Seventy years after rockets shot to the ground tearing buildings down around the borough, a group of residents have restored a forgotten memorial in honour of those who lost their lives.
In December 1944 an attack from the air destroyed six buildings in the Callonfield Estate, Walthamstow.
Many were injured in the attack and some were killed, although the exact numbers are not known.
A memorial to the former residents was erected decades ago, but became hidden in tangled undergrowth in an area of disused land near Blackhorse Road. The site had also become a haunt for littering and trespassers, so Circle Housing, which manages the land, decided it should be restored.
Green fingered residents and volunteers from community food growers, Organiclea, have worked on the plot over the last two-and-half months to transform it into a community garden, which includes plants and flowers that were grown in the wartime era.
Neil Brown, managing director for Circle Housing, said: “As well as restoring an important piece of local history, we are really pleased that this project has brought people from a variety of backgrounds together to achieve one common goal.
“The older residents will benefit greatly from the social interaction and the younger residents have learnt more about the local history of the area that they live in.”
Volunteers have attended weekly workshops to hone their gardening skills and are working towards a formal qualification in horticulture.
The new ‘pocket park’ is one of 100 small areas of public space springing up across the capital thanks to funding from the Mayor’s Pocket Park Programme.
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