The Festival of Britain
These memories have been contributed by web users. We would like to thank everyone who has shared their recollections. If you would like to participate in this online exhibition, you can contribute your own memories.
These are the memories submitted so far
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"Battersea Park & the Festival of London, what wonderful times. The Guiness Clock was absolutely fascinating to watch. Roller skating on the outdoor rink, watching the motorcycles on the "Wall of death" and in later years when it was converted, being stuck on the spinning wall as the floor dropped down. Walking along the high level "Tree Walk" (which I believe is now in Caistor)and watching the barges and ships plying along the Thames. Lovely memories."
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01/03/2011
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Peter Pollington, (London resident)
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"As a small child I lived in Wandsworth and we often took the bus to Battersea Park. The only ride I went on was the Caterpillar - a rather gentle, undulating ride but delightfully scary when the cover came over - but I also remember with happiness the busy Guinness Clock, the Tree Walk and especially the Grotto and its four-elements theme. Like other contributors, my memories of the Grotto are vague but enduring and magical: the thrilling walk over 'lava' (yes, it was only papier mache, celluloid and coloured lights, but it convinced a small child); a waterfall and coloured pools; best of all, the chamber of the four winds, an airy cavern with - it seems in recollection - little in it except a small fountain in the middle (or am I confusing it with the water cavern)and breezes carrying that heavenly scent. I long to smell that scent again, and sometimes remember it in dreams.
When I was 6-7 my Dad used to take me up to the South Bank and the Festival Hall cafe. All the other festival buildings were gone except the seats hanging out over the river and the extraordinary Shot Tower, but at its base was a playground with sandpit, concrete climbing blocks and a sort of pillbox with tunnels to creep through. I have photographs of myself there, and at the Guinness Clock, and hope that I will be able to stir up my memories by reading more of these contributions.
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19/01/2011
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Corinne Duhig, (non London)
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"My parents decided that we would have two day trips to the Festival in lieu of the annual holiday and I will always be grateful for that. I really enjoyed the Dome of Discovery and the Pleasure Gardens and Emmet´s railway. The only sour note was the very long queue to buy the 5 shilling piece and I left without one, to my great disappointment - this loss was remedied when I bought a second hand 1951 Crown in 1963."
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23/12/2010
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Richard Pealling, (non London)
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"I remember the grotto in Battersea Park when I was six years old. The sound of the four winds, the smell of the fragrant winds, the dark cavern, the sight of the red hot lava beneath the bridge inside and the blue-green lights illuminating the stalagmites in the rocky ceiling."
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10/12/2010
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sally, (London resident)
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"I clearly remember going to the Festival with my father and brother. It was fantastic, the models of transport and the full size ones, went on the boating lake, we also went along to battersea park and saw the Emmet little railway, went on the big dipper scared to me to bits.
I lived in Merton and Morden then and from the back balcony I could see the pylon lit up at night, wonderful memmories."
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04/09/2010
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Roger Tiller, (London resident)
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"I lived just 20 mins by train, so the FOB was almost on my doorstep. The biggest impression was the 3D cinema. I can visualise clearly sailing along the Thames, branches of trees passing overhead, causing everyone to duck. The system was polaroid, not the dreadful red and green glasses used in cinema much later, and it was very effective. Then last year, we had Avatar, a 3D movie that had everyone in awe. So was the same principle used, and if so, why did it take 50 years to come onto cinema screens?Still, the festival was great fun, especially to kids like myself, who grew up in London during 6 years of war ( we weren't all evacuated) and also very inspirational. I still visit the South Bank regularly and though it's changed, it remains a special place to many older folk."
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10/08/2010
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Gerry street, (London resident)
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"The 5th St Helens St Marys Scouts camped at Iver, Buckinghamshire, in August 51. Our leaders had also booked us into a barge in the pool of London for 2 nights. We got our food from a TOC H across the road. My first impression was falling out of my bunk bed on the barge as the tide had gone out and the barge tipped over on the sand bank. The Festival was great and just what the country needed after the war years. I stood under the Skylon went through the Dome of Discovery. Saw that PYE colour TV slow motion picture of a burning candle. I walked along the gantry in the Industry hall passing the largest plate glass window in the World (Made in St Helens by Pilkington Bro's)I thought the old Shot Tower was very good. At one location was a RADAR which was sending pulses at the Moon. I think the Pulse return time was about 3 seconds. It looks like we knew the distance to the moon in 1951.
My friend John Aldridge bought a Festival Crown(5 shillings) I didn't have that sort of money to spend. I was around the Olympic village in Uxbridge in 48 and at the Coronation in 53. My impression was how well we knew how to do important things when we put our minds to it.
Best Wishes from Albert
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29/04/2010
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Albert Heyes, (non London)
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"I was one of about 20 young very keen footballers who were selected to represent Willesden in a football skills exhibition. I believe all the London boroughs took turns to let the visitors see our display. We trained 3 days a week for the whole of the summer school holiday. My memory says the area we used was just below the Shot Tower. It was a never to be forgotten day as we felt like football "stars" with our parents and the crowd watching all at the age of 10."
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26/03/2010
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stanley jackson, (non London)
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"i remember the funfair as my Dad Alec French used to work on the big dipper, at weekends and during his holidays,we used to sneak in round the back to take dads sandwichs to him and also to have free rides on the big dipper, also my friend Robert Sheakey's brother in law used to help set up when the fair opened at easter time,and he got free tickets for all rides, i went with him and rode loads of the rides, forgetting the time as i was enjoying myself so much, boy did i get a rocket from mum and dad. oh great days. and plenty of happy times..."
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13/03/2010
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Stephen French, (London resident)
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"Noel Coward was a frequent visitor to our flat in South Audley Street, Mayfair,w here my mother, a well known actress at the time, Jane Carr, had two Bluthner grand pianos in our drawing room. Noel wrote the song "The Festival of Britain" there, and my mother, who at the time was a pianist and singer at Quaglino's and the Savoy, sang it regularly. It may have been frivolous, but was in my opinion immensely amusing, starting with a stanza I can't quite entirely remember. If anyone could help me I should be grateful. I only learnt it sitting on his knee 60 years ago!:-
Don't make fun of the Festival
Don't make fun of the Fair
We downtrodden British must learn to be skittish
and give an impression of Devil May Care
to this wide, wide world.
Let's sing God for Harry
And, if it turns out all right,knight Gerald Barry.
Scrub the National debts my lads, every one of us counts;
Grab the travellers' cheques, my lads, and pray that none of them bounce!
Face the future undismayed
Pray for further martial aid
Have the tune from Cavalcade drastically rewritten.
Peace and dignity we may lack
But we'll wave a jolly Trades Union Jack
Hooray for the Festival of Britain!
Thanks for the memory."
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15/01/2010
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Charlotte Donaldson-Hudson, (non London)
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