Victoria Park

“ Now, the Serpentine in Hyde Park never had a motor launch, and bathing is allowed in it only before breakfast and at eve.
The best known of London's parks come where they are not wanted exceedingly. Hyde and St. James's and the Green Park and Kensington Gardens are all open spaces in areas where the streets are wide and the rooms large and light, and the poor can use and enjoy them only by walking some distance to do so and then would probably rather be on Hampstead Heath with its absence of restrictions. But Victoria Park is emphatically the right park in the right place. ”

“ It is impossible to contemplate such an outrageous scene without a glance at that calm February morning, almost a century later, grey, still and chilly, when from early dawn the population of London—even to the loafer and the noisy hooligan of the street—went with subdued demeanour towards Hyde Park, there to stand, or sit in the trees for hours, until the funeral cortége of Queen Victoria should pass through London. Even Nature herself seemed to hold her breath as the stately procession wound its way across the Park, on that very road taken by the galloping horses eighty years before. ”

“ Victoria Park.—This, the only park in the east or poorer division of London, consists of about 270 acres. Having been formed only a few years, the trees have not yet grown to a full size; but it is gradually becoming a pleasant spot, with flower-beds, lakes, walks, p. 133and shady avenues. This park is especially distinguished by possessing the most magnificent Public Fountain yet constructed in the metropolis ”

“ Standing in Victoria Park, one gets a full front view of the American Fall, while at the right of the scene is Center Fall, flowing between Luna and Goat Islands. The American Fall has a width of 1,000 feet, a height of 158 feet, while the Rapids above descend forty feet in a half mile. All visitors should go to the Canadian side for the Canadian Fall and Rapids, the most imposing features of the Falls, are there best seen with their wonderful rainbow and mist effects, while the beauties of Victoria Park itself well repay a visit. ”

“ The cemetery of Bunhill Fields is the largest until Victoria Park is reached—that really necessary park which has such hard usage that there are acres of it without a blade of grass left. Here the East both apes the West and instructs it. There is one lake here on which rowing boats incessantly ply, and a motor launch used to make continual trips round an island with a Japanese temple on it for a penny a voyage; and there is another lake where thousands of little East-end boys bathe in the summer all day long. ”

“ She did not want to return to Curran's to sit in her box-like room, or to look at the two spinsters availing themselves of their holiday in town to play patience in the conservatory.
All the afternoon, therefore, Victoria saw the sights. Covent Garden repelled her by the massiveness of its food suggestion, and especially by the choking dirt of its lanes. After Covent Garden, Savoy court yard and its announcements of intellectual plays by unknown women. Then once more, drawn by its spaciousness guessed at through Spring Gardens, Victoria walked into Saint James's Park. ”

“ The park is so beautiful that merely to describe it as one of the best in the province is to rob it of its just due. It has really all the characteristics of a great park, deserves to be classed with the chief pleasure grounds of Canada, and is, in fact, superior in natural beauty to any of the well-known North American parks. It is surely only a question of time before excursion trains will bring people from all over to enjoy the delights of this picturesque place.
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The entrance to Victoria park is at the front door of the town, for it is close to the Intercolonial Railway Station. ”

“ It is thus gradually losing its beauty as a park, for which its streaks of fine gardening here and there offer no compensation. The crystal palace was erected in Hyde park in 1851, and on the site now stands the Albert memorial, completed in 1872. (See London.) Regent's park, formerly part of old Marylebone park, was laid out in 1812. There is a drive of nearly two miles around it, and within are the botanic and zoölogical gardens, and a lake. Victoria park in E. London was opened to the public in 1845. A fine drinking fountain, 60 ft. ”

“ Anecdotes—Painful Scene at the King's last Birthday Dinner.
When she was eleven years old, the Princess opened the Victoria Park at Bath. She began the opening business thus early, and has kept it up pretty diligently for fifty years—parks, expositions, colleges, exchanges, law courts, bridges, docks, art schools, and hospitals. Her sons and daughters are also kept busy at the same sort of work. Indeed these are almost the only openings for young men of the royal family for active service, now that crusades and invasions of France have gone out of fashion. ”

