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Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space in Battersea, London, situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea.
Battersea fields as it was once known was once a popular spot for duelling. In 1829 the Duke of Wellington and the Earl of Winchilsea met on Battersea fields to settle a matter of honour. When it came time to fire, the Duke deliberately aimed wide and Winchilsea fired into the air. Winchilsea later wrote the Duke a grovelling apology.
The park was designed by Sir James Pennethorne and opened in 1858. Battersea Park hosted the first exhibition of football played under the rules of the recently formed Football Association on 9 January 1864.
the addition of Battersea Fun Fair was introduced in 1951. The fun fair's most spectacular ride, The Big Dipper was closed in 1972 after five children were killed in an accident when one of the cars broke loose and collided with another. The lack of a main attraction led to the decline of the fun fair and its closure in 1974 it is currently the site of the Battersea Evolution formerly known as the Battersea Park Events Arena.
The park is home to a small zoo, sporting facilities including tennis courts, a running track and football pitches; a boating lake, as well as being the site of the London Peace Pagoda which was built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii who was inspired by his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 and In 1947 began constructing Peace Pagodas as shrines to World peace.
The first Peace Pagodas were built as a symbol of peace in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By 2000, 80 Peace Pagodas had been built around the world in Europe, Asia, and the United States. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea_Park)
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