The London Society is pleased to announce that this year’s Annual Banister Fletcher lecture will be given by Loyd Grossman CBE, the first Chairman of The Royal Parks. He is also a patron of the Association for Heritage Interpretation and Heritage Open Days, President of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) and Chairman of the Heritage Alliance.
The eight Royal Parks stretching from Bushy in the West to Greenwich in the East are amongst London’s greatest and most distinctive assets and now under the management of an independent charity on behalf of the nation. With seventy-seven million visitors a year, the Royal Parks provide green space and tranquility for Londoners and visitors alike, a haven for wildlife ranging from hedgehogs to stag beetles and are also a venue for some of Europe’s most popular entertainment events including Winter Wonderland and the British Summer Time concert series.
The Parks face many challenges from the arrival of new plant diseases to the sheer weight of numbers due to London’s growing population. In a society which fetishises selfishness and disdains the communal, the defence of the public realm is more important than ever. Loyd will explore how we ensure the future of the greatest collection of urban parks in the world.