Restoring the restoration

We have had some nice sunny days this week at the park and the flower beds are a real treat with spring bedding in full flower

The lodges were restored in 2011 but now we are restoring the restoration with the lodges being restored you can see several panels have been removed and the wood behind the notice below.

The gates have had a paint job on them but so far they still lock them with a padlock instead of fixing the lock on the gates. Why wasn't all this done first time round who signed it off and paid if it wasn't all done correctly

ANTS Good or BAD?

In the grass cutting Grand Prix the mower lost control in the drs zone and spun out of control on a corner and the race had to be stopped while the mower was retrieved

The boat are back on the lake and are very expensive costing up to £10 which is a lot just to row around a little island as they shouldn’t row down the bottom of the lake because of fishing. Some have gone down the bottom so they wont be very popular. Even after a couple of days problems are starting to come to light. The boats are being tied up on the island at night were the swan is nesting and as such if she leaves the nest she can only get back on at one spot and that is were they are putting the boats so she could loose the eggs as she cant get back. Also people are going close the the island were she is nesting which isn’t helping. Its frightening the ducks away and they are going down the bottom of the lake were they are fishing as such risk being hooked by fishermen.

One important concern is who are the people running the boats as they help young children in and out of the boat questions have been asked are these people CRB checked are they first aiders and are they life guards in case someone falls in?

Ants

There has been a lot of discussion about ANTS this week on social media etc as a result of a letter to the Chronicle complaining. ANTS was formed when the BBC highlighted the state of the park and Cllr Jones asked for backing from local people. He specifically stated that he didn’t expect people to pick up rubbish etc that’s was the councils role.

The ANTS was then formed and they held a meeting in the park it was clear from the start that they weren’t going to listen to what users had to say they had their own ideas and that was that. Most of the founders by their own admission hadn’t been to the park in 2 years so new nothing about it or what was going on or what people who visit daily felt about the park and they weren’t going to listen.

They started doing some bench repairs and brushing up some of the rubbish from the first day last August is still piled up near the café and now a lovely garden of nettles.

Many people then commented that one leader ran her own hairdressing company and as such was using ANTS to promote her company, another had political aspirations and was using it to further his political career. There were then problem with allegation of ANTS leaders coming in the park slagging off Friends and other people and verbally and emotionally abusing people. You don’t have to agree with what people say but defend their right to express their opinion the ANTS seem to take a Gestapo approach if you don’t agree with hem then you are trash an example is these comments about the writer of the letter to the paper given they know nothing about this person

Chris Curran I've now read the letter . I think the old duffer has neglected to take his medication writing some intolerable nonsense as that

Matthew Reen Pfffttt, I hope he has a bad Friday and the easter bunny doesn't visit him, loser!

This trend seems to have become the norm if you don’t agree with what they say then they become abusive on social media and threaten people who cant defend them selves. They have continued brushing up and cutting down shrubs etc in doing this they have destroyed the nesting areas that were used by wildlife so they have no were left to breed, damaged the heated floor in the bowling hut with varnish.

The council was applying to the lottery for a further 1.2 million pounds to do the paths it was then found out the cost was on £320,000 so the CEC decided they would pay for the path and as a result the lottery who were holding back £500,00 released the money giving the CEC a profit on the deal. The ANTS claim it was all there doing which it wasn’t.

The argument is now that by cleaning up they are just doing someone out of a job and the results only last for a day or so before its back to the state again as there are no full time people cleaning up. The only long term things they have done is the bench’s and planted the gulf war memorial area. The latter has had plants stolen and half the other are dying as you cant just put plants in when its very dry weather not water them and expect them to live.

that.

The grebe was back  again this week but was down the bottom of the lake and at risk from fishing as they dive and swim great distances under water were they can be caught in the line. They are a protected species and heavy fines if they are hurt

Killer Swan

They have made it nice and simply for yobs to break into the park at night and cause trouble. Down by the golf coarse the fence has been removed for repair and temp fence put up which the kids have wrecked and left in a dangerous position and left it wide open to get in the park at night.

A couple of Greylag geese are back this week lets hope they breed.

With the swan on the nest the other swan has become a killer spending most of the day attacking Canada geese all around the park. We watched as he jumped on the back of one and pushed it under the water and it never came back up. This isnt the first time they have done this they killed one of the white geese before.

