IT is 125 years since Sir Sydney Waterlow presented his estate to London County Council as a garden for the gardenless. And on Saturday park users joined together for a day of fun activities to commemorate his gift.

Janet Jones, Tash Halford and Claire Davies a become a human fruit machine during the Waterlow Park celebrations

The “Lark in the Park” event, at Waterlow Park in Highgate Hill, included food and gift stalls, a tombola and family games and afterwards Sir Christopher Waterlow told the New Journal of his pride in his great, great, great grandfather Sydney’s altruism.

“I walk around the park with a lot of pride because I know that all he wanted to do was to see people using it,” he said. 

“When I see a mixture of people visiting it, I know he will be looking down thinking, ‘I did a good thing’. It is wonderful that organisations like the Friends of Waterlow Park continue to champion the cause.”

Musician Francis Roads entertains Scarlett, Dian and Horace Ho

Gilles and Mia play the marble game

Earlier, Sir Christopher, who works as a cameraman, had handed Camden’s deputy mayor Larraine Revah a copy of the deeds to the park, which was Sir Sydney’s private estate until he gifted it to the people of London in 1889 as a public park in perpetuity.

“The fact that he gave over the park was a big thing in the family and it always has been,” Sir Christopher added. “I have photos of myself standing in it, aged two or three, and we have all been brought up knowing about Sydney.”