There has been some planting of Holly trees were we lost a lot of trees before from the startling nesting in the trees. It will brighten the area up a bit
There are a few rabbits out playing and looking for food this week they lost their habitat as the ANTS destroyed all the bamboo were they normally live
Burma Island has had a face lift this week with bushes trimmed etc but no structural improvements even though the council said it would be restored 18 months ago. Take a look below how it used to look before they messed it up with the restoration. As part of the design it block your view of the lake so you had to go round to see the rest creating a new vista
A puzzle of the park before it was restored
The Heron has been on duty this week coming for his fish dinner.The cygnets are now down to 2 on the lake its not known if they have flown away or something else has happened. The local councillor reported that one was found down Wisaston Rd injured and now with the RSCPA which if it lives wont be able to return to the park
With winter upon us you can see how dangerous the park can be as there is no one to salt when it freezes. The Temporary path that's been in place years as you can see is just turned into a skating rink its pure ice and you have no chance of getting down safely
We have had a few wildlife visitors with 4 greylag geese 2 have teamed up with the swans and 8 Goosanders these should be living here but due to lack of any plants or floating islands for them to bread they only visit. It was part of the original plan to have plants all round the lake were there are wooden post and despite they council promising last summer to do it none are forth coming. The goosanders and Grebe come for the fish but cant nest on land so need floating islands to bread. 3,000 fish have been added to the lake so there is plenty of food for them
Another year has gone by and The Queens Park Restoration that was conceived in 2005 is far from completed. For years we have had lies from the council about the project, last years friends mins said in December the path would be done in March now they are saying its next spring. The council stated that Burma Island would be done by last xmas but nothing has been done. Promises were made to control dogs in the park by enforcing owners to keep them on a lead this hasn’t happened.
The park is a public danger with all the paths apart from the main ones in a dangerous state and not accusable to disabled and mothers with prams. When it freezes at week ends there are no wardens to grit paths and they become skating rinks. The main lighting was removed from the main drive so any event after dark are dangerous, The gardeners workshops are full of asbestos but they still have to work in there against all H&S rules.
Of all the money spent so far the Bowling hut , Café, Clock, lodges have all had to be re done due to problems with the first restoration and this is the only work been done in the park in the last years. There should be an enquiry why the restoration has to be redone why was it passed in the first place if it wasn’t done right. The once pride of Crewe has become a disgrace if you leave the main paths you are in constant danger from broken paths and other dangers.
There is no real leadership in the park and very few staff to even keep the place going there was always a experienced head gardener who had vision and knowledge to keep the park maintained but this is sadly lacking. If the park was at Macclesfield I am sure it would have all been done by now Crewe has become the poor relation.
When will it be finished is a major question Coronation walk once one of the main attraction of the park with its roses, stream, water fall and pets is now just a tip and no even on the radar to be restored. The sad bit is its not big money to restore it. If only volunteers would see sense and concentrate on it a lot could be done they mess about with it then don’t touch it for another few months by which time it’s a jungle again. If they worked on it all the time then it could be made presentable. All the beds are full of weeds and self seeded trees growing and the once lawns are now a meadow. It a very important corridor in the park as it’s the only place birds can get a drink as they cant drink from the lake as its to deep. If it was restored it would increase the wildlife in the park but the wildlife group leader has stated shes not interested in birds only her swans.
Why the people of Crewe are not up in arms over this one cant understand I started the website in 2009 and it was supposed to be a 1 year job to restore it 7 years later we are still no further forward in fact its getting worse as the gardens are now down to a few men before there lots of them. They are just fighting fires and unable to do any improvements to the park. Walk round the outside of the park and you can count the number of self seeded sycamores and it runs into hundreds something volunteers could do but there is no direction from anyone and they all do their own thing often destroying things through ignorance.
I have in the past had experts down and they have studied what wants doing and given detail right down to the plants needed but the council have ignored this, the lake were there are post should have plants in for wildlife and to oxygenate the lake but this has never been done even though it was in the plans.
The park has become a private members club and one of the most complained out thing at one time you could hire bowls and have a game now its just for the select few members. The fishing is used only by a handful of people on a regular basis. Often you cant go to the toilet in the park as the café is closed, you then have to put up with dogs running about free as no one stops them.
I shall continue to record events in the park as a historical record of the restoration I started out with hope of a quick restoration and it never turned out that way it was once a Jewell in the Crown with well kept lawns and lots of flower now its like a deserted bomb site, if you only use the main paths it looks ok but venture off the main paths into the mud and you can see but if your disabled or have a pram you cant get there.
Above the cafe on a wet day the wood is soaked and covered with green slime and like a skating rink. Why because there are no gutters and all the water runs onto the wood and it has all got to be replaced
Above the new path up to the bridge they cant even get that right as you can see it floods and when it freezes it dangerous how hard is it the get the levels right?
