Article: Postman’s Park – London’s Little Known Niche
2007-03-04 08:00:00
Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I enjoy anywhere that’s off the beaten path or eccentric. Even more enticing is a place where even the locals know nothing about. I found that unconventional gem in London from ironically -of all places- an Indian newspaper. While in the State of Kerala, I read an article in the English-language Indian Express about a little-known park in London called Postman’s Park. The name is derived from the postal employees who frequented the nearby park on their lunch break. The park itself is nondescript: a small swath of greenery with a few wooden benches sandwiched between multi-story apartment buildings, offices, and a historical church. Without the intention of looking for it, you’d never even know it existed, despite being a few blocks away from the well-known St Paul’s Cathedral.
So why the fuss? What makes this park truly a find for historic London culture are the ceramic plaques hidden beneath a covered patio seating area, praising the mortal efforts of heroes from another time. There are about twenty-four plaques honoring the fallen between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, commemorated on white ceramic tiles, inscriptions outlined in pale blue. The most poignant tile pays homage to an eleven year-old boy who saved his brother from being hit by a car in 1901. Before he died, he said ‘Mother, I saved him but I could not save myself.’
Postman’s Park is a touching tribute to the common man, reminding us that heroes aren’t just fictional characters we read about in comic books. Heroic potential lies in everyone around us.
NB: For photographs and useful links, please visit A Novel Path.
cristi.farrell