'Dr Salter's Daydream' by Diane Gorvin

If you walk along Bermondsey Wall East you will find four statues of a family, enjoying the peaceful serenity of this part of the River Thames. The pieces are collectively known as 'Dr Salter's Daydream'.

First unveiled, in 1991, the original location of the statue was a little further west, at Cherry Garden Pier. However, in 2003, the statues were relocated to their current position besides the Thames Wall, near the Angel pub and opposite the remains of King Edward III's moated manor house. In 2011, the original statue of Dr Salter was stolen, possibly to be sold for scrap, resulting in the statues of Joyce and the cat being removed for safe keeping. 

It wasn't until 2014, following a fund raising campaign by local people, that the statues were reinstated, which included a new statue, that of his wife Ada. The original statue of Dr Salter had him sitting on a bench, legs crossed with his left arm raised as if in greeting. The new sculpture has him sitting on a granite bench, his hands resting on an umbrella, looking towards his daughter, Joyce, who is leaning against the embankment wall.

His wife, Ada, is seen to be walking towards Joyce, while their pet cat sits atop the river wall as if ready to pounce on an unsuspecting avian friend.

It is a rather poignant set of statues showing Dr Alfred Salter in old age, his wife Ada holding a spade and their daughter Joyce, who sadly died aged eight years old.

The Statues

The statues were designed by Diane Gorvin and cast in bronze by Castle Fine Arts Foundry. Although only three statues were designed as part of the original design, Diane created the statue of Ada for the new unveiling. The statue of Ada is the first statue, in London, of a female politician.

So, who were the Salters and what is their connection to the area?

Walking alone: Baker Street to Camden... and beyond

Friday April 10, 2026.

A sunny day with light winds, 16°C (61°F).

The plan had been for Keilyn and myself to go for a walk in London, while Emma visited her mum and dad, in Chesham. However, Keilyn kept changing her mind as to what she wanted to do.

Emma booked a taxi, which we clambered into, which whisked us through the deserted streets to Watford Underground station. Erin was staying home, as she was dog-sitting for Alysha, later in the day.

We boarded the waiting train and were soon trundling through Croxley towards Moor Park station. I was still unsure if Keilyn was going to change her mind, again, and come with me. But, no, Keilyn decided to change to a Chesham-bound train with Emma, while I continued on to Baker Street.

Arriving at Baker Street I exited the station and made my way north, along Baker street, and entered Regent's Park. The Park wasn't too busy, at this time, with there being more joggers and runners than people walking through. I walked along the path, beside the Boating Lake, before joining the Outer Circle. I then passed the London Central Mosque, before passing the gates to Winfield House, which is the official residence of the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom.

I then crossed the road and dropped down onto the Regent's Canal towpath, which I found to be almost deserted, with just the occasional cyclist zipping by. Bluebells lined the grassy banks, carpeting the floor with their unique colour and foliage. At one point there was more traffic on the canal than the towpath. As I passed beneath the 'Blow up' bridge, my friend Dyan messaged to say that she would be heading to London, following a hospital appointment. I explained where I was, where I was heading to and what time I expected to arrive there. Dyan said that she would make her way to King's Cross and then message me to find out where I was. It was a sound plan.

Soon, I could hear the voices of the visitors to London Zoo, across the canal to my right, while I could see more people crossing the bridge to visit Monkey Valley in the Snowdon Aviary. As I looked up I could see some of the Eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys, sitting on perches.

The White Chapel

The original White Chapel, which gave its name to the area, was the first church to stand on what is now Altab Ali Park. Built in 1250 it was a simple, lime washed, stone rubble chapel that remained standing until 1286.

In 1329, the chapel was rebuilt and named St Mary Matfelon. Over the next 500 years the church was enlarged, encompassed different styles and was rebuilt at least three more times. During this period it is estimated that several thousand burials took place in the churchyard, including Richard Brandon who is believed to have been the executioner of King Charles I.

Walking with Erin: Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon... and beyond

Tuesday April 7, 2026.

Sunny with clear skies 19°C (66°F).

Recently I had been going through some old photographs and realised that we hadn't visited the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, since July 2016. That was almost 10 years ago! Back then Erin was 5 and Keilyn was 3.

So, the three of us decided to revisit during the Easter holidays. Keilyn, all of a sudden, decided that she would rather stay home and play in the sun, while Erin was still up for a day out.

We took a taxi to Watford Town centre and made our way down the High Street, where we caught a 142 bus to Edgware. One of the great things about London Transport is that children travel for free and, providing you change to another bus, or tram, within an hour of boarding, you don't get charged a second time. This is perfect for those on a budget.

