Cafe contracts up for grabs at parks

 

Firms are being invited to tender to run the new cafeteria in Crewe’s Queens Park.

Building work is under way and the facility is due to open next year.

The offer to prospective contractors has been placed on Cheshire East Councils website and is an electronic application known as ‘the chest’.

Contracts are also up for grabs at the cafeterias within Congleton Park and West Park, Macclesfield. Prospective contractors can submit interest for any of the cafeteria operations. The closing date for tender submissions is December 13.

The website – www.thechest.nwce.gov.uk – also has a suppliers’ guide, which has useful tips and advice for first-time users.

Councillor Andrew Knowles, Cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: “This is a wonderful local opportunity to work within Queens Park on the first year following refurbishment. There are lots of ideas to work hand in glove with Cheshire East Council to provide a creative and enjoyable facility within the new cafeteria pavilion.”

Work on the cafeteria began in July. It is hoped the construction will be completed by February.

Queens Park is undergoing a £6.5m transformation to bring it back to its former glory. The Heritage Lottery Fund is providing a £2.7m support grant with the rest of the investment coming from Cheshire East Council.

Within the park’s 45 acres are walkways, trees, shrubs, planting, children’s play area, crown green bowling, putting, boating lake (currently drained for construction works), grassed areas, memorials and cafeteria.

For more information on the Queens Park restoration project visit the Queens Park web pages at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk – then click on ‘leisure, culture and tourism’ and follow links to the park pages.

Great Tits in the park

Wild Life Special

No not those sort  I Know what you thought smutty lot. With the bad weather the wildlife in the park has been in abundance as they fight  to get berries etc ready for winter. There are birds of all sort to be seen. 

By Tipkinder entrance bird feeders have been placed and the birds are flocking to get their food. I spent 20 mins catching these picture and if you stand still just a few feet away they still come down to feed. These I believe are great Tits

The squirrels are as cheekey as ever and again if you stay still they will come and even feed out of your hand

The above was the funniest shot of the week as I stud with MAX my German Sheppard and took these pictures of the cat with birds all around it with out him even looking and he didn't move with the dog either

There are a few Robins popping down to get the crumbs at the base of the feeders

The lake its self is frozen over and the wack wacks are skating on the ice

Christmas at Queen’s Park

 

Father Christmas is taking time off from his busy schedule to join in with the children’s lantern procession and other fun activities, at Queen’s Park in Crewe, on December 5.

The procession starts at 4.30pm at the main entrance to the park. Staff from Cheshire East Council have been visiting schools around Crewe making decorations for the children to carry during the event.

A festive sing song is planned around the park’s Christmas tree. It will be led by Reverend Steven Clapham from All Saints Church. He will also be giving an interactive presentation reminding people of what Advent is all about.

The evening is being organised by the Friends Group, in partnership with Crewe and Nantwich Lions, and it is the second year the lantern procession has been held at Queen’s Park.

Councillor Andrew Knowles, Cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: “This is sure to be a special occasion and events like this improve community life.

“The event is free of charge as well, which is good news for families at an expensive time of year.”

Councillor Dorothy Flude, ward member for Crewe South, said: “I hope the people of Crewe will come out and support this event.

“Christmas is a special time for children and I am sure that the lantern procession will be a big success.”

The bowls pavilion is progressing slowly with the Sandstone being fitted. Most of the work is at the rear so far so you cant really see very much.

While in the same area with my new super Finepix HS10 camera with 30X optical zoom I took a snap of the bell on top of the West Lodge I wonder how many walk past the lodge and never look and see the bell?

The Cafe work has mostly been on the west side roof getting the beams in place.

You can now start to see the view the cafe will present on the horizon taken from the lake

Park development rises to the occasion

The new cafeteria at Queens Park has reached a milestone – with the impressive timber structure soaring into place.

A specialist company has been involved in installing the timbers due to their size, weight and complex fixing arrangement. The design will enable users to view the internal timbers when inside the new building.

The wall materials, on both the café and games pavilion, have been carefully chosen to match, where possible, the sandstone on the two lodges located at the Crewe park’s main entrance. The dark-red St Bees sandstone is the same as that which forms the sea cliffs of St Bees Head, near Whitehaven, in Cumbria.

Councillor Andrew Knowles, Cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: “The pace this building is going up is satisfying to see. But the really great thing is that you can now visualise what it will finally look like once completed and see the scale of the new facility.”

Work on the project began in July. It is hoped the construction will be completed by February.

Crewe West ward member Councillor Robert Parker said: “I am delighted with the building work on the new cafeteria. The attention to detail is particularly inspiring and I feel, once the whole restoration project is finally complete, Queens Park will be a major tourist attraction in the North West and a magnet for visitors to Crewe.”

Queens Park was renowned as one of the finest parks in the North West. It is undergoing a £6.5m transformation to bring it back to its former glory. The Heritage Lottery Fund is providing a £2.7m support grant with the rest of the investment coming from Cheshire East Council.

Within the park’s 45 acres are walkways, trees, shrubs, planting, children’s play area, crown green bowling, putting, boating lake (currently drained for construction works), grassed areas, memorials and cafeteria.

