Sutton garden Suburb exhibition begins (From Sutton Guardian)

Europa Gallery at Sutton Library hosts new exhibition

10:54am Thursday 8th November 2012 in Freetime By James Pepper

An exhibition will mark 100 years of the Sutton Garden Suburb.

A display of photographs and decorative effects will tell the story of the 'Hampstead' of the south, marking their centenary.

The development was started in 1912 by Thomas Wall of sausages and ice cream fame and was inspired by the same principles that led to the building of the other more famous garden suburbs such as Hampstead.

The original plan was for a thousand carefully designed houses set amidst leafy roads and greens, but work had to be stopped at the onset of WWI.

But what was built has stood the test of time and is a show-piece of Edwardian culture. The exhibition promises to tell the story of the area, the people who created it and the people who have subsequently lived there.

Maps, plans and other exhibits will follow the story through the years, from the start of the development, through its Edwardian heyday, its experience of the London Blitz, its personalities and celebrities and its campaigns to protect the local environment, right up to the present day with Council-supported schemes to enhance and restore character.

The exhibition, which is free was created by the Sutton Garden Suburb Residents' Association in partnership with the Borough Archive service.

Sutton Garden Suburb Exhibition, Europa Gallery, Sutton Central Library, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, November 8 to December 1, Tuesday-Thursday 9.30am to 8pm, Friday 9.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 4.30pm, Free