The eight Royal Parks receive their funding from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. Over the past three years it has been progressively reduced and this year there is an £18 million shortfall.

It costs £32 million per year to fulfil all of the Royal Parks’ responsibilities, which range from maintaining 65 miles of roads, 15 miles of river, 130,000 trees and 250 species of animals and birds.

The Royal Parks hold events to help plug the shortfall in funding and Hyde Park is the principal contributor in raising funds which go to help all the Royal Parks.

“We have shut the doors behind us, and the velvet flowers of night lean about us scattering their pollen grains of golden light”

“Where Kensington high
o’er the neighbouring
lands
‘Midst greens and sweets
a regal fabric stands,
And sees each spring,
luxuriant in her bowers,
A snow of blossoms and a
wild of flowers”

The name “Rotten Row” is actually a corruption of the French “Route de Roi” or King’s Road. King William III installed 300 oil lamps along it at the end of the 17th century, making it the first artificially lit highway in
the country.

"Forsooth, and on a livelier spot
The sunbeam never shines.
Fair ladies here can talk and trot
With statesmen and divines"

During the 18th century, Kensington gardens was open on Saturdays to anyone who was ‘respectably dressed’.

“Where the trees rise like cliffs, proud and blue-tinted in the distance,
Between the cliffs of the trees, on the grey- green park
Rests a still line of soldiers, red motionless range of guards”

The AGM of the Friends took place on March 25 at the Lancaster London Hotel under the chairmanship of Sue Price, who brought the audience up to date on events and developments.

Royal Parks CEO Linda Lennon briefed the audience on the responsibilities of her organisation and the issues facing it at present, particularly on the financial front.

Guest speaker Nigel Williams entertained the audience with a lively account of the the 1851 Great Exhibition. The site of the Great Exhibition has now been marked in Hyde Park, by means of 5 glass and concrete plaques which show the sheer scale of the footprint occupied by the structure.

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 provides fellowships and grants for pure research in science and engineering, applied research in industry and industrial design. For more info click here

“It came to me that Hyde Park has never belonged to London – that it has always been , in spirit, a stretch of countryside; and that it links the Londons of all periods together most magically – by remaining forever unchanged at the heart of a ever-changing town.”

The Serpentine has been frequently frozen over so strongly in the past that in the winter of 1814 a fair was held on the ice; and in 1825 a Mr. Hunt for a wager drove a coach and four horses across the Serpentine during a severe frost.

The numerous Friends who enthusiastically signed up for the first of the Spring/Summer 2014 Events programme were not to be disappointed. The weather was perfect, the towering trees in the cemetery resplendent in the bright greens of Spring, while our guides were friendly, knowledgeable and provided us with plenty of amusing anecdotes, as well as the drier historical facts.
The tour culminated in a delicious tea at the Chapel in the centre of the cemetery, provided by the Friends of Brompton Cemetery.

The Serpentine pavilion, like the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, is a source of constantly changing inspiration and interest. This year’s design by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic resembles a space pod, or maybe a puff ball, which glows at night. It will hosted events and a café and opened on June 26 2014.

Radic said that his design is in the tradition of romantic follies of earlier centuries, but will also look excitingly futuristic, like an alien space pod that has come to rest in Hyde Park.

The Royal Parks have been successful in applying for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) for the Brompton Cemetery Conservation Project.

An initial funding award of £3.7million has been granted and will be used to improve heritage assets, visitor facilities and community activities, as well as assessing wild life within the cemetery. A second tranche of funding is being sought for 2015.

Photo by Paul Shelley

Sunday 2 November saw the start of the annual London to Brighton car rally.

Up to 500 veteran cars congregated from 06.00am in Hyde Park.

And it wasn’t just the cars….

Check with restaurant staff for 10% discount card in Park Terrace (A la carte menu), Bertie’s Bar and Min Jiang Bar

2-24 High Street Kensington, London W8 4PT
020 7937 8000

10% off at Café Bar (at Door 12), 10% off at Retail Unit (at Door 12), 20% off at Verdi Italian Kitchen (Tues to Sun 12.00-16.00), 33% off Grand Tour, Inside Out Tour, Secret History Tour, 38% off Behind the Scenes Tour, 20% off Story of the Proms Tour

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP

020 7959 0500

On completion of a Season Ticket 20% discount. (Non-concessionary rate Season Ticket £77) Concessionary rate Season Ticket £31.50

www.parkdeckchairs.co.uk

For a city with 8 million inhabitants, London is blessed with an enormous amount of green space, in fact probably more than any other city of its size in the world. Plans are underway for London to become the world’s first urban National Park and the campaign is gathering momentum.

FHPKG committee member Simon Walton is following developments and will report back in more detail over the coming months.

For more information on progress to date, click here to visit the Greater London National Park website.

Become a complimentary Friend of the Lancaster London for:
10% discount on food and beverages in bars and restaurants
10% discount on hotel rates

Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY

020 7551 6000

10% discount for up to 2 people, of whom 1 must be a member

Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

020 7706 7098

15%-20% discount, tbc for next swimming season

Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

020 7706 3422

20% discount on food and beverages

Hyde Park Corner, London W1 7NT

020 3058 1224

_10% discount on food and beverages_tbc for 2019

Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX

020 3166 6127 (Palace Cafe)
020 3166 6113 (Pavillion)

Hire of all boats at children’s rates

Serpentine Road, London W2 2UH

020 7262 1330

20% discount on food and beverages

Serpentine Road, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

020 7706 8114

10% discount on food and beverages for up to 6 people at lunch time

Serpentine Sackler Gallery, West Carriage Drive, Kensington Gardens, London W2 2AR

020 7298 7552

20% discount on food and beverages
10% discount on court fees off-peak Mon-Fri up to 5pm

South Carriage Drive, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

020 7262 3474

The chilly weather on March 23rd, 2015, did not deter the group of Friends who had signed up for a rare and privileged opportunity to explore the structural underpinnings of the famous landmark. In addition, we had the chance to examine at close hand the frieze of statues which border the upper terraces of the monument.

The Victorian brickwork and the multiple arches inside The Undercroft were impressive and appeared to be in excellent condition – Albert seems unlikely to fall off his perch any time soon.

The visit was much enjoyed by everyone and our thanks go to Tina Raymond for organising it and Andy Williams and his team at Kensington Gardens for enabling it to take place.

Thanks too to FHPKG members David Pollock and Hilary Younger for providing photos, more of which can be seen in the Photos section of the website.

This popular event which took place at the Will to Win Tennis Centre, by kind permission of Steve Riley, was blessed with a sunny evening, enthusiastic attendees and keen competition for the bowls championship.

Finally at 9pm team Nigel and John, pictured above with prize, prevailed and triumphed in a hard fought contest!

Congratulations to all of you who took part and for helping make it such a successful evening.

Checking out the 1851 Afternoon Tea (and enjoying the Friends’ discount) are FHPKG chairman Sue Price and committee member Tessa Singleton.

The most popular event of the year was enjoyed once again at the Boat House, by kind permission of its director Peter Scott, seen here getting into the party swing.

Beautiful weather, trips on the solar-powered boat across the Serpentine, food, wine and good company were enjoyed by numerous Friends.

For more photos of the event, see our Photo Gallery.

Chairman Sue Price and Kensington Gardens Manager Andy Williams invite new Royal Parks Chief Executive Andrew Scattergood to join them for a swim in the Serpentine – invitation accepted and the sun shone (Tuesday 28th July 2015)…

Committee member Simon Walton (L) and others joined them and the group is seen here drying off…

Philip played a pivotal role in setting up the Friends in 1991, was its first chairman for a number of years and then became President until his death last week in his nineties.

He continued to take an active interest in the Friends and was quick to congratulate and comment on our activities. He was instrumental in getting recognition for and helping to preserve the Royal Parks as an invaluable asset in the heart of our busy capital city.

We send our sympathy to his family and friends. We will keep the Friends informed of plans for a memorial service.

A rare opportunity to visit the station, opened in 1907 and closed since 1994, attracted a full house of FHPKG visitors.

The station has been used mainly for filming since it was closed and we were given a lively commentary by Shirley from London Underground, with plenty of historical anecdotes.
Undeterred by the seemingly endless stairs to reach street level again, somehow we all managed it! Our thanks to Tina Raymond for managing to organise such an unusual and interesting outing.

Winter Wonderland – new concessions for FHPKG members!

PWR Events and IMG have kindly offered The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens a concessionary discount on pre-bookable attractions at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

PWR Events and IMG kindly offered The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens a concessionary discount on pre-bookable attractions at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

Tour behind the scenes at the Albert Hall on 9 February 2016

A sizeable group of the Friends gathered by Door 12 to meet our expert guide Richard, who showed us aspects and told stories of the
Albert Hall, which most visitors are not even aware of.

Since its opening in 1871 till the present day, the RAH has been available to hire, a building that operates 24/7. From a fancy dress ball in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of George V to the Cirque du Soleil, currently in residence in 2016, an unimaginable number of events have taken place there: the Proms, the Chelsea Arts Ball (1910-1958), the Beatles (1963), Miss World (1969-1986), Sumo wrestling (1991).

We visited every floor of the huge structure, went on stage behind the scenes and our guide kept us entertained throughout. We finished with a much appreciated tea in the Verdi Restaurant.

Weeping willows…

The huge old weeping willow beside the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen is being replaced at the beginning of February, as it was rotten.

Park manager Rob Dowling was hard pushed to find a new one of sufficient size to take its place. The replacement willow, pictured below, is the largest specimen that you can buy.

Following the success of last year’s visit to the Undercroft another visit was organised on 5th April 2016, with the kind permission of Andrew Williams, Manager, Kensington Gardens.

Friends were given the opportunity to explore a structure that most visitors to the Royal Albert Memorial don’t even know exists – that which lays beneath the Royal Albert Memorial.

Wearing hard hats the Friends explored the large brick undercroft, walking through a number of the 800 plus arches that make up the framework that supports the Memorial.

A thoroughly enjoyable tour was had by all who attended. Friends who went on the tour will certainly view the Albert Memorial in a new light!

Thursday 21st April was the day to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday, with a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park at noon.

The Park was looking pristine in the days beforehand. The acres of turf on the Parade Ground had taken well and repaired the ravages of the aftermath of Winter Wonderland. This area had re-opened to the public around Easter and congratulations are due to the Hyde Park Manager, Rob Dowling, and his team for managing this transformation so well.

Disaster struck the day before. Who knew that the 20th April (420) was so called “World Cannabis Day”. No formal publicity was needed, nor permission sought. Through social media the word spread and hundreds of people started gathering, around noon on the 20th on the immaculate green sward of the Parade Ground.

By 4.20 pm, which was the time the “organisers” wanted everybody all over the world to light up a joint, there were thousands in the Park all smoking cannabis under the noses of the Police. Extra police were drafted in from all over Westminster as the Royal Parks Police couldn’t cope.

Parade Ground with Staff at dawn

There were thousands still lying around at 7 pm and with the 41 gun salute due to take place the next day, things were looking bad.

The police started clearing the bodies out and by 9 pm they had all gone. BUT the litter and rubbish left behind was horrendous.

Staff who were around did their best clearing up before it got totally dark, and at 6 am the following morning every single member of staff from Hyde Park, and many from Kensington Gardens, turned up to help.

Every gardener, contractor, regular litter picker, and manager set to and the area was cleared by 10 am, as the crowds turned up to witness the military display.

And all clear – the crows are back in place

Congratulations and thanks from the whole of London for putting right, in the nick of time, an unholy mess.

In the sunshine the next morning, the gathering crowds had no idea of what had gone on a few hours earlier.

I think the Hyde Park staff let out a great big “Phew!” when everything went so smoothly on the 21st.

We won’t say anything about what the gun carriages did to the new turf – but will mention that relaying the relaying is already underway!

Sue Price

Tucked away and hidden in the centre of Hyde Park the nursery covers several acres and is not open to the public. At the time of the visit, in May 2016, the nurseries were packed with flowers all ready to go out to central London Royal Parks and other locations such as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and 10 Downing Street. Mike Jones, the nursery manager, took about 20 Friends around the nursery and enlightened us with how the plants are grown and managed as well as providing us with the history of the nursery.

The nursery dates from the 1960s and is soon to be dismantled and replaced with a new modern nursery with up-to-date technology and a layout that will increase the space for plants by 25%. The current building, although nostalgic, is at the end of its life and being made of aluminium the bolts that keep the structure in place are now failing. Prior to the nursery it was a gravel pit and during the war was used as a piggery.

Mike explained that each year the Royal Parks provide the nursery with a bedding design which dictates the plants grown in the nursery. We saw over 2,000 geraniums destined for Buckingham Palace, which had been categorised into 4ft, 3ft and 2ft so that they could be planted in a graduated way. The whole nursery was packed with plants in readiness for delivery to the Royal Parks in two weeks’ time.

The tour was concluded with a lovely glass of chilled white wine and nibbles, including some asparagus (first of the Kent season!). A thoroughly enjoyable event!

The 2016 Friends Summer Party was held at the Boat House in Hdye Park. With plenty of nice chilled wine and masses of canapes, the Friends enjoyed some live music on the jetty from the wonderful Horizon Swing Trio. As the music played Friends socialised and took a voyage on the solar-powered boat around the Serpentine

Membership Secretary, Tessa Singleton and member Tessa on the solar powered boat

Peter said that the solar powered boat had proved particulary popular with visitors taking the boat to and from the Diana Memorial Fountain. He also thanked the Friends for their support in backing the development of the new Boat House.

Horizon Swing Trio provided perfet background jazz music. Here they are accompanied by Richard Price on the piano

If you are interested in booking the Trio they can be contacted via email: kdmckay@live.co.uk

A perfect Evening

Winfield House is a mansion set in 12 acres of grounds in Regent’s Park, the second largest private garden in central London, after that of Buckingham Palace. Since 1955 it has been the official residence of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. James’s. The Friends had a wonderful tour of the gardens.

10% off entire bill for lunch Monday to Friday

127-129 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LP

020 7727 8142

On Thursday 3rd November a lucky group of Friends went behind the scenes of Harrods. It was a fun and informative experience exploring below the store and finding out how this famous store operates. The Friends are grateful to the Directors for giving them this special opportunity. More photos can be found in the Photo section

The multi layered secrets of London never fail to astonish. Here on the edge of Hyde Park, with spectacular views of the autumn colours along Rotten Row is a yacht club house. Mystified? Well I was too so I had to join this Friends’ tour to find out more.

We were given an introduction to the historic roots of the club by the current Secretary, Captain David Freeman. He explained that the idea of racing yachts started on the Thames at Vauxhall Gardens in the 18th century. From there it grew to the vast international sport it is today. The Americas Cup has been tussled over by several entrants supported by members of the RTYC. Gold Olympians from Rio are members of the club as are other greats of the yacht racing world.

Nick Bonham who has been the curator of the club’s treasured art collection then took us on a tour of the picture galleries. At this point I became very muddled by the detailed explanations of the different types of sail rigging over the years so cant give you details of which boats were gaff rigged, which were ketches and which yawls. But they all had big sails and a lot of rigging.

My sailing expertise doesn’t stretch much beyond the rowing boats on the Serpentine but I was able to admire the beautiful painting of yacht Livonia staggering across a stormy Atlantic ocean with a broken bowsprit (that’s the pole sticking out of the front – don’t know what its for) on its way to another attempt to wrest the Americas Cup out of the hands of our transatlantic competitors. Apparently we were robbed by our American cousins on several occasions with them rewriting the rules to suit.

There were other charming paintings of Cowes in the 1930’s with cars lined along the front by the castle. Perhaps the one that made the biggest impression was the first known painting of a yacht race in the world which was at Vauxhall Gardens in the late 18th Century. Wow! What a treasure.

The lobby has a couple of carrara marble lions guarding the lounge bar and an extensive collection of trophies on display.

Some of us then adjourned to the restaurant for a delicious lunch overlooking our beloved parks and were treated to a practice march past of the horse guards in full dress.

So well done to the Friends’ organisers for arranging yet another fascinating peak behind the front doors of a London institution.

A HPKG Friend

An introduction to the recently revamped exhibition “Fashion Rules”, followed by a private visit, before it opened to the public, was enjoyed by a group of Members. Members enjoyed a special breakfast The Orangery Apse.

The Friends of Richmond Park are involved in a campaign to protect the cherished historic view of St Paul’s Cathedral from Richmond Park and they are asking for support by signing the petition to stop the construction of a Skyscraper next to St Paul’s.

“As reported in The Guardian, the Architects Journal Architects’ Journal (non-subscription content limited), Richmond and Twickenham Times and many more media, a huge skyscraper is under construction destroying the protected view between King Henry’s Mound in Richmond Park and St Paul’s Cathedral. The view was meant to have been protected by and subject to the London View Management Framework (LVMF) but it appears that in 2011, GLA planning officers failed to follow the directives laid down by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and raised no objections. See Friends of Richmond Park full press release.

The Friends of Richmond Park are now urging London mayor Sadiq Khan to:

• at least temporarily halt the construction of the tower
• urgently investigate how and why the proper planning protection was not implemented
• investigate what actions can be taken to mitigate the destruction of the view
• prevent construction of other buildings which will further destroy this and other protected views

If you love Richmond Park and this 300 year old protected view, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION and urge your friends, colleagues and like-minded people to sign as well.

Visit the Friends of Richmond Park website for more information

Royal Parks Media Update: Cycle speeds as high as 32mph are being tackled in London’s Royal Parks as part of an initiative designed to slow down cyclists and improve safety for all visitors.

From March 13, a project will get underway to install small speed bumps and highlight shared space on the Broad Walk in Hyde Park.

The idea behind the scheme comes as latest statistics show that more than 1,200 cyclists commute on some cycle paths through Hyde Park during the rush hour, with four out of five travelling above the recommended 10mph – considered by The Royal Parks to be the ideal considerate cycling speed in its parks.

In one instance, a cyclist travelling along the Broad Walk was clocked at more than 32mph – above the limit allowed for cars on some local roads.

Simon Richards, who leads The Royal Parks’ Cycling Board, said: “The Royal Parks are unique spaces. They not only attract visitors on foot, bike or horse for peace and relaxation, but also daily commuter cyclists who pass through the parks on their way to work.

“Everyone has to recognise that when they come into a park they’re entering a very different environment; for everyone’s sake we want to encourage cyclists to adjust their behaviour when moving from busy roads to peaceful paths, and similarly pedestrians need to be aware there are a whole variety of other users they have to watch out for.

“Our parks welcome a range of visitors, all of whom come to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. While we welcome cyclists and offer 68 miles of cycle routes, pathways and horse tracks, it is important we do all we can to ensure everyone can enjoy our parks in safety.”

The latest work includes small speed bumps and new path surfaces at several key crossing points along the main stretch of the Broad Walk parallel with Park Lane. The aim is to alert cyclists that they are entering a different part of the pathway where more pedestrians are likely to be encountered.

Changes will also be made to signage in other parts of the route at pedestrian entrances to reinforce the The Royal Parks’ Pathway Code of Conduct which states that pedestrians have priority over all other users, even in areas designated and marked for other purposes.

Most of the Broad Walk is expected to remain open with only small sections entirely closed for short periods when cyclists will be asked to dismount.

These measures are part of a much larger plan to improve the experience of all users in the parks linked to the wider Central London Grid scheme which sees the creation of road-based Superhighways across the capital to segregate cyclists from traffic and Quietways for more relaxed cycling.

For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk.
For media enquiries contact: 0300 061 2128 or press@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk.

The Broad Walk calming project is costing £215,000 which is being funded by Transport for London (TfL) as part of its Central London Grid scheme.

Ipsos MORI visitor count figures in 2015 revealed that an estimated 9.13million pedestrians and 1.24million cyclists visit Kensington Gardens each year, and 10.13million pedestrians and 2.66million cyclists visit Hyde Park.

Alongside the opening of the West and South Carriage Drives Cycle Superhighway in Hyde Park there have already been changes made to park entrances and cycle ways including:

In Kensington Gardens changes have been made to the Black Lion and Palace Gates entrances at either end of the Broad Walk to improve accessibility and safety for cyclists and pedestrians. The existing layout and boundary wall were changed with two new gates installed.

Kensington has also seen improvements to the Mount Walk junction where changes to the pathway have reinforced the concept of shared space as well as the introduction of speed calming measures (changes to the surfaces) to slow down cyclists.
In Hyde Park, the layout and markings of Upper Brook Street Gate have been simplified, and the existing gate has been replaced to increase the amount of space for cyclists and pedestrians. A new surface and removal of white line segregation is also reinforcing the shared space and helping to slow down cyclists.

Friends were given the opportunity to explore a structure that most visitors to the Royal Albert Memorial don’t even know exists – that which lays beneath the Royal Albert Memorial.

Wearing hard hats the Friends explored the large brick undercroft, walking through a number of the 800 plus arches that make up the framework that supports the Memorial.

A thoroughly enjoyable tour was had by all who attended. Friends who went on the tour will certainly view the Albert Memorial in a new light

Upcoming works for the Cycle Superhighway along South Carriage Drive, West Carriage Drive, Lancaster Gate and Victoria gate will commence on 1st May 2017.

Victoria Gate

Upcoming works commencing 15th May 2017

• Carry out resurfacing works on the carriageway along Bayswater Road.
• Carry out gate repairs and ducting at Victoria Gate.
  Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
• Bayswater Road will be closed for 13 days between the 15th of May to 27th of May for phase 1 and 2.
• This road closure is between Lancaster Terrace and Clarendon Place, including Victoria Gate, and will be closed 24 hours a day during the dates listed.
• The resurfacing work will occur between the hours of 08:00 to 17:00.
• All north bound traffic from West Carriage Drive will be diverted onto North Carriage Drive and exit Hyde Park via Cumberland Gate.
• No south bound access through Victoria Gate and along West Carriage Drive.
• Pedestrian access will be maintained during works at Victoria Gate.
• Cycle lane exit for Victoria Gate will be closed. Cyclists will need to dismount at Victoria Gate or exit via Albion Gate.
• Horse access into Hyde Park will need to use Clarendon Gate via Clarendon Place.

West Carriage Drive Construction Programme

Upcoming works commencing 8th May 2017

• Carry out resurfacing works on the carriageway along West Carriage Drive, South Carriage Drive and at Coalbrookdale Gate.
  Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
• West Carriage Drive will be closed for 3 days between the 8th of May to 10th of May.
• This road closure is between Serpentine Sackler Gallery and Coalbrookdale Gate, and will be closed between 06:00 and 17:00 during the dates listed. West Carriage Drive and Coalbrookdale Gate will reopen each night after 17:00 during this work.
• The resurfacing work will occur between the hours of 08:00 to 17:00.
• No northbound access through Coalbrookdale Gate from Kensington Road and Exhibition Road.
• Authorised vehicles will be able to access Rotten Row for deliveries via Victoria Gate.
• Pedestrian access will be maintained during construction works.
• Cycle lane exit for West Carriage Drive will be closed. Cyclists will need to dismount at Coalbrookdale Gate or exit via Kensington Gardens.

South Carrage Drive Construction Programme

Week commencing 1st of May 2017

• Carry out work to install an island, tactile and kerbing at Prince of Wales Gate.
  Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
• Prince of Wales Gate entrance will be closed during this work.
• Authorised vehicles will be able to exit from South Carriage Drive.
  Upcoming works commencing 8th of May 2017
• Carry out work to widen footpath at the junction of West Carriage Drive and
  South Carriage Drive.
  Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
• Pedestrian access into Will to Win Tennis Centre will be maintained during construction works.

