NEWSLETTER
AUTUMN 2013 ISSUE NUMBER 3
A productive year IT’S well over a year since the ’Friends of Calverley Grounds’ was formed. A lot seems to have happened in that time. Not surprisingly perhaps most of the activity has centred on gardening where enthusiastic Friends and other volunteers have already replanted two beds and participated in the RHS ‘Edible Britain’ initiative. Well done to everyone involved. We have also established good communications with the Council Officers particularly the Parks Team of Peter Every and Sharon Carter. They have regularly worked alongside us in their spare time a great encouragement for us. We are also in regular contact with local Councillors and this helps to keep our park and its challenges and opportunities on the agenda a real need in these times of financial constraints. We have also contributed to the establishment of a formal Management Plan for Calverley Grounds. This document forms the basis of the maintenance and development programmes for the next 3 years. You will hear more about this in future as we try to build a vision for the park for the next 10 years. It sounds like a long time but just think how long it takes for trees to grow and mature! We now get advance notice of events proposed for the Grounds and have the opportunity to comment on them. The next event that we’ll welcome to Calverley Grounds is the 3rd annual appearance of the Ice Rink. This increasingly popular attraction will be with us from 22nd November until the first week in January. I look forward to seeing you on the ice ideally we’ll all be standing up! Jim Kedge, Chairman FoCG
Alex Atkinson answered the call from FoCG on Twitter to design our new logo (above) which has captured the essence of Calverley Grounds. Thank you Alex.
BLOOMING FANTASTIC its first attempt in the RHS In Bloom competition, FoCG is now the proud holder of "an establishing group" certificate. FoCG’s Sue Daniels, Barbara Kedge and Lisa Grant took up the challenge and harnessed the digging power of Friends and locals to help spruce up the Grounds. The activities ranged from renovating the Dowding Memorial bed (below) to distributing seeds and growing vegetables and herb as part of the RHS's Edible Britain campaign. These seedlings were put in planters near the café along with those of Claremont School's own gardening club (see p2). AT
the rockery bed near our noticeboard. New shrubs have been planted to brighten up the area with autumn and spring colour, and homemade cakes and home-grown plants were sold for FoCG funds. On 26 October, as part of the RHS's Wildlife Week, FoCG voluneers will be planting insect friendly bulbs to make a woodland garden in the copse by the Mountfield Gardens entrance. Do come along and help us with the planting the bulbs.
Next year we want to improve our In Bloom performance. That relies on each of you and other local volunteers to build up community involvement It doesn’t stop there. This month which is a large part of the overall volunteers are turning their attention to judging for the competition.