13 Feb 2003 - 01 Jan 2004
Local Schoolchildren Go Back In Time!
Greenwich Park

Last week 250 local schoolchildren were whisked back in time to explore the 'Victorian' Greenwich Park and learn more about the vital role that green spaces play in people's everyday lives.

Every day from Monday 3rd to Friday 7th February schoolchildren arrived in the Park to be dressed in Victorian style, (boys in flat caps, old-style collarless shirts, tie-waist trousers, girls in bonnets, pinafores and shawls) and taken on a guided tour of the Park by the Victorian era gardener, Edwin Arnold. The tour took in parts of Greenwich Park that the kids might not normally see, including the Observatory Gardens, the hidden 'den' under the branches of the evergreen oak, the ornamental lake and the flower gardens.

The centrepiece of the day was the encounter with Mrs Lamberhurst, who was planning to buy up part of the park and use the gravel and stone to build houses for the poor. The kids joined in the debate between Mrs Arnold and Edwin about the relative merits of gravel extraction and green spaces. The discussions became animated and the schoolchildren were asked to write in to the Park Superintendent supporting either Mrs Lamberhurst or Edwin Arnold.

The children came from Morden Mount, Meridian, Sherington, James Wolfe and St Alfrege's Schools, which are all within walking distance of the Park. Their 'Victorian experience' was part of a new 'learning through entertainment' programme organised by the Royal Parks and developed by Clio's Company. The objective was to show schoolchildren aspects of the Park that they might not have known existed and engage them in some of the key reasons behind the existence of such public green spaces both in the past and in the present.

"The kids had a real chance to get to grips with some important social and environmental issues, whilst having a fun time. Learning through entertainment might sound counter intuitive but it can bring topics alive in a way that a classroom would find hard to," said Derek Spurr, Park Manager of Greenwich Park.

Source:
The Royal Parks

For further information contact:
The Royal Parks Press Office T: 020 7298 2128 E: press@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk

Editor's notes:
There's no plan to dig up Greenwich Park for the gravel just in case you're wondering. But if it seemed that real to you, imagine how real it was to the kids.

Millions of Londoners and tourists visit the eight Royal Parks for free each year. The 5,000 acres of carefully conserved historic parkland provide unparalleled opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and healthy living in the heart of the capital.

The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park (with Primrose Hill), Richmond Park and St James's Park.