For more information on the Queens Park restoration project visit the Queens Park web pages at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk – then click on ‘leisure, culture and tourism’ and follow links to the park pages.

If you don’t have online access, you can request a paper copy from Queens Park manager Elaine Dodd, on 01270 537896.

The Bowls pavilion is also making progress with wooden beam going in just like the cafe so they are getting on with it well.

One of the few trees left showing its Autumn colour is near the main entrance and work on the lodges should be starting soon.

One thing happening this week that people wont notice is the amount of wildlife in the park with lots of squirrels about and lots of birds over by the main entrance in the bushes after the berries etc  all getting ready for winter.

The lake still has some nice colours left to show you with a nice dreamy scene its so much better now you can get to the lake its self

November update

The bowls pavilion has now got some of the sandstone brick work in place and starting to look something like at last.

The cafe wood work is progressing but its a big job like a giant jigsaw but a lot of the beams are in and you can see the structure taking place

The top grass area near the band stand has started to green over very well now its been levelled after being covered in mud for years

Out side the park by the golf coarse the new footpath is now in place with bollards to protect you from the cars and the playing fields path has also been done


Our favourite rare duck has been out and about all this week and I got a couple of shots of him

November in the Queens Park

The bowls pavilion is now progressing well and you can now see the basic structure in place

Most of the work on the cafe has been around getting the wooden beams in place. Its a complicated structure and the crane has been here all week off and on lifting the beams into place each beam cost about £1,00.

The big thing is the bonfire which is on Friday the 5th and they were building it today

I noticed our regular visitor to the park nick named Squirrel man who come most days rain or sun to feed the squirrels and its interesting to see how they come and sit with him with him and eat from his hand.

 

There is still lots of colour in the park and it changes everyday it seems this one from Morton Road of the lake

October in the Park

The main work you can see has been the cafe getting the wooden post put in place with a crane being on site most of the week. You can now begin to see the structure of the wood at last

Most of the other action is really about the changing colours of the park trees at this time of year

You can just see in the picture below the grass is growing on the area by the bandstand

Queens Park refurbishment has Crewe buzzing

New buildings at Queens Park are taking shape – and causing a buzz of interest in Crewe.

Work on the frames and striking sandstone walls of the new cafeteria and games pavilion has got under way – putting a modern twist on the park’s Victorian heritage.

Formed more than 250 million years ago, in the permo-triassic age, the stone is called ‘St Bees’. It is a dark-red sandstone which forms the sea cliffs of St Bees Head, near Whitehaven in Cumbria.

The materials for the two buildings have been carefully chosen to match, where possible, the two sandstone lodges at the park’s main entrance.

Councillor Andrew Knowles, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Health and Wellbeing, said: “The new build has created a lot of interest in Queens Park which is satisfying to see, particularly given the attention to detail and the modern twist on the Victorian theme of the park.

“The new pavilion and café are wonderful facilities and the improvements will encourage more people into the park.

“The building work is drawing on the latest engineering skills in the same manner as our Victorian predecessors, when they first constructed the park for the people of the area.”

Work on the project began in July. It is hoped the construction will be completed by February.

The St Bees sandstone been sourced from Birkhams Quarry, in Whitehaven.

St Bees sandstone was originally used as ballast on ships to the US and then as a brownstone substitute for building in the US and Canada.

Its physical performance results in a sandstone which is extremely durable and versatile. It has been used on restoration projects such as Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the Chester Song School, part of Chester Cathedral.

The stone has been used widely in Britain and especially in Cheshire, Cumbria, Liverpool, Manchester, the Wirral and Wales.

Queens Park was renowned as one of the finest parks in the North West. It is undergoing a £6.5m transformation to bring it back to is former glory. The Heritage Lottery Fund is providing a £2.7m support grant with the rest of the investment coming from Cheshire East Council.

Within the park’s 45 acres are walkways, trees, shrubs, planting, children’s play area, crown green bowling, putting, boating lake (currently drained for construction works), grassed areas, memorials and cafeteria.

For more information on the Queens Park restoration project visit the Queens Park web pages at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk – then click ‘Leisure, Culture and Tourism’, then follow links to park the pages.

If you don’t have online access, you can request a paper copy from Queens Park manager Elaine Dodd, on 01270 537896.

The other change people can see is the fence by the lake has been removed so now you can walk right down to the lake.

The Autumn colours are changing daily with some wonderful sites to be seen

Like this tree by the path

The squirrels are cheeky as ever collecting their nuts for winter

Autumn

The mud mountain by the main rd is all but finished and has been levelled off. This was needed to stop the wall collapsing and to make it safe for disabled people. There is now a slight bank so it should now be ok for everyone.

 

This week the cafe had the concrete arrive for the floor so now all that is done

The outside they have started to put the sandstone brick in place so you begin to see what its going to look like

Autumn colour is slowly coming in with the tree by the lodge starting to change

 

The trees near the War memorial are also starting to change and these are the most spectacular at this time of year.

 

Up near the bandstand the area has now been landscaped and is back to a flat surface after a long time being a mud hill

 

In the same are people have asked if the floor in the Bandstand is finished the answer is as you can see is yes and it looks like new