Open Country Installation Team
A Pond Dipping Platform has been installed by the side of the Bog Garden. Funds were donated via a grant from Green Leeds Limited and Open Country installed it.
As the Garden starts to settle and fill up with plants we hope that it will develop its bogginess – Open Country have worked hard during 2017 to try to ensure the right conditions, whilst some of the Friends have worked hard to keep the plants watered during dry periods.
Martyn and Josie met Alan Thornton in the Park today; Alan is the Project Manager for the Leeds “Orchard Project” and was visiting a number of community orchards in the area. Martyn said a number of points were worth recording:
1 Pleased with way the trees are coming on & that we haven’t lost any.
It appears that the pruning was appropriate. Continue reading
Crime in the Park
Pallets burnt near the wooden bench
We are very sorry to report that Criminal behaviour is increasing in the Park especially to do with drugs, arson and general destruction of Park features from gates to trees. The Police have been notified and have been to the Park to look at the issues. To start with patrols by PCSO’s will be increased. The registration numbers of potential drug dealers have been reported for enquiry. All drug related debris is removed by a number of people as soon as it is spotted.
The Bug Hotel in the copse destroyed and the Pallets burnt near the bench.
We are not alone in facing this growing level of crime; Engine Fields in Yeadon is another Friends led green space in Aireborough that suffers from sporadic bouts of criminal damage. Damage that is frequently mended by community orientated local people.
There are also running battles with destruction, often arson, at Guiseley Cricket Club where expensive covers have been destroyed, and other sports and community facilities in Guiseley and Yeadon. Continue reading
Event cancelled as Hilary has unfortunately broken her hip – we wish her the very best for a speedy recovery.
We are very pleased to announce that Hilary Dodson, Chair of the Northern Fruit Group, will be in Parkinson’s Park this Friday, 1st April, to show people how to prune the pear and apple trees we have in the Community Orchard. The trees were planted over a year ago, and now need work to ensure they grow in the best way to produce a strong framework and fruit. Continue reading
Despite a cold spring the flowers are now in full bloom around the park and looking wonderful. Some have already gone over while others are on the cusp of bursting forth, a trait of nature which ensures that plants take advantage of the right conditions. A comment at our recent AGM has prompted me to post about seasonality and natural conditions and the way we are working within this to enhance the natural beauty of the park rather than turn it into a manicured, controlled space such as you would get in most urban towns.
The carpet of bluebells in the woodland area has been wonderful but as the canopy closes over and light reduces, these plants know they’ve had their time. 
Within the areas of open grassland, however, which get full sunlight, plants can continue to thrive much later in the year. The number of wild flowers throughout the park is increasing year on year, largely due to the few but nonetheless effective grass cuts we have managed to organise over the last few years.
Plants have a fantastic ability to wait until the conditions become more suitable to them, remaining in the seedbed below ground, then emerging and taking advantage of the new conditions. So all the species we are now seeing around the park have just been biding their time. Continue reading
Becky Mears and the New Planters
Fancy taking a walk to work, school, or shop, and picking a few fresh, seasonal, runner beans, peas or strawberries on the way? Well, if a new group of enthusiastic volunteers achieves their aim, this idyll will become a reality in 2015. Incredible Edible Aireborough will launch their new civic venture at their ‘Instant Garden Event‘, next Sunday 19th April, at Guiseley Farmers’ Market, with the help of The Station Pub; where the market is held.
Incredible Edible Aireborough have come together under the inspirational leadership of forager Becky Mears, after they heard a talk by the world-famous Incredible Edible Todmorden, at the Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum’s, Aireborough Festival in February 2015. They were so enthused by what IE Todmorden had achieved in getting a whole town growing vegetables in community spaces and having fun with it, that they decided…
View original post 309 more words
A loyal band of local people met in the park on a cold Sunday to help create a community orchard for Guiseley. It was a frosty morning but the sun was shining and soon warmed the ground – and us.
After a quick briefing by Josie about how to give the trees the best start, the volunteers dispersed and began digging.
It was quickly discovered that the ground towards the bottom of the park was incredibly compacted, full of rubble and water logged. So the majority of the trees were planted further up the park above Greenshaw Terrace.
Fifteen trees in total were planted which included 10 apple trees, 3 pears and 2 plum trees. These include Bramley, Red Devil, Lord Derby, James Grieve, Egremont Russet, Ribston Pippin and Discovery apples; Concorde, Conference and Invincible Pears and Jubilee and Laxton’s Plum.
The trees were delivered by a local Leeds nursery on Friday as bare rooted plants so needed to be planted quickly before they Continue reading
Have you noticed that the days are getting slowly but steadily longer? Have you managed to drag yourself out of the house into the muddy, windswept and bitterly cold outdoors long enough to spot the first signs of life such as the intrepid snowdrop? If you have poked your head out from beneath your cosy parka hood long enough you will have been rewarded by the first signs of life around you.
The park may look a little muddy and windswept at first glance with very little to get excited about, but on closer inspection, you will notice that things are beginning to awaken, if you look hard enough.
Snowdrops budding near the sheep fold entrance
It is with the expectation of springtime, daffodils and birdsong, apple pies and butterflies, that I invite you to join the friends as we embark on another project to enhance the little patch of land that we call Parkinson’s park. A popular suggestion by the friends has been the planting of a traditional orchard. Once common, they are now under serious threat and many varieties of fruit are becoming endangered. They are now listed as a Priority Habitat under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. As well as the loss of fruit varieties there is also the wildlife associated with the traditional orchard which needs protecting from funghi and lichen to invertebrates, mammals and birds. Continue reading
Site Ownership Is A Key Issue
Five foot high grass, an ugly clay mound that would not look out-of-place in a mining district, and dog excrement everywhere, is not exactly what the Friends had in mind for the Park in 2014. Since last year we have been trying to get something done about all these issues – and at long last may just be getting somewhere.
Park Ownership
The issue firstly is the ownership of the Park. As is now known, the papers that gave Continue reading
Friends preparing the wildflower and rememberance poppy area.
On Saturday 26th April 2014, seven Friends of Parkinson’s Park came to help dig over and prepare the Wildflower area for planting and poppy-seed sowing – as part of this year’s World War One Centenary.
The area is due to be planted by school children from Oxford Road Pre School Playgroup in the morning and Oxford Road Infants, in the afternoon of Wednesday 30th April. The wildflower seeds have been donated by an organisation called “Grow Wild”, and the poppy seeds donated by The Royal British Legion via Guiseley in Bloom.
It was definitely a case of many hands make light digging, and thanks are extended to Chris Parapia, Barbara Winfield, Richard and Gail Lamb, Sue Jackson, Josie Brooks, and Anne a new member from the Bellway Estate, whom we were very pleased to welcome; along with Daniel, aged 8, who came along to help out later in the day.
The 30th April will see a number of local community groups taking part in poppy-seed planting to mark the start of rememberance of those who between 1914 – 1918 gave up so much to make a stand against tyranny in Europe. Aireborough, will be putting on a number of events over the coming months, and a WW I committee has been formed to co-ordinate activity – more of this in a later post.
Friends of Parkinson's Park CIC 
You must be logged in to post a comment.