On Saturday 22 October, Cllr Sarah Phillips unveiled a panel detailing the amazing history of the Clock House area.
WBRA Chair, Marie Pender, thanked Cllr Phillips for helping to opbtain the money to produce the panel, which we hope will also stretch to improving Clock House Parade by cleaning the pavements and putting in flower baskets. Now that Venue 28 is thriving, the area has had a great uplift and we hope that it too will thrive.
Clock House area is named after the clock on the stables of the manor house that was located close by the panel. The house was built in the early 18th century by William Lethieuller, son of a wealthy merchant and occupied in the early 19th century by Lady Annbelle Byron, estranged wife of Lord Byron and mother of Ada Lovelace, mathematician and first computer programmer.
It has had a varied history since then, and most interesting of all is the large number of famous people who lived, studied and worked in Clock House. The panel lists many of them. You can download the panel clock-house-history.
Members of WBRA along with Councillors Ian Dunn (Clock House ward) and Michael Tickner (Coper Cope ward and chair of the Beckenham Town working group) gathered to see Cllr Phillips unveil the panel, and then enjoyed coffee and cake at the cafe in The Spa.