www.hilly.org.uk

A little reminder that the orchard planting will be happening, come rain or shine, tomorrow from 11am….
We also have the big bird watch at the end of the month, with birdspotting and children’s activities.

jan_events_2011

In the deep Midwinter
(Thanks to Laurakh’s photostream)

We are coming to the end of a very busy year. We started our events on a very cold January morning with our second Big Bird Watch. Thanks to Lara at Glendale and Keith our bird champion for arranging this.

Later that day, we had an impressive art exhibition at APT studios displaying the artwork for the new playground gates and lots more besides.

We had a table at the Ladywell Assembly in early February, alongside the Bowls Club, promoting many of the park’s events and trying to find a few more volunteers!

There was great excitement at the beginning of February when the playground contractors started on site and lots more when the playground finally opened at the end of May. Our opening event included story telling by ‘Spoken Word’ and a craft workshop. The park was extra busy as it coincided with the Brockley Max. This was another great occasion with Deco Dance Wickerman coming to mind as a highlight, giving the stone circle a new gravitas.

May saw the tulips bloom in the bowls club, and we were back there again this October planting crocus, hyacinths and tulips. Again, courtesy of the Big Bulb Plant.

The park’s busy social calendar continued with the ever popular Brockley Society’s Summer Fair, Transition Brockley were at hand with details of the new orchard project. The Friends don’t have a stall, because we are too busy enjoying the fair. Frozen ground meant that we had to cancel the orchard planting in early December, but all the apple recipes are prepared and awaiting the new year.

We were honoured by the Bubble Theatre’s presence this Summer with their fantastic production of the Sirens of Titan.

We are lucky to have been included in Lewisham’s People and River Project, and had two fascinating talk and walks with Chris McGraw and Nick Bertrand, covering birdsong and the park’s trees.

Along with the Capital Growth grant for the new orchard, we were awarded a sustainability grant for the playground and will be planning story telling, planting (and maybe weeding) and craft events in the coming year. We also have a grant for new trees, which will tie into a long term Tree and Management Plan that we intend to develop in partnership with the Lewisham Tree section.

Our first event next year will be Orchard Planing on 15th January, followed by the Big Bird Watch on 29th January, so lets hope the weather will be a little kinder.

For all of you looking forward to those well earned apple delights post planting, we are afraid that you will have to wait. We are postponing the orchard planting until next year. Most likely mid January, but we will keep you posted.

The date for the orchard planting has now been moved back to the following weekend. We now have a confirmed start time of 11am, probably until around 2pm.
We will be welcoming all volunteers and Transition Brockley are planning refreshments.

This scheme has been funded by Capital Growth, the campaign to support 2,012 new community food growing places by the year 2012.

http://www.capitalgrowth.org/ http:/

We have had advice from the London Orchard Project, including a visit from a fruit tree expert.

orchard_events_2010

Our next meeting will be this Tuesday, 14th September at 7.30 in the park keepers office. All welcome.

Sept_HFPUG_agenda

Botton’s Family Funfair will be with us again this coming bank holiday weekend, from Saturday 28th until Monday 30th.
They will be on the football field (which is currently having the new cricket wicket prepared) by Hilly Fields Crescent.

We have gained our first Green Flag…well done everyone involved with park.

We are very pleased that the Bubble Theatre will be on tour at Hilly Fields this summer, 11th to 14th August 2010.

http://www.londonbubble.org.uk/see_stuff/sirens_of_titan

Our resident bird champion has kindly arranged the following with Lewisham’s People and Rivers Project. The weather forecast is cloudy but as long as it doesn’t rain, we should be okay for hearing the birds.

birdwalk_2010