Have You a Skill to Offer?
We Still Need a FOGP Facebook Organiser
This Weekend Cherry Tree Planting
Litter Picks Start on 27 March at 10am
Walks Dates for your Diary
Help Brent Council Prevent Illegal Motor Scooters
Gardening Group Feeds the Soil and Roses
Bees Flying: Mason and Early Bumble Bees
Let's Talk Climate: Have your say: Link
Get Ready for Brent in Bloom 2022
JOIN EASY FUNDRAISING Nominate FOGP as your Charity
AMAZON: When buying choose FOGP as your Charity
Memorial Benches. How to buy one
POLICE: New Info for reporting Mopeds in the Park
Would anyone like to contribute?
Have you a skill to contribute to the Friends?
Are you interested in some aspect of the park and could lead a walk/talk? We would love to hear from anyone with an interest in moths for instance.
Have you something you'd like to contribute? As a result of this ad we can thank Cathy Mercer who volunteered to lead a history walk in the park: See below for walks' details
WE STILL NEED A FACEBOOK ORGANISER
Chris, the Friends Facebook page monitor, will be moving to pastures new in the spring and we are looking for her replacement. Is there anyone out there willing to check the page regularly, remove non-park info, deal and forward on requests, link the page to other useful sites etc? email: info@gladstoneparkfriends.org
THIS WEEKEND THE CHERRY TREES ARE BEING PLANTED
The cherry trees, gifted by the Japan British Society to Brent Council, are being planted along the path from the upper children's playground to the cycle track. Poster below:
MONTHLY LITTER PICKS START Sunday 27 March from 10am-12 Meet at the park entrance by Anson Road North ///scuba.going.soup NEXT LITTER PICK: Saturday, 30 April from 10am starting by the walled garden.begin.garden.when ALL WELCOME. Bags and litter picks will be provided. Please wear gloves.
WALKS DATES FOR THE DIARY
SUNDAY, 15 May: 5.30am: Dawn Chorus Bird Walk with Andrew Peel of RSPB
SATURDAY, 21 MAY: 11am: Nature walk with John Wells naturalist, of the Selborne Society
TUESDAY, 7th JUNE: 6.30pm: History and Myths of Gladstone Park with Cathy Mercer, lecturer and tour guide
SATURDAY, 16 JULY: 11am: How to Recognise Tree Species with Bettina Metcalfe, dendrologist
AUGUST: Date to be confirmed: Plant Walk Along the Southern Railway Line Hedge with Helen of Friends of Gladstone Park
BRENT COUNCIL WANT INFO ON ILLEGAL MOTOR SCOOTERS CROSSING THE PARK
Brent Council's Kelly Eaton would like anyone seeing motor scooters illegally crossing the park which have clear signs of the company the rider is working for to inform them by email as below. They will take it up with the companies involved.
Email: brent.parks.services@brent.gov.uk
GLADSTONE GARDENING GROUP NEWS MUSHROOM COMPOST SPREAD IN THE WALLED GARDEN
Hoorah for the GGG who shifted 2.5 tons of rather odorous mushroom compost onto the central perennial beds this week. We had a great turn-out of determined volunteers. Let's hope for a colourful show this summer. Thank you Veolia for providing the compost and especially to Dean who organised its transport to the walled garden, all the wheelbarrows and lightweight spades. It is amazing what can be achieved by teamwork.
PHOTOS: Dean with the tractor, Yvonne spreading compost, the team spreading. FEEDING THE ROSES
Having pruned the roses under the tutelage of Dean of Veolia the GGG also fed them and were fortunate to have a good rain shower afterwards to water the granules into the soil. Photos: Dean with his tractor ready to load the Veolia truck, Yvonne spreading compost and the team doing likewise
BEES FLYING
Keep a look out for mason bees which are hunting out suitable places to lay their eggs. About a dozen of these were busy investigating my insect hotel on a warm day this week. Sadly the Blue Tits found good pickings in the insect hotel last year when they foraged on the bee larvae. We have now put up a wire mesh to protect them!!