Lancaster Gate construction programme Bayswater Road: Clarendon Place to Lancaster Gate

Upcoming works commencing 15th May 2017

• Carry out resurfacing works on the carriageway Bayswater Road between Lancaster Terrace and Clarendon Place.
• Carry out gate repairs and ducting at Victoria Gate.
  Traffic and pedestrian impacts:
• Bayswater Road will be closed for 13 days between the 15th of May to 27th of May for phase 1 and 2.
• This road closure is between Lancaster Terrace and Clarendon Place, including Victoria Gate, and will be closed 24 hours a day during the dates listed.
• The resurfacing work will occur between the hours of 08:00 to 17:00.
• All north bound traffic from West Carriage Drive will be diverted onto North Carriage * * * Drive and exit Hyde Park via Cumberland Gate.
• No south bound access through Victoria Gate and along West Carriage Drive.
• Pedestrian access will be maintained during works at Victoria Gate.
• Cycle lane exit for Victoria Gate will be closed. Cyclists will need to dismount at * * * * Victoria Gate or exit via Albion Gate.
• Horse access into Hyde Park will need to use Clarendon Gate via Clarendon Place.

The Royal Parks have informed us that West Carriage Drive will be subject to closures during the upcoming Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Hyde Park concert series.

In light of events across the U.K. and the world, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have reviewed and requested the road closure of West Carriage Drive on all event days. It is important to stress that there is no change to the current security threat, but it was felt that this additional mitigation is important to reduce all possible risks at this time. The MPS has emphasised that the road closures are a precautionary measure and are not in relation to any specific intelligence.

The Royal Parks and the event organiser have agreed to adopt these changes, which have historically been used for major events such as the 2012 Olympics.

To clarify: West Carriage Drive will be closed from 11.00 on the 30th June and the 1st , 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 9th July.

Normal and advanced agreed road closures are already in place on North Carriage Drive, which will remain closed until 18th July. For the safety and security of all park visitors we have also taken the decision to close South Carriage Drive to assist people arriving and leaving the event. The South Carriage Drive road closures will be in synch with the West Carriage Drive closures stated above.

To facilitate the operation of these road closures The Royal Parks will be suspending all on-road parking on event days, and Serpentine and Triangle Car Park will be closed from 11.00.

The outcome of the recent Green Flag and Green Heritage judging that took place in Kensington Gardens back in May has been revealed. For both Green Flag and Green Heritage Awards Kensington Gardens has achieved an overall score of 80+ which is the uppermost banding.

What is really pleasing is that the score for Green Heritage has been elevated in both the desk assessment and field assessment categories moving Kensington Gardens up a band in each. This in part is a function of the time Kensington Gardens took with the new management and operations plan as well as evidence of continual improvement on the ground.

Andy Williams, Park Manager for Kensington Gardens, will be working with the park management team to review the detailed feedback received from the judges in order to set out a response and carry through any further improvements.

Andy Williams has passed on his thanks to the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for their contributions both on the day of the judging, and every other day, in helping to improve this impressive, rich, historic park.

The Friends summer party took place in July, with thanks Steve Riley who organised a bowls and putting competition in the magnificent Will to Win garden in Hyde Park. We had a Victrix Ludorum for bowls and a Victor Ludorum for putting. Congratulations to them both and to the numerous runners up. Chocolate bars were their reward.

Thanks to John Heywood who helped and advised the putting competitors and passed on his expert tips, to Simon Walton who was an amiable barman dispensing wine all evening very assiduously, and to the waitresses who circled tirelessly with the canapés. Also thanks go to Sue Heywood, the trustee who made the arrangements for us all, and of course where would we be without Steve Riley who gave us a short tutorial on the rules of bowls after which we of course knew everything there was to know!

A beautiful warm and sunny summer’s day in mid-July, the scent of hay, the sounds of horses’ hooves on cobbles coupled with the odd contented whinny, followed by refreshments in a country-style garden with an abundance of beautiful wild flowers. Where were 12 lucky Friends on 18 July? On a privileged visit to the Old Police House Stables and the Rangers Lodge Garden, Hyde Park.

Tucked away behind the Old Police House, the impressive, listed stables buildings, refurbished and reopened by HRH the Duke of Kent in 2010, are home to six magnificent members of the Metropolitan Police’s 100-strong horse contingent, stabled in different locations all over the capital. Sullivan, Olive, Qwerty, Knightsbridge, Quebec and Jensen, each with very individual characters and temperaments, are looked after by ten police staff, including the police jockeys.

Dave Oliver, Stables Manager, welcomed the Friends, showed them round the stables, carefully and lovingly introducing each of his charges, explaining their different likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses. The horses, sourced from all over the country, aged over ten and over 16 hands in height, are fed three times a day and shod monthly. They work almost daily: routine patrols in London’s three main parks; attending ceremonial events (Knightsbridge was at the funeral of PC Keith Palmer, killed at Westminster in March); and giving operational support during public order events such as football matches. The horses retire in their late teens.

While the horses happily munched carrots and apples somewhat apprehensively offered by the Friends, Dave – a very knowledgeable and truly fascinating host – believed that the best horses had “a good head and kind temperament”. At the end of July, the six horses and their bosses were looking forward to spending two weeks at the Met Police’s Mounted Branch training centre, Esher, for annual training and a break from City
life.

Following the visit, over soft drinks and bubbles in the Rangers Lodge Garden, Sue Price thanked Rob Dowling, Hyde Park Manager, for giving the Friends the opportunity to see his lovely garden.

Autumn bedding planting was completed on Thursday 26th October and the Rose Garden at the Hyde Park Corner end looked magnificent . Only two days later on Saturday morning 28th Oct it was obvious that about 40 plants had been stolen from that area , some time either during the night or very early in the morning ,leaving large gaps.

It is expected that, over the next few weeks, even more will be stolen. Rob Dowling, the Manager of Hyde Park, says how sad it is that one or two very mean thieves are spoiling the pleasure that the top quality planting and high horticultural standards give to millions of Park visitors.

Replacing the missing plants is expensive and uses much valuable staff time.

We are amazed that these thieves seem to get away with nobody spotting them. Look out for people carrying bulging carrier bags with plants in.

The Royal Parks has informed us that additional security measures will be put in place during this year’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

In light of events across the U.K. and the world, the Metropolitan Police Service have reviewed and requested that hostile vehicle mitigation measures are put in place across the Park to protect those attending Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. It is important to stress that there is no change to the current security threat, but it was felt that additional mitigation is important to reduce all possible risks at this time.

The Metropolitan Police Service has emphasised that the hostile vehicle mitigation measures are a precautionary measure and are not in relation to any specific intelligence.

Please be advised that hostile vehicle mitigation measures will be implemented at the north of the Parade Ground, Main Street (the long footpath which runs south from Cumberland Gate) and throughout Serpentine Road in Hyde Park to safely facilitate and deliver Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2017.

As in previous years, South Carriage Drive will be subject to closures at peak times during the event for crowd safety purposes. The usual Sunday road closures will be in place.

The Royal Parks are extremely grateful for our ongoing support.

Having received our instructions to wrap up very warm and to approach the site from the Marble Arch entrance, about 28 Friends arrived for our wonderful Winter Wonderland experience. We started in the glamorous sounding Crystal Lounge where copious quantities of mulled wine, hot choc (with whipped cream) and delicious mince pies were offered and consumed. Sue Price, Chair, introduced us to Suzy Griffiths, Event Director for the last 10 years of WW, at whose invitation we were there. Suzy told us a bit about the history of the event and how it has grown over the 11 years since it first started – it is now the biggest festive event in Europe. Suzy works on WW all year round but said she has a big team working with her. A lovely part of Suzy’s job is travelling around Europe looking for new attractions to bring to Hyde Park.

Which takes us to the first attraction which is new to WW this year – called the Winter Wonder View Tower. A doughnut shaped cabin surrounds the 80m tower – you get in at the bottom and then the cabin rises slowly and rotates round until it gets to the top where it rotates a bit more and then comes down again. The views were amazing and all the lights of the Winter Wonderland site looked most fetching. There were lots of oohs and aahs as people spotted London landmarks and it was most enjoyable.

View of Winter Wonderland from the View Tower

Next we walked through some of the Christmas market stalls selling all manner of tempting things, including a lot of edible treats, to the Magical Ice Kingdom. This was why we had been told to dress up warm! It was a very bracing -10 degrees C in there. It has a deep sea theme this year so think seahorses, fish, deep sea divers and a huge octopus. The ice sculptures are beautiful and pristine as all impurities are removed from the water beforehand. See sculptures in the Ice Kingdom being built in this video click here

Last but not least we headed to the Cinderella on Ice show. I think for many of us this was our first ever ice show and it was a fantastic experience. Suzy had told us that many of the Russian skaters are ex-Olympic athletes, and my goodness it showed. The skating was wonderful and the staging really professional. The absolute highlight was when Cinderella flew high in the arena and the whole ceiling glowed with twinkling lights. A magical moment on which to end a fabulous Monday afternoon at Winder Wonderland.

A Flying Cinderella

Many thanks to Rob Dowling, Hyde Park Manager, who suggested the event and to Suzy for hosting us and looking after us so well.

Written by Cathy I’Anson, a member of FriendsHPKG

We congratulate all of the team at IMG for winning the contract to stage Winter Wonderland for the next six years. The Royal Parks could not, in these days of funding cuts, manage without the huge income which Winter Wonderland raises to run all The Royal Parks.

A very successful season has come to a close, the big clear up and reinstatement of the grounds has already started. Suzy Griffiths and her team ran an outstandingly well organised event.

A large group of members of the Friends enjoyed a visit in early December and as well as sampling various attractions and a show were fascinated by a presentation on how an event like this is organised and run.
See the members Spring newsletter due out in March for other Winter Wonderland news and photographs.

Amongst the millions of human visitors to Winter Wonderland there was another very rare small feathered visitor.
A Black redstart, a small robin sized bird, took up residence in the trees on the site for a week or so. It was undeterred by lights, noise or the flow of humanity all round, and was closely followed by a large group of excited birders rushing from tree to tree observing. Unfortunately we do not have a photo of this group.
The Black redstart ( Phoenicurus ochuros) has adapted to live in urban areas and is a member of the chat family. It is on the Red list of Birds of Conservation concern and is protected by the Wild Life and Countryside Act 1981.

There are thought to be between 19 and 44 breeding pairs and about 400 wintering in the UK.

We will be very sorry indeed to say goodbye to Robert Dowling at the end of January. After 13 amazing years in Hyde Park he has been enticed away to set up and run Al Bidda Park, an exciting project in Doha, Qatar.
His new park, the size of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park combined, runs along the Corniche and has all the ingredients of the London Parks with interesting planting in varied landscaped areas, grass ( a tough creeping kind) for walking on, cafes, kiosks and playgrounds, in fact most of the things which the Qatari royal family have valued and enjoyed in London.

Park Manager’s House
Look out for a full piece in the Spring Newsletter on Rob and his achievements during the time he has been at Hyde Park, his encouragement and kindnesses to the Friends and his hopes and plans for the future in Doha.

Park Manager’s Garden

The government reopened the consultation process with a closing date of December 19th as there had, previously, been an underestimate of the potential noise levels over Central London. We were very grateful to a member for doing the hard work for us and we were therefore able to respond and have our views registered in time.

Our two Parks at present enjoy a low ambient noise and would be particularly sensitive to aircraft noise.
We are concerned that aircraft either overflying on a straight line to the proposed third runway or joining a flight path would have an unacceptable noise impact on these two Grade 1 listed Parks in Central London.

We had hoped to enlist the support of The Royal Parks ,or to join them in a response, but they declined as they said that they were focussing on the impact of a third runway on the Longford River which feeds Bushy Park.
Sue Price

The Royal Parks are asking for feed back as part of a public consultation process on possible changes to The Royal Parks Regulations. We would like to encourage you to respond to The Royal Parks ( see below ) and NOT to us ( The Friends Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.)

The suggested amendments to The Royal Parks Regulations, include:

• Introduction of a 20mph speed limit for motor vehicles in Hyde Park, The Regent’s Park, St James’s Park and The Green Park.
• Increase in parking charges in all public car parks in Hyde Park, The Regent’s Park and Greenwich Park. The last rise was almost eight years ago.
• Introduction of ticketless and cashless payments for car parking.
• Minor drafting amendments to clarify the intention of existing regulations, including making it explicit that drones are prohibited outside designated areas in the Royal Parks without written permission, and that barbeques and fireworks are not allowed to be lit in the Royal Parks without written permission.

Further details can be found on: The Royal Parks Website - Amendments to Regulations

The Royal Parks would welcome comments from Friends Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. You can give feedback in two ways:

1. By emailing: consultation@royalparks.org.uk
2. By writing to: Consultation – Regulations Review
   The Royal Parks
   The Old Police House
   Hyde Park
   London
   W2 2UH

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is taking place in London from 16-20 April. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is leading on this event and it requires the Old Football Pitches in Hyde Park as part of its arrangements.

The Royal Parks have been working very closely with the FCO to minimise the disruption to park users and they are pleased to report that the FCO has now approved their request for ‘lay-and-play’ turf to be laid after the event.

This high-quality turf allows reinstatement to be completed and use to recommence more quickly, and as a result we hope that the area will now be re-opened in mid-June.

The speed of reinstatement is dependent on several factors including the weather, and as a result The Royal Parks are unable to give a specific date when the area will be fully reopened. However, they will work hard to complete it as quickly as possible.

Further information on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting can be found at CHOGM2018

The Parade ground has been restored to pristine condition by the award winning contractors following Winter Wonderlands January departure.

Great care has been taken in restoring the Parade ground and one of our Friends chatted to one of the gardeners who was carefully spreading topsoil around a tree. Wonderful to see such attention to detail.

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You may, like me, have known the Albert Memorial all your life or for some of your life, but I wonder if you know what lies beneath?

On 17 April about 22 members found out. On a beautiful spring afternoon the Memorial looked stunning with the gold glinting in the sunshine. After a slightly delayed start as the all important key to the secret entrance was retrieved from its home, the first group got kitted up with hard hats and torches. We carefully went down some proper stone steps and along a smallish tunnel to find ourselves in an amazing almost cathedral-like space with a large brick structure of arches. The structure is in three rings inside each other with a big stone pillar in the middle upon which the statue of Albert sits up top. The brickwork is in good condition as it is not exposed to weather or pollutants or pests of any sort and provides the base for the imposing steps and the memorial itself. We had plenty of time to look around and admire the craftsmanship that went into the building back in the 1860s.

The second group meanwhile had been on a guided tour of the South Flower Walk. We now did this, in the expert company of Teresa Short the interim Kensington Garden Manager. Next a bit of doggie drama when a little dachshund came into our midst and we realised he had lost his owner. I managed to pick him up, Sue Price read out the phone number on his collar and a third member phoned the number! Little Pepper was soon reunited with his young owner –a happy ending. Lots of people were enjoying the sunshine in the flower walk and we enjoyed hearing about the planting and the pests. We admired a very old weeping beech tree which features in the story of Peter Pan and KG.

Accompanied by Richard Price who gave an enjoyable talk about the Memorial both groups then went inside the Memorial’s railings and up the steps to admire all four sides of the Parnassus frieze and the corner tableaux. Along each side one historical figure is seated in the middle indicating that he is the most important one. There is just one lady amongst all the gentlemen, whose name I’m afraid I have already forgotten. I particularly enjoyed looking at all the figures’ footwear – which ranges from bare foot to complex sandals!

Finally we headed to the very attractive kiosk for a drink and a cake (or ice cream) and a chat.

With huge thanks to Sue and Richard Price, Andy Williams (the Hyde Park manager), Teresa and all their Royal Parks colleagues for making this such a wonderful and memorable visit.

The Royal Parks have informed the FriendsHPKG that South Carriage Drive and West Carriage Drive will be subject to closures during the upcoming Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Hyde Park concert series.

The current terrorist threat level remains at severe. We have been working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to review our security measures and we have agreed that closing the roads during the concerts is an essential mitigation measure to reduce all possible risk to park visitors and concert goers.

To clarify:

• West Carriage Drive – will be closed from 11.00am on the 6 and the 7, 8, 13,14 and 15, July.
• North Carriage Drive – Normal and advanced agreed road closures are already in place between, June 18 and 24 July.
• South Carriage Drive – For the safety and security of all park visitors we have also taken the decision to synchronise the closure South Carriage Drive with West Carriage Drive as stated above.

To facilitate the operation of these road closures The Royal Parks will be suspending all on-road parking on event days, and Serpentine and Triangle Car Park will be closed from 11.00am.

The Royal Parks recognise that the closures will cause disruption and they apologise in advance for this. They will be working closely with Westminster City Council, Transport for London and MPS, as well as local and national press to advise the public of the road closures and dissuade people from driving to the area on those days. Our event partners will also advise ticket holders to use public transport.

The Old Football Pitches fully re-opened on Monday 18 June.

The Royal Parks contractors have worked extremely hard to complete the reinstatement works on-time and to an extremely high standard, and they hope you will be as delighted as they are with the fantastic playing surface that is available for public use.

The Royal Parks have also taken the opportunity to install new irrigation facilities and to review the long-term management of the area with their partners at Will to Win, both of which will help them to better maintain the playing surface in the future.

Members with butterfly transects in Hyde Park

The bandstand concerts this summer were a real success. Congratulations are in order to all those who were involved with these concerts. There was a good turnout, excellent music and ice creams on hand.

Trustees of the FriendsHPKG did a fine job of putting out chairs and handing out Friends leaflets. Some were received by courteous Japanese tourists so who knows from where we might get new members! A dad with small children in tow and a baby in a rucksack plus another rucksack staggered into the front row with both hands full of 99 ices.

What a successful project. Obviously hard work for all concerned but well worth the effort.

Member Paul Shelley snapped away and you can see more photos of the concerts in the photos section Click here to see more photos.

The Royal Parks has written to inform us that all park roads will be subject to closures during the upcoming BBC Proms in the Park and BBC Radio 2 Live concert series.
The current terrorist threat level remains at severe. The Royal Parks have been working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to review their security measures and they have agreed that closing the roads during the concerts is an essential mitigation measure to reduce all possible risk to park visitors and concert goers. It is important to stress that there is no change to the current security threat, but it was felt that this mitigation is important to reduce all possible risks at this time.

To clarify:

• West Carriage Drive will be closed from 11am on Saturday 8 September and 9.30am on Sunday 9 September.
• South Carriage Drive will be closed from 11am on Saturday 8 September until 5am on Monday 10 September, taking into consideration normal Sunday road closures.
• Normal and advanced agreed road closures will be in place on North Carriage Drive from Monday 27 August until Friday 14 September inclusive.

To facilitate the operation of these road closures The Royal Parks will be suspending all on-road parking on event days, and the Serpentine and Triangle Car Parks will be closed from 11.00 on Saturday 8 September and 9.30am on Sunday 9 September.

The Royal Parks recognise that the closures will cause disruption and would like to apologise in advance for this. The Royal Parks are extremely grateful for your ongoing support and patience at this time.

The FriendsHPKG have been informed that Transport for London are going to carry out much needed drainage and re-surfacing works in Hyde Park.

To facilitate these works the West Carriage Drive southbound carriageway will close to all traffic from Victoria Gate to Coalbrookdale Gate for 2 weeks from the 24th September 2018. To clarify (for the duration of the works):

• West Carriage Drive (southbound) and Victoria Gate (inbound only) will be closed from midnight on Sunday the 23rd September and will reopen at 5am on Monday 8th October 2018.
• Alexandra Gate outbound will remain open serving traffic from South Carriage Drive.
• The northbound carriageway of West Carriage Drive will remain open, with traffic able to enter the park via Alexandra Gate and leave via Victoria or Cumberland Gate.
• Serpentine and Triangle car parks will remain open. Traffic will be able to gain access from the south via Alexandra Gate but upon exiting the carpark there will be a right turn only, travelling north.
• Policeman’s path will be accessible from the south as above.
• All parking bays on West Carriage Drive will remain operational.
• Cycle routes will be unaffected by the works and will all operate as usual.

Please visit visit TFL website for more information.

By the end of August 2018 many of you will now be familiar with the installation by Christo and Jean-Claude known as the Mastaba. Installed in the Serpentine, Hyde Park, a couple of months ago, it has proved controversial. Will it contribute to the ambiance and character of the Royal Park; will it generate crowds which can’t be managed; will it upset the ecosystem of the lake?

All these questions and more have been posed during the period that it is in place. I decided to go for a look myself one sunny evening in the dog days of the summer. I always love an explore in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and this gave me a purpose for another visit.

It was back in the winter that the Friends’ trustees met the great man himself to see what the project was all about. We recall his other installations that, with his late wife, he deployed by wrapping the Reichstag in Berlin and the Pont-Neuf in Paris. Personally I struggle to get excited about the artistic attributes of the work. But what do I know?

Christo was charming and open in answering our many questions about the potential impact of the massive cropped pyramid of oil barrels that was about to be launched into one of the greatest city water spaces in the world.

A few of my pictures can be seen in the Gallery section, Click Here They serve to give you an idea of how it has turned out. I can’t say that I will mourn its departure when it is dismantled in the autumn. It seems to detract from the sylvan character of the semi wooded spaces serving as a backdrop to the Serpentine. For me the character of a park should be formed by its openness and planting. Perhaps with some small scale feature buildings scattered around.

But it is a short term novelty and one that provides a fun chance to take some shots which one wouldn’t otherwise find in the city. I hope you like these pictures. There is still time to go and see for yourself. Don’t forget your camera!

Paul Shelley,
Accredited Photographer,
Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

The first of 8 bespoke central kiosks is being installed at Ritz Corner (November 1st), ready for opening mid November.

They will stay open longer, will have better services by way of the ability to toast a sandwich and boil some water at the same time, and will provide a little shelter over the serving hatch from rain.

In our recent newsletter we said that we would love more members to contribute their photos. We were delighted to subsequently receive some from member Rosa Davies. Bright and interesting using the light in a way which adds to the pictures.

More pictures taken by Rosa Davies, along with other photos taken by other members and past event can be found in the Photo Section

The Royal Parks have informed the FriendsHPKG of the extensive works planned at Hyde Park’s Serpentine Bar & Kitchen.

A complete refurbishment of the café will take place, including the re-design of the seating area and serving counters, as well as a new outdoor kiosk for the summer months.

Plan of Works:

• Monday 5th November: Scaffolding will be erected to allow work to begin on the building’s exterior. The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen will remain OPEN during this time.
• Monday 7th January 2019 – end February 2019: The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen will be closed to allow for the full refurbishment to take place.

If you have any questions or comments, please email: info@royalparks.org.uk

The Royal Parks hope you will enjoy the improved facilities.

The Royal Parks have shared with us the 2019 closing closing times for Kensington Gardens and Princess Diana Memorial Playground, which can be viewed in this document: Closing times Kensington Gardens & Diana Playground

The new servery in the gardens of Serpentine Bar and Kitchen has been completed. This is now open and serving a full range of drinks, as well as a selected range of hot and cold food.

The work inside the café itself is progressing well, with the excavations and foundations for the back of house extension being completed. The next step is to define the boundaries of the café with a new wall and work to enhance the existing features.

One highlight has been seeing the listed Terrazo flooring being given a new lease of life.

The Grab & Go area will be re-opened at the end February, with the full restaurant opening end March.

The new kiosks at Green Park’s Canada Gate and Queens Walk have been completed, and we are delighted with the results. The range of food they offer has been extended and now includes delicious cookies and banana bread which are proving to be very popular.

Work to install the new kiosk at Hyde Park Corner is due at begin in February.

We would like to thank everyone for their patience during the installations.

Parade Ground Reinstatement & Gas Pipe Installation

Following a series of successful events, The Royal Parks is undertaking works to return the Parade Ground to its previous condition. These works have begun and, weather depending, will be completed before Easter. This work is funded by event organisers.

