LONDON GARDENS [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Si s,—There must be many people who leave London for their summer holidays with a twinge of conscience for the millions: who are left behind when " nobody is in town "- and left, not in airy. and spacious houses but insmall stuffy overcrowded dwellings, never free from the noises and the swells of mean streets. The children may wander to the parks to fish for sticklebacks, the younger people may get out for an occasional day in the country, but the old people, the invalids, and the mothers with young babies must pant the summer through in their homes. - For some, at least, of these people the scheme outlined in Lord Dickinson's letter in The Times last Saturday will, if it succeeds, bring a respite of green shade and sweeter air. The scheme, put forward by the London Council of Social Service (1 Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C. 2), suggests the sending of invitations—by the owners of Square gardens through their committees—for the use of these gardens - during the height of the summer holidays by some of the people in the neighbourhood least able to get to other open spaces. The distribution of the invitations, the supervision of the gardens, the prevention of abuse or damage, will be undertaken by the appropriate Committee of the London Council.
Those of your readers who get- real holidays will surely find in them an added refreshment if they can tell themselves that they have'helped, whether by obtaining the co-operation of the CoMmittees responsible for the management of Square gardens, or by sending a small contribution towards the inevitable eipenSes, to bring success*-to the scheme.—I am, 48 Clarendon Road, W. 11.
[This is an appeal we unreservedly endorse. To comply with it would cost no one anything, and would bring both health and happiness to many.—Eo. The Spectator.]
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