New River 400th anniversary - ideas needed!

September 2013 will mark the 400th anniversary of the completion of the New River, which runs through Bowes Park. The river was built to bring clean drinking water into London from Hertfordshire, and still supplies drinking water to the city today.

There are various events going on throughout the year in the different districts through which the river passes. The Bowes Park Community Association would like to celebrate here as well, and we'd love to hear your ideas about what we should do!

All ideas are welcome! Please post them here or email us at bpcanews@googlemail.com

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Permalink Reply by Lindsey Berthoud on July 30, 2013 at 10:35

Do we have any local qualified lifeguards who could volunteer, perhaps? Love the idea of something on the water.

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Permalink Reply by Caroline Simpson on July 30, 2013 at 10:58

The Bowes Park Community Association agreed to do a number of things to celebrate the 400th. Thames Water has kindly given us a grant to help carry some of them out.

Finishing and installing the exhibition at the gym was one thing.

We are organising a Street Party for those people who live and work in the Marlborough to Whittington section of the Sir Hugh Myddleton/Myddelton's road. This will be on Sunday Sept 1st and is so that the people of many nationalities, most of whom live in cramped flats with not much communication with their neighbours, can for that one four hour period have fun on their street and get to know their neighbours. If anyone outside that area plays an instrument, and is willing to play for free, please do get in touch with us (Caroline, Sue and Valentina) at newriver@bowespark.org.uk

We will also be having 2 New River Tidy Up days soon. We will provide the litter-picker sticks, gloves and bags and you come and help - the stretch from Myddleton to the North Circ, and maybe also Finsbury to Ally Pally station if we have enough volunteers. More info' later.

Nicosia Cafe Bar has now got the first art work of what we hope to be many that will be displayed in the front windows in coming months. Thank you to pupils at Trinity Primary Academy for this one. We hope to have some work from Bounds Green Primary next term. We will also make a number of large photo panels If you are a local artist, and would like to create an artwork about the New River, or life 400 years ago, for one of the windows for which we have negotiated permission - please do get in touch with Caroline at newriver@bowespark.org.uk

To celebrate the 150th of the New River Tunnel in 2009 children from Bounds Green and what was then Nightingale primary wrote some lovely poems. We are re-printing that poetry booklet - on sale very soon.

Many people have suggested a day when people just come and picnic along the bank on the Myddleton - Whittington stretch. That needs someone to organise in a simple way.

I think that Thames Water would not give any sort of permission for boating of any sort on the water - but you could always ask. And as for going into the tunnel? Absolutely no!

It is great that so many people are interested in our lovely river.

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Permalink Reply by EyeInTheSky on August 5, 2013 at 12:01

Trinity at Bowes Methodist church are interested in displaying works of art and pictures relating to the New River so they are talking to people but I'm not sure if this will reach fruition. Perhaps this could also be done by BPCA so we have a link up project / trail with local artists displaying in the outdoor gym and on local shops if this can be done...?