The reinstatement coincides with the installation of a gas pipe across the Parade Ground. This is essential statutory work, with the Parade Ground forming part of a series of extensive pipe works being installed across London. The work is being carried out by Cadent Gas.

During these works some of the grass areas, as highlighted on the map below, will be closed and access to sections of paths will be restricted – these closures will be clearly signposted

Improvements to West Carriage Drive

The Royal Parks and Transport for London are working in partnership to make improvements to the transport network within Hyde Park. A series of infrastructure works are being undertaken on North Carriage Drive, which will include:

• New line markings creating a bi-directional cycleway on the southern edge of the carriageway, in order to connect the Cycle Super Highway on West Carriage Drive
• Upgrading pedestrian crossing points and resurfacing sections of the footway
• Essential drainage improvements

In order to complete these works, North Carriage Drive will be closed to all traffic from March and, weather depending, will re-open a month later. Both pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained throughout the works.

They apologise for any inconvenience caused.

If you have any queries or comments on any of the works please contact the Hyde Park team:
0300 061 2128 hyde@royalparks.org.uk

Every four years, Royal Parks commission a piece of research which looks at visitor satisfaction levels across the parks. Conducted by leading research company, Ipsos MORI, the most recent round took place between August 2017 and September 2018, when 2,787 randomly-selected park visitors were interviewed in the parks.

Visitors remain extremely positive about the parks, with 96% of all respondents rating the overall quality of the parks as excellent or good. Some of the highlights of the research show:

• 94% rate the quality of the natural environment as excellent or good
• 91% rate the tidiness and cleanliness of the parks as excellent or good
• 99% of visitors feel very or quite safe in the parks

Understanding what it is about the parks that people enjoy, and what additional information they would like, is invaluable information for Royal Parks as guardians of these unique spaces. It allows Royal Parks to plan more effectively, ensure our resources are used in the right way, and balance the needs of our visitors with the sensitive and sustainable conservation of these heritage landscapes.

For more information and to view the reports on Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens please visit Royal Parks Website

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We had a gloriously warm Spring afternoon on April 30th for our annual visit to the Albert Memorial to see parts which others can not get to! We were well supported by a small army of extremely knowledgeable Kensington Gardens staff who made it a real treat. In addition we had the benefit of two members, one who talked us through the Parnassus Frieze and a new member who is writing a book on the Albert Memorial, and as a geologist was able to gave us additional help over the stone work and sources (all from UK ) as well as the semi precious gems part of the stone work.

We had Greg Packman, a tree specialist, to tell us about a few rare trees along the South Flower Walk. One was rather dangerous and one terribly ancient!

Of course the real hidden part underground in the Undercroft was led by Kensington Gardens Manager, Andrew Williams. He talked us through the engineering and with our torches and hard hats on, we were guided through the Undercroft, in the still air and the silence.

We finished up with tea, cake, cookies and ice creams in the sunshine at the lovely kiosk nearby. Nobody was in a rush to go home!

Our very great thanks go to all the staff of Kensington Gardens who made it possible.
Sue Price

The Royal Parks have written to the FriendsHPKG to let us know about the development of their Movement Strategy. It’s their long term vision for how people will move within, access and experience the Royal Parks. Among the things they want to do is increase safety for park users and reduce the impact of vehicles in the parks.

The Royal Parks would like to know what the FriendsHPKG think, so that our input will help Royal Parks shape the strategy. Please review their discussion paper on the Movement Strategy Webpage input by completing the survey before 14 July 2019 or write to the Royal Parks at movement.strategy@royalparks.org.uk.

In early summer, The Royal Parkse asked the public for feedback through a survey around the development of our Movement Strategy. They are pleased to share the results from the nearly 7,000 individual submissions received.

Highlights include:
85% of respondents agree that conserving and enhancing the parks’ special qualities should be a top priority
73% believe that walking should be prioritised over other modes of transport in the parks
79% agree that The Royal Parks should actively encourage and promote sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport as ways of getting to the parks
78% agree that park roads should not be used as commuter routes for cars

Detailed engagement findings are available here… https://www.royalparks.org.uk/managing-the-parks/park-strategies/the-royal-parks-transport-and-movement-strategy

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It will be no surprise that the planned Friends events and AGM have been cancelled.

Cancellations

Sadly, we must start with these.

Our AGM in April and all our planned Spring and Summer programme of events are cancelled. This will not be a surprise but it is still a great disappointment.

Our Spring newsletter will be delayed. It was almost ready for the press when events over took us and the printers closed down. In addition, your trustees, who are responsible for delivering it to you are scattered to the winds!
We are very sorry about this but hope it will be circulated in the summer, in happier times, suitably updated of course.

Good News

Happily, and with great relief, the behaviour in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens has largely complied with the latest guidelines and so it remains open for the time being.

As the Parks are looking spectacular and the sunshine enticing, if you can walk there do, and enjoy them!

CLOSED however are:
Lavatories
Car parks
Cafes and Kiosks
Play grounds and
Tennis Courts

The Royal Parks have contacted us to provide an update on access to the Royal Parks, including access to Kensington Gardens and Brompton Cemetery, which will now close at 7pm daily from 29th March, until further notice

This will ensure that we can maintain adequate staffing levels to maintain a safe and open park during the coronavirus crisis.

The Royal Parks Websites have been updated, you can access further information by clicking on the links below:
Royal Parks Corona Virus Updates
Visitor Information & Opening Times
Royal Parks – Brompton Cemetery

Clear notices are on display at all noticeboards within the Park and Cemetery.

Rest assured The Royal Parks staff team are working tirelessly to ensure they can maintain access to both sites at this difficult time. Our support at his time is hugely appreciated.

A message from Jason Taylor, Hyde Park Manager:

Dear All,
I hope that you and your families are all keeping safe and well.
Firstly, I wanted to give you a quick update on what’s happening in the Park.
As with most other businesses we have reduced the number of staff coming to the park to the bare minimum. From the Hyde Management Team, we have a maximum of 2 people coming into the park everyday and on many days, only one person. Those coming in are driving from home and straight into the park so there is no need for anyone to use public transport.
All of The Royal Parks staff deemed as non-essential to the operation of the parks are now working from home full time. So, the park is very quiet. All the concessions such as boating, cafes, kiosks and tennis are now all closed as is the play area, Diana Memorial Fountain and even the swimming in the lake has had to stop.

All the Royal Parks have focused on keeping that vital 2 meters of separation between visitors. I’m pleased to say that, overall, visitors are respecting this and keeping well separated. But this isn’t terribly difficult when the park is so quiet, its currently 1.30pm and I can only see two people in the park from my office in Rangers Lodge.
The team that are the real hero’s in keeping the parks safe, are the OCS, Grounds Maintenance Team. They keep Hyde Park in shape so the public can enjoy the magnificent green space. It is great to see the grass looking so healthy and green. There are a few off, due to transport or isolation but on the whole, they are still coming in everyday and turning their hands to anything that needs doing to keep the park running. Several measures have been put in place to keep staff isolated including; keeping 2 meters apart in the park, staggering break times, not sharing vehicles, increased hand and general cleaning.
We are keeping Hyde Park open so local people can come for their daily 1 hour of exercise and will continue to do this for as long as we can and are permitted to do so.
Bearing in mind that many of our regular friends, volunteers and visitors are currently unable to come to the Park, Patrick Markey-Bell and Russell Stevens our Technical Officers here in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, have volunteered to give you at home regular updates on the happenings in the park. This will be, from Pat’s and Russell’s viewpoint, and not to be taken as The Royal Park position. I do want to be very clear that these updates are not an advert for people to come out of isolation, they are updates on what’s going on so ‘The Friends’ are kept up to date without having to visit.

Thank you to all the responsible visitors that continue to come to the park alone and in pairs, and for practising the social distancing rules at this time. This will help us to keep the parks open for as long as we can.

We will continue with the updates as long as we are able to come into the park. I hope you that you all stay safe

Jason

Spring Has Sprung in Hyde Park…
As the sun beams down through the emerging buds and flowers throughout Hyde Park there is no doubt that Spring is upon us. Clusters of Daffodils light up the understory while the Magnolia’s show off their pearly petals.
The park is of course unusually quiet for such a sunny day in April but that doesn’t stop the chirping and chatting of birds in the trees. Nor the quacking and squawking of swans and geese along the Serpentines banks. If anything, the chorus of wildlife has grown in volume these past few weeks. The bright blue skies, without a plane in sight, seem to light up the lake, gleaming with reflection. Natural beauty provides a calming remedy in this time of uncertainty. It offers a peaceful place to relax, especially in this seasonal shift.
Although there are less people in the park, some of our smaller visitors have increased in number around our new attraction near the bandstand. After realising the hungry pigeons and parakites were eating all the bird food for themselves, we decided to install a new feeder that prevented larger birds from getting to the food. The feeder is 100% pigeon proof and has certainly caused some frustration among the larger species. This, however, came as a reward for the long-tailed tits and blue tits who were seen happily pecking away at the peanuts and mealworms.

…and in Kensington Gardens!
This blog will concentrate on a quieter part of the Gardens, our ‘other’ flower Walk – The North Flower Walk.
Over the last couple of winters there has been a great investment in this area to open it up and encourage more Park visitors stop by. Once we can enjoy the Parks with more freedom and normality returns, maybe pay it a visit and rest on one of the novel shaped benches.
At this time of year though, nature does not wait, and the fleeting joys must be appreciated in the moment that they are at their best.
The Forsythia’s are at their sulphurous yellow best, like beacons of light heralding the arrival of spring. They’ve benefited from the cold spell recently, as this has helped preserve the flower for longer than usual.
They’re a bit of a Marmite shrub, but love them or loathe them, we should be proud that their namesake, William Forsyth, was the Park Superintendent from 1784 until his death in 1804. The answer to the question you are asking yourself is yes; the more recent and recognisable household name Bruce Forsyth was a descendant of William’s.

Hyde Park is ready for the Easter Weekend
By Patrick Markey-Bell
This year’s Easter weekend is far from ordinary for all of us but in classic British spirit the park ‘keep’s calm and carry’s on’. The birds are singing, and the Serpentine is glistening under the warm sun. As you can see from the photo, new life has already arrived in the park. This spring chick, spotted by Jason Taylor, was found waddling along the banks of the lake.
In preparation for the Easter Weekend and the accompanying warm weather several measures have been taken to ensure people are adhering to social distancing rules. Large banners reminding people to stay 2 meters or more from each other have now been placed at all main entrances to the parks as well as around areas where it can become congested. Other signs have also been put up asking people to control their dogs following advice from the government. The decision was also taken to close all the roads within the park to reduce traffic and provide more space for visitors.

The Royal Parks and its staff have received a wonderful and heartfelt letter from The Prince of Wales, sending us his support and gratitude during these challenging times. An extract from the letter reads:
“As your Patron, I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for the
predicament you face and the many difficult decisions and circumstances
that have to be managed. Above all, I am certain you will be doing your
utmost to maintain the essential elements of all you do so brilliantly, and of
which I am so immensely proud as your Patron.”
Although this is a very difficult situation for everyone right now, it has certainly highlighted the services and people in our society that we value most during crisis, whether that’s the NHS, waste disposal or delivery services. Parks and green spaces have also proved vital for people and their well-being and TRP continue to work hard to keep the parks open during this period. I do believe the future is bright for Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and The Royal Parks, with a new and reinforced appreciation of the multitude of benefits they provide to so many people and communities in London.
It should be noted that these blogs are in no way trying to advertise the park and take people out of isolation, they are simply an update and opinion from the two parks Technical Officers, a presentation of positive and interesting information for all of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

The leaves are out in Kensington…
By Russell Stevens
Last week I was writing about the virtues of the cool weather preserving the floral display of the Forsythia’s for a longer period, but since then we have basked in glorious sunshine and much warmer temperatures. As park management teams, we have developed a rota whereby each member of the team visits the park at least once per week. This means that we really get to see stark changes happening in the landscape on each visit. For the first time, I have really been able to track the course of spring through the ‘leafing out’ of the trees. The process is somewhat exaggerated in Kensington as the avenues are laid out in single species; it started in March with the Hawthorns on the boundary and in the meadows, followed by the Horse Chestnuts. More recently the Whitebeams and Hornbeams have come alive – I love the form of Hornbeams at the moment as their winter skeletal state is being clothed in green. They remind me of a person standing as a lone sentinel, reaching to the sky with hundreds of straight arms welcoming in this year’s clothes – green is always in fashion with these guys! The race is currently on between the Oaks and Norway Maples with the Limes not far behind. We’ll have to wait a little longer for the Sweet Chestnuts and Beeches – they’re always ‘fashionably late’ to the spring ball.

Over in the south of the Gardens, we have been working on some careful conservation works to the Albert Memorial, the Industries, Arts and Continents have all had a clean – we’re looking forward to seeing the Frieze of Parnassus being very fine and showy once again, though currently work is on-hold. In Latin for plant names imperialis means very fine and showy, so how appropriate that right now, the Fritillaria imperialis (commonly known as Crown imperials) would be at their very best just nearby

A Blue and Purple Theme
If last week was all about things very fine and showy, then this week we must have an appreciation for the smaller things. As the trees start to put on their coats of green there is a race against time for some plants to soak up the water, light and nutrients before the trees take it all for themselves.
It’s time to celebrate one of the Nations favourite flowers, the humble Bluebell. In their own right they are mighty beautiful things with nodding delicate heads of blue and a lovely sweet scent to entice pollinators in. How Bluebells got their name is an interesting story, I’m just using the literal translation as a convenient linking point, to contrast last week’s Fritillaria imperialis. Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Bluebells botanical name) has a literal meaning of, “Hyacinth like” and “without any markings” – a very humble name indeed.

If you were to type into a search engine ‘Britain’s favourite flower’, you would find by many metrics, that the Bluebell sits comfortably in the top ten. A truly British native, nothing says spring more than seeing them carpeting under trees in wooded areas. In Kensington Gardens head towards the path that runs along the southern boundary along Kensington Gore heading west from the Albert Hall to Palace Gate to enjoy them now.

For all of its merits, we must beware, there is an imposter about! It’s not that we dislike the Spanish, its just that their native version was somewhat favoured by horticulturists of the past (introduced by Victorian gardeners) – bigger evidently did mean better, for a while at least. The larger successful, ‘Armada Hyacinthoides hispanica’ holds itself more upright with flowers held all the way round the stem. Also a more ‘washed out’ lighter blue colour, as you can see in the picture above.

So, what’s the problem? From a purely subjective and opinion based perspective, I think the native variety are far more beautiful and dainty with ‘bells’ hanging on one side only, giving them their distinctive drooping habit. But, from an ecological view, the two are fairly well matched, and being promiscuous sorts, they hybridise readily, putting the unique genetic characteristic of our native at risk.

For the time being, we’re not actively fighting the invasion by removing Spanish and hybrid bluebells, but as more enlightened selves, there’s now only one choice to be made when picking which bluebells to plant in Kensington Gardens these days…..the native Bluebell ‘Hyacinthoides non-scripta’, above. A seasonal delight, darker in colour, and flowers held on one side of the gently curving stem.

On the Eastern side of West Carriage Drive the purples and blues are also out in bloom…
The bluebells and last of the muscari provide a layer of colour below the giant planes reflecting the morning sun as it filters through the canopy casting scattered shadows across the ground. Large numbers of bluebells are often an indicator of an ancient and intact woodland. Here in Hyde and Kensington the bluebells have been planted, however this does not reduce their attractiveness for people and pollinators!

Although the recently refurbished Lido Café is closed for people, it certainly hasn’t stopped the wonderful French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) from flowering and attracting some of the more solitary creatures in the park . As you can see, the bee has collected a substantial amount of pollen on its back legs and was buzzing happily between the plants along the edge of the lake.

French Lavender got its name from the country where it was developed and continues to be used in perfumes for its calming scent. Interestingly, the fine hairs found on the surface of the leaves and flowers called indumentum, are where the plants charming fragrance comes from.

Lavender is not only used for it’s good looks and alluring fragrance. In fact, it has many beneficial properties and was supposedly used 2500 years ago by the Egyptians in their mummification process. Numerous studies have found lavender oil to contain antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and it is also used in aromatherapy to treat anxiety and insomnia.

If that wasn’t enough already, they are a proven and reliable source of nectar for bees and pollinators, a planting suggestion maybe for anyone with space. A truly ancient and versatile plant that has remained popular among the many cultures it has travelled through. A key player among the bedding in Hyde Park!

PS. This is a weekly blog from the Technical Officers, Patrick Markey-Bell and Russell Stevens, part of the Park’s team. They create them to update our members with the developments through the weeks, of the seasonal changes in The Parks. We appreciate that the majority of The Friends should not, or cannot visit the Parks, these blogs are produced to compensate for that.

PPS From The Bayswater Road Artist’s Association
The Sunday Art Exhibition has been suspended for now, but we will be back as soon as conditions allow. Personally, I’ve been exhibiting full time since 1963, and really miss not being there. Good luck to all Park users!
David James, Chairman

The Enchanting History of Hyde
This week I want to turn the spotlight on Hyde Park’s colourful and intriguing past, in particular it’s early history. I am currently helping develop the new management plan for the park and as part of my research have discovered some very interesting and exciting aspects of the park that may not necessarily be known to all.

Before any name or ownership was given to the area in which Hyde Park now sits it was, like most of England, covered in primary forest. Wild boar, deer and even wolves would have roamed the region. During the Roman occupation of Londinium (London’s former name), between the 1st and 5th centuries, the area of Hyde Park lay a significant distance outside of the small town that had been built on the northern banks of the Thames. In fact, this was the case for much of the park’s history as you can see from the crude but quaint 17thcentury map displaying Hid P (Hyde Park) and Mar P (Marylebone/Regents Park) to the North West of the city. The drawing also shows what is most likely the River Westbourne flowing through Hyde Park, which for many years fed into the Serpentine but was then diverted underground in 1834. I found this map in ‘The Story of The London Parks’ (James Larwood, 1874), for anyone interested in further reading.

The first official mention of the area in which Hyde Park is now found is recorded in the Doomsday Books and dates back to the Norman Conquest. It was documented that William the Conqueror gave to one of his nobles, Geoffrey de Mandeville, the Manor of Eia, an estate divided into three separate manors; Neyte, Eubery and Hyde. It was after this that the Manor of Hyde became property of Westminster Abbey and its Monks.

Like a number of the other Royal Parks in London today, it was Henry VIII who made Hyde Park the property of the Crown and turned it into his own private Royal Hunting Ground for entertaining his guests. During the Reformation and Dissolution of Monasteries in the 1530’s, Henry appropriated large areas of land from the church. This included Hyde, St James and Regents Park and together Henry was able to create a single, uninterrupted woodland from St James all the way to Hampstead Heath in which he could freely hunt. This exclusive hunting ground that was a playground for so many monarchs is of course very different to the way in which the park is used today and portrays just how diverse Hyde Park’s history has been.

Next week I’ll delve into the park’s more recent history and why it is so regularly described as ‘The Peoples’ Park’. Until then, I’ll leave you with a photo of a nesting swan by the Lido on the south side of the Serpentine Lake. With all this sunny weather the park has been given new life, quite literally!

Purple Haze in Kensington…
In recent years on a certain date in April my colleagues across the road in Hyde Park have to manage a mass gathering of (mostly) younger members of our society, all of whom share one particular value. The current measures meant that there was a lack in activity on the Parade Ground this year, so it was of some surprise to me whilst I was inspecting Kensington Gardens this week to come across my own purple haze!

The purple haze to be seen waving in the background of the coppiced woodland area between Henry Moore and Peter Pan View, is a block of Siline dioica (Red Campion). Their success is a response to an increase in woodland floor light levels and availability of water, a result of pruning the trees to the ground in this area (do not worry, the trees will grow back). The Silene will soon be joined by Digitalis purpurea (Foxgloves) as their flower spikes can be seen to be starting to develop strongly too. Both are signals of landscape conservation in action.

Quite nicely, folklore tells us that the flowers of Silene guard bees’ honey stores. This must mean that by folklore alone, we have many bees’ stores being guarded, another signal of succeeding in achievement towards the aims of the management approach to benefit invertebrates. Folklore also tells us that Silene protect fairies from being discovered, so, if you do not believe that any truth lies behind J.M Barrie’s tales of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, I present you the evidence! The fairy’s resident in Kensington Gardens are all well protected and can go about their business undiscovered.

A purple haze of fairy protection

Another trend grown in recent years is the appearance and proliferation of parakeets throughout central London. One of the urban legends on how they appeared, relates to an individual that was particularly famous for his Purple Haze. I am of course referring to the story of Jimmy Hendrix releasing a pair of birds in the ‘60’s. They seem to have become the bird to feed for some of our park visitors, where once upon a time people flocked to the parks to feed our native songbirds.

You will be glad to hear that the purple haze I am referring to, is a very welcome one and a real success story in terms our recently introduced woodland management approach to the Long Water wildlife enclosures. We’re currently working on an interpretation panel for you to visit, read and learn from in the future, so I won’t give away too much of the detail here, but amongst the aims of this woodland management approach is to encourage habitat for our native songbirds. There’s hope yet that our bird loving park visitors could once again enjoy seeing more of our native feathered friends.

Patrick Markey-Bell and Russell Stevens, Technical Officers, Hyde Park Team

Hyde Park: The People’s Park
Last week we uncovered the very beginnings of Hyde Park and its transformation into a royal hunting ground for monarchs and various landed gentry. Since then, the park has evolved from a space exclusively used by royalty to one that is ‘for the people’. So how did this evolution in landscape and function occur?

A pivotal moment in Hyde Parks history was in 1637 when Charles I opened the space to the general public. This gave way to a wealth of developments and landscape changes across the following centuries that attracted an increasing diversity of people to the park to socialise, relax, play, and converse. Back in the 17th century the focus of fashionable life within the park was found at “The Ring”, a dusty road where you could drive and parade around, showing off your latest horse or outfit. Nowadays we have the Serpentine Road that serves as an equivalent promenade, although with fewer horses and carriages!

Since the parks opening by Charles I, Hyde Park has been the ‘Stage of London’, hosting countless events and entertainments of various scales throughout the centuries. One event in particular dramatically raised the profile of the park and set the bar high for events to come, The Great Exhibition of 1851. The ‘Crystal Palace’ designed by Joseph Paxton was the largest building in the world at the time and showcased every aspect of the Victorian era and British Empire, from the most prized artwork to the most innovative technological inventions.

This week there is exciting news for the legacy of The Great Exhibition as TRP’s Learning Team have just launched a virtual reality recreation of Hyde Parks Crystal Palace. This educational and immersive project now allows you to take a virtual tour of the 1951 Great Exhibition building, finding out facts, stories and images along the way. Take a look for yourself by following the link: www.royalparks.org.uk/exhibitiontour. It is fascinating to be taken back in time and marvel at the scale of the building, it’s vibrant atmosphere and wealth of exhibits.

Events have now become what Hyde Park is most famous for, whether its rock concerts, protests, educational walks or sporting events. Although this year’s events calendar may not be as busy as normal, it is interesting to reflect on the history of events throughout the park, through photos, stories, and now even virtual reality, to allow us to appreciate the space and understand why it is so aptly named The People’s Park.

And in Neverland…
Last week we discovered how the fairies of Kensington Gardens are well protected by the Silene growing in the Long Water enclosures. How aptly timed that I should be writing this ode to Peter Pan today, May 1st, exactly 108 years since the unveiling of the Peter Pan statue, and 1 year to the day since it was unveiled after a project to improve its accessibility and landscape setting.

