As many of you will have seen plans were announced in March to redevelop the iconic Southbank undercroft skate area into shops and restaurants. The Southbank Centre proposes to relocate the popular skate park further down the river, beneath the Hungerford Bridge and build a new skate facility there, by what is commonly know as “Bird Shit Banks”.
Martin Sweeney circa 1982
The undercroft at the Southbank is a treasured space, known as the birthplace of British Skateboarding and has been home to skateboarders, BMX riders and graffiti artists for almost 40 years. This makes the undercroft the oldest recognised and still existing skateboarding space in the world. The Southbank Centre’s proposed redevelopment site contains none of these features, has no history and lacks the unique, dynamic architecture that has made the Southbank undercroft a globally renowned street culture space.
For many of us older riders the first slalom board we stepped on was at Southbank.UKslalom legends such as Jim Slater, Tim Panting and Martin Sweeney to name but a few, all honed their skills at Southbank. I first went there in 1977 and over the years eventually earned my seat on the wall by the big banks as one of what Clingfilm describes in “Rolling Through Decades” “the 2nd generation” of the LSD Southbank Boys.
Three of the old crew – Me, Jim “Nutsac” Parry Jones and Jim Slater – “London Skates Dominate”
The campaign, Long Live Southbank, is dedicated to protecting the Undercroft as it is in its current form. They encourage this because its unique architecture and the vitality of the thriving Undercroft community should be present for future generations.
With this in mind please take time to visit, sign the petition and become a member of the campaign (http://www.longlivesouthbank.com/membership/) in support and to raise awareness of the global campaign. Details below:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaveSouthbank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Live-Southbank/325214540940869
Southbank IS The Spiritual Home of Skateboarding in the UK
It Must Be Saved!