Bench Project of 2008

Among the artists were 23 year old Florence Waller who contributed a striking poster advertising the design workshop at the Talacre Sports Centre (see above). 

DESIGN SESSIONS

There were two separate design sessions.  

The one at the Sports Centre took place on the 29th of March. Some 40 members of the public participated over and above two artists from Art4Space, Julie and Elie, representatives of the Friends of Talacre Gardens and local artists Slim Dali and Julianna.  Food and refreshments were generously provided by Zina Anarchih, Fiona Hogben and Céline La Frenière.

Slim Dali, who lives in Kentish Town agreed to volunteer his time and talent for the sake of helping the community.  He is the grand nephew of Salvador Dali and has more than a resemblance to him. 

The other design workshop which took place on the 1st of April at Haverstock Secondary School involved 25 art students, their teacher Riana Guttridge, Art4Space artists, a representative from the Camden Parks Department Gabi Howard and Céline La Frenière from the Friends of Talacre Gardens.

The drawings generated from the sports centre = 45 and Haverstock school = 195.  These were mounted and displayed at the mosaic workshop sessions.

CERAMIC AND MOSAIC WORKSHOPS

The Ceramic and mosaic workshops took place in June 2008 in Parliament Hill School, La Sainte Union, William Ellis and Haverstock.  This involved the participation of some 300 local kids.

These school events were followed by an open access workshop at Talacre Gardens.  Over 75 local residents and artists of all ages contributed.

Below picture:  Artist Slim Dali surrounded by other artists and volunteers create the ceramics and mosaics during the Talacre Gardens workshop.

BUILDING THE BENCH STRUCTURE

While the workshops were underway, local volunteers built a bench structure involving digging a foundation, laying bricks and other construction materials and plastering.

From left to right below, volunteers Vicky Cuming, Dr. Dominic Kniveton, Dr. William Nawrocki and Peter Cuming hard at work.

Local volunteers built a bench structure using reclaimed as well as new bricks and materials.

This 9.3 M long structure required 1700 bricks, 5 tonnes of sand, 1 tonne of cement and 1 tonne of rubble. 

It took at least 120 man hours of builders time to execute. This is not counting the enormous amount of hours - a conservative estimate would be some 1200 hours - contributed by artists, both professionals and volunteers.

EXULTING BEAUTY, phantom of an hour, 

Whose magic spells enchain the heart, 

Ah ! what avails thy fascinating pow'r, 

Thy thrilling smile, thy witching art ?

Mary Darby Robinson 

This is a quote emailed to the Friends of Talacre Gardens from one of the bench's volunteers John Anderson (pictured above with local boy) when we sent him this photo of the results of his handy work!

Construction involvied digging a foundation, laying bricks and other construction materials and plastering.

Chair of the Friends Peter Cuming and Plasterer Michael O'Halloran pictured below

Mosaic and other elements were then applied to the bench.

Artists from Art4Space Ely Seith (above) and Julie Norburn (below)  put the finishing touches

Plasterers Michael O'Halloran and Jimmy Grehan make a valuable contribution

A quote from the Friends of Talacre Gardens, October 10,  2008:

"The prototype bench is now 95% completed.  Last week, the professional artists from Art4Space,  Julie Norburn and Eli Seath,  finished adhering the Mosaic and Ceramic tiles created by local youths and artists.  The plasterers are due to complete the rendering this coming week.  It will need 2-3 weeks to cure before paint work could be applied.  A trough will be supplied to store rain water for dogs and the wild life.

The bench is at the centre of our busy park and is a focus for the entire community.  There is a huge pressure on all concerned, therefore, to create something fabulous.

This prototype bench (2008) is the first of four.  Each tells a story and is accompanied with a specific community goal for our cherished park.  This current bench depicts ecological elements.  Our goal was to win a Civic Trust Green Flag Award for 2008-2009.  In July of this year we succeeded.  A tile on the bench commemorates this achievement.

The next bench (2009-2010) will match the prototype in size and ambition.  It will tell the story of Talacre.  How local residents campaigned for this open space to be created in the early 1970's and how they have continued to fight and struggle to keep the park from being encroached by private developers.  The goal associated with this particular bench will be to get the Town Green status for Talacre Gardens.  This new legislation will protect the park.  It will mean that Camden council could never sell  or build on it.  Please see the "Town Green Status" page for more information.

It is hoped that the  Talacre Benches will become one of the reasons for tourists to visit this part of town to enjoy and admire them.

The first stage of this project which included developing the design for the entire project and building a prototype bench and a fountain was sponsored by the GO Partnership and Awards for All (Lottery money.)

Three more benches will follow in 2009-2012. It should soon become a yearly treat for local kids to join our 'Talacre Benches' workshops.

Everyone was welcome to participate.  The event was free of charge."

Unfortunately, as of 2025, the additional benches and drinking fountain have not been built, but there is no reason this project cannot be revived in the future.

The completed bench December 2008

Responses from the press

Camden Gazette, December 17, 2008

Time Out London, December 18-31, 2008

Ham & High, April 3, 2008

Paint pigments and ongoing maintenance

The bench requires some maintenance and repainting from time to time, and the Friends have arranged materials and volunteers to carry out this work over the years. For ongoing maintenance and consevation of the bench, pigment recipes are below:

Talacre Blue recipe

The rich blue which appears on the prototype bench was mixed by the Athlone House children nearby.  It was used as background for two art walls which they created for the Jean Edwards Memorial Garden on their estate in 2002 and 2003.  So effective was it, that we decided to adopt the same at Talacre Gardens.  If you would like to duplicate it, here is the recipe:

Pigments available at Cornelissen & Son, 105 Russell St, LDN WC1 3RY:  Phthalo-Monablue 50g and Manganese Violet 50g

Mix these with 500ml of satin finish "Celestial Blue 3" from B&Q and 250ml of white.

Terracotta red paint:

The seat is painted with terracotta red concrete paint supplied by B&Q.

Above, the Talacre Bench on Sunday, the 15th of March, 2009. Our IT expert Magda, left,  and Dr. Elizabeth Weekes, right. Five tiles on the eastern end of the bench are dedicated, from top to bottom, to the "Friends of Talacre Gardens", the park's "Green Flag Award"  for 2008-09, "Art-4-Space" whose teachers coordinated the artistic side of the project and the sponsors of the bench:  " Awards for All" and "Go Partnership", with our thanks. 

Update Saturday, the 9th of May, 2009. The bench has just received a fresh coat of paint.  A red tarmac has been laid at the front of the bench, and at the back, new turf.   Redecorating was needed as the bench has been so popular since its completion in December 2008, that daily scores and scores of kids have used it.   Young park users either climb or sit on it, or just enjoy and admire it.  It is quickly becoming a rallying point for kids to meet.   It is not unusual to find dozens of children perched on the upper side of the bench (rather than on the seat itself),  like birds on a wire.  This is a touching and amusing sight.  The Talacre Bench is a wonderful example of  functional art! 

Below, the bench covered in snow.

Below, the bench is spruced up in March 2011 by Stephen Ryan after a harsh winter.

Below, summer paint job and spruced up bench, June 2017