If we were to follow the literary references, we would be calling the Long Water, The Serpentine, but of course, we do like to ensure the distinction is made, and call the stretch of water West of the Serpentine Bridge by its Kensington Gardens name.

In J.M Barrie’s book (Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens) there are many instantly recognisable features mentioned; The Broad Walk and The Round Pond are prime examples. But where is the Baby’s Walk or The Figs? Where do the sheep get their hair cut and Picnic Avenue?

Some locations are very real and have simply had their names changed as per the creative licence offered to the author by writing in the fictional context, whilst you would struggle to find any trace of other locations. The Baby’s Walk would be known to all of us as The South Flower Walk but The Figs do not exist. It may be of some surprise to learn that the place where the sheep get their hair cut, at the time of writing the book, was a sheep pen. It is now one of our behind the scenes areas, and is known to those who work in The Parks as The Leaf Pen. These days it serves as a collection point for compostable materials from across Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, St James’ and Green Parks, Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens where we create a high quality mulch for the shrub and flower beds and to spread across the grasslands to improve the soil structure (with the help of the worms).

The location of Picnic Avenue in the book is one of our more wild areas in the Gardens, where we now have Heather re-establishing itself, although you’d be forgiven for thinking from its description that the reference was to the actual Picnic Lawn on the opposite side of the South Flower Walk.

If you are lucky enough to be able to take your daily exercise in Kensington Gardens I’ll invite you to be curious. If I were to point out all the notable places as we pass up the Broad Walk, it would be time to turn back before we reach them, and I simply wave my stick at Cecco Hewlett’s Tree, that memorable spot where a boy called Cecco lost his penny, and, looking for it, found twopence. There has been a good deal of excavation going on there ever since.

Farther up the walk you’ve probably seen the little wooden house in which Marmaduke Perry hid, but never thought about its previous use as a police hut. It is a poignant tale: Marmaduke Perry had been ‘Mary-Annish’ for three days, and was told to appear in the Broad Walk dressed in his sister’s clothes. He hid in the little wooden house, and refused to emerge until they brought him knickerbockers with pockets! (Mary-Annish is behaving like a whimpering girl)

It is not inconceivable that buildings in existence at the start of the 20th Century would still be in existence, but I find it amazing that the exact Weeping Beech tree in which Peter took shelter to sleep in after falling in a puddle is still growing strongly in the ‘Baby Walk’ AKA The South Flower Walk.

I should not spoil the mystique too much more; whilst we are still in lockdown, it would be worth digging out or maybe somehow getting hold of the JM Barrie classic, ready to ‘rediscover’ Kensington Gardens at your pleasure when it is safe to do so.

PS From Andy Williams, Manager Kensington Gardens
On a related matter a regular birder to Hyde and Kensington Gardens keeps this blog going daily which you may find interesting, though of course many of you may already know of its existence.
https://kensingtongardensandhydeparkbirds.blogspot.com/

Everything to hope for
It has been proclaimed that we are past the peak. We wait with bated breath for news when we can start to live with slightly more freedom once again. The weather is fine, and the birds are singing. There are new beginnings. There is hope.

Hope has many manifestations when looking around Kensington Gardens, from both our built and natural environments.

The largest homage in the built environment can be found sitting staring stoically over the Italian Gardens, as he has done since he was demoted from Trafalgar Square in 1862. So why is the statue of Jenner such a symbol of hope? Jenner was at the forefront of the emerging science of immunology, and his research into cow pox lead to the development of a vaccine for smallpox, giving rise to the scientific technology we rely on today. Whilst scientists around the world are racing to find the vaccine we so desperately seek in these times, we can give thanks for the genus of their science by saying thank you to its father sitting quietly, keeping a watchful eye on his plinth in the Italian Gardens. He is the embodiment of our future hope by way of the vaccine we currently need.

Much to be hopeful for in the natural environment
The peace and quiet of recent weeks have done nothing but reinforce our connection to the natural environment.

Some areas of the Gardens have their grass cut as little as once a year, allowing the grass and other meadow plants to flower, increasing invertebrates which bolster the entire ecosystem. There are numerous other positives to the relaxation of mowing regimes, but it is a close balance that must be kept. These are managed landscapes rather than wild countryside, but I hope everyone will agree that it means that these days, central London feels a little less like central London, and more of an oasis to contrast the pressure pot.

Country in the city. A carefully managed landscape to provide balance.

Despite Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens being so central and surrounded by busy roads the space continues to teem with life and it is a joy to see the wildlife flourishing as the weather changes. After the dry spell throughout March the long-awaited rains last week seem to have awoken the park into a dazzling display of green. Perhaps it is the reflection of water across the leaves, or a sudden injection of goodness from the ground, but it is certain that the recent rains have brought new growth and colour to the park.

It is not just the flora that is blooming, the fauna of the park has also been busy. During an inspection of the Dell Dam I was pointed towards a coot’s nest, perched on the edge of the outflow to the Serpentine. From what I hear this is a popular site for the birds who come back every year to nest in the corner of the arch, despite the precarious position. You can’t teach a bird new tricks, I guess?

Further along from Fisherman’s Keep I found our Senior Wildlife Officer, inspecting a Swan that had plucked up the confidence to create a half-hearted nest behind a bin just off the lakeside path. Not a particularly safe or smart location for a nest. Nevertheless an egg had been laid so we placed some barriers around it for protection. As we watched the nest, I was told of the legend that gave the mute swan their name. As the story goes, the birds are completely silent throughout their lifetime, only to sing one beautiful song just before they die. The ‘swan song’, although intriguingly poetic is of course a myth and the species do in fact have a variety of vocal sounds contrary to the tale.

As I continued my patrol along the south Side of the Serpentine I heard a distinctive call coming from within the reeds in front of the Diana Memorial Fountain. Darting between the golden stems and feathery flower spikes was a reed warbler, two in fact. There have been a number of nesting pairs on the lake for some years now, using the park for their summer breeding ground. On top of their enthusiastic calls they are also an an indication of the successful creation of the reedbed in providing a suitable habitat for specific species. See the wonderful photo Ralph Hancock took of the bird for his daily blog.

A male reed warbler within the reedbed by Diana Memorial Fountain. Photo taken by Ralph Hancock for his blog:
https://kensingtongardensandhydeparkbirds.blogspot.com/

Finally, on my return to Rangers Lodge I noticed small arrow-like shapes darting and diving through the air above the lake. After a closer inspection I was able to make out the sickle-shaped wings of swifts picking insects out of the air with effortless agility. Swifts are another of the park’s migratory species, flying all the way from their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. The birds follow the rains to take advantage of rapid changes in insect populations, their primary food source, and remain in the UK for the summer until insect numbers drop. The return of the species each year is a positive reminder that Hyde Park is a truly global attraction, and not just for people!

With the Government recently releasing its Lockdown Easing Plan there has been a noticeable change within Hyde Park over the course of the week. Under the new guidelines The Royal Parks have been working to open some of the sports and catering facilities that were temporarily closed during lockdown. Following strict social distancing rules, a number of the park’s kiosks have been allowed to reopen, as well as the ‘Will to Win’ Sports Centre, for Tennis only. The Serpentine Swimmers Club has also been allowed to resume swimming at the Lido, which I am sure will be a relief for those dedicated members that swim there so religiously.

Hyde Park has also hosted a mobile COVID-19 testing site along North Carriage Drive. In collaboration with the Army, Police and Westminster City Council the road has been turned into a temporary drive-through testing site, remaining for one or two days and then moving onto its next allocated location.

Along with amended and clear signage and messaging we hope that the public can continue to abide by the social distancing rules while enjoying the park in all its glory.

On my way through the Rose Garden the other day I couldn’t help but stop and smell the enchanting fragrances lingering in the air. Having opened in 1994, the Rose Garden is distinguished in the UK for its design and superb variety of roses and herbaceous planting. A tranquil and colourful part of the park it continues to provide a contemplative space for visitors to relax and awaken the senses. One rose that caught my attention was the gloriously crimson coloured flower you can see in the photo (potentially the Rosa Redoute, but this is not confirmed!)

…it is all a matter of your point of view

Last week I explained that over time we have relaxed mowing regimes to benefit the habitats and ecosystems that exist in the ‘wilds’ of Kensington Gardens, and, looking at the photograph that went with it, you would be forgiven for thinking it was taken way out in the surrounding countryside rather than near the centre of the great metropolis. It is a matter of your point of view.

Somewhere in my memory bank is the dubious ‘fact’ that the view from the Kings Gallery in Kensington Palace through the Gardens is the longest uninterrupted view in Central London. This view has the name of ‘Front Walk’ and as lowly enjoyers of the Gardens, were most likely to see the inverse view from Buck Hill. We may be humble, but I would say our point of view is better than the regal one. From Buck Hill we get to enjoy the Henry Moore Arch and a view over the Long Water, delights which are deprived of the viewer in the Palace due to the topography of the land.

Whilst certain features are hidden from view in the Gardens, others are lost. Behind the point at which the photographed view of Front Walk was taken, is a feature of the Gardens that today forms not much more than a shallow fosse, The Bastion. The Bastion was one of the defining features of The Gardens on separation from Hyde park in 1728 – a ditch with brick wall or Ha Ha was built to enclose the formal Gardens from the ‘hoi polloi’. Used extensively in more rural Landscape Gardens, Ha Ha’s have the function of forming a seamless visual transition from the Garden to the countryside beyond without the need for ugly fences to keep the livestock out. They are completely hidden from the point of view of their patron, but in themselves represent the height of craftsmanship and engineering. There are many parallels to be seen with dear old Henry Moore…

The Gardens are designed to please – but who exactly gets the most pleasure?

As humble servants we get to appreciate the view to the Palace, but with enjoyment of greater benefits from views not seen from it.

Dear Friends and Supporters,
It’s many weeks since I last wrote to you. I have been able to take a back seat while our two wonderful correspondents at large have been writing a weekly blog for you. I think actually, that although they are Royal Parks technical officers, with their writing skill they could easily have a career change into the world of journalism.

Patrick (Markey-Bell, Hyde Park) and Russell (Stevens, Kensington Gardens) are support staff for the Parks managers which means they turn their hands to almost anything. In Russell’s case I believe he is also a standby Wild Life Officer helping in emergencies and occasionally feeding the pelicans at St James’s Park at the weekends.

They have entertained, fascinated and most importantly kept us in touch with each other and the Parks.

We have had dozens of messages in response from all over the world and I have tried to reply to most of them. I am so sorry though because I have slipped up on a few and so, if you haven’t heard from me, do try again and I apologise for not getting back to you all.

IT’S ALL ABOUT DISTANCING!
From the very earliest days, even pre-lock down when there were crowds on narrow paths and some observed bad behaviour, our managers were consistent in wanting to keep the Royal Parks open for all to use. Not so the case where several local authorities closed their parks.

This policy of staying open being paramount meant often fast-changing arrangements and signage being put out as hastily as possible.

As the Parks remained open as places for fresh air, exercise and a breathing space, even though busy, members have told me there were always out of the way spaces and odd times of day which they discovered could be quiet for a relaxed visit.

All decisions which had to happen were guided by the headline above. And so, the massive number of closures of facilities within the Parks followed, I am sure all of you who visit regularly are well aware of these, are down to the guidance from the Government and agreed amongst all the Royal Parks staff.

EASING UP A LITTLE!
The getting back to (a little more like) normal is now in progress.
And so the following are good news stories.

Kensington Gardens: Closing hours are back to normal for this time of year.

Kiosks and Ice cream: Some of these have reopened.

Cafes: All of these have reopened (except Serpentine Bar and Grill) for a limited take away menu. Tables and chairs, inside and out, have had to be removed because of the Distancing message again. Fingers crossed the sun keeps on shining.

Tennis: Will to Win has reopened for tennis but under very strict arrangements which can be seen on their website. These limits are the same for all tennis clubs and mean that the pressure is on for bookings. There is no access to the Pavilion except as a way through.

Swimming: For the members of the Serpentine Swimming club early morning swims are once again allowed. Unfortunately the Lido cannot yet open for the public as arrangements over the changing facilities are the same as for all public sports centres and are not yet manageable.

Dogs: After initial confusion and mixed messages “Dogs under control” is now the guidance and I know our very many dog walking members will be happy about this. You might be interested to know that Richmond and Bushy Parks have now brought in a “dogs on leads only” rule until after the deer birthing season is over as there were many terrible incidents.

Policing: Numbers are up and our own Parks police have been assisted by MPS, mounted police, and diplomatic security police as well. The latter only work from patrolling cars so you may wonder why they don’t step out. They have had a tough job, enforcing, but with as light-handed a touch as possible, the guidelines when crowds were not allowed to sit or sun- bathe. You will have seen plenty of coverage in the media.

Parade Ground: This area of newly laid turf has now been reopened having been kept lightly fenced for longer than usual as the police were finding it difficult to manage the wonderful but enormous area.

Summer Planting: The plants were there, but would they be able to be moved into their summer bedding scheme positions? The excellent news came through fairly recently that, yes, this magnificent logistically highly complex exercise could go ahead and it is now in full swing. The teams of gardeners are self-distancing naturally as they spread out over the Parks.

SOMETHINGS ARE STILL DIFFERENT!
You will have noticed a lot I am sure.

Public Lavatories: Still closed (all down to the distancing issue) and likewise Playgrounds:

Weekend Road closures: All the roads are closed to allow more space especially at pinch points (for example The Serpentine Bridge) and to allow park visitors to spread out and avoid crowding. Closing the roads frees up a surprising amount of space.
North Carriage Drive is permanently closed and on two days during the week there is a drive through Covid-19 testing site here.

Santander Cycle Stations: are locked at weekends, also designed to reduce the crowds.

Car Parking: is closed at weekends obviously but also during the week. This is to discourage visitors from driving for long distances to the Parks making them crowded and unmanageable.

Key workers: Apply for permits and can use the car parks, these include the Police and front line staff who manage the Parks for us to enjoy. You will remember that we have been encouraged to return to work but not to use public transport if at all possible.

LOOKING AHEAD!
As things open up a little more with each announcement from the Prime Minister (and hoping that we don’t have to go back into the strong version of lock down) we will all notice that several things have changed.

Cycling and electric bikes and all scooters are now being actively encouraged. All Royal Parks have noticed a massive increase in cycling in both our Parks, and unfortunately not always obeying the rules. Some of this is due to first-time cyclists in the Parks, some just because they need more of a nudge. This will, looking forward, be something which will have to be managed. Signage, encouragement and ultimately enforcement will all have to take a part. Luckily we don’t have to suffer “sports cyclists” who are intent on breaking speed records because we have enough speed humps .

THE STARS OF THE SHOW
I have already made mention of the managers and the gardeners. These are part of the teams who have kept the show on the road for us all. The management of the Parks has been run by a skeleton staff who were able to travel to work, avoiding public transport, and distancing themselves as best they could. I have had a report of one member of staff cycling round to check all central London Parks (including Victoria Gardens by the Palace of Westminster) plus Hyde and Kensington and even Brompton Cemetery added on for good measure. To all of them we have been so grateful for keeping us informed all the time, reacting quickly to changing circumstances as they arose and listening to the problems fed to us by members. (Usually these involved joggers and cyclists not behaving as well as they should).

To Vinci too who have managed to keep the Parks clean and free of litter with a very reduced number of staff we send our thanks. Vinci look after all the maintenance, buildings and surfaces in the Parks.

And to OCS who are the Gardeners in both Parks we send masses of thanks. Their numbers turning up have hardly dropped with ingenious ways to get to work being organised. I have written to them to send special thanks on all your behalves. They have managed to keep up the gardening by spreading themselves around and not needing any particular special measure while out and about. They look after everything which grows and it is these things which have so lifted all your spirits during the last months.

And to all of you. We have so missed seeing many of you at our normal summer treats. I know the members of staff have missed us too as the various dates have come and gone. All these were due to be sent to you in our Spring Mailing, which, as you know, was thwarted as it was just about ready to go to press.

Today, the editor and I are having a meeting on line in order to explore the possibility of sending a digital form of our newsletter. We also need to think of the group of members for whom we don’t have email contact details. And when I looked at the contents just now of the Spring newsletter plenty of it looks like ancient history!

Through all these difficult times we have come to appreciate these lovely and very important spaces more than ever and I think most of you would join me in thanking heavens that we’ve got them! We have fine trees, specialist planting, and acres to wander freely in.

With my very best wishes to you and all your friends and families and hope you all stay fit and well.

Best wishes,

Sue

Sue Price
Chairman
Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

LOOKING AT THE WATER
The watery features of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens can almost be taken for granted, such is their vastness, but this week we’ll take an insight into how we manage the water bodies of The Round Pond, The Long Water and The Serpentine.

You’ll undoubtedly appreciate The Long Water and Serpentine are inextricably linked by the fact that the only difference is the name given to them either side of the bridge, but did you know that The Round Pond is also part of the same water system? Did you realise that the Serpentine/Long Water has a flow? And did you know that the water doesn’t all come from rainfall?

The head or top of the system lays on the western side of The Round Pond. Have you ever seen the two mushroom like structures in the water and wondered what they are? These are the inlets for fresh, icy cool water, which is pumped from way down in the chalk aquifers below London from boreholes at the Italian Gardens and near the Lido. We can control the amount of water going in by either twiddling with some knobs and buttons in the Italian Gardens Pump House, or by programming a very hi tech computer at the Lido.

The main aim of pumping water into The Round Pond is to ensure that the water quality remains to a very high standard, and that the water doesn’t stagnate or overheat in the summer, which can cause algae to grow, which would also unbalance the delicate ecosystems. Patrick and myself undertake regular inspections looking for tell-tale signs that everything is either in or out of balance, and adjust the flows accordingly.

Imagine now that this is the start of the waters long journey towards the Dell, flowing through the Round Pond and eventually out of the grills at opposite side of the pond. It then tumbles through pipes down the slope under Front Walk toward Chamberlin’s Piece, where it is discharged into the Long Water. Here it joins water flowing from another input at the Italian Gardens and heads towards the Serpentine Bridge Where it enters ‘the other side’…

Before you cross over though, we should stop and take note of the character of where we have come from. The Round Pond is a very formal landscape feature, and is a mecca for swans, geese and ducks. It is a fairly peaceful place for them all to coexist, and because they aren’t provided with the right habitat, no breeding happens here. It is a favourite spot for our wildlife office to release injured swans for rehabilitation, safe in the knowledge that there will be no competition for mates, and the general bullying tactics used by swans to ensure they bag the best female. It could be said that it is a place of monastic sanctuary for them!

The Long Water by contrast has a wide array of habitats and sheltered spots, and with its wild margins is a sanctuary for breeding populations of all waterfowl and passerine birds. There are reed beds, overhanging trees, shallows and beaches, which provide the perfect habit for the invertebrates that for the bottom rung of the food chain. It is a blessing to the wildlife, but of course a curse to the human viewer, who is denied access to the coppiced woodland margin, which I have previously written about. A King Fisher bank was installed in 2016 below the Henry Moore, but I believe we’re still waiting for our first resident to take up lodgings.

It starts with a mushroom………clean, cool water from deep below London helps manage water quality through The Parks.

On to the other side now, to see where the water goes….

Although the Long Water and The Serpentine Lake are named differently, they are in fact the same water body and as Russell has alluded to, inextricably linked. Whatever Russell decides to adjust up at the Italian Gardens will therefore have an impact further downstream in Hyde Park. Pumped up from the ground via the Round Pond or one of Hyde’s pumping stations the water eventually makes its way to the Dell Bridge, where it silently exits out of the penstock at and into the cavernous tunnel that connects with the Thames. There is of course an outflow under the Dell Bridge itself, although this is rather ornamental and only provides a refreshing top up of water for the carp in the Dell Pond below.

The water system that we see throughout the two parks today has not always been this way, however. Originally, the small Thames tributary, The River Westbourne ran through the parks, bringing water from the catchments surrounding Hampstead Heath and Kilbourn (see the map from 1970). Before the park was even properly established the river was dammed by the monks of Westminster for fishing and water use. It was then decided in 1730 by Queen Caroline to completely dam the river and create a recreational lake. As London grew in size and density the river became more and more polluted leading to its diversion underground, where it has remained ever since, quietly flowing under our feet. This obviously resulted in a required change of water source for The Serpentine and Long Water, which ended up coming all the way from the Thames and after that a Well over in St James Park until 2011 when the boreholes were created.

In contrast to The Long Water which is characterised by its areas for wildlife and conservation, there is much more activity in and around The Serpentine. From swimming, boating, and fishing the lake is used by many people for recreational purposes, although this has had to pause in recent months due to Social Distancing issues. Up until relatively recently you could even ice skate on the lake. A sign, perhaps, of the changing climate. Despite the increased activity on the lake there are many valuable habitats within The Serpentine. For instance, the Island, although artificial, provides an undisturbed space for birds to nest and take refuge. I have also been told that the island provided the inspiration for Neverland in Peter Pan, an intriguing anecdote, considering its relatively small size.

The recent dry weather has shown how influential water can be in a park and has placed pressure on the some of our natural features. Looking forward towards predicted drier summers and wetter winters the water management across Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park shall have to adapt and adjust to protect its water bodies and water availability. Fingers crossed we get some rain soon, but we can certainly appreciate the water we have in the park right now, whether it’s popping up out of The Round Pond or irrigating the newly planted bedding; it’s life giving properties are essential!

Lockdown Fridays on my Bike

Not living close to the Parks, I have experienced an urge to get back into Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for another ramble with my camera. As the easing and gradual unlocking is rolled out I felt safe and within the rules to peddle in from East London for an explore.

Riding through Trafalgar Square and up the Mall with almost no other traffic was a joy and the anticipation increased as I crossed through Hyde Park Corner and in among the trees.

The Parks never disappoint. I won’t dwell on the frustrations of seeing other cyclists ignoring the signs and riding wherever they fancied. That’s another story, but I can assure you that I wheeled my bike everywhere I was supposed to – although I felt like I was the only one. Anyway, enough of that. What I want to share is some of the fun encounters and uplifting stories as I mooched from east to west, from Park Lane to Kensington Palace.

There’s never a dull moment in the Royal Parks and your Chair, Sue Price and I have enjoyed many fun days sampling the cafés and interviewing dog owners throughout the year. The last two weeks have been sunny, warm and dry. Firstly, I had a chat with a charming Russian lady who was taking selfies in the HP rose garden and spoke of the beautiful flowers in London compared to Russia where “there is still snow”.

Then ride and push past the waterfall at The Dell, which is looking at it’s best at the moment, took me by the Serpentine to the Lido Café. The café was refurbished over the winter and reopened by Colliccis early in the year. It is such bad luck for them in having a new venture which was offering a super range of tasty meals shut down at the beginning of its existence by forces beyond their control. So, I was delighted to see them reopening with a take away counter. I was able to convey my best wishes to the friendly barrista and I really hope to be back soon. The location of The Lido by the water with spacious table layouts might be a tempting destination before too long.

Onward to Kensington Gardens and the Albert Memorial where I spotted a keep fit enthusiast skipping on the steps below Albert. He was happy to be snapped and I was delighted by the juxtaposition of old and new in the lea of the Albert Hall. He introduced himself as Lanks and we had a chat. The following week I spotted him engrossed in a yoga session and got another “old meets new” photo.

Round the corner near the South Flower Walk I noticed a beautiful police horse riding in to help supervise the ejection of an undesirable from the undergrowth. That was dealt with speedily and efficiently by a couple of cycling police, giving Asher and his master time to get acquainted with Edie, the nervous corgi. It was so uplifting to see a policeman happily spending time with his beautiful horse teaching a dog that there was nothing to fear.

Time was getting on and so there was just time to take in the long view along the Flower Walk which is looking spectacular at the moment. Parasols were being opened as I pushed back onto the South Carriage Drive and worked my way home through a deserted Mayfair and Carnaby Street.

