Model Village, Vauxhall Park

It was while on one of my many walks that I discovered Vauxhall Park and, by extension, this model village. 

There are only about six homes and three smaller buildings, but it is quite a nice thing to discover.

With the other work going on in the park I assumed that this was a new installation, as the buildings looked freshly painted and maintained. It wasn't until I did some research, for this blog post, that I discovered their remarkable history. Enjoy.

In the 1950s this model village was moved from its original home, in Brockwell Park, and placed in Vauxhall Park. The buildings are signed and dated, on the inside, by Edgar Wilson, 1943. Edgar Wilson, who lived in West Norwood, was a retired engineer who took up making model villages, among other things, in his later years. He tinted the concrete and etched the brick, timbers and roof tiles by hand and used lead for the windows and doors. Originally this village was created in the Tudor style, with white walls and black timbers. 

In 2018, the houses were given a 'Suffragette' makeover, using a purple, green and white colour scheme. These colours were chosen as the model village now resides on the Fawcett Garden, which is named for Millicent Garrett Fawcett. 

A small heart-shaped plaque states:

Friends of Vauxhall Park

These model houses were made for Vauxhall Park

In 1949 by Edgar Wilson of Norwood.

He made other sets of houses but only these

And a set in Melbourne, Australia, remain.

These houses were restored in 2001

By local resident and friend of Vauxhall Park,

Mr Nobby Clark.

They were unveiled in June 2001

By local MP for Vauxhall Ms Kate Hoey.

Edgar Wilson made three of these villages.

One village, at Finsbury Park, was vandalised and fell into disrepair, with nothing of the village remaining today.

The village at Brockwell Park decayed due to a lack of care and, I believe, just a few shells of the original buildings remain.

Following World War II, Edgar Wilson had been so touched by food parcels, sent from Australia, that he wrote to them and asked if they would like a model Tudor village for their city. They accepted and so the third village was crated and shipped to Melbourne, Australia, where it was installed in Fitzroy Gardens. It is still there to this day.

'Vitreous Enamel' by Dale Devereux Barker RE

Walking along Cloister's Walk, in St Katharine Docks, you will discover a plethora of bright panels fixed into the arches that separate Cloister's Walk from St Katharine's Way.

There are one hundred and thirty five of these panels, with nine panels per arch.

Some of the designs are repeated, but sometimes with a different colour. However, each tells a story.

Dale Devereux Barker RE was commissioned for this project by Taylor Woodrow Properties, back in 1998. 

Victoria Park Cemetery: Meath Gardens

Headstones.

Victoria Park Cemetery opened in 1845 and was the last of the eight private garden cemeteries to open.

The cemetery was unconsecrated and, when it opened, had two chapels, designed by the architect Arthur Ashpitel, 

The great Gothic archway.

The great Gothic archway, restored in 2017, still stands at one of the entrances emblazoned with 'VPC 1845'.

During its short existence over 300,000 bodies were interred here, with three-quarters of them being children.

Although well-managed initially, it was a poor financial venture and became insolvent in 1853, leading to its closure in 1876.

Headstones.

Following its closure the monuments were cleared... But, the bodies were never removed.

Japan House: 'Looks delicious! Exploring Japan's food replica culture' exhibition

Japan House, on Kensington High Street, is the cultural home of Japan, in London. Set across three floors Japan House offers a glimpse into the culture and history of Japan, with a shop, restaurant and an exhibition space.

The current exhibition concerns the history and manufacturing of food replicas, that can be seen in the windows of tea rooms and restaurants, across the 47 prefectures of Japan.

Each replica is highly detailed and, although its manufacture has changed throughout the years, looks realistic, in thanks to the craftsperson that create these masterpieces.

The original replicas were made from hot coloured wax, which were cast from agar moulds and then painted. 

With the growing demand for food replicas, in the 1970s, PVC was used instead of wax, which allowed for greater detail and durability, but the manufacturing process remained the same.

Tram Shelter, Southwark

A relic from a bygone era.

On the junction of Union Street and Southwark Bridge Road, there is a cafe bar that resides in a wonderful relic from a bygone era.

The building began life as a tram shelter and stands on a pedestrian island near Flat Iron Square. 

It is a single storey building with timber framed doors, a pitched plain clay tile roof with a ventilation lantern. A semicircular window, above the door adds to the charm of this 1930s building.

A tram shelter repurposed as a cafe bar.

Trams once trundled by this building on their way to the northern end of Southwark Bridge and, in the other direction, to the Hop Exchange, close to Borough High Street.

Like much of this area, in and around Southwark, a lot has been lost to redevelopment, so it is nice to see that this almost 100 year old building has been repurposed.

The two London Plane trees offer some shade to patrons who choose to dine outside in the summer months.