A new short film created by director Christine Lalla celebrates the history of Broomfield Park and its once magnificent centrepiece, Broomfield House. Christine has superimposed film footage from sixty years ago and from earlier this year, plus still photography from as far back as the 1880s, over a soundtrack of local residents speaking about their memories of the Park and of the House in its heyday - of times when Olympic sprinters would train on the running track, when crowds of spectators watched tennis tournaments, when the first model boating lake in the country was opened, and when people swam in the top pond.
However, the film doesn't just look back - it presents a positive view of today's Broomfield Park and of the enhancements made by the Friends of Broomfield Park in the few years hat tthey have been active: the reopened Conservatory, containing much more exotic plants than when it was run by the Council; beehives in the newly planted Community Orchard; the beautiful perennial borders alongside the ancient walls.
The film ends with a shot of a young boy flying a kite, which we see taking off and moving off screen into the future - a future which will hopefully see Broomfield House restored to its former glory and serving the Palmers Green Community again. And the main reason for Christine making the film was to help campaigners for the restoration of the House to secure more support for their project.
To watch the film online, visit the Friends of Broomfield Park website. To find out about the House restoration project, visit Restoring Broomfield House and see the Broomfield House Restoration section of this website.
