Table on the Marsh

I have just been inspired by a table and chairs! Not an expression you hear every day but it’s true.

Just off Coppermill lane on Hackney marshes a new feature has been added to the landscape. Called the Table on the Marsh, it takes the idea of alfresco dining to a whole new dimension. It is a dining table complete with benches and chairs that can sit 20 people, but it is not just any table and chairs. It is a thing of beauty. Hand crafted by carpenter Giles Thaxton and designed by architect Tabitha Pope, with design element informed through workshops with local people. The idea for the project came from Alexandra Parry and was achieved through funding from the Lea Valley Park and UnLtd. See their website: http://www.tableonthemarsh.co.uk/dining_table_home.html

I just think this is such a delightful concept, a piece of functional community art that doubles as a communal gathering space. It is the sort of thing every community open space would gain from and I would love to see something similar in my local park.

I am not advocating replicating the object but taking inspiration from this project. Each community would come up with a design that suited their desires and the space where the table was to be sited. The finished object would be a focus for the pride of that community and a physical representation of the collaborative spirit that exists. Furthermore it would provide a venue for community and private celebrations as well as a local landmark.

So if like me you are inspired by this idea and would like to see something similar in your local community space, why not try and make it happen? It could be just the project your community has been waiting for to involve people in.

See more pictures of this table here: http://picasaweb.google.com/mr3peaks/TableOnTheMarsh?feat=directlink

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