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Parklife -Issue Number 55
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Inside Your Newsletter:
This is the first newsletter in a while due to family and work commitments. Hopefully getting back to normal soon.
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Gilbert Clark, 1923-2020. An Example to us all.
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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of one of our founding and most active Friends. Gilbert Clark was genuinely one of a kind. When Tom Anderson, the Janitor at the then Burdiehouse and Southhouse Community Centre had an idea back in the 1980s to start up a group to help look after the then parkland at Burdiehouse, the first person to join in and support him was Gilbert Clark. Already a prominent local activist and heavily involved in the Community Centre Management Committee - and in many other community activities, Gilbert immediately became one of the hardest working and most passionate supporters of what has now become Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park Local Nature Reserve (to give BBVP it's posh Sunday name). At that time the park was a haven for anti-social behaviour rather than wildlife, was widely considered not much more than a dog toilet and there were often abandoned cars (often burnt out) dumped there weekly.
Tom and Gilbert were a dynamic duo who created the Better Burdiehouse Burn Initiative, which was the forerunner of the Friends of Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park. The group organised regular clean ups and improvements to the park. One activity day involved the recruitment of a chain saw sculptor who created a range of wooden artworks for the park. The most prominent of these was the 'Burdiehouse Giraffe' which stood proudly on the hill at Southhouse Crescent facing down on to the dip. It is still remembered fondly to this day by many residents.
Gilbert became a leading light in the South Edinburgh Partnership, which alongside the council was persuaded to invest the best part of £1million in park improvements including new fencing, pathways, signage and new seating areas. Of course there was also massive tree planting and seemingly endless clean ups over the years. Gilbert always seemed to be at the forefront of activities, and indeed when the Friends group was established in 2007 Gilbert immediately became a core member of the group. He was there from the start, always active and always helping improve the park for the local community. He was unquestionably one of the most active members of the Friends group. In fact, he was probably one of the most active members of any Friends group.
Gilbert was also famously and fabulously rude at times, but it was always well humoured and well intentioned. He could puncture pomposity in an instant. At one Friends committee meeting he asked whether the speaker for the forthcoming AGM was a volunteer or a professional. 'A volunteer', replied Bruce Bennet the Secretary, 'Why do you ask?' 'Ah well, if it's a volunteer I shall have to be polite shant I', came the response with an accompanying twinkle in Gilbert's eye.
At the start of one session in Burdiehouse clearing path edges our chair arrived and could tell there was a bit of an atmosphere. He quickly found out why when he got the 'hair dryer' treatment from Gilbert because the turf cleared previously from the edges of the path hadn't been cleared away properly.
Some did wonder if he had given advice to Alex Ferguson, who was surely no more formidable than our Gilbert. The chair took his medicine well and (most importantly) that mistake was never repeated. Gilbert was always there to ensure that sloppy work was spotted and tackled, and all his complaints were received in the good faith with which they were given. He complained because he cared. He made others care too.
Gilbert always seemed to be at every activity, though he was busy and often double booked. He would sometimes turn up, help and then head off to help out at another event or activity. He famously did so on his birthday. He had an amazingly busy life as a leading light in the Federation of Edinburgh and District Allotments and Gardens Association - he was the oldest plot holder in the city and his allotment was obviously a great love. He was immensely active in his Church too, and often brought both activities together by selling his allotment produce for charity. Such was the nature of the man. He was committed to doing good for his community and to helping individuals in every way he could.
Gilbert enriched our lives and all our lives were better for knowing him. Of course we will all be sad that he's gone, but we can treasure the fact that he lived such a long, happy and fulfilling life. A life which should be a lesson to us all. Stay active and you can live much longer and have a lot of fun. Our sympathy goes to Gilbert Junior - whom we are guessing can't be that junior, and to the rest of the family. They can know that he was loved by so many others every bit as much as he was loved by them. We will find a way to commemorate his contribution to the park and to the local community, and we'll share the funeral details when we have them.
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This Month's Activity - Pathway Improvements at Ellen's Glen - This Saturday
Meet at the Car Park, 10 am, Gilmerton Road entrance, junction of Gilmerton and Ellen’s Road
This Saturday we are carrying out pathway improvements in Ellen's Glen. There are a number of areas where the pathways are worn and muddy, so we're looking to put down some additional hardcore and help make the park much easier for people to access, especially in the winter months. As ever, we will have litter picking equipment available for anyone looking for some lighter work, but there will be a range of work for all abilities.
