Other

Hyde Park bollards

Erection date: 1997

Inscription

{The text on these 17 bollards is transcribed as follows, reading north to south:}
Dame Ann Parker Bowles
Hugh Clarence Blacquiere
Leigh Blacquiere
I love you Sean Blacquiere
Jo & Alfred Stein
Marcella April Mackey
Myles Alexander David Mackey
Tristan, Lucy & Natasha Lund
Barbara Mary Bayle
Douglas Haig Bayle
Paul Spyropoulos
Bellew / FulfordBideford
Memory to brother Costas A. H.
The Chandris Foundation
The Kuwait Embassy 1997
Shiekh Khaled Jaber F. Al-Sabah
Ali-Alhanouf Al-Sabah

Site: Hyde Park bollards (1 memorial)

W1, South Carriage Drive

2013: You'd think one modern bollard is much like another, but not these 17; The rim of each bollard cap carries an embossed name or phrase. One of the bollards also has the date 1997 so presumably that is when the bollards were erected. But why have they been inscribed with these names? Some of the inscriptions are very odd. We can only identify four names: Parker Bowles, Shiekh Khaled Jaber F. Al-Sabah, the Kuwait Embassy and the Chandris Foundation. We think they probably funded something, but what? We vaguely remember the road layout here being renewed some time back - could it be something so dull?

2014: Via Facebook Valentine Walsh solved our puzzle regarding these bollards: “They were erected by subscription to replace the bollards removed to make arms in WW2. The idea began when those of us who rode in Hyde Park wanted them replaced to help separate the horses from the road. We raised the money and those who paid for each bollard had their name inscribed on them. Finally when enough were paid for the Royal Parks put in the rest. I used to ride with the Civil Service Riding Club out of Buckingham Palace you can see who I am by looking at my website ... you don't seem to have noticed mine, nor that of Nancy and Ian Stewart who had this as a wedding present as Nancy is an architectural historian and it seemed appropriate! The Duke of Wellington's family (Wellesley) also have bollards. I think most were erected in around 1988.” 

We are very grateful to Valentine for explaining this, and we plan to re-visit the site and find the missing bollards.

March 2015: We went back prepared to photograph a few more inscribed bollards and quickly found over 50 - a few on the eastern section of South Carriage Drive but, most worryingly, along Rotten Row there is a line of bollards separating the horse-track from the cycle route.  This single-file army of bollards marches across the entire width of the park and we calculate there must be over 600. Our next visit, with a bike, confirmed our worst fears - apart from a few near the centre, they are all inscribed.  And the bollards lining the path down to Albert Gate - they are also inscribed. The donors are split about 50/50 between individuals and companies. For all we know most of the bollards in Hyde Park could be inscribed. We've decided that all the other memorials in London should take priority over these bollards.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Hyde Park bollards

Subjects commemorated i

Nearby Memorials

Edward VII at Kingsgate Community Centre

Edward VII at Kingsgate Community Centre

NW6, Kingsgate Road, 105 to 107, Kingsgate Community Centre

Camden's local list gives some of the history of this site. It dates the corner building as 1871 - 1894 and "The original entrance has be...

1 subject commemorated
St Marks, Kennington - history

St Marks, Kennington - history

SW9, Clapham Road, St Marks Church

The 1745 Association (who ought to know) writes: "The plaque on the side of the church says it was twenty-one but that may not be quite a...

19 subjects commemorated
Muses - Euterpe

Muses - Euterpe

WC2, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery - Staircase Hall - Half-way Landing

Christabel, Lady Aberconway as Euterpe the muse of music.

1 subject commemorated
Barber Beaumont tomb

Barber Beaumont tomb

E1, Shandy Park

Three years before his death in 1841 Beaumont created a tomb for himself and his family in front of the chapel, “… two immense pedestals ...

1 subject commemorated
maypole riot

maypole riot

EC3, St Mary Axe

The only reference we can find to "Shaft's Stairs" concerns a 1970 Civic Trust Award "given to a development bounded by Leadenhall Street...

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

Sir Hugh Myddelton

Sir Hugh Myddelton

Goldsmith and entrepreneur. Born Denbigh, Wales sometime 1555-60, younger brother of Sir Thomas Myddelton (c1550-1631) who became Lord Mayor of London. 1576 came to London to be an apprentice golds...

Person, Engineering, Food & Drink, Wales

7 memorials
Cecil Thomas

Cecil Thomas

Sculptor and medalist.  Born 24 Hedley Road, Shepherd's Bush.  Many commissions for the Royal Mint.  Other work in London: the Tubby Clayton and  Alfred Henry Forster tombs (effectively horizontal ...

Person, Sculpture

4 memorials
Upper North Street School WW1 bomb - trees

Upper North Street School WW1 bomb - trees

E14, East India Dock Road, Trinity Gardens

Marvell wrote 'The Garden', the poem which is quoted here.

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Thomas Peterson

Thomas Peterson

Thomas Peterson was born in 1914, his birth being registered in the 1st quarter of 1914 in the West Ham registration district, Essex (now Greater London). He died, aged 26 years, as a result of en...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Baron Friedrich von Hügel

Baron Friedrich von Hügel

Theologian. Born Florence, Italy. son of an Austrian nobleman/diplomat. Died London.

Person, Religion, Italy

1 memorial