Arriving at Edgware we located as 'Greggs', where food and drinks were purchased, before we headed to a bus stop to catch the 303 bus to the museum. The 303 bus dropped us directly outside the museum, which, since our last visit, had gone through a major refurbishment with new hangars and displays. We made our way through the gate, stopping to take a photo of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ix gate guard, before entering Hangar 1, to begin our exploration. 

Hangar 1, RAF Stories and First to the Future

Hangar 1 has two exhibitions. The first is 'RAF Stories' and the second is 'First to the Future'. Here we learnt the story of the first 100 years of the Royal Air Force, from its inception in 1918 through to the present. Aircraft and vehicles from every era were on display, along with models, ejector seats and interactive displays.

'Cantonal Tree' and 'Glockenspiel Clock', Swiss Court

The Glockenspiel Clock, Swiss Court.

If you approach Leicester Square, from the west, you will find yourself on Swiss Court. This small thoroughfare, less than 40 metres (130 feet) in length, was once home to the Swiss Centre.

The Swiss Centre, built between 1963 and 1966, was a 14-storey building that was a showcase for Switzerland and its products. The centre featured a commercial and trade centre.This included a branch of a Swiss bank and a Swissair ticket office tourist office. There was also a chocolate and souvenir shop, a cafe and, in its basement, several Swiss-themed restaurants.

The rest of the building was taken up with offices, residential spaces, a penthouse and a viewing gallery.

Walking with Keilyn: Brixton to West Norwood... and beyond

Saturday April 4, 2026.

Cloudy with sunny spells and light winds, 13°C (55°F).

Keilyn and I decided that we needed to complete our mission to visit all of the 'Magnificent Eight' garden cemeteries, of which six were already completed. As such it was a case of visiting south London, to explore Nunhead and West Norwood cemeteries.

We were up early, dressed and boarding a train, at Watford underground station, by 08:50, heading to Finchley Road. From here we changed to a Jubilee line train to Green Park and, from there, a Victoria line train to Brixton.

My original intention had been to take a bus to Norwood, but Keilyn decided that, as it was pretty much a straight road, we should walk. So, off we set. We headed south along Effra Road and onto Tulse Hill where we decided to enter Brockwell Park, rather than follow the streets to our destination.

A series of three ponds, linked by trickling water courses, were immediately to our right, with an adventure playground to our right. Ahead of us cricket pitches, tennis courts and community greenhouses stretched out before us. Deciding to continue south we explored the ponds before we visited the Walled Garden. 

The Walled Garden was a tranquil place filled with trees, shrubs, herbs, flowers, a pond, and more. At its entrance was, quite possibly, the smallest Model Village that I have ever seen. It consists of around half-a-dozen houses, which were designed by Edgar Wilson, in 1943. The original village was a lot bigger, but the village was relocated to Vauxhall Park in the 1950s.

Continuing onward we made up to the top of the park, near Brockwell Hall, where we stopped to look north at the London skyline, some four-and-a-half miles (seven kilometres) away. We crested the hill and walked down the grass parkland towards the gate at Norwood Road. Towards the bottom of the grassland a young mother and her daughter, all of about three years old, launched a rubber band-propelled glider, that danced through the air, before getting caught in the branches of a tree. 

St Peter's Church, London Docks

The altar and stained-glass windows.

St Peter's Church, London Docks, is a wonderful hidden gem.

The Wapping Lane entrance.

Although it is clearly visible from Raines Mansions Park and Raine Street, its main entrance is situated on Wapping Lane. It is this entrance, behind a double-arched covered forecourt, that brings you to the courtyard from where you access the church. 

The tiled entranceway, with steps leading up to residential properties, that brings you to the church courtyard and entrance is wonderful to explore in itself. 

Even then the simple facade of the church belies what you will discover inside. From this elevation the church doesn't seem too impressive, but how wrong that assumption is.

The tiled entrance to the church courtyard.

On entering St Peter's, London Docks, you find yourself in a far bigger church than the small west facing entrance implies. The high roof, with its exposed beams, gives a real sense of space, with stained-glass windows taking up the upper portion of the east wall.

Going through an arched entrance, to the right, is the baptismal font in the baptistry. This stands at the end of the south aisle, the walls of which are adorned with various images of the 'Stations of the Cross'. A small doorway leads you into the small 'Shrine of Our Lady Walsingham'. This space has three small stained-glass windows and a half dozen chairs, set out before an altar.