February Activity, 8th February at 10am - Willow Weaving at Burdiehouse
Meet at the Pathway down from Southhouse Crescent (don't worry we'll issue a photo with the reminder next month)
This will be our first session of willow weaving in Burdiehouse without Gilbert, which is sad but it's a reminder of just how much good has been done over the years. Willow Weaving restores the edge of the burn to protect and keep the the pathways open. We've probably done tens of thousands of pounds of work over the years which has saved a small fortune as well as saving the pathways.
March Activity, 14th March, Meeting at the Bothy - Pathway Improvements for the Gilmerton Dykes Avenue Entrance
Last year we upgraded and cleared the steps down from the Bothy making them easier for everyone to navigate, so this year we're doing the steps and path on the other side of the burn. This will make the entrance much more attractive and easier for local residents to use.
April Activity - Big Spring Clean
This year we are again having our Big Spring Clean. It will be a tough task to better last year's amazing success, but we'll give it a go. Also, we're hoping to help out our sister park St Katharine's Park at Gracemount, which is pushing for Green Flag status this year. We're amazed it doesn't already have a Green Flag, but everyone's confident that can be remedied this year. Details to follow.
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Our New Mural - Thank You to All Involved - Especially Jessica
Some amazing work has been carried out by one our best supporters, Jessica Moregado. Jessica obviously works for the council, but she's also a great volunteer in the park in her spare time too. Having come up weith the suggestiuon of a new Mural for under the bridge at Gilmeton Dykes Street, she led on the fundraising and on carrying out the work. The work took place in the autumn with help from a wide range of people, including some local kids. Local artist Kate George did a great job reflecting the landscape and wildlife in the artwork.
Many thanks to all involved for a job very well done. That's Phase 1, and we look forward to getting stuck into Phase 2 on the side beside the path. What was a graffiti blackspot has been transformed. Just brilliant.
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Help Fund the Bothy
We're still findraising for the restoration of the Bothy. If you can help at all, please make a donation through the MyPark Scotland website - see link below. Because we've been the first project through the Community Asset Transfer process in Edinburgh we have been hit with unexpectedly high legal bills - basically double what we were advised.
Whether it's a little or a lot, any donations will be warmly received.
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Wildlife Corner - Double Feature
1. Thank You Lukasz Michal Pulawski for Some Amazing Pictures
We don't actually know who Lukasz is, we just found these pictures on the 'Internet Bird Collection' and they're awesome. There are 507 pictures of no less than 54 different species of birds in the park. These are superb pictures in their own right, but they're also an excellent record of birdlife in the park. Who knew there were so many bird species on our doorstep - apart from Lukasz obviously. We've currently only got a record of 44 bird species in our database at the moment, so we're updating this with a host of new records.
As well as saying thank you here we'd like to thank Lukasz personally, so if you know him at all please encourage him to get in touch through Facebook or our website. Check out the website for these wonderful pictures and many more.
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2. Thank You Hilde Nelson and Peter Macauley - At Last, Otters Unveiled
A local resident posted footage of an Otter moving through the burn at the back of Ellen's Glen. We all know they visit regularly, and Otters were one of the principal reasons why the park was designated a nature reserve back in 2007. They were rare back then but are now pretty much all over Edinburgh's waterways. It's a good news story for nature. However, despite lots of evidence they've been in the park and a sighting by one of our committee members, we've never had photographic evidence of Otters actually in the park. So a big thank you to Hilde Nelson and Peter Macauley for sharing the wonderful footage captured whilst walking their dog at the back of Ellen's Glen. A bottle of Chateuneuf Du Pape is being despatched to say thank you for letting us see such a rare and wonderful sight. Check it out on Facebook.
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2019 - Another Amazing Year
There's no room for 'War and Peace', but just to summarise in 2019 we:
- Secured the ownership of The Bothy - Edinburgh's first Community Asset Transfer using the new legislation
- Had our biggest ever clean up - 'The Big Spring Clean'
- Secured a feasibility study on the 'Pentlands to Porty Pathway, to create a new pathway for walking and cycling along the line of the burn
- Delivered the new mural under the bridge at Gilmerton Dykes Street
- Ran our first 'Doors Open Day' event successfully - thanks to Mandy and Fran
- Held an array of great walks including bird and geology walks
- Weaved copious Willow and repaired paths and stairways
- Had a great AGM and speaker from Gilmerton Cove
- Issued our 50th Parklife Newsletter
- Had lots of fun
Big thanks to all our volunteers and to our supporters out in the community. Here's to an amazing 2020.
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Report it! Now the Park is cleaner, let's all help keep it that way.
As our Park Assessment shows the park is getting better and cleaner. Let's all try and keep it that way by reporting problems. Just use the links below.
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Contact the Friends Team or the Natural Heritage Service - Use the Buttons Below
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