A decade on from the moment they turned outrage at statue theft into great civic pride

In November 2011 Bermondsey experienced one of its less edifying episodes when a bronze statue to commemorate radical Bermondsey MP and social reformer Dr Alfred Salter disappeared.

It was assumed the unscrupulous thieves who stole the statue from its riverside location in SE16 had done so to melt it down for cash.

Descendants of Dr Salter were dismayed, as were a good many citizens who were mindful of what he represented and the joyful nature of the bronze – which was one of three depicting Dr Salter, his daughter Joyce and the family cat. The ones not stolen were removed for safe keeping.

Dr Salter (1873-1945) started his medical practice in Bermondsey, having already started to get involved in workers’ rights and poverty reduction.

He moved into politics in 1903 and was elected Labour MP, after several failed attempts, in 1922, and although he lost the seat in a general election the following year, he regained it in another election in 1924, and held the seat until he retired in 1945 due to ill health.

Alfred Salter was born in Greenwich and qualified as a doctor in 1896. He worked for a few years as a physician at Guy’s Hospital and in 1898 moved to Bermondsey, a very deprived area of London in this period, with some of the worst slums in the city.

In 1900 he married Ada and set up a medical practice in Bermondsey. Seeing the awful living conditions of those around him, he offered free medical services to those who could not afford to pay. What he offered has been described as an ‘NHS before the NHS’.

He was heavily criticised for this by his fellow doctors because they thought it would reduce their business. He also would play educational films on hygiene from vans at the side of the road.

As part of the wider Docklands redevelopments, the London Docklands Development Corporation commissioned the artist, Diane Gorvin to create a work to remember the good doctor. It was created in 1991 and original set a Cherry Garden Pier.

 

After the statue went missing, Southwark council asked local residents for their views on plans for a new statue to replace the stolen bronze figure and this week, exactly 10 years ago, the South London Press reported on the heart-warming official unveiling of the new statue – back alongside those of his family.

This time it also included a new statue of his wife Ada – herself a respected councillor, was the first woman to be elected Mayor in a London borough. Joyce is a poignant part of the picture. She died of scarlet fever in 1910 at the age of eight.

The statues were known collectively as ‘Dr Salter’s Daydream’ as it shows him idly watching his loved ones at Bermondsey Wall East on the river path from Bermondsey to Rotherhithe.

Dozens of people were at the public ceremony on a Sunday afternoon 10 years ago this week. The Salter Statues campaign group was set up after the theft, and it raised £60,000 for the statues. Southwark council contributed the same amount.

Johanna Crawshaw, the great-niece of Dr Salter and the last member of the Salter family on his side, said: “I am honoured to be part of the unveiling of these statues that commemorate a wonderful man and his wife who gave so much to the people of Bermondsey and Southwark.

“Although born after Alfred died, I was brought up listening to the stories of him and his family, told by my father and aunt, who were very close to him, particularly after his own daughter, Joyce died.

Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle, then Southwark’s cabinet member for arts and culture, said: “The campaign to bring back the statue of Dr Salter is a demonstration of just how passionate our community is about public art and
local heritage.”

Former Bermondsey MP Simon Hughes, MP for Bermondsey, said: “Dr Alfred Salter was in my opinion the greatest, most respected and most radical campaigning MP we have had in Bermondsey.”

CCTV cameras were installed to provide extra security for the statues.

Pictured top: The new statue’s image taken in the week it was installed (Picture: Wikimedia Commons / Stephen Craven Wiki page HERE)