Erection date: 1/6/1963
The lamp above this plaque was formerly used to light a street in West Berlin. It was presented by Herr Willi Brandt, the Mayor of West Berlin to Councillor Stanley Atkins J.P., the Worshipful the Mayor of Hammersmith as a token of friendship between the two communities on the occasion of the jumelage held in this borough.
1st June 1963.
Hammersmith & Fulham has been twinned with Neukolln (a borough of West Berlin) since 1955. "Jumelage" is French for "twinning", and perhaps (we're struggling here) used in German for the concept. Â See for a close-up picture of the lamp at the time of the gift, though it looks more as if the mayor and others are squabbling over it.
Site: West Berlin street lamp (2 memorials)
W6, Furnivall Gardens, Lower Mall, Westcott Lodge
July 2017: The lamp and plaque have gone. We've made two visits, hunting all over Furnivall Gardens but found nothing. Thankfully no one asked what we were looking for: "we've lost a street lamp" might have elicited some strange looks. All the foliage has gone too, leaving a white wall with a few neat, low, plants. We wrote to the Council and asked what was happening. To our delighted surprise we received a reply, saying that the lamp is being refurbished and will return. Please let us know if you see it back in place.
June 2018: the lamp is back, with a new plaque, which we predict will shortly be hidden by foliage. The text is identical to that of the original.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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