Burma island no work has been done on this island
The path to the bridge if your disabled you have no chance below the path or lack of it at the bottom of the lake
A few Robins about giving it a xmas feel this one giving us a tune
The swans are getting white now the females more so than the males. Concerns this week as to how they have been tamed and if you dont know and feed them they eat out of your hand problem was one women had a baby with her and they frightened the mother as she thought they were attacking the baby. If they one do it for food if you have a baby it can happen they attack by accident
Goosanders in the park starting with one then today Mondays we had four of them. These handsome diving ducks are a member of the sawbill family, so called because of their long, serrated bills, used for catching fish. A largely freshwater bird, the goosander first bred in the UK in 1871. It built up numbers in Scotland and then since 1970 it has spread across northern England into Wales, reaching south-west England. Its love of salmon and trout has brought it into conflict with fishermen. It is gregarious, forming into flocks of several thousand in some parts of Europe
Nothing happening in the park but as its so mild there is a rose still out by the monkey hut lots of trees haven't lost their leaves yet very rare for this time of year
The grebe is still on the lake and has been there a few weeks now so fishing must be good as they eat mainly fish
The cycle rack by the playing fields that was put in in the summer is having all the tarmac redone that didn't last very long did it
For remembrance day some new plants have been planted at the Gulf War memorial to remember those that gave their lives
Even in November there are some nice winter colours in the park its very late this year with such a mild November some trees are only just loosing their leaves
When is a wildlife group not a wildlife group? That is a good question as the Queens Park wildlife group doesnt in fact seem to be there for wildlife. The leader of the group was asked if she would be helping the birds of the park through the winter by providing nuts bird feeders etc its reported that on Face Book she replied that the birds can go and fly away and get food but the swans cant eat without me.
If its a proper wildlife group then it should be working for all wildlife from hedgehogs squirrels and all the birds in the park isnt it the point of a wildlife group to try and get as much wildlife in the park as possible by providing the right environment for them to flourish. Not to just concentrate on swans as that then makes them a swan group not a wildlife group and by using the wrong name and suggesting they are for all wildlife the may be obtaining money and support under false pretences.
The group has become controversial and many of the original group have left due to the aggressive nature of the leader and the fact despite being told by many people that feeding the swans by hand with a dog with you is putting them in danger as we witnessed this week when a dog off the lead went up to them and they thought it was food. Experts have said they will think a dog is friendly now and will learn to late that they kill lots of swans. The same is true of people as a lot of swans end up on the Xmas table and these are so simple to catch but the leader refuses to listen. She sees the swans as HER pets not as wildlife who need to learn to survive in the wild all wildlife hospitals etc keep human contact to the minimum for any sort of wildlife that will go back in the wild. The leader refuses to listen to even experts with years of experience and is putting them in danger.
There are a great deal of people who feed the wildlife in the park and have for years but these have now been split with a gang like culture of if your in my gang you dont speak to others. The Face book page is now a closed group so its activities can be done in secret and anyone disagreeing with the leader are quickly axed and her gang wont speak to them. Several people have complained about the leader aggressive nature telling them off for feeding the swans
The Mandarin has stayed around for a few weeks not sure if this is classed wildlife by the group or not
Above the park has a new gate as a car smashed through railings opposite Tipkinder how it managed to do that we dont know
Reporter J White
A ‘Bonfire and Firework Spectacular’ took place on Wednesday 5th November 2014 at Queens Park in Crewe. The event was organised by Crewe and Nantwich Lions Club https://www.facebook.com/CreweAndNantwichLionsClub . The fireworks were supplied and choreographed by Blitz Fireworks - http://www.blitzfireworks.com/ - of Crewe. The gates opened at 5pm, the bonfire was lit at 7pm and the fireworks started shortly after 8pm. There were also amusement rides and refreshments. The event was enjoyed by thousands of people. All funds raised are distributed by Crewe and Nantwich Lions Club into the local community to help local groups and charities.
Lots of nice winter colour which as its so mild should be Autumn colour. You would expect most trees to have lost their leaves by now but there hanging on but changing almost daily
One of the most colourful is this tree by Tipkinder end and below the pampus grass by Princess Di s plaque is still doing well
The Friends AGM took place recently were members are voted in for yet another 3 years as no one else turns up they all vote each other in yet again. I did find this interesting and I quote
This time last year the Chair stated we would be starting the paths; it is disappointing this has not happened, however the budget is there and waiting to go -- the only delay is ongoing consultation with English Heritage and our Planning officers –this should be resolved soon. Hopefully, the work will start on site before Spring next year.
It tell us the old old story time again last year they said it would be done in spring then they said it would be August now its next year will it ever get done? Last year they stated that Burma Island would be done by Xmas 18 months later nothing has happened its the same story with Coronation Walk no sign of that being done will the park ever be finished after all these years you could have built a new one.
