Reclaiming Teddington's History

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 13th Aug 2002

Building on an idea from Martin Elengorn, the Teddington Society working with Richmond Council have been awarded £5000 by the Lottery's Awards for All scheme towards refurbishing the 1887 Jubilee Fountain in Park Road, Teddington.

Says Martin "I congratulate the Teddington Society and the Council's staff in carrying forward to success this idea of linking the two golden jubilees. The fountain will now carry plaques celebrating both. I hope the ugly telephone box behind the fountain can be moved to finish the job".

Martin's latest idea is for a blue plaque to celebrate the Russian socialist Alexander Herzen's residence in Elmfield House, Teddington in the 1860s. Comments Martin: "Alexander Herzen is the most important character in Tom Stoppard's brilliant new trilogy about Russian 19th century politics "The Coast of Utopia" at the National Theatre. The programme includes a photograph of Elmfield House and also lists other places Herzen lived in in the borough."

"On the basis of Stoppard's play Herzen was a man who saw the dangerous fallacies of revolutionary change and, unlike Marx and Bukharin, favoured achievable improvements in social conditions rather than violent disruption. Someone with history on his side as we see now. It would be good to celebrate his stay in Teddington."

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