The Queen opens Jubilee Gardens, again

 
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Ross Lydall @RossLydall25 October 2012

The Queen stepped back in time today when she reopened the Jubilee Gardens, 35 years after she first opened the park next to the London Eye.

The gardens have been given a £5 million facelift to turn it into a “new green landmark for London” after management responsibilities were handed over to local businesses and community groups.

The Queen, 86, was shown photographs of her visit from 1977 and the plaque she unveiled during her silver jubilee year. The site was home to the Festival of Britain in 1951 but was used as a car park before becoming Jubilee Gardens.

She was told how the park, which this year hosted spectators watching the Thames diamond jubilee pageant and the Paralympic torch relay, had undergone a dramatic transformation.

Grass and flower beds have been lined with granite blocks to create seating, new granite paths have been laid, and lighting and a children’s playground have been built.

Ted Inman, chairman of the Jubilee Gardens Trust, said: “The 1977 gardens were very badly damaged when they built the Jubilee line. They were used as a spoil dump. What was put together after that was a basic park that people walked through. It used to be a doormat for the London Eye. Now it’s a destination in its own right.”

The Queen then visited the BFI on the South Bank, where TV presenter and film buff Jonathan Ross was among the VIPs lined up to meet her.

Founded in 1933, the BFI received a royal charter in 1983. The Queen, who was greeted by BFI chairman of governors Greg Dyke, was shown a short film montage about the history of cinema before she unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit.

Ross then presented a montage of clips from the BFI’s collection of rare royal films. The archive is a mixture of films presented to the royal household, including newsreels and private home movies dating back to the Twenties.

The Queen watched a film featuring herself, her parents and Prince Charles as a baby. Another scene showed the three-year-old prince riding a pony.

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