Cycling in London is liberating at the moment. I was already looking forward to the next excursion. The Parks keep on giving and the staff are doing a magnificent job in the face of huge pressures from lockdown rebels and financial restrictions. But it’s at a time like this when their importance really becomes apparent.

Paul Shelley,

Accredited Photographer,
Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

TREES in The Parks
Trees are the body of a park. They define a natural landscapes character, its shape, colour, and smell. They are what attract people to green spaces, for their towering and twisted figures, knotted crowns, and artists pallet of green hues. Trees are also what bring life to a park. They harbour biodiversity, filter pollution out of the air we breathe while at the same time emitting oxygen into the atmosphere. They are all round great living and breathing beings and so this week Russell and I are going to introduce you to some of the ancient woody characters we have across the parks and the benefits they provide for both people and wildlife.

In Hyde Park, and in fact across the whole of London, the notorious London Plane, (Platanus acerifolia) is the most common tree by a mile. A ‘marmite’ kind of character, plane trees are proud, distinctive figures, growing to over 30m in height and creating dramatic avenues to walk down. However, when spring comes around the dreaded dust (fine hairs that help spread pollen) that floats off the leaves and seeds of the trees can be almost suffocating! Planted in the Victorian era the planes were a popular choice for their tolerance against pollution and now line most of the city’s streets.

Opinions are divided over the benefits plane trees provide. On the one hand their huge size and density of wood allows them store up carbon from the atmosphere much more effectively than other species, helping mitigate climate change. They also catch a lot of the pollution that seeps into the park from the surrounding roads. On the other hand, they provide little support for biodiversity in the parks. Despite their ecological pros and cons they do have significant historical value and it is safe to say their grand structure and gnarled branches create a sense of awe when strolling through the park.

Although it may not feel like it in some parts of Hyde, there is more to life than plane trees. Much of the Tyburn Meadow area is made up of the common lime tree (Tilia x europaea) and majestic English oak (Quercus robur). Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) make up almost ten percent of the trees, although these two species have sadly been hit by a combination of disease and pests. There are also some intriguing exotic species that have been planted over the years. The Champion Zelkova within the rose garden is particularly impressive, and supposedly one of the largest specimens in Europe.

One tree species that might surprise you by its presence in the park is our English elm (Ulmus procera), back from the dead with new superpowers. As many of you may be aware the English elm was devastated by the Dutch Elm Disease but thanks to some clever artificial breeding and our knowledgeable Arboricultural Team we now have several new and resistant elm trees in Hyde. Under the jazzy name ‘New Horizon’ the species is a hybrid cultivar of the Japanese Elm and Siberian Elm. This is surely a progressive move and a sign that we can replenish and rewild our parks and woodlands once more with those native species that we so cherished.

Now onto Kensington Gardens where some ancient individuals reside…

Protecting our Veterans
Kensington Gardens is a very special place regarding its trees. We are lucky to have around 4200 contributing to cleaning the city air. They grow in a mixture of formal avenues, copses, wooded areas, and as stand-alone specimens.

You will notice a mix of ages of trees around the Parks, and it is important to have a succession of age classes to ensure a resilient stock. This is to safeguard a healthy supply for the future of older age class trees in the Parks. As trees get older, like us, they become more characterful, and they have the potential to provide more of everything; from photosynthetic ability (to provide more oxygen) from their larger canopies, and consequently more shade for us, to supporting more in both number and variety of insects and other fauna.

It is important to recognise that the most valuable trees are the ones that are gnarled, have become wider with fat trunks and have dead and decaying limbs attached, all characteristics that as humans we try to avoid as we grow old!

I will try not to confuse with too much technical language – but here in Kensington we have around 40 of these trees that display these sought-after characteristics and are called Veteran Trees. Veterans are like Ancient Trees, except that they lack the important factor of being exceptionally old-for-species.

You will find a decent collection of these Veterans in the area just to the South of the Peter Pan statue, with the greatest number being of Castanea sativa (Sweet Chestnut). Although these trees have been growing for many hundreds of years, and so have stood the test of time itself, they, like all of the environment around us, exist in an incredibly delicate balance, and as they enter old age, we need to be able to protect them from the growing pressures they face in such a public and accessible place.

In recent years several of the most vulnerable trees have received the benefit of fences to protect their bases. Foremostly, this is to provide relief to the root zone. Like us, the roots of trees respire, and take oxygen from the air in soil to do this. One issue with the growing popularity of the Parks, is the increase in the number of feet, each one compressing the soil a little more with each passing, squashing the air out. Some of the trees were starting to go into noticeable and rapid decline because of this, so the fences relieve this pressure. We have also erected a temporary fence around this area to give relief generally to the ground, as the compacted ground was becoming bare of grass and eroding in the rain.

Fencing off the trees also gives us the opportunity to manage the positive features of Veteran trees – dead wood. Removing the risk of public interaction with the trees means we can leave dead wood in the crowns, which is not a good approach in open parkland for obvious reasons! The dead wood provides rare habitat for beetles and other rare insects. The tree can also go through its natural cycle of aging, without us having to interfere too much, meaning we can tolerate higher amounts of decay in the tree without having to remove it. The decay is caused by fungi, many rare, and allows for lichens, mosses, and other epiphytic flora. This all supports birds, bats, and other mammals higher up the food chain.

Some trees do not have fences, but we can also let them go through their natural aging process – instead, they have a natural people and ground relief ‘installation’, brambles! These occur naturally because of leaving the area under the trees to grow and naturalise and have the added benefit of providing nectar for pollinating insects and berries for birds and mammals.

In the world of trees, it’s a good thing to get shorter and fatter with age….

One of our Veteran Castanea sativa (Sweet Chestnut) trees protected with fencing.

Further from the path edge is a different tree in a different type of enclosure of cleft sweet chestnut ‘Sussex’ style fencing. This houses a true champion, an Acer campestre (Field Maple). These trees are normally found in hedge rows and are a lot smaller than this free-standing specimen. It is hard to tell, but it is thought to be approximately 200 years old – particularly old for a tree of this species. If you take a visit, you will also notice that the leaves are much larger than those you find in hedge row specimens. Again, it is unknown if this is due to the environment it is sited in, or, if it has some special genetics. In any case, we are offering special protection to this champion, to ensure it remains in the best health for as long as possible.

A true champion, the Acer campestre (Field Maple) safeguarded for the future

Walking in Kensington Gardens

As I live on the western edge of Kensington Gardens, this is where I take my daily stroll, Hyde Park is for Significant Expeditions. Whether I walk clockwise or anti-clockwise there are certain points to be noted each time. These vary with the seasons; in the winter I can see the Palace as soon as I enter, its mixture of grandeur and cosiness never fails to cheer, in the summer with the leaves full out it is more like entering a tightly wooded copse, secret and mysterious.

Today I am going clockwise, so up the tulip tree walk, facing the Palace, thinking of King William catching his death from a chill started sitting in one of those window seats, remembering sledging with wildly enthusiastic small boys on the slopes to my right. I finally bought a proper sledge, it never snowed again in their childhood. Up to the Round Pond, are the grebes about? any ducklings? Once, magically, walking after a family lunch with three small blond cousins we found terrapins. The youngest cousin was terrified.

Left at Speke’s memorial and down past Captain Forsythia. I’ve spent too much of my gardening life trying to contain exuberant forsythia to really appreciate the man but this path is worth it for the glorious spring blossom, saving us the need to go to Japan. On past the now empty spot where once, briefly, was the cleverest art installation: a circle of bronze tree stumps, 3D printed from a C17 drawing. How complex and amazing is that?

Today I am turning right along the north bank of the Long Water, waving to Edward Jenner, one of the great benefactors of mankind and ejected from Trafalgar Square for being insufficiently military. Quickening the pace a little now as heading for a special treat, newly discovered; nodding to Peter Pan, too early to be bothered by tourists at the bird feeding point, enjoying the sight of the William Kent garden gazebo I come to the reeds by the Bridge. Here I take a long pause to listen to the reed warblers and torture myself with the thought I might see one. Which I won’t.

Now up the slope to the Serpentine gallery, lamenting that this year there will be no temporary pavilion, which has been such an amusing addition to our cultural life, and on to the humps and bumps which are all that remains of the Mount, hence the name of the gate there. In the spring this is where to find a good display of bulbs, including the elegant pheasant-eye narcissus.

Now on the path south of the shrubbery that will become the Flower Walk, we are on the home-straight, which is full of good things starting with the feeling of being on a less trodden path than its busy northern counterpart. The borders behind the Albert Memorial have always been well stocked, with beautiful camelias and magnolias in the spring. The new planting has really taken root now and this year had a fabulous display of white peonies, captured in Paul’s recent blog.

Further on down the path, are two strictly seasonal pleasures. The first is out now, a philadelphus, the second is long over, the winter sweet, whose honeyed smell makes being out in the cold and rain entirely worth it. One final little area, just before joining the main southern path is a little patch of bulbs where in turn one finds snowdrops, white fritillaries, little blue stars, cyclamen and then colchicum in the autumn. Once past these my thoughts turn to home and breakfast.

Readers will doubtless be incensed that I have missed out all their favourites but that is part of the fun of the Gardens, so much variety crammed into such a small space. However, I hope that this personal snapshot has stirred some happy memories.

The Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park Flower Show
The last two weeks have been busy in the parks. People have picnicked, protested and partied as the parks remain a vital space for people to relax, play and congregate, all at a distance of course. As the lockdown restrictions continue to ease there is a sense that summer has finally been unlocked, quite literally.

Despite the recent heat wave, Hyde and Kensington have been given an injection of colour and floral delights by the newly planted bedding now on display in various pockets of the parks. Our grounds maintenance team have worked hard to prepare and plant the beds scattered around the park and considering the blazing sun over the last few days must be commended for their efforts and skill.

Bedding
No, not the type that you sleep under at night, but the seasonal planting displays that form such an important and intrinsic feature of our beloved Royal Parks.

These seasonal displays have been fashionable since the Victorian era, when there was an explosion in the variety of exotic plants bought back by plant hunters from their globetrotting adventures. What better way than to show off all the new introductions than to put them on display, changing them twice (or in some cases three times) a year to retain interest, and ensure that the tender exotics don’t get killed off by the damp, cold British winters.

If you are a regular visitor to either park, you’ll notice that we change our bedding twice per year, in October, for displays through winter and spring, and then again from late May through June. So, being in late June as we are,
it is the summer displays that form our focus this week.

Rose and Exotic bed in Italian Garden

Here in Kensington Gardens, our main bedding displays are situated in the South Flower Walk (or the baby walk if we think back to our J.M Barrie references), and at the Italian Gardens in the north east corner of The Gardens.

I am lucky enough to be able to exercise some design flair at the Italian Gardens and involve our apprentices in coming up with the designs for these areas. The Pump House beds (the ones either side of the Pump House building) and the Rose Bed and Urn (the round bed opposite the Italian Gardens cafe) are my “babies”. The rose bed is so named as it was once exactly that, but I’m too new to The Parks to have ever known it to have roses planted there, so I find the name amusing.

The pump house beds are designed to evoke a sense of a sultry hot summer, using a range of dark foliage set against yellows, reds and oranges (re banner photograph). The Rose Bed has been planted in an eclectic mix of subtropical plants including lots of bananas, cannas, and dahlias. If you’re lucky enough to be able to visit, take a wander down the flower walk and to The Italian Gardens to appreciate the displays laid out for your enjoyment this summer.

The display in the South Flower Walk stretches from the Albert Memorial all the way to Palace Gate (with a few break points), a distance of over 400m (that’s over 1300 feet in old money). At the Albert end it is a zingy technicolour explosion of contrasting colours, designed to reflect the bling of the memorial it sits in the shadow of (remember our Crown Fritillaries being “very fine and showy” back in the spring?).

As you move west towards Palace Gate there are areas of clam subdued cool colours, perfect for reflecting on the day whilst sitting on a bench. These are contrasted with the more exuberant tropical plants as you head towards the exit point at the bottom of the Broad Walk. The Assistant Park Manager has the pleasure of ordering these plants and setting out the plans, and this year, we have run an internal competition between some gardening staff and the park management team to see who came come up with the best design.

EmBEDding colour in Hyde
Over here our inhouse horticultural expert, Phil Newcombe, hand picks an array of annuals, perennials, and even tender sub-tropical plants to fill each area with life.

The Victoria and Banana Bed

The largest section of bedding exists up by Victoria Gate, in the North-West Corner of the park and is certainly looking spectacular (see photo). The commonly named ‘false banana’ plant (Ensete Ventricosum) stands out with its characteristic banana-like leaf blades and adds an exotic feel to the border. The design is, however, much more complex than at first glance, with almost 20 varieties of plant selected for just this one bed. The lantana evita provides a powerful red on top of the orange begonia’s and echinacea, radiating warm hues. A delightful sight if you are passing by.

On the opposite side of the path you can find a small, but by no means inferior, bed designed by one of our own apprentices, showcasing their newly learnt skills and knowledge. The Royal Parks take on a number of apprentices across several of the parks, (including Hyde and KG) each year. Working for the ground’s maintenance contractors while at the same time studying at Capel Manor College they gain both practical and theoretical horticultural knowledge and skills required for the management of a parks and gardens. In the bed designed by the apprentices summer flowering foxgloves stand out among the lower lying cosmos and dahlias, and provide for instant colour and height.

The Apprentice Bed

A focus this summer in the bedding has been on the use of plants that can be reused which therefore reduces the waste and energy required each season to grow and replant. An example of this is over in the rose garden where you can find the beds lined with French lavender This is a personal favourite of mine, and one that will no doubt be making an appearance again in coming years, which I am sure the bees will be happy about!

The Parks at night
I find the parks delightful during the day, but I find them even more enchanting at night. Having shaken off my fear of the dark during a spell in the Territorial Army, I now love to spend time in the parks at night. They are so much more peaceful than during the day, and in some ways more beautiful. Here I describe some of my experiences.

Setting off on a late night run, I enter the park at Victoria Gate. Beginning the run on lit roads is not dissimilar to roads outside the park. Getting slightly off the beaten track is where the magic begins. I head past the Old Police House, which still has a gentle glow to it. I pass nearby New Lodge, now rented as a private residence. Dwellers are home, and it feels like I am passing a cosy cottage in the middle of the countryside. In the darkness of subsequent paths I see glimpses of the moon through the trees, and the only sound is that of the trees rustling in the wind.

I head to the Serpentine. The moon shimmers on the dark water. At first glance it looks like all the waterfowl are asleep on the surface, but on closer inspection there is a hive of activity as they bob around in the quiet waters.

As I run along the south side I spot my first human being, resting in the dark on a bench. Bats buzz around my head, just visible in the barely-lit sky.

I head back round into the centre of the park, and out of nowhere I stumble across what appears to be an impromptu party. A group of Eastern Europeans are dancing to Europop around a small lantern. What might normally be annoying is somehow surreal and almost beautiful. I pass them like watching something go past the window whilst travelling by train.

Other times I have taken a stroll in the dark after a long day sat at the computer. I have encountered other musical extravaganzas. One time, tucked well away from paths, I came upon what must have been close to 100 people being entertained by a small acoustic band. Somehow I didn’t find this a problem; it was all part of the surprises one encounters at this time. As I walk on the path south towards The Lookout, I see what I think are lights placed onto the path. I get closer and I see that they are actually the tops of gas lamps, an optical illusion with the dip of the path.

The gas lamps are one of my favourite things of the park at night. They glow so beautifully in a way that no modern light ever can. We are so fortunate that they were saved from presumed removal and are now retained as a listed feature.

During more normal times my wife and I find delight in returning from an evening in the West End by bicycle. Enjoying a traffic-free route from the Embankment, we cycle side-by-side, chatting away, and head up Constitution Hill to enter the park at Hyde Park Corner. It feels like a different world. We cycle along Serpentine Road with nobody else around and now in almost silence, just the whir of our wheels. Those gas lamps make us feel like we have gone back in time to a simpler and gentler era. My mind imagines the alternative modes of transport we could have taken: the brash lights of the tube or the noisy roads from within a taxi, and I consider how fortunate we are to have such a blissful and pleasant end to the evening.

I haven’t mentioned Kensington Gardens, because it is of course closed at night. I am reliably informed this is just as, if not more beautiful, partly because of its complete absence of lighting at night. The only exception being the circling police car with its spotlight, hunting for those who may have overstayed their welcome.

I hope you have enjoyed this, and whilst I encourage everyone to experience the same pleasures, I also secretly hope that my enjoyment of the parks at night continues to retain its silent and quiet existence, with so few others around.

EVENTS in the PARK – Past and Possible
Hyde Park’s events, throughout the ages, have characterised the space, and are arguably the defining feature for this particular Royal Park. From Pink Floyd to Taylor Swift, Rock and Pop concerts have attracted millions of fans to the famous Parade Ground. The BBC Proms provide an eclectic mix of live performances, while the bandstand has recently been revived by none other than the Friends Group for a selection of intimate concerts. And of course, there is Winter Wonderland, now a small city of lights, bars and arcades, as well as the Serpentine Swim and Royal Parks Half Marathon. A busy calendar that attracts people from all over the world.

This year, however, the majority of the park’s events have had to be cancelled. Over the past two weekends when BST was supposed to have taken place, music would have been blasting across the open parade ground to thousands of dancing revellers. To not have these iconic events is devastating, especially considering how much The Royal Parks as a Charity relies on them.

One event that has been able to take place, albeit much more low-key, was the 15th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombing. The morning was very appropriate and heartening with the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and Cressida Dick, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, among others, laying floral wreaths at the base of the memorial. With the summer sun rising in the sky the leaning shadows of the 52 metal pillars were projected across the ground, adding an ethereal feeling.

This week also saw the reopening of the Serpentine Swimming Club, which I am sure has been very much welcomed by the dedicated swimmers who take the cold plunge throughout the year. It was a pleasure to see people joyfully swimming in The Serpentine again.

If any of you have taken a wander in the parks this weekend you would have seen our new signs promoting the #summerofkindness campaign. A TRP wide campaign, we hope to engage people in three core principles; enjoy the park, be kind to others, and respect the environment. As the parks have been placed under huge amounts of pressure in the past couple months, especially from excessive waste, the charity aims to promote a kind and respectful attitude while visiting the parks.

NATURAL LIFE in the Parks – Present
Kensington lacks national memorials and events etched on to the national psyche, but we do have living national heritage.

The year is racing by faster than I could ever have imagined. When we went into lockdown, we had just experienced the Spring Equinox, and we were all looking forward to longer evenings. The longer days also make for an explosion of life in the natural world. The plant and animal kingdom have a mad dash to complete their lifecycles and reproduce, exploiting the additional light, warmth and residual ground moisture before the days shorten and next winter is upon us.

It has been nearly 3 weeks since the summer solstice, and our longest day, and although it may feel like summer it has yet to begin for many of us, in the natural world, much of the growth has hit is zenith.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the meadows of Buck Hill, where today you can see a large range of wildflowers on display at the moment.

A meadow in the city. The Knapweed seems to be particularly popular with the butterflies, a Meadow Brown and possibly a Common Skipper seen having their supper.

The most conspicuous colour at the moment comes from the low green-yellow froth of Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) which drifts through upright purple clumps of Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra). Dotted between them are the flat white heads of Common Yarrow (Achillia millifolora), and Red Clovers (Trifolium pratense) making a welcome appearance low down in the thatch. Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolate) is just starting to go over to seed, and the Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is welcome here, with its delicate trumpet flowers painted with a touch of pink.

All this diversity, and much more was on display to me in a small 2m x 2m area, and it provides vital nectar, habitat and larval feed plants for so many of our native invertebrate species. Of the two most obvious at this time of year, one makes its presence known by sound rather than sight. The grasshoppers and crickets make a sound that even drown out the noise of the busying city in the background. The butterflies do not seem to be having as good a year as last, but there is still plenty fluttering about the meadow, gorging themselves on the plentiful nectar supplies.

Heard but not often seen, is it a Grass Hopper or a Cricket, even after asking an ecologist I still can’t tell the difference!

Soon enough though, the wildflower display will have passed, and the seeds will be ripening, ready to create the future generations.

The Buck Hill meadows are the most ecologically rich meadows in Kensington gardens, and as habitats a vital part of ensuring that they can continue to exist is to make sure that they are managed appropriately. Once the wildflowers have set their seeds in August, the meadows shall be systematically cut back hard. The ‘hay’ created will then be left for the seed to fall out for a short time before the hay is gathered in. It is important to do this as the thick bladed grasses compete for light, ground water. The think bladed grasses also thrive in soils richer nutrients – the purpose of removing the hay is to remove a source of nutrients (the decaying vegetation). Wildflowers thrive in nutrient poor soils, and this also prevents the regeneration of the ground back towards scrubby woodland. To help the wildflowers further, in the spring, we also undertake a harrow. This scarification process cuts into the thatch of the meadow, opening it up, beating back the thick grasses and encouraging the growth of the wildflower plants. These processes have been undertaken in recent years using a traditional low impact method using Shire Horses. We hope that they can return soon, as we have missed them during the Coronavirus mitigation measures.

The Royal Parks have produced the most magnificent bedding display for the NHS outside Buckingham Palace.

Red, white and blue, the much admired bedding scheme at Buckingham Palace was all ready for the big plant out. The geraniums, some of them breathtakingly tall, and other patriotic coloured plants had been beautifully tended for a year in the Hyde Park nursery.

It was time to recognise the amazing work being done by all those people who have so carefully tended to the very sick during this terrible pandemic.

Royal Parks Director, Tom Jarvis, asked Nursery manager, Mike Jones, who asked assistant Park manager, Rob Dowling, to put on a gardening thinking-cap.

Blue and white plants were chosen with a whole summer survival rate in mind and two beds (for symmetry) at the Palace were reorganised to be tilted.

Please do click on the utube link to see how they designed and planted it:
The Royal Parks’ Buckingham Palace flower beds tribute to the NHS

A specialist nursery in Cornwall was commissioned to produce this high profile carpet bedding and the rest you can see in this blog.

You will see many familiar faces enjoying clapping for the NHS!
Clapping for NHS

A Farewell for now from our Technical Officers and Bloggers

Pat from Hyde writes…
The past 5 months have been a little strange, to say the least. Having only joined the Hyde Park Team in December I have now spent longer working in lockdown mode than not. The height of lockdown now seems in a distant past, but despite its challenges, there have been numerous silver linings and positive outcomes. One of which being our weekly blogs for The Friends.

Beginning as a simple idea, we thought it would be helpful to update you, members of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, on the two Parks as the pandemic unfolded. If we could, in some way, connect to those of you who could not reach the wonderful green spaces of the Parks, then we could maintain the joy and interest we all receive, albeit digitally. The weekly update evolved however and Russell and I soon found ourselves writing about everything from water management, trees, events, and meadows, and what fun it has been! Having the opportunity to write freely about the comings and goings of Hyde Park, its history and ecology, for the benefit of The Friends, has been a privilege, to say the least. I have certainly learnt a lot about the Parks, and I know, from some of the member’s wonderful comments, that the blogs have been well received also. We thank you for these.

The blog, however, has not been the only positive thing to come out of the two Parks over the past 5 months. Within Hyde Park, the 10-Year Management Plan has been given an injection of energy from our new landscape officer, Nic and is now almost in its final reviewing phase. With this plan in place we will be eligible for a renewal of our Green Flag Award, the benchmark national standard for public Parks and greens spaces in the UK. What is more, the objectives and projects outlined in the plan will help guide us through the next ten years, ultimately improving the parks aesthetic, ecological, communal, and historic value. In good time the plan will be made available to the public and will definitely be worth a read. The context section is especially interesting, describing in detail the history of the Park with some curious and captivating illustrations and photos.

