A Visit To The Postman's Park
A quiet moment of reflection, calm and beauty
In the City of London (the old walled Roman city that is) there is a park like no other. It is the Postman’s Park - one of the largest parks in the City (so called because of the proximity to the old GPO building). It was built on the former churchyard and burial ground of St Botolph's Church, Aldersgate – a very nearby Presbyterian church. In 1900, the park became the location for George Frederic Watts's Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice, a memorial to ordinary people who died while saving the lives of others and who might otherwise be forgotten. We are not talking about soldiers or sailors here but about ordinary men, women and children who despite the odds tried to save their fellow man and died as a result.
People like 17 year old Elizabeth Boxall of Bethnal Green who died trying to save a child from a runaway horse in 1888. Or 10 year old Harry Sisley who died trying to save his brother from drowning after he had been rescued himself. Each one of the plaques - there are 120 of them - are each a poignant reminder that life can be over and spent in a single heartbeat if your time is up. Sadly the plaques were discontinued by Watts’ widow early in the last century but the ‘plaque wall ‘ is well cared for and remains in mint condition to this day.
The City today is a throbbing pulse of corporate finance and it was not without a little irony that I stood in this oasis of calm remembering those who had made the ultimate sacrifice while all around me in nearby offices there were perhaps only a few who knew of the park’s significance.
I felt a little humbled in those few reflective moments but ultimately glad that humanity and all its sacrifices can be recognised in London’s teaming metropolis. The park is not particularly well marked so look out for signs to St. Botolph's Church.
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