“ There are an opera-house and an academy of music. The Auckland University College and the grammar school are the principal educational establishments. The parks are the Domain, with a botanical garden, the Albert Park near the harbour, with a bronze statue of Queen Victoria, the extensive grounds at One Tree Hill on the outskirts, and Victoria Park on Freeman’s Bay. ”

“ For those who stay at home there are the East-End parks, Victoria Park, West Ham Park, Finsbury Park, Clissold Park, Wanstead Park. They are thronged with people strolling or sitting quietly along the walks. All these parks are alike in their main features; they are laid out in walks and avenues planted with trees; they contain broad tracts of green turf; there is an inclosure for cricket; sometimes there is a gymnasium, and there is an ornamental water, generally very pretty, with rustic bridges, swans, and boats let out for hire. ”

“ Victoria Park (13 acres) and its extension Westburn Park (13 acres) are situated in the north-western area; farther north lies Stewart Park (11 acres) , called after Sir D. Stewart, lord provost in 1893. ”

“ But those ways have nothing whatever to do with people coming from London proper. You arrive at Victoria Park Station; you turn immediately to the right and follow the pavement down, with the park on your left, until you come to the archway where the road unites with that coming from Homerton. One is absolutely safe, therefore, assuming that one has not to deal with watchful criminals, in standing under the arch with the certitude that sooner or later, if you wait long enough, the man whom you expect to enter Hackney Wick will pass within ten yards of you. ”

“ All the year round they act as great lungs to the mighty city, while in summer and even to a lerable extent in winter they are the Sun- day resort of the weary workers. The open spaces of London are not confined to any quarter.
Map of Victoria Park. The East End has Victoria park (300 acres) ; Finsbury park (115 acres) , too new to be so pleasant to the eye, but still rapidly becoming what it is intended to be; and the half dozen “downs,” “fields,” and “commons” that go under the general name of Hackney Downs (50 acres) . ”

“ On the opposite side an equal gradual descent leads through a park, reserved as a public pleasure ground, to the valley, through which runs the river Barwin speeding its course to the southward, emptying itself into Bass's Straits, and not, as one would suppose, into the bay. Along the banks of the river, and on either side of the park, new and well-built streets appear, forming as pretty a tableau as any city in the world. ”

“ The Parsi horse-hoof hat, with adornment, will yet be well known beyond the borders of India and Persia, for milliners will induce their customers to adopt that style of headdress.
The city is well provided with parks. On the west side is a large strip of land, on which English sports, including polo games, are common; this park is used also for other forms of recreation. Music is provided in this part of the city every evening. In another section is located Victoria Gardens, a very pretty place, containing a good museum and a creditable zoo. ”

“ James’s and Victoria Parks, constitute the lungs of London, and a boon to hundreds of thousands have they proved. There is, moreover, a strong desire manifested to create a new park somewhere in Finsbury, to meet the requirements of the people in the northern quarter. There are, again, our squares and crescents which boast of an area of verdure, but these are private inclosures; the feet of the poor know them not. What we would particularly see is more open places in the neighbourhood of Gray’s Inn Lane, in St. ”

“ Victoria is well supplied with stores, and is, besides, one of the most interesting towns on the Pacific coast. The loveliest place in the whole neighborhood is Beacon Hill Park, and is well worth a visit by those who find an hour or two on their hands before the departure of the steamer. ”

“ It is quite a fashionable place for little tea-parties, and bachelor-girls or old-maid men, who live lives of solitude in “diggings” or clubs, come forth like the butterflies and entertain their friends in this inexpensive yet charming way, by giving a tea-fight within sight of where our good Queen Victoria was born.
This is advance at the western end of the Park, but farther east, that is to say in Piccadilly, still further advance is found. For within a stone’s throw of Hyde Park Corner, and near where the Duke of Cambridge lived so long, is a Ladies’ Club and also an Automobile Club. ”

