed a gate leading into a small park. So, I went in to see if there was anything of interest. And, boy, was there.
The park appears, at first, to be simply a small patch of grass, surrounded by paving slabs and benches, with a few trees and bushes breaking up the space. As you move further into the park you notice a sundial and a small fountain.
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| A very sombre place. |
However, it is not until you enter the park proper that you notice a small, covered area, with ornate tiles affixed to a wall. The legend, written on the timber, says, "Commemoration of heroic self-sacrifice."
The park got its name from the many Postmen who used it during their breaks, from the nearby old General Post Office.
In 1887, George Frederic Watts OM RA suggested the idea of a memorial park to commemorate the 'heroic men and women' who had given their lives in saving others. Eventually, in 1900, the Watts Gallery opened in Postman's Park.
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| Henry James Bristow. |
Each of the glazed Doulton tablets, along the wall of the gallery, tells a story of heroism and contains the names and details of each tragedy, many of which concern children.
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