With the release of TRP’s Transport Strategy we have also seen some major changes to the Park’s roads. Under close monitoring and consultation, the closure of North Carriage Drive is now being trialled, with the aim to close it completely to vehicle traffic. This will free up more space for pedestrians and cyclists and allow the old Victorian road to be redeveloped in a more Park friendly way. Reducing traffic in the Park is a priority and we hope these radical road closures will steer us in the right direction.

On top of this, the Swale, a type of sustainable drainage system has been completed up on North Carriage Drive and will improve the drainage of rainwater runoff from the road, while at the same time producing a number of ecologically beneficial ponds for wildlife. If you have a spare moment, the design and engineering of the Swale is worth a closer look

The Swale, Hyde Park

As we look forward to the coming months and years there is a lot in store for Hyde Park. From restoring the bandstand, to improving the biodiversity within the Tyburn meadow area, redesigning the Serpentine Road and rationalising the Broadwalk. The plans for Hyde Park over the next ten years will see some long awaited and progressive changes, while keeping in mind and ensuring the preservation of the Parks historic value.

Earlier this week I stayed in the Park after work to meet some friends. We grabbed a drink from the new Lido Café and sat down on a bench overlooking The Serpentine. It struck me at that moment, as I shared it with friends, how impressively beautiful Hyde Park is. Working everyday in the Park, it is easy to pick up on the things that need improving or fixing, but sometimes, it takes a step back to appreciate the landscape and all its intricacies. A Park, known all over the world and one of London’s most popular tourist destination. We are truly lucky to have access to such an incredible and flagship green space and we must continue to look after it and improve it for generations to come.

And Russell from Kensington Gardens writes…
Well, as our workload increases back to ‘normal’ once again, I will miss giving ‘The Friends’ little seasonal snippets of information about Kensington Gardens. The last few months have been different, to say the least, with all of us having our flexibilities and resilience well and truly tested and I would like a final chance to reflect on the positives that have come from this.

Personally, I feel that the rhetoric around the importance of green spaces has gathered momentum during this period, which I hope is taken forward by all of society to secure not just a positive future for The Royal Parks, but for all green spaces nationwide. I am proud to be in the privileged position to serve all Park users by being part of the custodianship of this fantastic green oasis in the middle of London’s hubbub.

Wonderful wildflowers

Having the opportunity to come up with a regular narrative focused on The Gardens has ensured that I have become even more familiar with the landscape – shamefully I had never actually ready J.M Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan of Kensington Gardens’ until I wanted to string together a blog detailing the links between the book and it’s inspiration! I even dusted off my ‘Latin for Gardeners’ book to explain the etymology, naming of specimens found growing in the Gardens. This has also led to research into some of the great names associated with Kensington – Forsyth and Jenner to name a few. The whole concept of writing a blog has been a great mind and knowledge expanding experience.

It has been humbling to receive the many words of thanks for the work we have undertaken to bring you these short stories, and it goes a long way to underline the importance of engaging with our stakeholders, sharing our knowledge and giving insight to our daily lives in the Parks. An aspect I am keen to take forward is the sharing of information via fixed point interpretation, and now that other TRP teams are getting back up and running, we have started to work in earnest on providing analysis of the Long Water enclosures and the veteran trees. Giving people knowledge and an understanding of the intricacies of how we manage the landscape, is key to influencing the decisions and behaviour of the public that will help us in our mission, to protect these landscapes for future generations.

For now, we’ll get back to our day jobs, but with a greater understanding of the importance of taking time to reflect and share – this isn’t the end!

Patrick Markey-Bell
Technical Officer, Hyde Park

Russell Stevens
Assistant Park Manager & Technical Officer, Kensington Gardens

It’s the end of a chapter…. …but certainly not of the book!

I couldn’t describe with any better words than Jason, Pat and Russell have written for this, their final, blog.

We have been so grateful, cheered up, informed and intrigued as, each week, they’ve come up with new and unexpected things for us to read. So much research went into some of their offerings, at times I worried about their day jobs!

I know they had, in pre Covid life, co-operated on water quality inspections but the regular postings meant that they got together much more than they would have done formerly. Pat told me how much he had enjoyed learning more about Kensington Gardens.

Lynden has put together, edited, sometimes gathered photographs and worked round all the intricacies of Mail Chimp to produce this weekly treat for everyone. A member called to say how beautifully professional looking the Mail Chimps had become and Lynden deserves all our congratulations on raising standards every week.

Our photographer, Paul Shelley, often needed to supplement our members blogs on ‘their’ weeks with photos which he was able to whip out of his, now very full, Parks picture library to give Lynden a choice of what she felt would fit in best.

And to our member bloggers, who were able to give us insights in their own words about what was special to them, a very big thank you. Not one of them was anything except unusual and very enjoyable….excellent reads. Thank you to you all.

As things relax a little on numbers for open air events, I am hoping that perhaps, in the early Autumn, we might have a chance for our members to meet Pat and Russell on their home turf. Watch your Mail Chimp Box!

In the meantime, although we are all having to follow rules and cannot yet fully relax, I hope you are all getting through this very difficult year and beginning to be able to enjoy a few more aspects of Park and London life.

Best wishes to you all,

Sue Price
Chairman

A SUMMER OF KINDNESS

The Royal Parks launched their campaign in July following an extraordinary few months when “our” two Parks, Kensington Gardens in particular, were almost overwhelmed with visitors who were desperate to get some fresh air and exercise.

Unfortunately, not all have been well behaved and you will know by now from our Blogs that extra tonnes of litter have been left in their wake.

We also understand, from our members reports, that cyclists are a problem, using every inch of path and grass as easy routes, with no consideration for anybody else.

So #BeKindtoYourParks was launched in July and you can see it on our website. It is also worth exploring to enjoy a video of Kensington Gardens manager, Andy Williams, doing a ‘walk and talk’ about the volume of rubbish. His presentation is interesting and his lock down hair very impressive.

All our members and families are true Parks’ friends and so this campaign is certainly not aimed at you. If it’s a slight consolation, every London park is reporting the same difficulties. Not all are lucky enough to have our wonderful teams of Vinci Cleaners and OCS gardeners to keep things in order.

We will pursue and report back to you on the off piste cyclists.

Below you can see Trustee Joanna Clark’s breakdown of statistics to show just how enormous the rubbish problem has been. Joanna is our representative on the Safer Parks panel which meets regularly with the police.

THE SAD STORY OF LITTER

While lockdown has brought many more people into The Parks who for the first time may appreciate our glorious London Parks, it has produced an unfortunate side effect…..soaring levels of littering!

An astonishing 258.4 tonnes of rubbish was collected from London’s eight Royal Parks in June alone – the equivalent in weight of 20 new London buses, or 74 elephants.

It took staff 11,078 hours (the equivalent of 15 months) just to clear the litter – in addition to the time spent emptying bins.

Park managers have reported never-before-seen levels of littering every day, including plastic bags, pizza boxes, glass bottles, picnic items and PPE, even office furniture and a Christmas Tree in Kensington Gardens.

The levels increase particularly on warm evenings and over sunny weekends. This is despite increased numbers of bins in place, more frequent emptying to accommodate greater volumes of rubbish, and staff starting sometimes as early as 5am to ensure the parks are pristine when the majority of visitors arrive.

Sadly, this waste, apart from being an eyesore and disruptive, can cause real harm to the environment and the wildlife. Plastic waste can get worked into the ground, plastic bags blow onto waterways harming waterfowl, and wildlife can ingest items causing them pain or even death.

Unsightly litter spoils the parks for others and is a strain on the charity’s resources.

In response, The Royal Parks is launching a ‘Summer of Kindness’ campaign, to inspire visitors to care for the 5,000 acres of historic green spaces as we head into the summer holidays and more hot weather is predicted.
Tom Jarvis, Director of Parks at The Royal Parks, said: “It’s been truly fantastic to see more people enjoying our parks and getting closer to nature for a spot of R&R, to keep fit or to spend time with family and friends in the fresh air. The downside is the litter. We’ve never seen anything like this. Every day we wake up to unprecedented levels of litter and so we’re asking everyone who visits the parks for a bit of help to spread some kindness this summer and help us look after the environment. Binning litter or taking it home will keep the parks beautiful places for everyone to enjoy – and will help ensure that our incredible wildlife continues to thrive and stay safe.”

PS
Be Kind to the Friends!
Have you any skills you would be willing to use to help the Friends out?

We are now looking for a Newsletter editor and would also like to strengthen our Board with trustees who can give us help, time and some much needed energy!

To talk this through and explore possibilities, please email:
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

The Royal Parks have a launched a Summer of Kindness campaign, with the key messages: enjoy the parks, be kind to others and respect the environment which they hope make people stop and think about the impact of their actions on the parks. The more people who support the campaign the better!

Several digital assets have been launched on social media, one of which can be accessed below:
Be Kind to Your Parks Clip 1

You’ll see more content on The Royal Parks website, in the media and on our social channels and you can access the press lease here: BeKindtoYourParks Press Release

The Royal Parks have asked the FriendsHPKG to help spread the word and ensure the parks remain safe havens for our incredible wildlife and beautiful places for everyone to enjoy – any support you can give would be very much appreciated.

Please visit The Royal Parks website – BeKindToYourParks for more information.

The Friends have received the following letter from the Royal Parks regarding the cancellation of Winter Wonderland 2020

2 September 2020

Good morning, I hope my correspondence finds you well.

As you are aware, we have continued to liaise with our major event organisers and key partner agencies during Covid-19, whilst following Government guidance closely.

It is with a heavy heart that our partner and promoter IMG have made the incredibly difficult decision, with our agreement, to cancel Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2020.

We have been working together with IMG in the hopes of being able to move forward with this years’ event in a responsible manner, without compromising the magical attractions, shows, rides, and experiences that make the event so special.

However, in light of ongoing health concerns, travel restrictions and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and considering the size and scale of this event, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland cannot be delivered in the way that the millions of people we welcome each year have come to know and love.

I would like to thank you for your understanding, patience, and ongoing support over the past few months whilst we explored all the options to try and make The Royal Parks 2020 events possible.

Yours sincerely,

Alun Mainwaring

Head of Events and Filming

Kensington Gardens Manager Andy Williams tells us: “The teams are coming back to work into offices where spacing allows.”

The Gardeners (OCS)
have worked throughout as has the Vinci team which is responsible for cleaning and maintaining buildings. The appalling levels of dumped rubbish has somewhat reduced.

The Parks Toilets
have all re-opened. All are attended and closed for short periods during the day for cleaning.

Staff accommodation
redevelopment of the stacked portacabins, “temporarily” installed about ten years ago, which provides mess facilities for all the garden and maintenance staff, was due to be replaced in the Spring. This project is now on hold but the portacabins are in such awful condition, following years of delays, that some work must take place.

The Playgrounds
have now re-opened with arrangements for Covid spacing.

The Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground (DPWMP) will be closed for its annual maintenance for a week on 2nd November. Normally this would take place in the Spring. Numbers here are limited to 200 to 250 people at any one time to help everyone spread out.

The Galleon, and other popular play equipment is getting worn and due for a major refurb. However income has disappeared and the Royal Parks are now relying on reserves. A decision will be taken soon about whether funding can be found to rebuild this old favourite.

The playground at Buck Hill is looking lovely and is in great condition.

The Italian Gardens Cafe
nearby has a few indoor tables available to add to those outside. The takings here are drastically reduced.

North Flower Walk
was notorious some years ago for antisocial behaviour. Horticultural experience and re-designing has changed the area’s atmosphere altogether. On a sunny day this week there were plenty of family groups and toddlers playing. Four tree trunks from the Park will be brought here and transformed by a chainsaw sculptor into a pollinator bench, a centipede balance beam and a spangled water beetle. More fun to be had.

Any photos, especially with children playing on them, would be welcome. The sculptured trees will appear sometime in October or November.

Long Water
woodland management continues. A pond dipping platform is to be installed as well as an interpretation board to explain what’s going on.

The Serpentine and Sackler Galleries
have re-opened with limited alternating exhibitions.

Kensington Palace
also has limited opening hours. Work has stopped on their sunken gardens.

Mission Invertebrate
continues to be funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery and the fourth year is about to start.

Graffiti
and criminal damage in August alone cost £1,178 to remove and repair. There were 17 separate incidences.

Horse Chestnut
trees are sadly not doing at all well and many are now dying. Tetradium Danielli (Bee bee tree) seems to like conditions here though, so may feature some more.

Peter Pan’s
meadow was wonderful during the summer. It has now been mowed and time is being allowed for the seeds to drop before the hay is gathered.

Parakeets
have been fed enthusiastically close by along with squirrels and pigeons. The ground has been completely worn away and trees were dying from the compaction. The whole area was gradually more and more fenced (go to this spot to see a wide range of types including cleverly diverted iron railings). Now the ground has fully recovered and looks positively lush.

Luckily there is a dearth of tourists, who I think had this spot and activity down as a ‘must do thing’ in London. So the parakeets might be going hungry but everything else is breathing a sigh of relief.

Grass
had also gone missing from around the Round Pond. The site of gigantic picnics helped along with copious drink and other substances during lockdown was awful and there was no end of mess to clear up. This week there is a haze of green over the whole area. There was also the sad sight of police divers trawling to try to locate clothing and possessions belonging to a lady who was found very early in the pond on a late August morning having ended her life. She has still not been identified.

South Flower Walk
is full of blocks of blazing coloured Autumn flowers and stunning salvias, there are spaces ready for seasonal planting and the foliage is just turning.

I hope you find this KENSINGTON GARDENS news round up interesting and useful.

It’s the turn of HYDE PARK next week.
My very grateful thanks to Lynden Easton for setting up and sending out these blogs to you all and to Paul Shelley who takes the wonderful photos.

Sue Price
Chairman

The Parade Ground
Since all major events have been cancelled, there is now an inviting open space which has become the target for all sorts of illegal activities.

There have been protests, attempts to take it over by campers, and a go at setting up a music festival complete with a stage, loudspeakers, and plenty of lorries on site. All these were illegal and thanks to police intelligence some of them were cut off quickly. These involved thousands of people, and plenty of violence, it is a terrifying thought that this part of London could become a ‘go to spot’ to start any kind of activity of this kind.

When they have notice, the managers have been able to close roads, shut the Park early and there has been, especially recently, a high level of police support. About 250 tactical support officers turned up to the last demonstration about two weeks ago and moved the thousands of protesters on. The Parks police are not equipped for such large violent crowds and are relieved to have this level of support. There were many issues being protested all at the same time, a nightmare.

Good news stories
Rotten Row had become so worn it was unusable for horses. The MOD has provided 100% funding to renovate a stretch between West Carriage Drive and the Dell. On completion they will also provide income to help maintain it.

The ride had become compacted with large lumps of rubble risen to the surface which I understand were remains of the Blitz. It was sloping down to one side so the sand drifted downwards and the edges had collapsed. The rubble has been crushed and forms a stable base, edging boards installed and 150ml of height is being moved from one side to the other. The sand is being cleaned and reused and more sand brought in.

It is an entirely sustainable project with nothing at all being disposed of.

North Carriage Drive
Now closed to traffic for a trial few months. It has been the site for some months of a Covid testing station.

A Swale has been designed and built to take heavy rain water away from the road and spread it over the grass to create a marshy environment which will become the home to special plants and insects. It develops mini waterfalls in heavy rain.

Planting will continue to grow to soften the edges and a small tweak to the design will stop one section becoming a permanent unintended pond.

South Carriage Drive
Closed for the time being. The London Mayor put a cycle track along the length of Park Lane which went across the Queen Elizabeth gates. There is no safe way out of them now.

Major Events
Are all cancelled and there are no small events either. So it follows there’s no income from these. Winter Wonderland was the major contributor to funding. Staff levels have dropped accordingly.

The Information Kiosk
Situated at Hyde Park Corner was run by volunteers who are mostly members of the Friends. We hope it might be able to reopen if Covid-secure arrangements are possible.

Serpentine swimming
Open for members of the club after a closed period. However the public swimming at the Lido was not able to reopen with the necessary safety measures in place.

Improvements to the clubs changing facilities, long planned for the near future, are now on hold as funding has evaporated.

Wimbledon winners might emerge from the ‘Will to Win’ Tennis centre (we could do with another tennis star) which is also open for bowls and PADEL. Or you could just relax at one of their many tables spread out in their gardens, enjoy a coffee and admire future champions.

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen
Quiet and very well organised. It’s the first time I have ordered and paid on my iPhone, and magically the food arrives in about five minutes, so no queuing.

Tourists
Now thin on the ground so it is quiet at the boat house although all craft are shipshape and ready for a possible influx of potential Olympic oarsmen during staycation half term.

The Lido cafe is also open
Will be my next port of call so will report in another blog, if I make it after all this eating and drinking. Do support them all, they need encouragement from us.

Liberty Drives Charity
Sadly been wound up. Does anybody have a fairy godmother, or possibly more usefully a charitable foundation or trust which might be able to fund the running of this small fleet of vehicles? They are designed to give less mobile visitors a chance to see round the Parks and have been immensely popular and always solidly booked. They will be badly missed.

Bad Behaviour
I have not dwelled on this except to confirm that the police have issued dozens more penalty notices to ‘off piste’ cyclists during this period compared to the same time last year.

The next thing to raise your blood pressure is the influx of electric scooters which our officer has told me are already all over the Parks in large numbers and will only get more numerous if we look at other capital cities.

The police numbers are up to strength and have extra support from other branches including diplomatic police who you may have seen in their bright red vehicles ….which they never get out of!

Robberies are way down in both Parks compared to the same period last year, but anti-social behaviour and criminal damage is depressingly high.

Trustees
We have been meeting regularly thanks to Zoom and are getting almost proficient, but we are frustrated that we can’t do more for you members. We had teed-up three small, informal, parks-based events for this autumn only to have the rug pulled from under our feet as soon as we started looking forward.

This is one way of passing news on to you all. Some of you who visit regularly may have interesting things to add and we would be very pleased to hear from you. Email membership@fhpkg.org.uk if you so wish.

The trustees and I thank you all for your support and patience and we are indebted to the managers, police, and all the Parks staff who give us so much time and help.

I hope you all stay well and are able to continue to enjoy the fresh air in both Parks during a glorious Autumn, and maybe even a crisp Winter.

Sue Price
Chairman

HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL 2020
A half-term week full of activity virtual and active.

Join The Royal Parks for an exciting programme of FREE Halloween activities for you to enjoy from the comfort of home.

There’s something for everyone, from underground bug hunts and creepy crawly storytelling to live themed craft-alongs. For those who do not scare easily, there are virtual walking tours and live expert discussions on creepy histories: from rituals and symbolism of Victorian mourning in Brompton Cemetery to our Victorian Pet Cemetery (Hyde Park), the first public one in Britain, over 1000 pets buried there.

All activities will be in the form of videos, live recordings and downloadable pdfs. Sign up for free to register and access the programme of particular activities and what materials you will need.

MOUNTBATTEN CARDS FOR CHRISTMAS
Established in 1997 and with over 140 images from which to choose, Mountbatten Cards enables customers to donate 25% of the net proceeds of their purchase to the charity of their choice. When placing an order, please indicate the specific charity to which you would like to make your donation and the company will forward it on your behalf.

If you wish to be kind enough to choose ‘The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens’ as your nominated charity, we would be immensely grateful.

All cards fall within Royal Mail’s lowest price band for UK postage and, for overseas mail, the small format cards fall within the International Standard 20g rate.

There are eight attractive images of Kensington and the full range can be viewed and purchased through its website mountbattencards.com

Enquiries should be addressed to info@mountbattencards.com

MONTEVERDI IN THE PARK
One of our friends, when walking her dog in Kensington Gardens last weekend, came across this musical treat.

A couple of very talented singers, a soprano and mezzo, had taken up their position in Queen Caroline’s Temp le (close to the Serpentine Gallery) and gave a moving performance of the final duet from Monteverdi’s opera Coronation of Poppea.

Our friends iPhone expired just before the end, but you can appreciate the quality of this little gem from her recording.

Do you know who they are? They look as though they may be students at one of our conservatoires. But the Royal College of Music didn’t recognise them. If you have an idea do please get in touch. We all, including our manager of Kensington Gardens Andy Williams, would love to know. He greatly appreciated the recording and had heard about the pop-up performance but none of his staff were lucky enough to catch the recital.

There’s a sting in the tail. Later on the same day in the same spot a gang of youths gathered. They scattered when the police arrived leaving broken slates taken off the roof, obscene graffiti scratched on the wall, and litter from nitrous oxide drug taking strewn across the floor and grass.

Sue Price
Chairman

MONTEVERDI MYSTERY IN THE PARK

PART II
Since early April we’ve been sending out regular blogs via MailChimp with only a few short gaps during all these months.

This has been possible because we have a genius at work behind the scenes. Our membership secretary, Lynden Easton, has worked miracles using only her computer at home to send evermore ambitious postings. If you cast your minds back you will remember that our earliest attempts were very welcome and quite simple.

Wizard Lynden has become increasingly ambitious and you now enjoy plenty of lavish photos taken by our photographer, Paul Shelley, especially to go with the text and she even includes some attachments to lead you on to other items of potential interest.

This weeks’ duet from ‘Coronation of Poppea’ proved a step too far as it was filmed on a friends iPhone as she was out walking her dog Eddie. It has been a popular email, so popular that it all got “used up” before many of you could view it. I ’m partly to blame because I watched it about twelve times.

Maestro Lynden was undeterred and has learned how to turn it into a piece of U tube footage which is attached to this email. She has done brilliantly thanks too, go to her daughter Lex who helped her out (does this sound familiar?)

Bravo to them both.

THE STING IN THE TAIL
gets much more painful.

GRADE II listed Queen Caroline’s Temple, the site of the performance, has been further vandalised and has now become a target for serious and persistent incidents of criminal damage and graffiti over the last four weekends.

Today (26th October) manager Andy Williams told me that both Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are facing a wave of this type of activity which they’ve rarely had to cope with in the past.

The police are being very proactive and recently arrested four very young youths. However, the following day there was still more damage and with great regret Andy has decided to have the Temple fenced off for a short break. This is to challenge the current patterns of behaviour, to emphasise the importance of the Temple and it will give the police a little more “grip” in dealing with anybody who decides to climb the fence.

He is very sad to have to make this decision. It runs counter to how he tries to manage Kensington Gardens with free access to heritage assets.

In August and September, he told me, he had 24 separate graffiti incidents (much of it offensive) across the whole park, which has cost £2,500 to put right.

Enjoy the music and don’t forget we are trying to find out who these lovely singers are.
click here to listen

Please click on the link below:

Sue Price
Chairman

For the first time in 169 years, visitors can take a 360 tour around The Crystal Palace, the venue of the formidable 1851 Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park – but this time without leaving your home

Ledy Leyssen, Head of Learning at The Royal Parks, said: “The Great Exhibition opened on 1st May 1851 in London’s Hyde Park to showcase the arts, science and technology of the day, yet nothing remains of the structure now. So, 169 years later we’ve harnessed today’s technology to bring the Royal Parks’ heritage to life, uncovering the park’s past for everyone to enjoy, especially those who aren’t able to visit in person.”

Seymour & Lerhn invited organisations to put forward proposals for a virtual reality education resource. The Royal Parks, the charity which manages London’s eight Royal Parks, suggested ‘The Crystal Palace’ and was the winning entry. The prize was to partner with the virtual reality company, ‘Seymour & Lerhn’ and together they created the first virtual tour of the historic building, on location in Hyde Park.

Once you are inside the tour (link below) you can click on yellow dots on the map to view different virtual scenes of the Exhibition Hall.

