Astronauts names on trees in Kennington Road

Perhaps there isn't a reason. Maybe someone just thought of it and did it, which I find much more appealing than there being any process behind it.

On another note, I do like the logo of the British Interplanetary Society. A peeled banana. Quite apt?

This 'mystery' has made it into today's South London Press, no doubt inspired by this thread. And illustrated with the Flickr pics Lang Rabbie linked to on the previous page.

The SLP has found no explanation - and Lambeth Council has launched an investigation...

http://www.icsouthlondon.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=15721&

Don't know if it's connected, but according to this pdf, the Association of Autonomous Astronauts tried to launch a space-ship from Kennington Park in 1999.

More about the association.

From the latest edition of Lambeth Life

Can you help solve a 20-year-old lunar mystery? A number of trees on Kennington Road have plaques on them to commemorate NASA astronauts, and no one seems to know how they got there.

There are 16 with a small plaque with the name of one of the astronauts from a NASA space mission. They are thought to be at least 20 years old and Lambeth Council's parks projects officer Dr Iain Boulton is appealing for anyone with information about the plaques to come forward.

He said: “Surely some person out there must know why they are there, as we are stumped.”

If you know where the plaques came from contact the Lambeth Life team by writing to Lambeth Life, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, Hill SW2 1RW; email rgreen5@lambeth.gov.uk or call 020 7926 1475.

Smoke - a London Perculiar - the website of that eclectic former (and hopefully future) London magazine are marking the depature of Neil Armstrong by republishing their feature on the trees.

It is astonishing that it appears that three years later no one has come forward to explain the history of the labels.

Smoke - a London Perculiar - the website version of that eclectic former (and hopefully future) London magazine has marked the death of Neil Armstrong by republishing their feature on the trees.

Smoke had photos of 17 labels in their article.

Assuming that the Kennington Road trees were originally meant to honour the 24 who flew to the moon on the Apollo missions, does that mean seven astronauts now don't have trees (or labels have become detached from trees)?

By my reckoning they are:

Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr.
James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr.,
William "Bill" Alison Anders ,
Thomas Patten Stafford ,
Michael Collins,
Thomas Kenneth "Ken" Mattingly II, and
Ronald Ellwin Evans, Jr..

Perhaps there should be an appeal for funds to replace the "missing" labels?

The seeds were actually taken to the moon by one of the Apollo missions 500 were taken and then brought back again, I think they were hoping that if they were exposed to radiation it may effect how they grow or their appearance, when the seeds were 5 years old and as part of the bi-centiall celebration in 1976 demand for the seeds came from all over the world seeds where planted in almost every state in the US and some were given to other countries 6 were given to London.

Maybe at last Hugh has solved the mystery! Hugh, I've emailed Dave Williams at Nasa (gosh) as he is trying to trace where the seeds ended up and which are still living trees.

How exciting.

It is plausible - what Americans call an American Sycamore, we would call an American plane - and I'm not sure I could distinguish that from a London Plane tree without close scrutiny.