"On the road..." is a series of posts about our Discovery
of Britain's highways and byways. Whether it be some family fun, a
surprising connection or just a beautiful spot we want to share our love for
this country with you.
Today we visit an iconic skate park in London.
This southern riverside area is famed for its concerts and theatres, but this spot has also attracted a younger form of entertainment with the
evolving of a Skate Park in the undercroft of the Southbank Centre. For around forty years this undercover area
has been the heart of London’s Skateboarders.
In 1976 the skateboarding craze arrived in force from America and this
concrete jungle with its walls, slopes and stairs became the perfect place for
youth to gather. At its height around
1,000 skaters would practise along this river front on weekends. To
protect other Thames path users their activity was eventually confined to the
undercroft area which became its spiritual home.
Skaters can
be regularly seen wheeling, twisting, jumping and surfing the walls with
surprised tourists watching on as clusters of youth hang out and strut their
stuff. This all-weather gathering spot is adorned with uncommissioned graffiti
which serves as a perfect, colourful backdrop to the skating culture.
Its
irreverent colours, cryptic symbols and loud occupants seem, at first glance,
to be unsuitable neighbours to opera, ballet, and theatre. But this is a classic example of how this
wonderful city can cater for all its contrasting ages and interests. You can find little pockets of other worlds
like this around the City.
Their
presence here has not always been welcomed by the Centre’s owners, who have
gradually reclaimed a lot of the undercroft for storage. Then in 2013 word spread that as part of a
major upgrade to the area the owners planned to transform the skating area in
to coffee shops and restaurants. It
appeared that an eviction was imminent, but this piece of skating heaven did
not want to go. They collected over
150,000 signatures from supporters.
It has been
hailed as an open space which should be protected. The skate
park may not have nice green lawns and pretty statues, but this graffitied,
concrete playground is as much loved and cherished by its own unique community. Supporters have called it the “epicentre of
UK skateboarding”, “a sanctuary for skateboarders”, a “symbol of edginess and
counter-culture”, “culturally and historically important”, “a free space for
people to express themselves”, and “iconic”.
The
non-skating purists view it as an eyesore, a waste of valuable commercial space
and a carbuncle on the butt of humanity.
Personally I
like it. Its raw edge jars you, but its
youthful passion adds a vibrant touch to the concrete landscape. To lose this unusual site would be the
equivalent in their world to asking Westminster Abbey to relocate because the
neighbouring politicians need more office space.
After 18
months of petitioning and legal wrangling it was announced (September 2014)
that the undercroft would be “open for use without charge for skateboarding, BMX
riding, street writing and other urban activities".
It feels
like an uneasy truce, but for now their skating space is safe.
This
is an excerpt from the tour London River Walks - South Bank which
explores the southern bank of the River Thames. The full tour is found
on www.obelisktours.co.uk
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