Beckett Wharf Park is the area of paving and grass enclosed by the railings.

The Friends of Beckett Wharf Park have embarked on two projects: the restoration of the park, and a small entertainment programme.

PROJECTS: restoration

Although tiny, we think Beckett Wharf Park is very special and deserves to be well cared for. With the approval of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, the park’s refurbishment was carried out in November 2023 by Kier Construction, who are contractors for the Manbre Wharf development under construction just downstream of the Riverside Studios. Kier Construction very generously funded this work as a community contribution. The main works are shown in befor and after photos below.

RE-PAINTING OF THE RAILINGS

The railings around Beckett Wharf Park had lost much of their black paint, and had become very shabby. They have been fully re-painted:

Before.

After.

RESTORATION OF THE BENCHES

The three benches were taken off site, dismantled, repaired and re-furbished. The metal parts were re-painted, and the wooden parts were restored.

Before.

AFter.

RE-PAINTING OF THAMES WATER SIGN

With the permission of Thames Water, their sign beside Beckett Whart Park was cleaned and repainted to remove layers of graffiti.

Before.

After.

PROJECTS: ADDITIONS

TALKING BENCH. The Talking Bench movement, which started as an effort to combat loneliness during the 2020 Covid pandemic, has now spread worldwide. It encourages strangers to engage in conversation by placing Talking Bench signs on public benches. The dowstream bench at Beckett Wharf Park now carries a Talking Bench plaque.

PROJECTS: ENTERTAINMENT

Small-scale public entertainment is offered in Beckett Wharf Park. The first such entertainment was a juggling performance by four members of the University College London Juggling & Circus Society on 14th October 2023. Seen above are psychology student Marian Jago with her devil’s sticks and Society president Nick Miao with his juggling clubs. We plan to repeat juggling, adding occcasional readings of marine poetry and the blowing of very large soap bubbles (as seen below) which would float out over the Thames.