Alert Dog (on steps)
Well done to Pudsey Landscapes for some much better steps. These should take the widest feet now, and hopefully alleviate slipping. Congratulations, as well to Mr Oxley’s team at Leeds Council, for a much improved path from Hillside.
Thank you also, to the gentleman who took this photograph of the steps for me; saving a walk around into the field. I know I suggested you take a picture of your ‘dog’, but I was quite surprised to find myself on the photo as well !!!
Well the snow came down and stayed for quite some time and many photographs were taken. Just a few of them have made their way onto our gallery so please take a look if you want a reminder of what the park is like in snow.
Where there's muck, there's ...................
The Hillside steps have been closed temporarily whilst anti-slip paint is put on them, and the top steps are widened slightly. Chris Gaunt asked if this could be done, as, with the mud and snow it might be a worthwhile precaution against slipping. The steps will be open again, as soon as this is done. Bellway are also looking at widening and laying a more sturdy path from the steps into the Park, as the current small, narrow, track gets very muddy and slippery.
We hope these changes will make the Park more pleasurable to use, and open access to more people.
Our thanks to Mr Oxley’s team at the council for improving the path down to Hillside from the steps; a much better job than the first attempt.
Goldcrest - (source John Smith, Halstead & District Photographic Society)
Bird life in the Park this January has been quiet, although there are still a few birds about, including some winter visitors from Scandinavia and Russia. The commonest of these visitors is the redwing (turdus iliacus), which can be seen in the Park occasionally; most obviously at night on migration south, when its “stuuf” piping call can be clearly heard.
The second ‘visitor’ is the fieldfare (turdus pilaris) a slightly larger member of the thrush family which has a blueish plumage, in comparison to our resident mistle thrushes Continue reading
Sledges at the top of 'suicide hill'.
With perfect timing the snow arrived in time for a snug evening watching England win the Calcutta Cup, followed by a Sunday morning of fun sledging in the park; a ‘choice’ weekend for some !! At midday, Great Brow slopes were at their slippery best, and people gathered from near and far – some borrowing children to ‘legitimately’ take part in the fun.
The Park has always been popular in the snow, but over the years the location of the sledging slope has changed. In the 1950’s, it was mainly on Clapper Brow (the other side of the park to today’s fun) with the younger children sledging down the gentle path towards the wood; only the big boys went on ‘suicide hill’ (the very steep hill, now with the Bellway fence
Waiting for a clear run on Great Brow
at the bottom) or the ‘snowdrop run’ on Great Brow. Clapper Brow was still the popular place to go in the 1980’s, with the long run at the bottom towards the bowling green, making it a good ride. Now, however, with fences and trees having sprung up, the main hive of activity is the steep slope of Great Brow, with a few intrepid children still trying their luck on ‘suicide hill’ – although with the fence at the bottom it really is a case of being very careful.
If you have any good photographs of today’s fun, do let us know and we’ll put them in the picture gallery.
Where there's muck, there's ...................
The list of people who have said they would like to be Friends of Parkinsons Park is growing, and it is wonderful to know that there are so many people interested in the future of the Park: be that from an historical, recreational or environmental aspect.
The regeneration of the Park and it’s subsequent development has an important role to play in the health and wellbeing of the community. Yesterday, the Government published it’s Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-2016: the objective of which is to improve healthy life expectancy overall, and address regional differences. This is to be done through the improvement of a Continue reading
Friends of Parkinson's Park CIC 
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