2018 Events in the Recreation Ground
Previous Events
Bromley Concert Band - May 2017
Community Carols - 18 December 2016
Lewisham Concert Band - 11 September 2016
Bowie's Beckenham Oddity - 13 August 2016
BOWIE’S BECKENHAM ODDITY Bowie fans and music lovers from Britain and beyond came together in Beckenham, south London on Saturday 13 August 2016, in the park where his rise to stardom took off in 1969. Bowie’s Beckenham Oddity took place at the bandstand at the Croydon Road Recreation Ground, where Bowie and his friends from the Beckenham Arts Lab organised The UK’s first Free Festival on 16 August, 47 years ago. The festival coincided with the release of David’s first hit single Space Oddity and was immortalised with another hit song, Memory Of A Free Festival. This year’s event kicked off with a stellar line up of musical talent, who reprised lots of Bowie’s greatest songs including Life On Mars?, which he began to write while sitting on the bandstand steps. Featured artists include Malcolm Doherty, Daphne Guinness, Maggi Ronson, Phillip Rambow and Boe Huntress. There was a welcome return from Amory Kane who played at the 1969 Free Festival and also at the 2013 and 2014 Memory of a Free Festival events organised at the bandstand by Beckenham resident Natasha Ryzhova Lau. The avant garde duo Raf & O were also welcomed back, following their performances in 2013 and 2014. David’s co-founder and organiser of The Beckenham Arts Lab, Mary Finnigan, signed copies of her recently published book Psychedelic Suburbia. The two Memory of a Free Festival events raised £16,000 towards the bandstand restoration fund. Bowie’s Beckenham Oddity organiser Wendy Faulkner says her aim this year was to raise even more. “After the devastating news of David’s death in January we felt we had to do a tribute for him -- and there’s no more fitting place to do this than the bandstand where he played in 1969,” she said. “It’s not just about Bowie, but also all the people who were involved with him along his path to stardom”. Bowie’s Beckenham Oddity was supported by The London Borough of Bromley, which has named the bandstand in his honour. When enough money is raised, it will be restored to its former glory. Other attractions this year included food and drinks by local caterers Dizzy’s Diner, plus market stalls. There was an auction of Bowie memorabilia at the end of the day. Visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bowies.beckenham.oddity/
BeckRecFest - Sunday 10th July 2016
Crystal Palace Progress Brass Band - 22 May 2016
Lewisham Concert Band - 27 September 2015
BeckRecFest - Sunday 12th July 2015
This was a joint event with Dizzy's Diner and The Friends and raised £500 towards the bandstand renovation fund (click images to enlarge)
Bromley Concert Band played on the Bandstand
on Sunday 14th June 2015
Memory of a Free Festival 2014 To the delight of David Bowie fans
and music lovers at home and abroad, Memory of a Free
Festival reprised on Saturday 16 August.
More information about the event The event has a Facebook page here Media Coverage:
Newshopper
article
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2nd July 2014 Bromley Concert Band played on the Bandstand
on a glorious afternoon on Sunday 18th May 2014
CELEBRATING DAVID BOWIE AND THE BECKENHAM ARTS LAB The residential south of London may not conjure up visions of youthful exuberance and rock music but, on a very wet Sunday 15th September 2013, the Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground were not disappointed when hundreds of people descended on the recreation ground to celebrate David Bowie - Beckenham's most famous former Beckenham resident, the legacy of the Arts Laboratory he co-founded, and the sensational Free Festival that Arts Lab members staged on the Bandstand in the park in 1969.
Click here for more information Media
Coverage: Bromley Concert Band played on the Bandstand
on a glorious afternoon on Sunday 19th May 2013
Some
pictures from the Bandstand Marathon afternoon
Some
pictures from Dizzy's Diner Family Fun Day
The 'Hearts of Steel' steel band played in the bandstand on the afternoon of Sunday 18th September 2011 and the children were entertained by David Wilde with his Punch & Judy Show
Bromley Concert Band played in the Bandstand on the afternoon of Sunday 22nd May 2011 and the children were entertained by David Wilde with his Punch & Judy Show
Photos courtesy of Roger M Stephens ARPS The Friends presented another afternoon of free family fun and music at the Bandstand on Sunday 30th May 2010 at which The Hares played some popular numbers. and Mr. Bonkers who created models from balloons for the children (and adults!)
Scenes from May Queens' Coronations on Saturday 1st May 2010 (Click on the images to enlarge them)
The Friends presented an afternoon of free family fun and music at the Bandstand on Sunday 20th September 2009 at which Adelphi Rhode played a wide variety of music . The children were entertained by David Wilde with his Punch & Judy Show and Mr. Bonkers who created models from balloons for the children (and adults!) (Click on the images to enlarge them)
On
a VERY wet weekend in September 2008 Beckenham Family
show and Country Fayre took place.
The
Friends presented an afternoon of free family fun and
music at the bandstand on Sunday 25th May 2008. The band
played a mixture of Blue Grass, country and Irish music
while the children were, as last year, entertained by
Punch & Judy and an entertainer from the Big Hand
company.
Pictures
from Beckenham
and West Wickham Lions Fete, July 2007
Picture from the May Queen Coronations 2007
Beckenham
Area May Queen, Georgina Bowen with her Prince Tiane
Sauvage-Cole Pictures
from the Beckenham Family Show, September 2006
© The Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground 2008 - |
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