The Royal Parks have collaborated with science presenter Fran Scott who discusses one of her great passions, the Great Exhibition, along with expert Angela Kenny, an archivist from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 in a walk-through of the virtual tour of the extraordinary building, in a fascinating 30-minute documentary

The building was regenerated digitally using The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851’s archive of plans and images, as well as The Royal Parks’ historical documents such as old maps.

The Crystal Palace was a marvel of its time when it opened in Hyde Park on May 1st 1851, showcased to more than six million people. It was an enormous structure constructed from glass and cast iron, measuring around 563m by 138m, and 39m high. The giant building hosted the thousands of global exhibits of The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, the brainchild of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, to celebrate the industrial technology and design of the Victorian age.
!/perch/resources/blog-23d-w420.png(The Indian exhibit with a stuffed elephant (Dickenson print))!

Now, 169 years since the exhibition opened, visitors can step back in time and explore the building once again, using their phone, tablet or PC. A combination of CGI and 360 photography which overlays the historic building onto the present-day site, allows visitors to switch between then and now. Users can marvel at the huge scale of the site. People can discover intriguing stories as they navigate: you can find out about the first ever public toilets and the lady who walked from Cornwall to attend, becoming a celebrity in the process.

The Royal Parks will seek funding to further develop the project by populating The Crystal Palace with the artifacts of The Great Exhibition.

Charlie Power, Head Honcho, Seymour & Lerhn, said: “The Great Exhibition of 1851 ‘Crystal Palace’ was a truly incredible feat of engineering, and we’re delighted to see it brought to life on its 169th anniversary! With the lockdown continuing, the virtual tour offers a unique way for people to ‘get out of the house’ and explore the history hidden within Hyde Park – all without actually having to leave their homes.”

There is an excellent YouTube link lasting 30 minutes guiding you around The Exhibition Hall with accompanying interesting historical detail:

Guide around Exhibition Hall

The Royal Parks’ web site allows you to access the tour free and enjoy the footage of the tour:

Great Exhibition Virtual Tour from Royal Parks

For many weeks the blogs were written for us by technical officers, Russell Stevens (Kensington Gardens) and Patrick Markey Bell (Hyde Park). They chose their subjects, did the research and sometimes took the photos. Gradually the blogs have become more and more sophisticated as our membership secretary, Lynden Easton, has managed to improve the layout and include more photos.

Sue Price
Chairman

Green Flag and Green Heritage Awards for 2020/21

An update from Andy Williams, Park Manager for Kensington Gardens and Brompton Cemetry:

It is with great pleasure that I can inform the members of ‘The Friends’ that both Kensington Gardens and Brompton Cemetery were awarded their respective Green Flag Award and Green Heritage Site Accreditation for 2020/21. These awards acknowledge well managed parks and green spaces all over the UK and around the world and set the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces. The sites were judged via a ‘mystery shop’ earlier this summer, rather than the full formal judges visit and tour.

The awards were judged against a wide range of criteria including arboriculture, horticulture, conversation, safety, learning & engagement, heritage, maintenance, access etc.

“This is a tremendous achievement given the circumstances we have all endured this year and testament to the hard work and commitment of my team and all our on-site partner contractors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all that you and your teams bring to enhance and improve the experience for our many visitors. Undoubtedly the Park and Cemetery have been especially vital as places for relaxation, exercise, health and well-being this year. In addition, our success is a function of the collective contributions of many, many people and organisations including, of course, the expanding role of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Your members support is greatly appreciated and I am so very pleased to note the success of emerging volunteer activities.”

Andy Williams
Park Manager for Kensington Gardens and Brompton Cemetery

Andy wanted to emphasise that the award was entirely down to a team effort which includes all the gardeners and maintenance teams but sadly because of lock down we ran out of photographic opportunities to include more of them.

The London Tree and Woodland Awards for 2020/21

The London Tree and Woodland Awards are now in their 12th year and celebrate the work of individuals, communities and professionals to protect, improve and expand the capital’s tree and woodland cover. Each year, the awards showcase the fantastic work taking place all over the city to protect and increase London’s urban forest.

Another winner to congratulate is Greg Packman. He thoroughly deserves the ACORN AWARD for his commitment to volunteering and community engagement.

Greg used to be part of the Royal Parks team which looks after the trees in both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens before being head hunted by Islington Council to look after their private sector tree consultancy.

Many members have met Greg on one of the ‘tree walks’ he led for us. The first, I remember, in Kensington Gardens on one of the hottest days of the year and focussed on ancient and rare specimens. The second on the wettest (well it seemed like it) day in Hyde Park and the third on South Flower Walk. This last walk he gamely did three times over with small groups as the others were concentrating on either the Albert Memorial Undercroft or getting very close to the Parnassus Frieze.

In the South Flower Walk on that day he scared us (well he did me) of the horrors of the “Headache Tree”. I’m not saying which one, just don’t pick any leaves in that area.

Congratulation Greg, you’ve been so generous with your time and energy to dozens of groups all over London and we have learnt more about trees than we ever thought possible.

We really look forward to being able to walk with you again and may be, sometime soon, we can arrange for you to talk to us online.

Do watch the You tube video below explaining this award to Greg Click Here

The London Tree and Woodland Awards are now in their 12th year and celebrate the work of individuals, communities and professionals to protect, improve and expand the capital’s tree and woodland cover. Each year, the awards showcase the fantastic work taking place all over the city to protect and increase London’s urban forest.

Lockdown London Tree Champions awards

This year there was a public vote on these awards, a first for the London Tree and Woodland Awards! During lockdown the local environment became an important part of our lives; providing a space to exercise, reflect, recharge and connect with nature.

The awards nomination panel selected 3 excellent examples of projects that have inspired the local community to appreciate the trees around them, raising their profile and benefits to help with our health and wellbeing.
The Urban Tree Festival won the London Lockdown Champion award! This is important for The Parks team and is a great way of building support for future festivals

Greg Packman
Senior Tree Inspector in Islington

An important aspect of our wonderful Parks is to be able to sit and enjoy the borders, birds and wildlife, energy expanded by others etc. The Parks have recently focused on the benches in The Park to make that a more comfortable activity.

Some of you who use the Queensgate entrance to Kensington Gardens may have seen a number of benches corralled inside a fenced area during late summer, some painted and others not.

Kensington Gardens purchased 24 new benches to be placed around the gardens before Covid and also received 7 refurbished benches from Greenwich Park which, were surplus. Some of these benches, 16 in total, have now been painted and placed around the park. A further 8 new benches have been placed in-front of Kensington Palace with unpainted slats, just the ends painted black.

The reason for this is to see how the benches weather without being painted, which will assist with the maintenance. Heavily used benches get painted each year, if the unpainted weather well, it will reduce maintenance. The Royal Parks will be monitoring the wear and tear of these benches throughout the year. In total we now have an extra 31 benches situated in the park.

We hope you will be able to sit on one of the new benches during your next walk in the park, and enjoy a rest. On a sunny day the four placed behind the Albert Memorial are in a simply wonderful position to sit and catch some sun and look towards The Albert Hall and Memorial with a drink and snack from the kiosk close by.

Tina Higginson
Trustee of The Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gar

This is an invitation to you, as a member of The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, to join the Charity’s 2020 Annual General Meeting.

In this exceptional year the AGM will be held as an on-line Zoom meeting on Monday 30th November at 5pm.

Your attention is drawn to the Friends website www.friendshpkg.org.uk where all the formal documents will be made available in the next few days.

These are:

The Charity’s Constitution
Annual report and accounts for the year to 31st December 2019 (as already approved by our trustees) containing the trustees report
Minutes of the 2019 AGM
List of FHPKG six trustees

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2020 Annual General Meeting of The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens will be held via Zoom at 5pm on the 30th November 2020 to transact the following business.

AGENDA
Approval of the minutes of the AGM held in 2019.
Receipt of the 2019 annual statement of accounts and the trustees’ annual report.
Election of those trustees retiring on a 3 year rotation (Joanna Clark)
Note: Julian Peach who was appointed a trustee in 2016 and who has made a valuable contribution to the success of the charity will be standing down at the end of 2020.
Any other business By order of the Trustees

Kathy Spanos
Secretary
9th November 2020

We have invited senior members of the Royal Parks to give us some brief presentations.

As we plan for the future and the financial challenges we now face, we’re looking at how we can improve people’s experiences in The Parks even further. The Royal Parks are hoping to analyse the interests of longstanding visitors who have recently discovered The Royal Parks as a result of lockdown, to learn more about visitors’ interests, preferred methods of accessing information and behaviour in The Parks.

With that in mind, The Royal Parks have been tasked with producing an Interpretation and Wayfinding Strategy (to be implemented from April 2021) that aims to present information about and in The Royal Parks in a more consistent, coherent and engaging manner. They want to do justice to the interests of longstanding visitors and newcomers who have recently discovered our sites as a result of lockdown. They are aiming to analyse results both across all the parks and by individual park

To that end, an online visitor experience survey has been produced, to better understand our audiences and their need. This month The Royal Parks invite you to complete a survey that will shape the future of The Parks for years to come. Please take five minutes and share your thoughts. The survey is part of The Royal Parks’ Interpretation and Wayfinding Strategy Development. It is available until the end of November. Please, click on the link so we may be able to hear your opinions:

Click here to access The Royal Parks Visitor Survey

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to let The Royal Parks know what the parks mean to you recently, through your letters, social media messages and donations.

This exotic name isn’t the title of a new Ben Macintyre book. Regular visitors to both Parks may well have seen this project in action.

At about mid-morning you may see a large horsebox rumbling along Policeman’s Path towards the Old Police House in Hyde Park. As it passes you may also notice, through its tiny windows, pairs of pricked up ears.

Giant Shire horses leisurely disembark and are ready for their days work. Roughly three times a year they visit each of the rough meadow areas at Buck Hill (Kensington Gardens) and in the north of Hyde Park.

They Spring harrow, seed and roll and towards the end of the year do a rough harrow, this last to take out the matted thatch.

We were lucky to see William and Joey on a glorious Autumn day go about their work in Hyde Park. Their size is deceiving as their hooves are very light on the ground and cause far less damage than any mechanised piece of equipment. William is a youngster who came from a rescue centre where he was born, he did not experience neglect or ill-treatment. Joey is the senior partner.

They are horse members of a group which live in Richmond Park and sadly are the last working horses in London. The Shires are becoming rather a rare breed.

They work in blinkers and go at quite a brisk pace, their handler walking behind, chatting and encouraging them. If they get mixed up in low-hanging branches they stand patiently while their helpers sort out the upended harrowing equipment (it is quite light) before setting off again.

They find the harrowing equipment easy to work with. “If they stay in the fields all day and don’t work”, we were told by one of their attendants “they get depressed and lose muscle tone”.

While we were admiring them, they were being filmed for Alan Titchmarsh’s “Love your Weekend” Sunday morning show on ITV. It’s due, we gathered, to be screened in mid to late November.

THE MAGICAL BIG 700!

For some time, we have been hovering just below having 700 members of the Friends.

Our hardworking membership secretary, Lynden Easton, (who is also responsible for sending out the weekly blogs) has been keeping an eye on our membership levels and last week she gave us the good news. In happier times we would have raised a glass together to celebrate the achievement.

I have been able to talk to Victoria Hobday, our member number 700, and she told me what she loves about the Parks.

Victoria tells us:

- she has meant to join for some time and then buying a little Brompton Bike for exercise was the trigger.

- she says it’s a beautiful pair of Parks to cycle in for her as she is not a Lycra sort of cyclist and she finds the cycle routes just right with enough hills and slopes to challenge. Always being in amongst trees and with views is wonderful.
- she says the best coffee house in London is at the Lido. Meeting a friend here is favourite and being able to sip the excellent coffee while watching the endlessly interesting birds all around you is really special.
- the birds in particular are wonderful with their “fabulous feet” and different characteristics.

Altogether she says we are so lucky to have these beautiful spaces to enjoy, and we are pleased to have her as our latest member.

Sue Price
Chairman

The Parks were Alive with the Sound of Music…
at least for a day in Hyde Park opera soared amongst the leafy glades.

The production of ‘Opera Scenes’ from our neighbouring Conservatoire, the Royal College of Music (RCM), would normally, be a keenly anticipated show to packed audiences in their own Britten Theatre.

Life has changed though and with amazing ingenuity, clever and creative direction and some of the most glorious young singers you could wish to hear, ‘Opera Scenes’ were adapted for our times.

On a very small budget filming took place throughout the college building in Prince Consort Road and in Hyde Park for two intriguing scenes.

In the morning Handel’s ‘Tolomeo’ was set amongst the massive plane trees in a dry valley close to the Old Police House and Nursery. At an earlier rehearsal alarmed visitors (from a distance) saw hooded men using heavy ropes, tying young people to trees…..and called the police.

On the day, the sun shone and apart from all the shredders, tractors, leaf blowers and crowds of gambolling Labradors there were no distractions.

In the afternoon, in the setting sun, an informal audience of lucky passers-by were entranced, just as the star-crossed lovers were, by a scene from Britten’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s dream’.

Enjoy the whole production, kindly brought to us by the RCM in an evening’s entertainment. Each half lasts about an hour.

‘Separation and Reconciliation’ has some passionate scenes but all are socially distanced and with careful props management.

Jason Taylor, Hyde Park manager, and the Royal Parks events team couldn’t have been more helpful. Many thanks to them for enabling the enterprise.

Enjoy the performance and I hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Sue Price
Chairman

Opera Themes – Separation and Reconciliation
Nicholas Sears, Head of Vocal and Opera, and Michael Rosewell, Director of Opera, would be delighted if you could join us virtually, for our upcoming production, a collection of opera scenes on the theme of ‘Separation and Reconciliation’, presented by the RCM Opera Studio.

The star crossed lovers prepare themselves for their roles in Benjamin Britten’s opera
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

The scenes will be broadcast in two parts, on the 27th and 28th November at 7pm.
Click Here

As these are online performances, there is no need to RSVP for tickets in the normal way, but if you are going to be in the virtual audience, please do let me know just so that we, and the students, have a sense of who is there! One of the benefits of an online performance is the lack of ticket constraints, so please do feel free to forward this email to any other colleagues who may be interested.

TOLOMEO Act 2
Tolomeo has been exiled as rightful heir to the throne of Egypt by his mother Cleopatra. He is now living in hiding on Crete, where his wife Seleuce has followed him in disguise. Araspe, King of Crete, is in love with Seleuce and has followed her into the woods. Tolomeo intervenes in Araspe’s planned seduction. Furious, Araspe has Tolomeo and Seleuce taken prisoner and tied up.

Special thanks to Sue Price (Chairman) and the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, as well as the staff at the Royal Parks.

We hope you enjoy the performances and that it won’t be long until we can join together for live music once again.

Isabella Young
Opera Assistant
Royal College of Music

A NOTE FROM THE PARKS
The Royal Parks have asked us to forward this to you:

The Parks are here and free for whoever needs them over the winter months, to engage with nature, to get fresh air, and to boost wellbeing.

Share our hashtag #WelcomeWinter and website link:
Click Here
along with our messages: Stay well outdoors; Immerse yourself in nature, and care for The Parks.

Do download these amazing drone photos (copyright The Royal Parks):
Click Here

The Royal Parks’ chief executive, Andrew Scattergood, said: “The parks were a lifeline for many Londoners during the first lockdown, staying open throughout and providing beautiful, free spaces for Londoners to stay healthy and lift their mood. And the parks remain here for everyone now, as a refuge for whoever needs them.

It may be cold outside but we know that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky and feeling in contact with nature are associated with increased levels of happiness and wellbeing. It’s never been more important to look after ourselves than now. Put simply, a walk in the park makes you feel better.”

When we’ve reached the time of year when darkness is considerably longer than daylight it’s hard, sometimes, to stay cheerful.

Even on a very cold, damp day though, we really enjoyed the newest treats to arrive in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Sculptor Tom Harvey has created, thanks to Mission Invertebrate (funded by the People’s Post Code Lottery), sculptures using fallen or felled Park trees, to give us some wooden gems to search out and enjoy.

In Hyde Park in the Meadows area north of the nursery, there are two. One is a massive tree with a magnificent dragonfly set against a city skyline and another showing a variety of pollinators. Both are lying, as if just fallen on the grass. One is quite difficult to spot from a distance, so a happy surprise if you just come across it. The colour of the treated wood glows in the winter light.

Across the road not far away in the North Flower Walk in Kensington Gardens, four more were being installed on Friday. These are being settled onto firm bases and are all different shapes and sizes. They will surely be enjoyed by children who can sit or climb on them and be photographed on the tiny bench seat.

Those in Kensington Gardens (in order heading away from the Italian Garden’s ponds) are: Spangled water beetles, Detrivores (no not a lobster, a stag beetle)
Pollinator bench and the furthest west is a Centipede balance beam.

I interviewed Tom, who told me he only uses chain saws of many different sizes in their creation.

A fuller version of this with more photos will appear in the next edition of our newsletter.

Henry Moore’s wishes
Henry Moore left guidance about the settings of his sculptures. His Arch, in Kensington Gardens and looking over the Long Water towards the Palace, was to be set in grass, not long like a meadow nor mixed with wild plants.

For many months the ground around the sculpture was apparently scraped earth which was the only way to cope with the stubborn milk thistle which was hanging on grimly. By the autumn it had given up the fight and in November the area was seeded. Eyebrows were raised, surely the wrong time of year and the seeds a feast for the birds and so on?
This is when I was given a five minute lesson on modern methods of seeding by Manager Andrew Williams. But please don’t put me into the Mastermind Chair with it as my specialist subject.

The area was drilled and seeded so it is under the earth and not sprinkled on the surface. Modern varieties of seed have been developed to germinate much later in the year (in fact at any time except deep snow and frost). Areas of sports fields are sown and re sown all throughout the year using this method.

Annual General Meeting

It was a pleasure to see so many faces at our Zoom AGM on Monday this week. Three interesting presentations by our Park’s managers and Chief Executive made the business element (even though only about seven minutes of it) more palatable.

At our trustees de brief on Wednesday (also on Zoom) the following points were made:

Many more of you joined us than when we hold live AGM’s
We all missed being able to mingle and chat over a drink afterwards.
We missed catching up with all the Royal Parks staff who usually join us.
We missed the VIP’s who also come along and are happy to talk to us all.

We’ve been spending so much time this year managing our expectations that it can get depressing. Who knows what shape or form our AGM will take in 2021?

Our Mail Chimp maestro, Lynden Easton, photographer Paul Shelley and reporter / journalist me, Sue Price, are going to bow out next week with our Christmas Mail. We will be back in January after a break refreshed and reinvigorated

Sue Price
Chairman

Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
email: contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

“Ring out, wild bells,….. Ring out the old, ring in the new,….”

from ‘In Memorium’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson

And so we creep into 2021 and still there’s uncertainty and anxiety. I hope that, having survived the oddest Christmas and New Year, offers of the Vaccine will be rolling towards you any day soon.

And I am so sorry for those of you who have had to face illness and loss.

I realised, as we chomped our way through Coronation Turkey in January, that like lots of you our Christmas food orders were seriously out of line with the numbers there to enjoy eating on the day.

The Trustees though have not hung around and we have Zoomed and walked and talked (in pairs of course). We know that the Blogs have been warmly appreciated and are a good way of keeping you up to date with the latest news. They have been a little difficult to keep up every week so we propose to continue, from now on, on a fortnightly basis. Our twice-yearly newsletter (previously our only regular form of communication) will become an Annual Report and will come out in the Autumn with your membership cards, list of events (when we’re able) and concessions. These arrangements we think are both sustainable and affordable.

Our new trustee, Alison Mould, has very kindly agreed to take over the running of the Blog.
I took Alison’s photo in Hyde Park on a windy day without her having a chance to comb her hair or change her mind!

Lynden (our Membership Secretary) will continue to send out the blogs using Paul’s photographs plus contributions from members.

I will be writing occasionally as well.

HELP!
Once again I’m asking for help.
John Heywood has been a stalwart, serving as our Independent Examiner (used to be Hon Auditor) for a number of years. He would like to stand down this year. Could you help?

Do you have an accountancy background and be able to check our Annual Accounts? We do not have enormous funds but we need to make sure we comply with Charity Commission requirements and recommendations.
Please get in touch if you think you might be able to help, email: contact@friendshpkg.org.uk and we’d be glad to talk to you and answer any questions.

We are sorry to report the loss of two old friends:

Ernie Colicci
Sadly Ernie, the founding father of the Colicci family business, passed away this week. Ernie and his wife Josephine started in a small way with a single ice cream van in Hyde Park. Their business has grown into one which today provides top quality catering as well as very important income for all the Royal Parks. I have written to his son, Rob, who since Ernie’s retirement has taken over the running of the business.

Arthur Tait
Arthur was chairman of the Friends of Brompton Cemetery. All the Royal Parks chairmen meet (or Zoom) regularly at our Forums. Brompton Cemetery is run under the umbrella of Kensington Gardens. I wrote, following Arthur’s recent death, to my fellow chairmen:
“Arthur was such a warrior, and always on behalf of Brompton Cemetery which was transformed under his watch. We were lucky to have him at our Forum meetings keeping us up to date with his trials, tribulations and then triumphs. He well deserved the British Empire Medal which he was recently awarded. He has left the wonderful legacy of a transformed and important precious green area in West London “

Do visit Brompton Cemetery if you haven’t been for a long time, it is a lovely place these days.

THE PARKS AT CHRISTMAS
Who looks after the Parks over the long holidays at Christmas and New Year? I thought it would be a good idea to talk to the managers who take on this part of the rota and get their stories:

Andrew Williams is the manager of Kensington Gardens and Brompton Cemetery.
However, over this period he has the Herculean task of looking after his own Parks plus Green Park, St James’s Park and Victoria Tower Gardens.

How on earth can he do it? It’s only a problem if storms come through, and then he has to get a bit of extra help. Mark from St James’s will step in if necessary.

This time Storm Bella roared her way through but it was on Boxing Day night so the Parks were closed (a little earlier) and there was some extra clearing up of fallen branches and twigs but nobody in danger of having a tree fall on them. He told me it was remarkably busy on Christmas Day, in fact busier than he’s ever seen it, and so were all the days. The playground closed only on Christmas Day but was open for the rest of the period. Some gritting was organised as there were frosts. In fact, he told me it was lovely to see so many families with small children learning to ride their new bikes, scooters and roller skates.

Rob Dowling is assistant Park Manager and he looked after Hyde Park over the Christmas week.
He wrote…
“Hyde Park felt very different at Christmas without the buzz of Winter Wonderland taking place on the Parade Ground. Every so often I thought I could even see the lights, hear the Christmas music and smell the mulled wine and churros. On Christmas Day itself there were families out enjoying the Park getting some fresh air before going home to cook their Christmas meals. The Serpentine Swimming Club had a swim for their members but it was very different from the usual Christmas Day swim.

For the rest of the Christmas period, although the Park at times looked busy with walkers, there were very few issues to report. The only exception was Storm Bella which blew through the Park overnight on Boxing Day and into the 27th. We closed an hour early (11pm) on the 26th as the winds were due to pick up at that time. On the 27th the OCS team were out early clearing piles of twigs from the footpaths and cycle lanes but thankfully there was little damage to the Park and no trees were lost.

Living in the Park I was easily able to carry out my rounds as well as keeping an eye on what was happening outside, even when I was eating turkey and having a sweet Sherry…….”