Some nice bushes in flower at this time of year the rhododendrons and forsythia well worth a look

Plants Stolen

New plants were planted just over a week ago at the Gulf War memorial and by the Bowling hut but today some have been stolen and other pulled out at both locations some of them were Pieris and no doubt now in someone's garden or given as a present. The memorial has just returned after being vandalized and has been put back at the same location. In my view if its been broken once it will happen again and should be moved to a more public location so its harder for the yobs. There have been large stones found in the area as if they have been used to attack it. In the photo you can see the holes which once contained plants that ANTS planted. Ants have still not replied about the scouts who offered them help maybe they now dont want anyone else to join the group and help

Further vandalisms occurred at the Tipkinder gate were the old sign glass has been smashed 

The new paddling pool is now finished or in this case its the new path which has turned into a paddling pool as they have put no camber on it or raised it above surrounding earth but it does make a good photo

Hot Days

A couple of nice days and spring continues with butterflies  in the park

This cheeky chappy playing king of the castle

The Gulf war memorial has been planted up with new plants and tidied up lets hope the yobs leave it alone this time.

The swan is still nesting on the island but after we bought hay to help her build a nest the park manager refused to get it put on the island so she has no material to make a decant nest which will have an impact as eggs will be colder without straw to keep them warm. There are no materials for any wildlife to build nest and much of the cover they used to hide has been destroyed by the ANTS last year

The hot days brought out the train and the bouncy castles for the kids to enjoy

The daffs are still a fine show with the trees in flower as well

Spring

The friends meeting was held last week and the mins are here The interesting bits are they now have money to pay to restore thing that have been restored. They are also contemplating a web site which would evolve spending money raised for the park on it instead of providing nesting for wildlife or other useful things. Considering my two sites  have been running for over 5 years with 1,000 of photo and weekly reports wit hover a million hits whats the point of wasting money on another one? I had an offer from the scouts to help the ANTS and I passed this on to them over a week ago and they have not responded so I assume they dont want help?

With the few nice days we have had spring has burst into life the rabbits are out down Coronation walk. The swans are trying to nest on the island but have nothing to make a nest from. The wildlife group brought hay but no one would put it on the island for us

There a few lady birds about which is a good sign

The daffs have a great show of yellow down the main drive just right for people to take for Mother day I have seen people taking them as it is

The flower bed by the lodge is looking good and the path has now got stone laid its just waiting for the tarmac

Gardeners have been out with their new toy that grinds old tree stumps down they have done a lot by the lack. The question is will the mess be left like this or cleaned up when stumps were done last August they left the mess and its still there.

Vandals strike again

This week the Guld war memorial has returned after it had been vandalised and its better than ever. Its gone back in the same spot which is out of site so people wont see it and vandals can wreck it without being seen lets hope they leave it alone this time and remember those that gave their lives

They have started doing one of the path near the lodge this week it will only have a tempory top on it so it can be finished when other paths are done so they will all be the same colour

Vandals wreck one of the seat again this week one thats used daily by people as its shaded under the tree near the lake.

The blossom is out all over the park and seems to have come out all at once in a few days with the nice weather

The Birds are coming

A air of Jays are back in the park this is the first siting of them this year

The lake has been swamped with gulls I have never seen so many they were every where

The first section of daffs is now out and soon we will have a full display

Once again the fishing raises its head as the rules state it must only be on pegs but here we are fishing in the little pool were there arnt any pegs. Thats not fishing you may as well put fish in a barrel. The bailiff was seen talking to them but took no action what was worse there were a load there the other week with 3 dogs off the lead and all the park management team walked past and did nothing

FRIENDS MEETING

Tuesday 11^th March, 2014   6.00pm

At the Pickle Jar Lakeside Pavilion Queens Park, Crewe

Agenda

1. Apologies

2. Minutes of Last Meeting

3. Matters Arising

4. Chairpersons Update
5. Web implications – Guest - Peter Sinclair
6.   Events Diary up-date
7.   ANTs Review
8.   Any Other Business

Spring a little closer

 

More signs of spring as lots of robins about the trees being blown over have brought more birds to the park as the wood contains insects etc and the birds have moved in to cleanup.

Some of the trees and Bushes are starting to flower as spring gets underway

The Queens Park ANTs (Actions Not Talk) volunteers met last weekend to continue the winter clear-up and greet new members.

The event was billed as a “Drop-In” session where potential new volunteers could see what goes on and ask questions about the on-going projects around the park, and numbers were boosted by members of the Sydney Arms Slimming World Group.

Sheila Cotton, SW group leader, said: ‘Getting involved with the ANTs was perfect as part of our Body Magic programme. Members are encouraged to be more active at home and in the community, so helping out at Queens Park was great exercise and everyone benefits.’

The ANTs are an informal group that meet monthly and new volunteers are welcome to spend just an hour, or as long as they can spare. The work is light and easy-going, but a great fun way to burn off a few post-Christmas pounds. Gloves, hi-vis jackets and basic tools are supplied.

Please contact queensparkants@hotmail.com for further details about the next session.