Artist Tamara Froud joins members of the 1st Fulham Rainbows at the unveiling of her mosaic
A riverside mosaic commemorating Fulham’s sporting heritage has been unveiled with the help of a barbecue and string concert.
The semi-circular design, covering 75 square feet, has made a stretch of riverside walk safer and brighter at Carrara Wharf, near Putney Bridge.
Mosaic expert Tamara Froud consulted residents in flats along Fulham’s river walk before a team of artists spent a month in a studio assembling a design with the university boat race at its heart.
“I met local people from Willowbank, Swanbank and Carrara Wharf to discuss what they wanted, and I also went to the Lilla Huset archive in Hammersmith to research Putney bridge and the traditions of the area,” said Tamara, 40.
Last week young members of the 1st Fulham Rainbows - based at nearby All Saints Church - joined the artist and neighbours to declare the mosaic open. A string band played, and cake and bangers were served.
The mosaic near Putney Bridge station is an arty contribution to the Get H&F Moving initiative... with a practical purpose. It opens up and beautifies a neglected, vandal-prone stretch of riverside walk, making the area safer for everyone to enjoy.
Twenty-five saplings have been planted behind the art work, and the paving and lighting has been upgraded.
Tamara was commissioned to create the design after a Carrara Wharf resident admired one she did at nearby All Saints Primary School, Bishops Avenue, Fulham.
“The council liked the idea, and I put forward three different designs,” said Tamara, who grew up in the area and now runs her own company, Mosaic Art Ltd. “It was special to create something in a part of London I knew.”
As well as the Boat Race (showing the dark blue of Oxford slightly in the lead), the mosaic design features birds, fish, landmarks and natural flora of the area.
The river walk improvements were welcomed by Councillor Nick Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader, who launched the Get H&F Moving campaign earlier this year.
“Up to now most of the projects we have undertaken in Get H&F Moving have been aimed at public transport, cars, bikes and buses, but it is just as important to improve life for pedestrians,” he said.
“This mosaic and other improvements has helped make an important section of riverside walk more attractive for the thousands of people who use it every week.”
The package of improvements cost £22,000, with funding coming from Transport for London and Walk London, with the work saving H&F taxpayers’ money thanks to the reduced cost of maintaining and repairing that stretch of river walk.
Tamara Froud added: “Artwork brings any area up. I do a lot of work in what are regarded as quite dubious area, including run-down estates. Apart from reducing the drabness and greyness, it inspires people when they see something beautiful.”
The section of riverside walk near Carrara Wharf was made a high priority as the area has suffered vandalism and antisocial activity in the past.
Get H&F Moving was launched in February 2011 to improve the borough’s transport network and involve residents in local transport issues.
For its part, the council has pledged to remove unnecessary road signs, traffic lights and speed bumps, improve traffic flow and penalise utility companies who dig up the roads.
The council's Get H&F Moving Transport Summit is on Tuesday, November 8. The summit will cover issues such as aircraft noise, road works, Boris bikes and a whole host of other transport related issues. The summit takes place in Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, from 7pm on November 8.
Anyone can suggest ways of improving transport in the borough by visiting www.lbhf.gov.uk/getmoving.
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