The Bowie Bandstand is a listed building in Croydon Road Recreation Ground, a public park in Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley.
The bandstand was erected in 1905, designed by the McCallum and Hope Iron Foundry, Glasgow. [1] It is believed to be the only surviving McCallum and Hope bandstand in the UK. [2] As of 2024, the bandstand is being restored. [3]
On 16 August 1969, David Bowie helped organise, compere and perform at the Growth summer festival, [4] a free music event based at the bandstand. [2] The structure has been called the "Bowie Bandstand" by fans. [4] A one-day festival called "Bowie's Beckenham Oddity" has been held several times in the park, celebrating Bowie's life and legacy. [4]
Beckenham is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Prior to 1965, it was part of Kent. It is situated north of Elmers End and Eden Park, east of Penge, south of Lower Sydenham and Bellingham, and west of Bromley and Shortlands, and 8.4 miles (13.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross. Its population at the 2011 Census was 46,844.
Penge is a suburb of South East London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Bromley, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) north east of Croydon and 7.1 miles (11.4 km) south east of Charing Cross.
The London Borough of Bromley is a borough in London, England. It borders the county of Kent, of which it formed part until 1965. The borough's population in the 2021 census was 329,991. It is named after Bromley, its principal district. Other districts are Penge, Hayes, West Wickham, Chislehurst, Beckenham and Orpington. The local authority is Bromley London Borough Council.
Beckenham was a constituency in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2010 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Bob Stewart, a member of the Conservative Party.
Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 9+1⁄2 miles southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023.
Peckham Rye is a railway station in Peckham town centre, South London. The station is served by Southern, London Overground, Southeastern and Thameslink.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a museum in Forest Hill, London, England. Commissioned in 1898, it opened in 1901 and was designed by Charles Harrison Townsend in the Modern Style. It has displays of anthropology, natural history and musical instruments, and is known for its large collection of taxidermied animals. The building is Grade II* listed.
Croydon Road Recreation Ground is a public park in Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley. It is near the High St and adjacent to Beckenham Beacon. The park features a café and bandstand, as well as a bowling green and other sports facilities. The park was laid out by the Sydenham firm Reid and Bornemann in 1890 and was formally opened on 23 September 1891.
West Wickham is an area of South East London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies south of Park Langley, Eden Park, Beckenham and Bromley town centre, west of Hayes and north of Coney Hall, east of Spring Park and Shirley. It is 10.3 miles (17 km) south-east of Charing Cross on the line of a Roman road, the London to Lewes Way. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, West Wickham was in Kent.
Coombe is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, situated south-east of central Croydon, between Addiscombe, Selsdon and Upper Shirley. Formerly a hamlet, since the growth of suburban development the area has become swallowed into the London conurbation and often does not appear on modern map.
Free festivals are a combination of music, arts and cultural activities, for which often no admission is charged, but involvement is preferred. They are identifiable by being multi-day events connected by a camping community without centralised control. The pioneering free festival movement started in the UK in the 1970s.
Duppas Hill is a park, road and surrounding residential area in Waddon, near Croydon in Greater London.
"Memory of a Free Festival" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. Originally recorded in September 1969 as a seven-minute opus for Bowie's second self-titled album, it was reworked in March–April 1970 at the behest of Mercury Records, the label believing that the track had a better chance of success as a single than "The Prettiest Star", released earlier in the year. Bowie and Tony Visconti roughly split the track in half, re-recording it so both halves could function as individual songs. A more rock-oriented version than the earlier album cut, this rendition featured guitarist Mick Ronson.
Reeves Corner tram stop is a stop on the Tramlink service in central Croydon. It is normally only served by trams travelling eastbound from Wimbledon to Croydon; trams going in the opposite direction pass the station on the other side of the road without stopping. The complementary stop for westbound trams is the Church Street tram stop.
South Norwood Library is a purpose-built public library in South Norwood, South London. Also known locally as 'Brutalist Library' it stands in the London Borough of Croydon and is part of the Croydon Libraries arm of the council. The site on the corner of Selhurst Road and Lawrence Road first had a library built in 1897, which was replaced by the current building in 1966.
Park Hill Recreation Ground is a 15 acres (6.1 ha) park near the centre of Croydon, Greater London, managed by the London Borough of Croydon. It runs from Barclay Road to Coombe Road beside the railway line, with the main entrances on Water Tower Hill and Barclay Road. The nearest stations are East Croydon to the north for Tramlink and National Rail services and South Croydon to the south for National Rail. The park was officially renamed as Park Hill in 1964.
Keith Peter Christmas is an English singer and songwriter. He attended Bath University to read architecture but, because the Architecture School was, at that time, based in Kingsweston House, Bristol, he became part of that city's folk set.
This is a summary of 1969 in music in the United Kingdom.
Wandle Park is an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) park located in the Broad Green Ward of Croydon, south London, England. It was opened in 1890 by the Mayor of Croydon. The site is protected by Fields in Trust through a legal "Deed of Dedication" safeguarding the future of the space as public recreation land for future generations to enjoy.
Millers Pond is a small park in the Spring Park area of the London Borough of Croydon, England.