Month: June 2025

A flower bed in front of the Hall has been planted by our members to mark twenty years of the Friends. Using 130 perennial and annual plants given by the Council, the bed was recently planted by Jan Sanderson, David Joyce and David Francis to a design produced by Jan.

The flower bed will continue to be maintained by our members in future years. The significance of the bed is marked by a full colour plaque designed by Friend’s volunteer Sue Jackson and is displayed on a timber stand constructed by member Steve Hodgson.

Yes, that pretty pink flowering alien species – Himalayan Balsam – is again growing vigorously in Astley Park, crowding out the native plants. Friends’ volunteers are on the case to remove it, but we need help to tackle the problem of the balsam spreading even further. This year we have a new group of people assisting us who are up to the challenge; to whom we are very grateful. Locally based refugees and asylum seekers from across Africa and Asia, are joining our members on our Saturday morning work parties.

They are part of a group of people being taught English for Speakers of Other Languages, by Aleksandra (Ola) Piękniewska. Ola is employed by Beam, a national social enterprise that provides support for a wide range of disadvantaged people in association with local and central government and the NHS.

If you think you can help us with balsam clearance, you are welcome to join us on Saturday mornings over the next few weeks. We meet in the Coach House/Café Ambio courtyard at 9:30am. You are advised to wear thick gloves, stout footwear, long trousers and a long-sleeved top.

Friends’ volunteers were again working on the timber balustrades of footbridges in Great Wood recently. These ones needed a great deal of preparatory work. Not just cleaning off years of accumulated algae and grime but also removing inappropriate white primer before they could be properly stained. See below for the before, during and after pictures. What a transformation!