SPRING 2020
memories
He is the ‘Family Archivist - I keep anything and everything’ - and his home is testament to that: old photos, street signs, the Bermondsey Borough Council coat of arms, Peek Frean’s paraphernalia, plus a constant ticking and chiming from the clocks. He is surrounded by memories and his interest in Bermondsey’s history has made him one of the most knowledgeable. Plus, Gary’s interest in his local community has meant he has been instrumental in making Bermondsey better. The first project he got involved with was getting swings erected for land abandoned when the wharves along the waterfront were demolished. His next journey into community work was joining the Friends of Southwark Park (FoSP) group, where he became the Treasurer. ‘There was a small committee having meetings in a room under Layard Square, and our first big step was going for Lottery money to improve the park, which was successful.’ Finding people on the council who believed in the cause was key to their success and they have gone on to do wonderful things in the park. The FoSP has been the force behind many improvements extending the lake and bringing the boats back; having the bandstand rebuilt - and they still fight for more. Campaigning for a better Bermondsey is in Gary’s blood, and with like-minded people he got funding to renovate the West Lane War Memorial that now has landscaped gardens and inscriptions in the Millpond Bridge pavement. More funding was granted to save a war memorial for local men that went to the Boer War, which was moved inside St James’ Church. Gary was also a major player in getting the caryatids brought back to their spiritual home in Rotherhithe. The beautiful statues were once the only reminder of the bombed Rotherhithe Town Hall, standing proud on Lower Road until someone with a pen gave the order for them to be moved to the Heygate Estate, where they stayed for 30 years. That was until Gary read a book about his hometown that told him where the caryatids were located, which spurred him on to ensure their return. After a long battle they came back to a beautiful setting in Southwark Park. Another role Gary has taken on is the Peek Frean’s Museum. He was involved with the Pumphouse Museum until funding cuts forced them to close. ‘I couldn’t bear to see all that stuff being thrown out,’ he says. A meeting with a Workspace director got Gary and his museum partner Frank Turner free space in the old Peek Frean’s factory to exhibit all the Peek Frean’s memorabilia from the Pumphouse. ‘The biggest problem,’ begins the man who works tirelessly for the area, ‘was getting the replica of the Queen’s wedding cake remade after it was vandalised.’ With a few phone calls they had Warwick University and the British Sugarcraft Guild involved: the university scanned the damaged replica to make 3D prints, and each tier was sent to various branches of the guild to be recreated. Gary’s current campaign is getting the legendary St James’ Church slide replaced. He was quick to tell me that ‘Fergus Carr, the great grandson of Arthur Carr, the Peek Frean’s Chairman who funded the original slide, has designed the new one, which is fantastic’. I don’t think Gary Magold will fail in this endeavour.
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