Crystal Palace Park theatre???

[felt-tip]

I dont go to CP Park too often but was jogging around there the other day and I saw this huge rusty structure sticking out of the ground at an angle (near the north of the park) with what appears to be a stage in front of it. There is then a pond and some sprawling greenery on a natural incline. I thought - if they do theatre or gigs there that must be amazing but I cannae find nowt on interwebby about it...

What is it? Do performances and stuff happen there?

Cheers

[woofmarkthedog]

Executions

( back in the old "Red Ken" GLC days )

W**F

[bladerunner]

It's the former "concert bowl".

Back in the 70's it attracted large crowds and top acts...

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/Garden-party-71.html

The horrible rusting steel eyesore (award winning!) replaced the original stage.

Since then there have been a few events but AFAIR few have attended (the tickets were extortionate even for trribute bands).

http://www.urban75.org/festivals/crystal-palace-bowl.html

The banked area has been packed with sun-worshipers with the recent hot weather.

A few weeks ago the stage was being jetwashed so perhaps something's planned.

[felt-tip]

It would be great if they had stuff there again. Those scenes from the 70s look great.

[louisiana]

The handover of CP Park to Bromley Council basically led to quite a few Park resources becoming under-utilised (some would say mis-managed) and to several areas of the Park falling into decline. Yes, there used to be a few events, expensive and poorly publicised. They weren't really trying.

The bowl layout is a bit of a mixed blessing. The water means that it's not so suitable for events where people need to be up close, and while the slope is ideal in dry conditions, it can become incredibly boggy quite quickly.

The report of the public inquiry into the future of the CP Park came out last week after much delay (the inspector was ill). I haven't had time to read it all yet (very long), but I understand that the inspector supports the sale of some Park land for housing, in order to pay a (minor) contribution towards Park improvements.

[KalamityKel]

Theyre selling the concert bowl? ::o

[DulwichFox]

Back in the 70's I saw Pink Floyd at the 'Bowl'

I believe it was free. Memory fails me. :)

['bout now]

That's just taken me back. I saw the Cure there in about 88ish I think.

[HonaloochieB]

And I was there.

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/crystal-1974.html

[DulwichFox]

HonaloochieB Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And I was there.

>

> http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/crystal-1974.html

Great link HonaloochieB

Did not realise Arlo Guthrie appeared at the bowl.

[giggirl]

Bruce Springsteen and Carlos Santana played there just a few years ago. Separately.

[Jah Lush]

I used to love these gigs. I went in '74, '75 and 1980 when Bob Marley was there. Fabulous.

[garden man]

Bruce & Santana played in the athletics stadium.The classical concert were free,as were the pop gigs.That all stopped,when Bromley took over,then in 2008 there was a series of classical/popular concerts,last year nothing,but theyare repairing it,so hopefully the concerts will be returning.I'll make some enquiries & get back to you.

Btw the the original stage was temporary & the new one looks great in Autumn when its rusty exterior blends in with the trees.

The LDA held 3 years of talks with locals & local interest groups,then Ken lost & Boris suspended things,but last week it was agreed that ?87 million would be invested in the park,but not sure where the moneys'coming from.The land being used for new housing will be the camp/caravan site,which it is expected to move to the Olympic site.A precedent was set for the sale of land to fund the park when all the land was sold to build the current villas down Crystal Palace Park road around the 1880s.

[louisiana]

garden man Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The LDA held 3 years of talks with locals & local

> interest groups,then Ken lost & Boris suspended

> things,

An interesting interpretation.

The LDA made three planning applications concerning the park and its future, the so-called Masterplan. A public inquiry (the applications were called in by the Secretary of State) was held into these with hearings taking place in Crystal Palace up to September 2009. The inquiry inspector reported last week.

Given that the government is due to abolish regional development agencies (?)...

but last week it was agreed that ?87

> million would be invested in the park,

It was agreed by whom?

Last week, the inquiry inspector's report was published, and the inspector approved the three planning applications and set out a scheme which might guarantee a 'little' money for the scheme (probably less than 10% of scheme cost, maybe a lot less) from sale of land for housing on two sites in the PArk. The secretary of state scrubbed out the 'guarantee' (from any developer) which his department felt would be akin to a 'tax'. That matter was dealt with in his 30-odd page letter (not in the main report). So, as is, the scheme has no guaranteed funding. It seems unlikely that public funds will be found in the current climate.

but not sure

> where the moneys'coming from.The land being used

> for new housing will be the camp/caravan

> site,

A number of sites in and next to the Park are planned to have new building. These include Capel Manor new college building (on the green on the Anerley Hill side), housing development at Rockhills (north-west corner) and housing development at Sydenham Gate (northern side). Both the latter are inside the Park, while the first is on the edge of the Park but outside the Park boundary.

The camping site would become Metropolitan Open Land (see for example paragraph 24 of the secretary of state's letter) and so - eventually - add to the total pot of MOL. And because the campsite removal would eventually result in increased total of MOL, there are Very Special Circumstance to justify sale of some MOL for housing, sez the Inspector.

which it is expected to move to the Olympic

> site.

The campsite has a lease until 2018 or 2019 and has the legal right to stay until then. AFAIK, there is no site or location for it to move to (though some attempt to track one down was made at some point).

A precedent was set for the sale of land to

> fund the park when all the land was sold to build

> the current villas down Crystal Palace Park road

> around the 1880s.

The decision to sell some land was based on current English planning law and planning policy guidelines concerning the possible uses of Metropolitan Open Land (a class of land which didn't exist in the 1880s). (Some have argued that this present case might set a precedent for other MOL elsewhere, though).

Did we read the same report?

[Chener Books]

> The decision to sell some land was based on current English planning law and planning policy guidelines concerning the possible uses of Metropolitan Open Land (a class of land which didn't exist in the 1880s). (Some have argued that this present case might set a precedent for other MOL elsewhere, though).

That means Goose Green, Peckham Rye Common and Piermont Green are not safe.

John K

[DulwichFox]

That's it then.

Multi-story car park On Goose-Green.

[Keef]

Didn't Coldplay play there a few years ago? I'm sure I remember seeing signs for it.

[Keef]

No, that was also the athletics stadium. My mistake.

I've seen a few classical concerts there.

Crystal Palace Park as a whole is a bit depressing. It is a beautiful park, with a wonderful sense of history, but there is something very grubby about it.

That's what comes of a tory council controlling it I guess.