The St Oswald’s Christmas Tree Festival is now on Monday -Saturday, 10am – 5pm throughout December. There are displays of trees decorated by local schools, uniformed groups, voluntary organizations and businesses.
Friend’s of Parkinson’s Park have added to the collection with our Christmas display of The Garden of Eden – and yes, there is an Adam and Eve together with a snake.
The whole festival creates a lovely atmosphere in the church for the Advent and Christmas season, with some very creative decorations.
Thanks go to everyone who provided items for FOPPs tree, we are pleased to be able to support this event.
PS If you’d like one of the last copies of the Guiseley Jubilee Oak there are some available in St Oswalds.
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The stars and snowflakes in memory of your loved ones (human or pets) are up again this year at the small Kelcliffe Lane entrance . New ones have joined old ones from previous years – although a few older ones are now too weather worn and have had to be discarded.
They look lovely ‘twinkling’ in the snow as they hang from the branches of the old hawthorn trees. They will be lit by ‘fairy lights’ just before dusk
If you’d like to have one added please email Joanne Brooks at parkinsonspark@gmail.com before 10th December.
Cold but Beautiful
The cold weather has made the Park look picturesque which has brought out the photographers – here are a selection that have been pasted on Facebook by Matt Barker, Liakat Ali Parapia, and Jennifer Kirkby.
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Christmas Lights Market – We kick off our seasonal celebrations at the Guiseley Light Switch On, 26th November, 2- 6pm. Come and say hello at our stall; we’ll have the popular roll-a-car, a children’s bran tub, copies of the Guiseley Jubilee Oak Story, and leaflets on the Alternative Lantern Parade 2023 and Christmas Bauble Trail. Please bring cash.
Christmas Tree Festival – For the start of Advent, we’ll be adding a tree to the St Oswald’s Christmas Tree Festival which will open on the First Sunday in Advent, 3rd December. There will be a host of innovatively decorated trees from a range of organizations across the Parish which makes a splendid sight as the days grow darker.
Park Christmas Lights and Bauble Trail – The start of Advent sees the Park Christmas Light Trail back by popular demand. Visit a variety of locations to find a letter at each that makes up a Christmassy word. Trail leaflet here. Each location will have been dressed for Christmas by a different team. This includes the memory corner, where stars and snowflakes blow in the breeze, each one a memory of a loved one or pet. If you’d like to dedicate a decoration contact Joanna Brooks on parkinsonspark@gmail.com
Advent Tree – At the same time, hang an Advent bauble on the celebration tree to build up the decorations over the period until we we reach Christmas Day. Red and gold are the best colours as they light up the Park as the dying sun sends its rays across the landscape.
Lantern Parade – Finally, the Lantern Parade on 17th December will be changing formats this year. More details here. We are again recruiting local people for drummers an activity much enjoyed by those who take part. If you’d like to volunteer contact Chris Parapia on parkinsonspark@gmail.com. No experience necessary, just enthusiasm.
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After 10 years, the FOPP Lantern Parade on Sunday 17th December will be different this year; however, with your enthusiastic input, just as enjoyable we hope. The time has come when Leeds City Council think we need professional traffic management for the Friends parade down from the Park. That has not been possible to arrange this year, so there will be no community parade from the Park. Instead, here is
4.10pm
Gather atGuiseley Town Cross. We envisage people walking from their homes as dusk falls with a lit lantern to gather together at the heart of Old Guiseley. Music from Guiseley Brass Band, Mince Pies, collect a Carol Sheet.
4.20pm
Be there to see the arrival of the Guiseley Lanterns as darkness falls. Listen out for the drumming as they get closer.
4.30pm
Start of carol singing by lantern light with Guiseley Brass Band
4.50pm
Finale, with children singing Jingle Bells on the steps . If you have them bring bells to jingle
Festive dress is encouraged to make the event more special; dig out your Santa hats, antlers, and Christmas jumpers.
Let’s Make This Special
We would ask, as always, that children are accompanied by adults. And if the weather is pouring down, as has been its habit since July, we will cancel the event, so watch out on the day on our Facebook page. Parkinson’s Park.
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The start of Advent sees the Park Christmas Light Trail back by popular demand. On a day and time of your choosing, visit a variety of locations in the Park to find a letter at each that makes up a Christmassy word. Trail leaflet here.
Each location will have been dressed for Christmas by a different team of local people.
Meanwhile add your own Bauble to the Advent Tree from 1st December to build up the decorations over the period until we we reach Christmas Day. Red and gold are the best colours as they light up the Park as the dying sun sends its rays across the landscape.