The early bumble bee was also busy foraging on my crocuses. It has a orange tail that is slightly striped and two yellow bands, one across the thorax and one across the abdomen.
Photo below of each. The mason bee has almost a coronet of golden hairs around its abdomen.
LET'S TALK CLIMATE: BRENT COUNCIL
Samantha Haines at Brent Council is asking Brent residents to participate as below:
The climate emergency means the way we do things as a council and as a community has to change. We have launched Let’s Talk Climate: waste and green space to ask for your views on what we can do differently and what you expect from us as we work together towards a cleaner, greener Brent.
We are looking for fresh bold ideas. Your feedback could change how waste and recycling is managed, how we keep streets clean and how green spaces are maintained. It will also feed into the delivery of our Climate Strategy and help shape the future of Brent >> Watch this video to learn more, then get involved and start sharing your ideas
THE BRENT IN BLOOM COMPETITION WILL TAKE PLACE AGAIN NEXT YEAR. IT IS GOOD NEWS FOR OWNERS OF FABULOUS FRONT GARDENS, THOSE WHO HAVE WONDERFUL WINDOW BOXES OR COLOURFUL CONTAINERS, BUSINESSES, COMMUNAL GARDENS AND OTHER CATEGORIES SUCH AS SUSTAINABLE GARDENS AND GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
To enter and for more info on the categories: Brent in Bloom
DO PLEASE JOIN EASYFUNDRAISING IT IS SUCH AN EASY WAY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FRIENDS OF GLADSTONE PARK.
For example if you buy anything from John Lewis they donate 2% of the value to the Friends! These donations help the Gladstone Gardening Group to buy tulips, alliums and other bulbs for spring colour and contribute to the perennial beds in the walled garden.
HELP MAKE YOUR PARK EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL BY CONTRIBUTING
RAISE MONEY FOR THE FRIENDS OF GLADSTONE PARK
VIA EASY FUNDRAISING
A huge variety of companies are paying charity donations via the website Easy Fundraising.
Follow the link below and nominate the Friends of Gladstone Park as your charity. Download the app which allows you to see which companies support charities this way when you use your browser. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/panel/ AND VIA AMAZON SMILE https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1180529-0
We will use your funding to encourage the park's wildlife, plant in the walled garden and copse and for projects to enhance the park
MEMORIAL BENCHES: MORE NEEDED AS WE WOULD LIKE SOME ALONG THE NEW CYCLE PATH AND IN THE PEACE GROVE. People like to rest, stare at the sun, comfort their baby or just admire the view when walking the park especially along the new cycle track where there is just one bench at present.
Is there a loved one you would like to remember and think about when visiting the Gladstone Park?
PHOTO: Najma sitting on the bench dedicated to her husband COST: Email: brent.parks.services@brent.gov.uk
or speak to Brent Council on 020 8937 5619
NO MOPEDS PERMITTED TO DRIVE IN THE PARK If you see a moped in the park, photograph it with the number plate visible and take down details of the time and where you saw it. Email your ward SNT as below and the police have agreed to follow this up where there is sufficient evidence.
Mopeds are not allowed to drive through the park and people are not allowed to sleep in the park. If you have information about mopeds, rough sleeping or antisocial behaviour:
Email or Tweet your ward, either Dollis Hill, Dudden Hill or Mapesbury Safer Neighbourhood Team, (SNT), as below.
Do not put yourself at risk by taking photographs of people, but make a note of registration numbers, descriptions, time and location.
Remember that the SNT can only follow up messages when they are on a working shift, so they should not be contacted about urgent issues.
PHONE 999 if the suspect is nearby or if anyone is hurt or in danger. If you see a weapon or drug dealing and the dealer is visible, call 999. If you find a hidden stock of drugs, call 999.
