The path between the Park Road Gates and the steps leading to the reedbed lookout has become muddy each winter in recent years. First encroaching grass and overhanging vegetation needed to be cleared. Then a layer of fine black limestone was spread over the path surface.
The limestone was then compacted to complete the job – a good morning’s work for the combined team of Friends’ volunteers and Council staff.
This year’s Mayor of Chorley – Cllr. Alistair Morwood – chose to ask the Friends of Astley Park to lead a guided walk around the Park as part of his charity fundraising. Pictured below is the Mayor holding up a representation of the Sun as part of a demonstration of how Transits of Venus occur. This is when that planet passes in front of the Sun when seen from Earth. These have a particular local significance – use link https://friendsofastleypark.com/history-and-discovery/jeremiah-horrocks-and-the-transits-of-venus/
The walkers were guided around the Park following the Astley Park Trail – use link https://friendsofastleypark.com/history-and-discovery/the-astley-park-trail/
Below Friends Vice-Chair Julian Jackson, is explaining the existence of a milking parlour remnant, dating from the time the Park annually hosted the Royal Lancashire Show – between 1987 and 2002. This was just one of many historical facts about the Park imparted on the day.
Our annual quiz night is happening on Friday 10th October at St Mary’s Parish Centre, off Devonshire Road, Chorley PR7 2BY. It starts at 7.30pm prompt and is open to non-members as well as signed-up Friends; you will be invited to form or join a team.
As this year marks our 20th anniversary tickets are free to Friends members and £9.00 for all others attending, the price includes a hot pot supper. Visitors can pay on the night, but you will need to pre-book by contacting Keith Woan on 01257 278759 or via email – k.woan192@btinternet.com
Plants that were used in the Friends’ Community Garden display and those left over from our Show stall will be available for donations in the Coach House courtyard this coming Saturday 9th August from 9:30am. A selection of the plants is shown below.
The dry weather over the Flower Show weekend brought out many visitors to Astley Park. Both our exhibits – the Community Garden and the stall were busy with people keen to find out what we do and support us. Many were rightly impressed by the original painting produced and very kindly donated to be raffled for our funds by our member Sandra Sugden. Below is a reminder of it.
The draw for the raffle was made in the presentation tent at around 3.30pm on the Show Sunday by celebratory florist and gardener Jonathan Moseley. The winning lead ticket of the raffle strip is displayed below. It belonged to a Steve Hodgson of Chorley.
For the second year running, the Friends Community Garden at the Chorley Flower Show has won a GOLD award. Credit goes to our member Jan Sanderson for the design and to our volunteers Connie & David Joyce and Steve Hodson for assisting in the build work.
The judges were impressed with the garden design and thanked the group for contributing to this section of the Show. It is pictured below.
We also had a good day today on the Stand, with the plants for donations and raffle tickets for the painting both being very popular. Thanks again to our volunteers who are staffing the Stand over the Flower Show Weekend.
Yes, it’s coming towards the end of July, so it is again time for the Chorley Flower Show. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Show and 2025 is 20 years since the formation of the Friends of Astley Park. This year as last year we have both a stall and a community garden. Again, as previously our member Sandra Sugden has very kindly donated a painting (shown below) she has produced so it can be raffled.
Currently in the days before the Show opens our volunteers are building our community garden (pictured below). The garden has been designed by our member Jan Sanderson; it is a miniature representation of the Park featuring projects achieved by the Friends during the 2010s decade.
Why not come along and view our exhibits, meet our volunteers and discover more about what we do, perhaps even become a member? The Show runs from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July, open from 10am until 5pm. Visit https://chorleyflowershow.com/ to learn more about visiting.
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!
Friends of Astley Park 