Meanwhile Gardens

Meanwhile Gardens was created from waste ground within a working class/immigrant district in what was then referred to as "North Paddington". This space had become available following tenement slum clearance and rehousing in the early 1970s. The park was created by community effort in 1976, initiated by local artist, sculptor and engineer Jamie McCulloch, who led a neighbourhood group to resist speculative commercial development taking over the site. McCulloch successfully petitioned Westminster City Council to consider allowing community gardening to use the space instead. While this was being decided in court, the Council issued a Meanwhile, Permit to prevent any activity taking place on…

The current park features community gardening, volunteering opportunities, the Play Hut (a purpose-built, eco-friendly community centre for young children and their parents and carers, free to Kensington & Chelsea residents), one of London's oldest skateparks (an open-to-all, free-to-use facility with three interlocking bowls of various sizes), a Moroccan garden, and play equipment. Meanwhile Gardens has also had a long-term association with public music, featuring space for steel bands to rehearse and perform (the Metronomes Steel Orchestra, founded in 1973 by Phil Dubique and Irvin Corridan, has been the resident band since 1989), and hosting a regular busker's festival.