Friends of Islington Museum

Friday 23rd July, 3-5pm

Islington Heritage Service invites you to attend a series of events in the Peace Garden of Elthorne Park to commemorate the unveiling of a WW2 memorial plaque and the re-installation of Upon Reflection, a statue by Kevin Atherton.

The V2 Rocket Memorial

On Sunday November 5th, 1944, a V2 rocket was launched from Hague in the Netherlands. Its target was London. At 5:13pm it exploded at the junction of Boothby, Giesbach, and Grovedale Roads in Archway. Residents from St John’s Way also suffered in the attack.
This was the first long-range V2 to hit Islington. 35 people died in the attack, with another 219 suffering injuries. The oldest person to die in the explosion was 92 years old. The youngest was just five months old. Many houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair.

Philip Noel-Baker

Baron Philip Noel-Baker (1889-1982) was a Nobel Peace Prize winning politician. His father was the Liberal MP for East Finsbury when he was young, before Philip started his own career in politics. He was very active as a Member of Parliament, consistently advocating for worker’s rights, the removal of occupying forces from countries in peace-time, and the rights of refugees. During WW2, he was Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and denounced the bombing of German cities. In 1979, he co-founded the World Disarmament Campaign with Fenner Brockway.

Events for adults

3pm: Unveiling of V2 memorial plaque
4pm: Unveiling of Upon Reflection
Walking tour celebrating the Peace Garden. Please book your ticket ahead of time.

Events for children