Erection date: /4/1995
The Octavia Hill rose bed, planted by the Octavia Hill & the Finchley Societies to mark the centenary year of the National Trust & Octavia's childhood in Finchley.
April 1995
Hill's family were living in Brownswell Cottages in 1851. These were on Finchley High Road just south of where the North Circular now crosses. Demolished in 1960s.
Site: Spike Milligan statue (4 memorials)
N3, East End Road, 17, Stephens House
Spike lived in Finchley and often visited Stephens' House - then called Avenue House. Together with the extensive grounds it had been left to the local council by Henry Charles 'Inky' Stephens.
Spike's bench is in the garden, very close to the cafe. Spike and this young fan had quite a long conversation.
The bench is seething with little people and references to Spike's life. A number of faces are modelled on the drawings that Spike made of the Goon characters: we spotted Bloodnock, Bluebottle and Neddie Seagoon. The three soldiers probably refer to the origins of Goon humour in the army days of Spike and Secombe; Sellers was in the RAF. We've treated the 3 Goons with scripts as a separate memorial (mainly so we can show you another photo). The elephants, if they refer to India, Spike's place of birth, should have smaller ears. We think the fairies must refer to the Elfin Tree, now in Kensington Gardens which was saved, restored and listed following a campaign led by Spike.
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