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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Opening Event Count Down

 

The main talking point this week is the wardens with the Chronicle and the Guardian carrying the story. We are still down to one warden and this week even security suffered when a young 8 year old child smashed his window in his car. His father just hung up when he was approached on paying for the damage.

The events and details for the opening event have been released as follows

Queens Park Crewe, Programme in Brief-
Complementary Heritage programmes on all week also at the Lyceum Theatre Crewe.
Procession Will wind its way from the Cheshire East Council's Pyms Lane Depot, opposite Bentley Motors at
2.30pm
Procession includes 10 x local Crewe Primary Schools, who's pupils wltl be in fancy
dress, from:
Oakefield.
Pebble Brook.
Briertey Street.
Saint Thomas Moore.
Beech wood.
Vinetree.
Ruskin Road.
Hungerford,
Edteston Road
Sir Thomas Stanier Schools
-   Arranged via workshops in schools with community works Maggie Boone and
Plus. Bands.
Street Theatre, Community Groups. Vehicles. Rose Queens. Cadets...
Entering into Queens Park echoing the procession of 100* years past, with the kind support of the Cheshire Fire Services..
Judges - Councillors: Roy Cartlidge - Crewe Mayor Michelle Sherratt Peter Nurse
Friends - Derek Morgan- Chair Ray Stafford (ex Clr)


Large Marquee
Reaseheath College, Nantwich
Are joining forces with the Crewe and Nantwich Allotment and Horticulture Association
Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Presents...
Discover Newts and pond creatures Hunt for minibeasts and investigate moths Make a wildlife kite and fly it in the park Have your face painted with a wild animal design Make a bat hat and much more...
'Old' Bandstand
The first Band to perform on the newly refurbished beautiful Bandstand is our very own Crewe band - The Crewe Concert Band
(3.30?) 4pm - 5.00pm
The Crewe Concert Band (formerly Crewe West End Concert Band). Organised by Rev Peter Powell on 01270 560919.
5.30pm - 9.00pm
Featuring x 4 / 5 Electronic Bands
On Site...
MAIN ARENA FROM 3.3Qpm - 7.05pm with "the CAT fm"
Welcome from Leader of the Council (& Crewe Mayor?).
Programme:
Birds of Prey
Crewe Railroaders
Wingate House
Shavington Village Fest Cttee
Fire Cadets
Laurel & Hardy
Daylight Fireworks...
"Rashacklicious" -Theatre on the move!!!!
Edible flowers • demo_
Seed Sewing_
Seed identity's_
Hanging basket demo_
Paul Lewis - Symbio - James
Grundy_
Vegetable plot_
Flower identity's      _
Flonstry children's activity
Haurel & Lardy
Sport Development - activities arxj "Nordic Walking"
Youth Development with Abzofbed Entertainment presentmg
Face Painters - Henna Tattoo Artist - Arts and Crafts activity table (Victorian theme)
Circus Sk*$ equipment - Space Hoppers - Chedren s entertamer
Crewe LAP (Local Area PartnersrHp)
Fire Services with a Vintage appliance and brand new tire engine Queens Park Bowling Club - Bowling competition on Crown Green R.N.L.I.
Join in the FREE (amity 1km ' WALK ' PUSH ¦ SCOOT ' from 3 30pm onwards
The Heritage Centre with a beautiful miniature STEAM engine.
Other;
Giant /or hs rides and attractions, children's activity comer, funfair, on site until Monday.
StarQuest f m.ili-7.30pm StarQuest
7 15 Gabereliie Smith
allow 10 mm spots 5 mm turnaround
7 30 Clover Irish Dancers
Pauline McMullin & Hayley
7 45 Bramall
8 00 Jack Grey
8 25 Louise Green
8 30 Sharmane Smith
845  ANNOUNCE WINNERS
Juooes - CoonaKofs
Roy Cartlidge - Crewe Mayor
Mo Grant
Michelie Sherraif
Dorothy Flude
Friends - Derek Morgan
CN Lons - President (sponsor) - EHa Gruseto
3
9om SPECTACULAR PYROTECHNIC SHOW
7 30pm Pre Event
With fire pots and a small collections of water lily lanterns floating on the lake together with two large-scale lantern swans aim  to create a genee tableau to be viewed by you the audience 9pm Finale
Watch m wonder as statues become alive      a programme not seen in Crewe before
St Johns first Aid on Site at  the Gatehouse Lodge

Wildlife

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This week saw the arrival of 2 white ducks its believed that someone came with them in a cage and released them shortly after only was was seen.

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Another dragon fly sunning him self by the lake

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The Barnacle Goose is back again and its still a rare site this far south at this time of the year.

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The Heron has been back but this time he brought a friend so we have had two on site most days this week.

