Monthly Archives: December 2011

Walking the dog beats going to the Gym

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Dear Reader

Honey the dog never tires of a walk in the park

Did you know that in a recent survey sponsored by leading pet experts Bob Martin, it was discovered that the average dog walker spends more time excercising than the average gym user! If you sum up all the walks in a week you can get between 6 and 8 hours of walking as compared to 1.5 weekly hours of exercise for the average non-dog owning gym user.

As an owner of two energetic dogs this made very pleasant reading although it did make me wonder what they meant by the “average dog walker”. Read on… Continue reading →

Appeal – Can You Remember Way Back When?

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Discussing the sheepfold entrance

At the top of the Park is an area we have called the ‘sheepfold’ entrance (although, in truth, waller Martyn Hornsby-Smith tells us the walls are probably too low for that).  On old maps it looks like a triangular walled area, and some of us old enough to remember, vaguely recall such a structure with a stile, and a seat that looked west.   We don’t know what this area was, and we don’t know exactly how it looked.  The walls have disappeared, and all that remains is the sides of the stile, lying in the path (providing a stand for Bellway’s Simon Uttley in the picture.  Councillor Graham Latty is standing in the gap of the old stile).   So, we are putting out an appeal for anyone who remembers what the area looked like:  do you have a picture, a map, or could you do a rough drawing.  Most of all,  does anyone know what it was used for – was it an animal fold, or maybe a turning circle for carts, or even something to do with the drainage that cross the Park around this point.  As the churn stand, and an interesting set of stone gateposts are also in the area, we’d like to restore this feature,  but need more information to do it properly .

The Sounds of Winter

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Tawny Owl. Panoramio photo by bluearodynamique

While many species are looking for places to bed down for the winter for some it’s a very busy season.  Many species are looking for a mate at this time of year and a key way of doing this is through vocal communication.  Many of them will be very familiar, such as screaming foxes during the night, which can be quite an eerie sound. Their calls let other foxes know their whereabouts and also ward off competition.

“Twit-twoo”

Another common sound at this time of year is the screech of tawny owls.  Despite being a woodland bird, they have adapted to living outside woodland and can be found anywhere there are trees.  This species pair up in the winter and the “twit-twoo” booming out into the dusk Continue reading →

Welcome Mr Toad (and hopefully Mrs Tiggywinkle)!

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Mr Toad Moves Home !!

Although the park is getting a much needed overhaul some local residents may not be quite so pleased with the changes.  I am referring to the users of the park who often go unnoticed, but are, nevertheless, a vital part of the area.  Although not always evident, the fields are used by a wide range of animals, many of which are now looking for their winter resting places.  We have made sure we take this into account,  by factoring it into our management plan and ensuring that when we take something away, we put something back in return; so hopefully no animals will be adversely affected. Continue reading →

Day 5 – Respecting Blackberry Folklore

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Scalloped Bramble Patch on Little Kelcliffe

In a wind, cold enough to slice your ears off; rainbows one minute, and scudding clouds across a ‘Middle-earth’ sky the next, Ady Stokes, from Pudsey Landscaping has been ‘respectfully’ scalloping the bramble patch in the north of the park around the ‘sheep fold’ area.

Blackberries grow on two year old canes, and need to be managed for a good crop of fruit.  The idea is to maintain four areas of bramble patches around the park – Continue reading →

Day 4 – Opening up the views

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View from the farm gate entrance

A beautiful snowy scene greeted Pudsey landscapers this morning.   A light covering had landed overnight but it didn’t stop work.  A visit mid morning revealed quite a change as the removal of the willowherb near the top copse was completed, which has opened up the view from the farm gate access right across to Ilkley moor.  The bramble has also been taken further back from the paths in this area to make them more open and welcoming.  With the completion of an extensive litter pick the park is becoming a much safer place to explore.  Let’s just hope we can keep it that way!

What Are The Plans?

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1956 - A Parkinson's Open Day in the Park. Source: Wharfedale Observer 29/6/1956

What are the plans for the Park?  A fair question, put by Sheila Sykes and Brian Richardson yesterday.   The Friends of Parkinson’s Park (FOPP) want to regenerate the Park as a 21st century asset, to an expanding Guiseley very short on green spaces and good sized gardens.  The Park was originally given for the use of ‘the people of Guiseley’ by F & A Parkinson Ltd in the 1940’s: very possibly because Guiseley Recreation Ground, had been built on after the First World War.  Officially, the land in 2011 is designated public green space: however, it is owned by Bellway.  Bellway, through their 106 agreement, have provided a budget, and contractors for initial phases of regeneration. Continue reading →

Day 3 – Cold and Wet

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Hillside Avenue Entrance - cut back and opened up

Today I wondered along to the Park with a hope of seeing some of the Pudsey Landscapes Operatives in action but my timing was off and there was little sign of them (it was midday!). It was also very cold and very wet with a distinct feel of winter in the air. What was very pleasing to see was that early attention had  been given to making the entrances more accessible and the paths widened. It is very early days and there is so much more to be done but  already there are  small improvements that make walking in the Park a more pleasant experience than it was before. Well done Pudsey Landscapes and keep up the good work.

Day 2 – Great Interest

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Peter and Ken, Pudsey Landscapes

Day 2 of the regeneration; Peter Stell and Ken Newsholme from Pudsey Landscaping,  are hard at work with their strimmers – not quite as picturesque, maybe, as the large scythes that used to be used for such a job !!   The first task is cutting down the clumpy grass,  a feature of land used by ‘many dogs’,  clearing the entrances,  and making the paths wider and more visible, so they don’t turn into muddy tracks with the wetter weather. Continue reading →