Halstead Public Gardens

Halstead's Public Gardens in Trinity Street were first opened to the public on Whit Monday 1901. This postcard shows how they looked shortly after thier official opening and looked very prim and tidy. Many of the young trees and shrubs had been donated by local citizens. The gardens had been provided as a permenant memorial to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign and had been made possible by a public subscription headed by George Courtauld's magnificent gift of £1,000. The bandstand was given by Harry Portway to mark his fiftieth year of residance in Halstead. The site had previously been allotments containing a number of apple trees and some of these were left in situ when the ground was laid out. The tree in front of the seats is probably one of these. The following Autumn there were complaints that boys were getting in and 'scrumping' the apples. Apperently this was quite unxepected and came as a surprise to many people. Shortly after the apple trees were cut down!