Description: Description: This programme opens with film footage of Clapham Common and a look at the different activities held over the last 100 years. There is also a visit to Chipperfields Circus, and footage of an animal trainer teaching new tricks to the resident seal. To provide a wider context for open spaces in London, the term 'common' is explained detailing its link with the feudal system. A history of Clapham common is then detailed, with a more broad look at the work of social reformers such as Lord Eversley, who among others, championed the preservation of open, green spaces across London to be enjoyed by the general populace. This precedent saw the creation of the Metropolitan Commons Act and the purchase of manorial rights from landowners in Blackheath, Wimbledon and Hampstead (the latter costing in excess of GBP45,000). The work of Octvaia Hill in Deptford is also examined with footage and interviews around the park today (1970s). In particular, the introduction of drinking fountains into Victorian parks and what they tell us about their many benefactors. Colour/B&#38W: Black and White