'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?

Alfred Salter 

Born in Greenwich, in 1873, he qualified as a doctor in 1896 and worked at Guy's Hospital, before moving to Bermondsey in 1898.

He set up his own practice and, as Bermondsey was a deprived area of London, offered free medical services to those who could not afford healthcare. What he offered has sometimes been described as "NHS before the NHS".

In 1903 he became interested in politics, as he thought that he could bring about change and was elected to council in the same year. In 1922, he became a Member of Parliament, for Bermondsey West, holding the position until 1945 when he stepped down due to poor health. He died the same year, at age 72.

Ada Salter

Ada was born in Northamptonshire, in 1866. From a young age she was known as a 'force of nature', dedicating her life to improving that of others.

She moved to Bermondsey where she Alfred, in 1898, through a Methodist foundation that offered services such as recreational activities, educational classes and social opportunities for the poor of Bermondsey. They were married in 1900.

She became president of the Women’s Liberal Association, but resigned when the association dropped their commitment to full suffrage.

Ada would go on to be a leader in politics, becoming the first Labour councillor, for Bermondsey, and the first woman to do the job. She then went on to be elected Mayor of Bermondsey, making her the first woman mayor of a London Borough and first Labour mayor in Great Britain.

She was instrumental in improving housing and encouraged the creation of green spaces, which she knew would reap health benefits for the local people. Ada died in 1942.

Joyce Salter

In 1902, Alfred and Ada welcomed their daughter Joyce into the world. She was a happy child who, as she grew, would help her mum in gardens, digging holes and help with the planting of flowers. 

All this time the Salter's still lived in Bermondsey, which was still a deprived area with slums and poor health facilities. In 1910, an epidemic of scarlet fever swept through the slums, which Joyce contracted. She died weeks later, just eight years old.

Legacy

• In 1936, a garden designed by Ada was opened in Southwark Park, which overlooks a lake.
• Salter's Road was created, between 1978-1981, to take traffic parallel to Rotherhithe Street.
• In 1995 the Alfred Salter Primary School was opened, in Rotherhithe, as part of the development of Surrey Docks.
• The Alfred Salter Bridge, near Greenland Dock, is part of the Russia Dock Woodland.