Background Investigation: Reagents Park is an important and central feature of St. Marylebone Vestry. While the park did not open to the public until the 1840’s, it was still a beautiful reprieve from the hustle and bustle of London City. In 1840, the park was opened 2 days a week to the public and hosted the London Zoo from 1847 which became a major tourist attraction in Victorian London.
Your perspective: It is a beautiful summer day in 1843 and I’m planning on taking my kids to Regents Park to enjoy the summer air and see the new Elephants that Queen Victoria bought for the Zoo! I live in an apartment on Wigmore Street which is just one street over from the bustling Oxford Street, so on nice days such as today I can hear the faint commotion of street carriages and street sellers starting as early as the sunrise! Wigmore Street has all of the things I could want – there is the Knight Baker right across the street from me, a Linen and Outfitting warehouse, and G. Robinson’s Auctioneer studio for when my husband gives me a few extra shillings to spend. Another exciting location on Wigmore is The Royal Polytechnic Institute, which opened up in 1838 at the end of our street! It has brought in a lot of tourists from other boroughs to our neighborhood and has provided the public with so many innovative displays of England’s scientific discoveries. Our location is convenient for the children as well as it is just about a kilometer and a half walk to Regent’s Park.
Background investigation: Based on the Victorian London interactive map, the events hosted throughout St. Marylebone Vestry make the area appear as though it was relatively wealthy. When looking of a drawn map of the area around Wigmore Street and Baker Street, one can see numerous small block gardens, which are another indicator that those living in the area were on the wealthier side. In modern London, Marylebone is a “posh, wealthy borough that has a chic residential feel” according to London’s Financial Times.
Your Perspective: As I walk the kids down Baker Street on our way to Regent’s Park, we pass the beautiful garden in Portman Square. While we appreciate our apartment on Wigmore Street, some of the houses here are much grander than our living space. We pass Portman Chapel a little farther up the street as we continue on our way. I love admiring the ladies beautiful summer frocks who pass by us on our walk I feel grateful that we live far enough from the city center to be able to walk around in fancier clothing without worrying about ruining our garments.
