Skatepark in South East London

It's odd really. If you go to Stockwell, it's quite stereotypical of a skatepark, lots of kids, lots of noise, the occaisional frank exchange of views.

When I was skating at Peckham Rye and Belair, it was always nice and relaxed. Usually a mix of teenagers and adults up into their thirties. In fact when the Peckham Park was initially suggested as an option in a community meeting, Stockwell was cited as a reason it shouldn't happen. I raised Belair as an example. I was able to point out that people were already travelling from the Peckham Rye area to Belair, demonstrating a level of demand and interest for the facility and I think that helped to get it through.

Definitely worth adding that where skatepark facilities are installed there is usually a marked downturn in skater related anti-social behaviour and damage to other public facilities. This is part of the reason why Southbank elected to tolerate skating and later appreciated the contribution that skaters made to the local culture, taking an otherwise dismal space, frequented by rough sleepers and drug users, and turned it into something more vibrant. Also a key reason why the freerunners adopted the space as well.

I don't know the parks at Belair and Peckham, but I take your point: skateparks don't necessarily mean antisocial behaviour: this a point worth making at the meeting.

Not sure I agree that the South Bank elected to tolerate skating, rather that they went from tolerance to intolerance and back and forth over the years (remember when the bars went up at the foot of the banks and bank to wall, and the pebbles on the loading bay? Or turned out the lights?) Then took away most of the space we liked skating in, but left a bit where everyone could see it, along the river. Though I agree that skating is more valued now by the SB authorities. It's true that we in some senses saved the riverside from being a completely scary underworld place back in the 80s - it's really nice to hear someone else say that cos I feel like I'm going mad sometimes when i go down there, and remember how desolate and unwelcoming it used to be. Winstan tried to show this in the Rollin through the Decades film ... have you seen it?