Gulliver of Redriff

A giant Gulliver puppet was the star guest at Redriff Primary School last month (20th May). The occasion was the opening of a new Children's Centre building at the community school on Rotherhithe peninsula, which also featured a procession of children with an Old Father Thames theme and kids doing Irish and maypole dancing.

But why Gulliver? Well in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels we are told that Gulliver lived in Redriff (as Rotherhithe was then written). In fact the book's opening lines are: 'The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimate friend; there is likewise some relation between us on the mother's side. About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the concourse of curious people coming to him at his house in Redriff...'