Pip's Park Unveiled

Friday, 01 March 2013 15:15

He inspired one of Taunton's more unusual waterside walks – and now his name is being remembered with the creation of a new open space at the Firepool scheme, set by the River Tone, Taunton complete with a glass sculpture engraved with poetry.

Pip's Park – named in honour of the late Pip Youngman – is a new Riverside Park forming the central communal area of the £270m Firepool scheme, developed by regeneration specialist, St. Modwen in partnership with Taunton Deane County Borough Council. The Park was unveiled on February 28 with his wife Alison and daughter Suzy joining the ceremony.

The park's highlight is a spectacular glass feature, made by Taunton glass-maker Will Shakspeare and it has been engraved with one of Pip Youngman's poems.

Pip was not just a poet but a noted inventor as well as one of Taunton's greatest champions. His career was eclectic to say the least – as a young man he tried his hand at all sorts of jobs including being a shoe-shine boy. In World War Two he served in the 48th Royal Tank Regiment.

After the war ended he was active in a peace movement called The Crusade for World Government. Supporters included Bertrand Russell, Yehudi Menuhin and a very young Shirley Williams.

Alison Youngman said: "He loved Lego.  When he was living in Soho in the 1960s, he rather rashly told someone that you could make anything from Lego.  They challenged him to make a computer.  So he did, and it became the basis for one of the Open University's first home experiment kits.  

"It was - is - a device called BOBCAT which uses ballbearings and flip-flops to demonstrate the binary numerical system used in computers.  He got a job at the Open University on the strength of that design, and went on to design various kits for science and technology courses."

After a spell in Iran working on a free university project he spent time travelling in a Ford Transit van called Humphrey. After meeting Alison the couple also took to the road – this time in Millicent – a converted Bedford TK.

In Taunton Pip Youngman took a huge interest in the town and its development.   He inspired the space walk along the Bridgwater-Taunton Canal which still gives walkers huge enjoyment. And he was a staunch supporter of Project Taunton – originally the Vision for Taunton – and plans to regenerate and revitalise the town centre bringing the river and waterways back into focus.

Ian Franklin, of Project Taunton, said: "We always enjoyed it when Pip dropped into our office for a chat. His enthusiasm was infectious!"

Firepool is bringing the focus back to the water, turning development to face the river rather than turn its back. The park, on the River Tone's south bank, is designed to give people somewhere to enjoy the life of the river, to relax in a haven close to the heart of the town and to bring green space into the urban area.

Firepool, delivered by St. Modwen, is the first major phase of Project Taunton's vision. Pete Davies, Development Manager for St. Modwen in the South West, said:  "The Riverside Park, which is already being used by more than 110 members of staff working at Viridor House, will become a new recreational area, where people can sit, relax and enjoy the waterside area of the scheme is a fitting place to commemorate Pip Youngman.

"The official opening marks another step forward in our delivery of this major regeneration scheme that will help transform the the heart of Taunton town centre."

Firepool is a 17 acre mixed-use scheme, with the master plan including 500,000 sq ft of offices, over 400 homes, including waterfront apartments and town houses and a new waterside plaza to include restaurants, retail stores a hotel and a food store.

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