“ Their sphere was their father's sphere, by right of birth and wealth, not hers who had not the right of wealth. Besides, perhaps some were shareholders in the P.R.R. Painfully shambling down the steps, Victoria got off the bus and entered the Green Park. She sat down on a seat under a tree just bursting into bud.
For many minutes she looked at the young grass, at the windows where lights were appearing, at a man seated near by and puffing rich blue smoke from his cigar. A loafer lay face down on the grass, like a bundle. ”

“ The city occupies a slope (about 800–1000 ft. above sea-level) , rising toward the east is beautifully built and is a winter and health resort. In the Albert S. White Park there is a notable collection of cacti; and Huntington Park is high and rocky, is well planted with trees and has a finely shaded automobile drive. Magnolia Avenue, bordered with pepper-trees, is 10 m. long and 130 ft. wide; and Victoria Avenue is similarly parked and lined with semi-tropical trees. ”

“ Peel Park, bought by public subscription in 1846, was the first public recreation ground in the borough. In the grounds are Langworthy Gallery and a museum. In the ark are statues of Queen Victoria, the Prince Consort, Sir Robert geel, Joseph Brotherton and Richard Cobden. The only other monument-a South African War memorial-is outside and almost opposite Peel Park. Other parks are at Seedley, Albert and Buile Hill ”

“ Park, across the New Suspension Bridge, below the American Fall, to the
Canadian shore. This splendid drive was continued through the Queen
Victoria Niagara Falls Park, opened to the public in 1889.
Following the example of New York State, the Ontario Parliament had passed an act to reserve the western side of the Falls vicinity—the Canadian Reservation—covering an area of about 154 acres, and beautifully laid out.
Here we had the most imposing view; a finer panorama cannot well be imagined. ”

“ A drive past the Victoria Institute, the Government House, and the market place to the reservoir, the Botanical Garden, and to the beautiful Queen’s Park Hotel will be greatly enjoyed; and the opportunity for shopping in the excellent stores or from the natives who bring wares to the boat will be improved by some whose purses are not yet empty. On the regular steamers, there is no opportunity to visit the celebrated Pitch Lake some miles away, a lake with an area of 114 acres, on the surface of which one may walk if he moves along promptly. ”

“ Lord Melbourne said he didn’t know; “The responsibility is so much greater during the Vacations; when Parliament is sitting one comes at once to Parliament; one has that to go to, and hears the worst at once....”
Sunday, 19th August.—Spoke of the Phœnix Park being considered unwholesome; of its being drained by what they call the Sub-soil-plough. He repeated the anecdote about Lord Talbot ”

“ I remember going to Carlton House, when George IV. lived there, as quite a little child before a dinner the King gave. The Duchess of Cambridge and my 2 cousins, George and Augusta, were there. My Aunt, the Queen of Würtemberg (Princess Royal) , came over, in the year ’26, I think, and I recollect perfectly well seeing her drive through the Park in the King’s carriage with red liveries and 4 horses, in a Cap and evening dress,—my Aunt, her sister Princess Augusta, sitting opposite to her, also in evening attire, having dined early with the Duke of Sussex at Kensington. ”

“ It is always held here of an evening. I should think between two and three thousand people passed before us, and one thousand six hundred ladies were presented. After it was over we walked through St. Patrick’s Hall and the other rooms, and the crowd was very great. We came back to the Phœnix Park at half-past twelve—the streets still densely crowded. The city was illuminated.
Friday, August 10.
At a quarter to twelve o’clock we set out, with all our suite, for Carton, the Duke of Leinster’s; Lord and Lady [184] Clarendon in the carriage with us. ”

“ We have just passed a most beautiful old house in a fine park with splendid trees. A 1⁄4 to 11. We have just changed horses at Dunstable; there was a fair there; the booths filled with fruit, ribbons, &c. looked very pretty. The town seems old & there is a fine abbey before it. The country is very bleak & chalky. 12 minutes to 12. We have just changed horses at Brickhill. The country is very beautiful about here. 19 minutes to 1. We have just changed horses at Stony Stratford. The country is very pretty. About 1⁄2 past 1 o’clock we arrived at Towcester & lunched there. ”