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The hot weather means the weed in the lake is getting worse and the East end is green all over.

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The clock tower has now been completed after they had to come back and point it. ITs looking very clean and new and the summer bedding is look very good.

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In the same area the banking by the main road has been cleaned and levelled this week

Monday, August 22, 2011

New Path

A quiet week at the park as its been closed from Tuesday to Friday for the new path. It should have been close don Monday but it was opened by mistake. On opening the toilets they were found to be totally destroyed by Yobs who had broke in via the window. Another reason why we need Wardens if the park isnt to be wrecked.

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The new path from Tipkinder to the cafe now completed

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The Heron was back again this week and unusual it was close to the ducks as they normally send it on its way

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Step Back in Time

The Queens Park will be closed from the 15th to the 19th approx. while resurfacing work is done on the main path.

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The Park seems to be in a time warp last week the clock tower was clear of scaffolding but this week its back again just like stepping back in time. It has to be repointed.

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Along with the clock Elaine was stepping back in time getting ready for the grand opening which is a step back in time with everyone dressed in Victorian costumes if you are a group and havent signed up yet be sure to get your names down.

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At the band stand end the path from the bandstand to the Boer war memorial has now been laid ready for the opening.

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The Monkey hut has now been restored to its former glory but there is no seats in it as there used to be.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

No More Park Wardens

Park Wardens are to be a thing of the past as you can read below a reply to Brian Silvester. What this means is there will be no one to stop the vandals wrecking the park, no one to pick up rubbish and if someone has an accident the ambulance cant get into the park as the gates are locked.

Let us have your comments at the bottom of this post  

From: WHEELTON, Mark
Sent: 03 August 2011 17:14
To: SILVESTER, Brian (Councillor)
Cc: KILMINSTER, Guy; BROUGHTON, George
Subject: queens park

Good Afternoon Councillor Sylvester,

Apologies for the slow response. As Phil has alluded to in his e-mail, with the reduction in the Council’s overall budget, changes to operations have been required of many services and this has meant that difficult decisions have had to be made. Along with grounds maintenance the  Greenspaces service has  also had to achieve significant savings  and unfortunately the loss of the park wardens along with a number of rangers through a staff restructure has been necessary . In  normal circumstances this is clearly not something we would have done. As part of the ongoing redevelopment within Queen’s Park we had planned to review the way that the park wardens worked,  we were considering making changes by converting the Wardens to Park Rangers and making their role far more positive and community focused. The objective being to help further stimulate the community activity in the park and thus displace the anti social, vandalism and misuse that are perpetrated by a minority of the local community. However as outlined above the need to make significant reductions to our expenditure prevents this at the present time.

As you know through the project work and support to the development of the Friends of Queen’s Park we are all committed to making this a success and our staff input is therefore still very significant. It is staffed at present with a Park Manager and four full time gardeners with an input from the Streetscape Area and Technical Teams to support the maintenance activities. The Park Manager has direct support from her team of 3 park management officers in the new structure and will receive support from the Council’s Countryside Ranger and Play teams to help with the delivery of activity programmes. The park buildings will be maintained by the Council’s Asset Management team. At the present time it is also our intention to retain the existing security company who I understand have been involved over a number of years in Queens Park including out of hours call outs, special events and other times as required.

The problems of misuse and abuse of the park are not new and have been continuous despite the presence of the Park Wardens. Cheshire East Council are committed to trying to resolve these issues  and are, despite the challenges, looking to find different approaches to do this. The Park Manager is engaged in forming a broad based partnership of organisations and the community that will join together with this as its core objective. It may take time to resolve what has become an entrenched problem but we believe that this is the only way forward. It has worked in other parks. To date we have met with the Police and other Partnership organisations twice and will continue to focus on this issue looking to make progress. In addition, with the appointment of operators of the café and the imminent reopening of the offices in the West Lodge there will be a regular presence in the park to further deter nuisance behaviour.

I understand that clearly there continues to be concern about this issue particularly given the current investment and positive work that is being done by the Friends of the Park but hopefully the above has explained that despite the budget challenges we fully intend to ensure that the benefit of this investment is realized for the local community of Crewe.

Thanks

Mark

Fun Day at the park

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Wednesday saw the Queens Park packed for a fun day. There were more people than at the carnival enjoying the sunshine and the activities laid on Including the Zorb Balls and climbing walls.

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Even the Mayor turned up with his friend the Frog

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The best entertainment came on Thursday as the gardeners attempted to clean the lake and were only given a boat and rake to remove the weed

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It was a brave effort but it was a cross between Big Brother and Fred Carnoes Circus and kept the crowds have. They have to go away and rethink the plan.

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On the restoration front the path from the bandstand to the Boer war statue is underway and also around the Bandstand