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Crooklands Orchard has been the focus of events this October
Apple Juicing
How lucky were we with the weather this afternoon? It’s been a golden, autumn Sunday, and nothing better than having a good natter as we worked in a team to wash, chop, scratt and press the apple juice from local apples. It can now all be frozen for winter culinary use.
So that’s a wrap for this year’s apple harvest – we start again in deepest winter with a wassail, followed by tree pruning to ensure a good crop in 2024.
Thanks go to Vivien Hornsby Smith, Barbara Winfield, Susan Wright, Marguerite Clatworthy and husband, Peter Kirkby and Martyn Hornsby Smith.
Art In The Park
A lovely time was had by all the budding artists who attended the Art in the Park event in early October. It was held in the Orchard as there are a variety of views from that location. You can see some of the pictures produced in the photographs below.
Looking at the weather tomorrow afternoon it should be dry at least. However, after all the rain and drizzle the Park is becoming a mud bath, and not safe for us to use one area intensively as the mud will become slippy. We cannot really mitigate this on a risk assessment, especially when we are dealing with a consumable product.
So, we are going to set up the apple juicer at the end of the drive of the house on Kelcliffe Lane, where, it meets Oxford Avenue and the Sycamores. You will see us there.
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GATHER UP YOUR GARDEN APPLES AND COME ALONG TO OUR APPLE JUICING DAY JUST INSIDE THE FARM GATE OFF KELCLIFFE LANE
CHANGE OF VENUE TO PLEASE SEE POST FROM 28 OCTOBER ABOVE.
Apple Juicing Day 2022
Every year FOPP hires the apple juicing kit from Urban Harvest for local people to make use of all those unwanted apple crops that would otherwise go to waste.
This year there has been a mixed crop; some trees have done well but a lot haven’t. However, if you have some apples you’d like to make juice from bring them along to our community apple juicing day. The juice can be kept in a fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for use during winter.
All apples will be mixed together to create a blend and the juice shared out – bring a plastic container if you’d like some. It would be helpful if you can wash the apples before your bring them. Please don’t bring any apples that have blight, insect holes or are beginning to rot.
There are still apples around the Park to gather up. So we’ll be sending out foragers to gather those.
If it has rained make sure you have sturdy footwear, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Clean hands are also vital.
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Weather looking good; here’s the timetable for this afternoon’s events. There will also be refreshments and lots of stalls. Have a go on our fairground games fun for all the family and we have some great raffle and tombola prizes.
Please bring cash.
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The Queen’s Jubilee Plaque that was stolen last Christmas has now been refurbished and returned to its place under the Jubilee Tree which is part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. We’d like to thank everyone who helped in it’s return and repair.
We’d also like to thank Phil Todd, Gavin Birkett and the Honey Badgers Explorer Scout Unit (ESU) for creating a tree pit around the Jubilee Tree in July. And also to Phil Todd and Roger Garnett for putting the plaque back in place. Fingers cross there are no more Jubilee Tree happenings !
New Bug Hotel
Another casualty of vandalism was the old bug hotel, which had been made by the local cubs. However, we are very pleased that Year 4 from Guiseley Primary School helped us create a lovely new one in July. The hotel is in the top copse which was cleared and tidied. Then it was built using waste wood and pallets, the children then filled it with a variety of bricks, pipes, wood and cones – donated and collected by various people.
Atop the new hotel is a shiny new name plate. We hope the bugs enjoy using it
Children’s Gala 2023
We are pleased to announce this year’s Children’s Gala on 3rd September, the theme is Superheroes.
Heritage Open Day
FoPP will be taking part in Heritage Open Days this year with a talk and film on the social life of Crompton Prakinson’s on 8th September, 2pm in St Oswald’s Church, where there will also be a display of Crompton’s memorabilia. Details here.
Frank Parkinson, known as Britain’s shyest millionaire in the 1930’s, together with brother Albert, ran a family business in Guiseley that was also a highly renown international company. Their staff were at the heart of this successful company, and the brothers ensured that there was a full programme of social activities.
The event involves an introduction to the Parkinson brothers and their legacy by Jennifer Kirkby of Friends of Parkinson’s Park, followed by a film made by ex Crompton employee David Myers, ‘MEMORIES OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT CROMPTON PARKINSON’S GUISELEY FACTORY‘ as remembered by staff. It features the Children’s Gala, Horticultural Show, Annual Events and the legacy of the Parkinson brothers which continues into 2023.
St Oswald’s will also be running an open day on 9th September. Details here.
Friends of Parkinson's Park CIC 
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