FRIENDS OF FRIARWOOD VALLEY GARDENSbtckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site8604/Sep14... · 2014-10-26 · Colin White (Chair) 795074 Liz Clayden (Vice Chair) 791256 Viv Hinde (Treasurer)

FRIENDS OF FRIARWOOD VALLEY GARDENS

Our aim: the enhancement of

Friarwood Valley Gardens and the

preservation of its heritage

NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2014

Contact: Colin White (Chair) 795074 Liz Clayden (Vice Chair) 791256 Viv Hinde (Treasurer) 795078 Maria Dransfield (Secretary) 703747

Report anti-social behaviour and vandalism to the Police. Crime being committed ring 999

To report vandalism ring 101 and mention on-going Valley Gardens incident (postcode WF8 2RP) occurrence number

13130056209. This will ensure that incidents are recorded in the Police

Valley Gardens’ incident log. www.friendsfriarwoodvalleygardens.btck.co.uk

1

Playground grant success

We have received the good news that our application for a grant from WREN for the children’s playground has been successful. We can now start planning to have the playground installed next spring among the trees between the bowling green and Rose Garden. Wakefield Council will also be contributing funds to supplement the WREN grant and Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens is expected to find some money. Our fund raising efforts for the playground are therefore continuing.

Rose Garden Project Progresses

From this… …to this, with hard work

With the help of Priory Roses (Hillam) and individual sponsors we have replanted 7 of the 32 rose beds and have sponsors for another 5. Sponsorship is invited: £100 will replant a bed with a rose of the sponsor’s choosing and each bed will be labelled with the sponsor’s name and rose variety. To celebrate 800 years since Magna Carta in 2015 we intend to plant at least one rose bed this coming winter with an appropriate rose variety to flower in June 2015 for the Magna Carta anniversary. You can sponsor a Magna Carta rose for £2. Volunteer gardening sessions are held twice each month, concentrating on preparing the rose beds for re-planting. Sessions are 2 – 4pm: Saturday 20th September, Saturday 11th and Tuesday 21st October. Thank you to all our hard working gardening volunteers.

2

Our Litter-Picking Dog Walkers

Summer Celebrations

Thank you Dorothy and Eileen Dorothy Horner and Eileen Emmerson visit Valley Gardens every morning at 8am with their dogs and clear up the litter. They also let us know about any unwelcome activity that has happened overnight.

Liquorice Festival and Yorkshire Day in Valley Gardens were a great success and the weather was reasonably good, although Yorkshire Day was cut short in the afternoon by heavy rain. Unfortunately, the “Picnic in Valley Gardens” planned for 10th August for the Pontefract Grand Prix had to be cancelled because of heavy rain.

Future events for 2014 The Lantern Festival is happening again on Saturday 18th October organised by Pontefract Lioness Club. Look out for the lantern workshops starting soon and get your lantern made for the procession which starts at Pontefract Castle at 6pm, parade leaves at 7pm, arriving in Valley Gardens about 7.30pm We are planning a Christmas event, with carols, in Valley Gardens: 6.30pm on Saturday 20th December. More details later.

3

Disgraceful state of the paths – “A stitch in time…”

…and vandalism continues to be a problem

The paths around Valley Gardens have been in need of repair for some years and we have been noticing a gradual deterioration. The recent heavy rain bursts have caused significant additional erosion and some of the paths are now a health and safety risk. We have notified Wakefield Council to take action.

Some of the recent damage that has happened during summer evenings. These pictures demonstrate that vandals tend to target features which look neglected and already have some damage – “nobody’s bothered”. But by improving Valley Gardens and showing that the community does care we are confident that vandalism will decrease. Restoring the aviary, repairing paths and renovating the old benches are important in giving an overall good impression.