Phil Newcombe, Assistant Park Manager Hyde Park.
Rob was able to hand over to Phil who looked after things for a week from New Year’s Eve. He told me the Park has been a lot quieter in this third lockdown, though on sunny weekends there is crowding on some paths. There were no issues in Hyde Park except for an anti-lockdown demonstration on the 2nd of January at Speakers Corner. A few hundred turned up to support Piers Corbyn again. There was no distancing, plenty of hugging and very few masks worn. Phil told me how thankful he was for the Metropolitan Police ably supported by the Parks police. They made plenty of arrests.
!/perch/resources/6-3-w420.jpeg!The first daffodil of the year appeared in Phil’s Rose Garden in Hyde Park

We then turned to Phil’s planting schemes for the Autumn which he is already working on, it’s always a lovely subject to chat about for as long as any of us have the time…..

*STOP PRESS
*
Today has seen a wonderful blanket of snow cover The Park. Rob Dowling braved the elements and took some striking photographs for us.

Timeless Kensington Palace

Others were determined to delight in the first flurries, producing a 21st C version of a Breughel snow scene.
As always we are lucky to have such well organised teams who somehow manage to look after all the acres even when most of us have retrenched for the longest public holiday season of the lot.

Thank you to all three of you.

Photograph acknowledgements to Bambina Carnwath, Robyn and Lynden Easton and myself giving Paul Shelley a well deserved rest.

Sue Price

PS For new members, you can see back numbers of our blogs which have been written throughout the pandemic on our website.

A Natural Winter Wonderland for Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park

For the first time in many years, sadly no ‘Winter Wonderland’ in Hyde Park. However, we were blessed with a ‘Natural Winter Wonderland’ on the morning of Sunday 24th January with families having such fun in the snow. The brief snowfall turned our parks into an open air gallery of some amazing snowmen and women, clearly lots of creativity around.

Oh my goodness, censorship required!

One family exclaimed “how lovely it is to see so many fantastic snowmen from so little snow”. I directed them to the three miniature snowmen and women sitting on a tree trunk and they sent me to see the enormous rabbit and ‘recycled’ snowman with their two children standing next to them. Whoever built these were pretty fast and strong builders as the snow was melting away as quickly as it arrived.
These images are only a small collection of what I spied around Kensington Gardens.

January is usually a dark and depressing month, but what a difference a dusting of snow makes! Wonderful to see the park full of people grinning from ear to ear enjoying the snow and the beautiful views of Kensington Palace

Main photo from Bambina Carnwath (Member)
Photographs and text from Tina Higginson (Trustee)

It had been a long, long week. The day job, now a computer in the spare room was busy and demanding. I was “zoomed” out. The news was just depressing — more people infected, tragically more deaths, disputes over whose vaccine it was and who got what, when and where — having had a glass of red too many on Friday night I needed a reboot. Lockdown 63, week 4,786 and counting was getting us all down!

Dimity Spiller, one of The Friends’ members had sent this text for our Blog with an amazing photo:

“We look forward to longer days the moment we are past the Winter Solstice on 21st December but it doesn’t happen quite so quickly as we might like. This is particularly so for those who walk in the Park in the mornings as the gradual lengthening of days is weighted unevenly, the afternoons draw out sooner than the dawns draw back. That is to say, sunsets go from 3.01pm to 3.02pm to 3.05pm at once but it doesn’t work like that for the sunrises. These times actually retreat, sunrise on December 21st in London is officially 7.59am but it is not until nearly two weeks later that the sunrise is earlier than that. This photograph was taken at 8.27am on 29th December, when sunrise had been at 8.06am. It was the first time the Palace had been lit up by sunshine at this hour for some time. This time gap of 20 minutes or so between sunrise and the sun hitting the Palace seems to hold good for the moment, as I saw on 25thJanuary but by then the daylight in general is much stronger so there is far less contrast of the sun and shade. As you will have noticed there has a been a dearth of sunny days but I will keep an eye on sunrises on my morning walks, until, of course, the sun rises before I do.”

FIRST SUNSHINE OF THE YEAR (and don’t we need to see it again?)

And so, inspired by Dimity and in what I guess, technically, probably wasn’t a storm, I ventured out with my dog to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park — my parks — I guess we all feel like that!

My journey did not start well. All of that beautiful snow we’d seen the weekend before had melted and it had rained and rained – and then rained some more.

This is not, in fact a stream!
The Scots call this type of weather “dreich” — that’s how it first looked when I got to my parks that morning – miserable, cold, grey and wet.

But, fairly quickly, the parks remind you of their charm and their magic starts to work. Where else do you have this much space to yourself at 9am on a Saturday morning in Central London?

Where else does the Household Cavalry stroll past?
These three are Cavalry drum bearers.

Where else would those to whom we owe so much, wait until their next often life-saving call? In the distance, I noticed an ambulance parked overlooking the Serpentine. I hope they were enjoying a well-earned break — it was so reassuring to see them.

I was cheering up. It occurred to me, as I looked around, that we are a bit like trees at the moment. Not really living or blooming just existing until the summer comes along. They do it every year they wait, patiently, majestically and gloriously for things to get better.

And it always does — gets better – every year.

And as I pottered along I noticed it wasn’t all grey either.
Unbelievable oranges and fiery reds of the Cornus (Dogwood).
Delicate pink of the Hellebores.
….and white Snowdrops.

And just everywhere nature told us there was hope. Across from a puddled walkway were daffodils, just starting to push through.

And some plants were already in bloom like this lovely Camellia.

_So, if like me lockdown gets to you —
just once in a while —
take yourself off to my parks —
you won’t regret it._ **

Meet Lynden Easton Some of you may have already “met” Lynden in her role as membership secretary. She has an impressive record of keeping us all in order and up to date with our subs. But better than that, she also manages to phone members who appreciate a friendly voice especially when we can’t get out and about as much as we’d like. Lynden is also a tech maestro and has been sending out the Members Blogs for nearly a year. She has somehow mastered Mail Chimp layouts and uses it to absolute capacity, loads of great photos plus, of course, all the bits and pieces of material which we supply her with. She’s very proactive and tolerant at the same time which is a wonderful combination. We’d be lost without her.

HUGE thanks to her!

Sue Price

A conservation project to protect and increase biodiversity across 5,000 acres of London parkland has received a £750k boost, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The new award enables The Royal Parks’ Mission: Invertebrate project to continue for a fifth year, protecting and promoting wildlife in London’s green spaces at a crucial time for climate and biodiversity.

4,720 different species of invertebrates (and counting!) have been found in the Royal Parks. Launched in 2017, Mission: Invertebrate supports a diversity of wildlife across the Royal Parks by helping these ‘bugs’ such as bees, butterflies, beetles, worms, slugs and snails to thrive. These tiny creatures are the cornerstone of biodiversity, playing key roles in the ecosystems of our green spaces.

With the current climate crisis, and alarming rates of biodiversity decline across the world, there has never been a more important time to prioritise the conservation value of our green spaces. The project carries out expert research to investigate populations of insects and other invertebrates across London’s eight Royal Parks, as well as transforming habitats and providing opportunities for people to learn about the vital roles these tiny creatures play and the environmental pressures they face. Since the project began, habitats have been created and enhanced throughout the parks including wildflower meadows, orchards, reedbeds, hedgerows, trees, ponds, pollinator-friendly planting and bee and bug hotels. More than 10,000 London school children and 19,000 members of the public have also discovered park wildlife through Mission: Invertebrate’s free or low-cost activities.

The Royal Parks already receive a combined 77 million visitors a year. The Covid crisis over the last year has demonstrated the vital importance of local parks to the wellbeing and mental health of 9 million Londoners: A 2020 YouGov poll showed that 79% of Britons polled agreed the Coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the need for more accessible nature-rich green space near to peoples’ households1. Mission: Invertebrate is enabling The Royal Parks to enrich the biodiversity of the parks, protect precious habitats and to provide new opportunities for Londoners to engage with nature on their doorsteps.

This year Royal Parks are creating new ways for park visitors to connect with invertebrates and the range of biodiversity benefits they provide through a range of self-led walking trails, exhibitions and online resources, as well as increased interpretation about our invertebrate habitats. Schools, families and adult learners will be able to engage with the Mission: Invertebrate team and with the invertebrates of the Royal Parks through a new virtual learning environment.

In 2021 Royal Parks will also be unearthing the secrets of the ground beneath visitors’ feet in some of London’s busiest parkland, shining a spotlight on the importance of soil health in improving urban green spaces. This often-overlooked habitat not only supports a wealth of invertebrates, but is also vital to the growth of the city’s trees and plants, to help prevent flooding, to protect parks and gardens from heatwaves and drought and to help keep our waterways clean.

Far from being wastelands for wildlife, towns and cities support a huge diversity of invertebrate life and many of our urban green spaces – including the Royal Parks – are sanctuaries for rare and notable species. The variety of gardens, allotments, urban nature reserves and parkland provide a unique mix of food and shelter for pollinators and other invertebrates. The Royal Parks are uniquely positioned in the heart of London to act as central green corridors within this network, offering an anchor for wildlife in one of the world’s busiest cities. Andrew Scattergood, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks, said:
“The support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery has enabled Mission: Invertebrate to catalyse a step-change in wildlife habitat creation across the Royal Parks, enriching the experience of millions of visitors each year and enabling them to connect with nature. The Covid crisis has demonstrated just how vital a resource parks are for everyone, and the value of immersion in nature to people’s health and wellbeing. This generous funding will enable The Royal Parks to conserve and enhance the wealth of biodiversity found in some of London’s best-loved parks, ensuring that they remain places that wildlife can thrive in years to come.”

For more information on Mission: Invertebrate, including details of volunteering opportunities, outdoor learning and free family activities, visit: Royal Parks Website ‘ Mission Invertebrates’ by clicking here

Boy – has the weather changed, from “wear as many clothes as you can” to “do I really need this jumper” in the course of the last two weeks. The plants and trees must be in such a muddle. Still long may it continue to bring us the joys of spring.

Remembering those icy days, Friends’ member, Rowena Winkler sent in this incredible photograph of gulls and ducks ice skating. Another Friend June Mangan, gave us these super “snowmen” photos:

We also had a mini ice rink

But now, buds are appearing on the horse-chestnut trees
and catkins delight

Here we have a little colour on a grey English day: Assistant Parks Manager, Phil Newcombe has commented: “the Cyclamen planted by the Friends group some time ago, have come up again at speakers corner.”

VICTORIAN PARKS’ STORIES
Harry Reid, a Friends’ member sent us this lovely narrative about Anne Perry describing some of the books she wrote taking place in familiar surroundings:

• Murder on the Serpentine
• Treachery at Lancaster Gate
• Midnight at Marble Arch
• The Hyde Park Headsman

“These are not lurid headlines from the UK tabloid press but eye catching titles of four mystery books set in Victorian times by international best selling writer Anne Perry which may be of interest to Friends, as they are all set pretty close to home!
Anne specialises in writing historical detective fiction and has published over 50 books which have sold over 26 million copies worldwide. She is noted for her memorable characters, suspense and historical accuracy.

These books feature Victorian detectives Thomas and Charlotte Pitt set in the 1880s/1890s, and are highly recommended reading!”

Anne was born in Blackheath, October 1938 and moved early in life to the Bahamas as the climate better suited her health (I know that feeling!). In her twenties she starting writing when living in Hexham, Northumberland and whilst it took some years to have her first book accepted, it was finally published in her late thirties.

On her website she says: I have continued with the Victorian mysteries because I have come to love the characters and period. I like the contrast between glamour and squalor, the endless variety in the capital of Empire, largest port in the world with men and goods for every quarter of the earth, and an immense energy of optimism. I have loved the whole series because, it is in a way, the end of history and the beginning of the modern world. A time in Europe of unprecedented challenge and change, a test of who we are, and who we wish to be.

Lynden spied a scene reminiscent of Hitchcock: family offering food!

Alison Mould
Trustee

This month as you’d expect there’s a spring theme to all our social media activity. While we will be making the pressures on the parks from the huge visitor numbers known to our followers, we’re doing it by continuing to explain the work of the park teams in relation to protecting the landscapes and conserving the wildlife, as we build towards a campaign later in spring. We are also joining with London’s other park organisations to agree a comms piece on the issues of increased footfall, litter etc before the lockdown restrictions ease further at the end of the month.

Next week promises to be busy as we will be sharing content for International Women’s Day and announcing an update on the Movement Strategy trials. We also hope to announce the winners of our winter poetry competition. As always your support in sharing our messages is much appreciated. We try and keep up with everything you’re putting out on your channels but if there’s something in particular you would like to make us aware of please get in touch.

This month we are promoting:

• Latest podcast – The Secret Underworld of Ponds click here
• Protest and Power – Women in Hyde Park online talk as part of Women’s History Month click here
• The Quick and the Dead, an oral history of Brompton Cemetery click here
• The new plans for Greenwich Park Revealed click here
• Skylark conservation in Richmond and Bushy Park, click here including this fantastic video from the Friends of Richmond Park click here

It seems appropriate to start this blog with ‘Physical Energy’, the imposing statue in Kensington Gardens.

Both dogs and lady are well dressed for this grim weather and look up in awe. My own wanderings have similarly left me in awe of the physical activities Park visitors engage in, dog walking, of course, being one of the most popular.

Adrian & Julian meander under the glorious mimosa tree near The Old Police House and couldn’t resist stopping under its incredible yellow foliage.
Make your way there as quickly as possible to catch the dreamy perfume.

Prince Albert was overseeing Craig developing some wonderful poses which I was informed is ‘WUSHU’. This is the Chinese term for martial arts and has been practised for over 4,000 years. It is not designed to be a form of self defence, but is perfect for performances and displays as well as for exercise and flexibility.

I moved on swiftly and stumbled across a more sociable activity.

Travis is from Trinidad and Alba from Barcelona. When captured on film they were practising two types of dances: the first was capoeira, a brazilian dance that combines martial arts in a non contact way, it also has elements of yoga, tai chi and gymnastics in it and the second was Cuban salsa. Cuban salsa orginated in Cuba as the name suggests and is an earlier version of the salsa that is taught today. It emphasizes circular and playful movements with intricate hand and hip movements, as opposed to linear movements.
Look out for them when you’re next visiting.

On a different day, in the Buckhill Shelter I spied the skippers, Izaskun and Nelly. I understand it is one of the best exercises for increasing heart rate, improving concentration, coordination and flexibility. Sounds like a worthwhile economic investment…I am off to buy some ropes!

Group sports are now so difficult, this poor chap has only one friend to attempt to hone his footballing skills with.

There are also those who enjoy a more relaxing pursuit though please note, a Fishing Licence is required.

These tree branches provide an adventurous climbing frame for active children. Nothing is wasted in The Parks.

In contrast, I noticed some tree trunks were providing a respite for runners, unlike this chap here pounding the path….

Sadly the original and striking ‘Magazine’ restaurant, designed by Zaha Hadid lies empty.

Naturally, cycling has become one of the most popular pursuits during the lockdown. New bike sales have increased by 60%, older models recommissioned and the ubiquitous ‘Boris bikes’ (Santander) are everywhere to be seen.

Perhaps we should conclude with the happiest activity of them all…..the flowering daffodils of course!

Photos and blog by Lynden Easton
Membership Secretary

Alison Mould
Editor

Spring Time Awakening

It’s the Spring Equinox today (20/03) which seems to me to be an auspicious day to be writing.

Phil Newcombe, Assistant Park Manager, Hyde Park, is in a similar Spring like mood and wrote to me:
“It’s amazing how a few bulbs make people smile as we come out of Winter, the COVID test team at Victoria Gate have commented on how many folk stop to admire what is just a handful of Narcissus ‘tete a tete’ by the gateway.”

New projects are under way, older ones being tweaked. Without major events to distract us we can concentrate on all the small things which often make a big difference to the way we are able to use and enjoy the Parks.

New members start here…and I hope long standing members will find something of interest too.

Volunteers are back!

After months of looking at, and worrying about the show case flower bed on the South Flower Walk at the Albert Memorial, our Friends’ volunteers were able to start work again last week. In pairs and for a two hour stint only, they were really pleased to be able to start to get to grips with it. Trustee Tina took this selfie on their first day back with member Jordan, it’s not posed or prearranged but you can see how pleased they are to be there.

Meanwhile trustee Simon Cox is hard at work again in the Allotment and reports that the chickens have new turf (how long will it last?) and a small pool is planned to be built by the bench.

We’ll keep you up to date with progress at both these Kensington Gardens locations.

A Quiet Place

Before they burst into leaf the birches close to the Dell in Hyde Park look stunningly silvery on a fine early Spring day. They grow in the area around the Holocaust Memorial. This is small but thoughtfully laid out with rocks, trees and a very moving inscription. It’s a good place to spend some peaceful time in a busy day. The pale narcissi nearby add to the charm.

The Swale Progresses The story runs and runs which is appropriate for this water feature. I am asked to give locations, if possible, so you’ll find the Swale close to North Carriage Drive and the Manège in Hyde Park.

It was funded by TfL and was designed to take flooding rain water off North Carriage Drive onto an already fairly boggy area of the Park where it should quietly seep away. The intention is that marsh loving marginal plant species will be established and will thrive in the area, in turn will attract small amphibians and invertebrates.

The Swale is not meant to be a river, more a land feature, with water at times, at others damp, and hopefully never bone dry.

There are various watery streams which run under the Park in this area all draining towards the Serpentine but that’s a story for another day.

There were problems earlier on with the design and water lay for too long in parts of it. Its design has been tweaked and a split chestnut railing has been installed around it. It is hoped that appropriate planting for the area will thrive and the fencing, although not a cage, will indicate that this isn’t a canine swimming pool.

Super Bins Arrive

These bins are large and carry a message. They may be bright but they have many advantages.

The original rather smart black bins with a golden Royal Parks logo were small and with open tops. Unfortunately eating habits have changed and they were suitable for life before Family Happy Meals with all the accompanying packaging. Refuse vehicles had to circle many times a day to empty them, cost and pollution being the result. Meanwhile birds and wild animals enjoyed the remains of feasts apparently laid on in the open containers for their benefit, much of which was scattered far and wide.

Huge ugly wheelie bins were brought in. They did the job but were not good for the eyes. Some of these were concealed in subtle wooden covers to make them blend. Sadly the blending was too successful and people walked past them not realising what they were.

So here are the new kids on the block. They carry a message (as in Central Park NY) which is helpful and hopeful it will be read. They are proof against wild life and are capacious. Best of all they have been funded by DCMS.

Football at the Great Exhibition

The pitches are on top of an area where the Great Exhibition was staged. They have always been really difficult to maintain and keep to a standard sufficiently decent for some kind of game to take place for the hundreds of children who play here at weekends, for local schools during the week and for after work soft ball games in the summer (pre Covid of course).

They are often parched or waterlogged and rubble seems to creep up to the surface including, I am told, shards of glass from the Exhibition (Can this be true?). Just some decent grass would help, although the whole area was returfed not so long ago after the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) organisation paid for the area to be reinstated.

Two disc seeder tractors have been very busy close to ‘Will to Win’. They have been sowing modern Ryegrass which is suitable to seed early in the year. The discs cut lines which the seed drops into rather than fattening up the already over fed pigeon population.

Sad to bid Farewell to a Landmark Event
The BBC announced on Thursday that Proms in the Park and Radio 2 Live are paused for this year and then in 2022 will go to venues in other parts of the country. The last night of the Proms in particular was always one of the happiest major events and didn’t have security issues. Families and groups of old friends used to enjoy singing Auld Lang Syne together and a short burst of (electronic) fireworks to send them home at the end of the final concert of the Prom season. They have featured in Hyde Park for many years and it will be missed by everybody who looked forward to this annual event.

The following pieces are contributed by members and make excellent reading. More things to look out for in both of them. Dimity who writes about the “hedges” made from coppiced material on the Long Water often writes about birds and animals. I’m sure she won’t mind me saying she looks for the unusual in Kensington Gardens especially and seems to manage to get in there extraordinarily early in the day. Her last contribution was a real thought provoker about times of sunrise early in the year.

Paul Shelley is our accredited photographer who has had his visits seriously curtailed during lock down. A 30 mile round trip on a bicycle in short daylight hours has been a non starter though he is thinking about peddling back soon. His take on GF Watts was interesting and we boldly DIDN’T include a photo of our Physical Energy. For many members this is the centre of Kensington Gardens and I don’t expect any of you haven’t stood there and admired him against the English sky.

Our very grateful thanks to them both.
Sue Price
Chairman
Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

Woodland clearance around the Long Water

If Andy Goldsworthy or Richard Long had been asked to create something from the cuttings and brushwood around the Long Water they might well have charged many thousands of pounds for their artistic creation. Whatever they produced would not have been any more creative or gently part of the landscape than that which our park staff are working on. The previously scrubby appearance is cleared and tidied but in a way that provides homes and nourishment for all the invertebrates we are now supposed to love, as well as Ratty and Friends. Yes, I do mean ‘Wind in the Willows’, not the less appealing sort, though we do need them too.

A taller person would provide better photos but go see for yourself.
Dimity Spiller
Member

Physical Energy

We are all familiar with the splendid Physical Energy at the heart of Kensington Gardens. The magnificent rearing horse and rider – all power and muscle. In Cheltenham Festival week I have become aware of the brilliance of its creator, the Victorian era artist, George Watts.

A few years ago your Chairman, Sue Price, and I were part of a small group to visit the Watts gallery in Surrey where among the exhibits is a maquette of Physical Energy. The links intrigued me.

On further research I found pictures of Watts working on the model at his studio in…Kensington. The casting was dispatched to the Royal Academy and from there onward to Cape Town where it can still be found sitting on the side of Table Mountain looking imperiously over the city. Evidently it was much admired and so a second copy was cast in 1917 which is the one we know and love in Kensington Gardens.

And the connections go on because in 2017 the RA commissioned the casting of another copy which stood in the courtyard during the Watts exhibition that year.

But the story does not end there. Watts was a great Victorian humanitarian and so a few days ago I cycled up to Postman’s Park at King Edward Street in the City for a more detailed inspection of the memorial to self sacrifice. It is a moving installation produced by Watts with a series of exquisitely designed plaques telling the heroic stories of those who gave their lives to save others. There are dozens of great tales on the wall, many of them about children. For example: “Alice Ayres, daughter of a bricklayer’s labourer, who by intrepid conduct saved three children from a burning house at the cost of her own young life 1885.”

So if you love walking by Physical Energy try and drop in to Postman’s Park to admire the memorial there. If you really love it, you can become a Friend of the memorial for free. That would be another heartwarming link between Kensington Gardens, Postman’s Park and the genius of George Watts.

Paul Shelley
Accredited Photographer
Friends Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

Extra photographs thanks to:
Phil Newcombe
A Friend

Beautiful Spring flowers in The Parks

The photograph of this magnificent Magnolia Stellata above, was taken by Tina Higginson while volunteer ing in the South Flower Walk. When able to raise her head from toiling in the border she observed the continuous stream of walkers stopping to photograph such an arresting sight.

Tina took some wonderful close ups of primroses, miniature irises and memorably perfumed mahonia.

Everywhere there is perfume. The viburnum blossom exuding a strong scent.

It is also the time for nesting birds

June Mangan took some fascinating photographs of swans.


Click on the link to see one building her nest: Nest Building

….and continued to video ‘Swan Lake’
Click on the link to view the synchronous courting:“Dancing Swans”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uX_Q-cCU4Q

Easter is a time for eggs and chickens

June, to her amazement, just discovered the allotments and had no idea that a chicken house was there!


Not everyone loves the parakeets. but, what a colour swooping here!

Edited by:
Lynden Easton
Membership Secretary

Springing Forward

The weather is dull and blustery on this first Sunday of British Summer Time. I hope that the forecast for sunshine and warmth in a couple of days is accurate.

Today’s blog mentions some other Royal Parks where our stories link up. All the Royal Parks have Friends’ groups and the chairs and I have met together with Royal Parks senior staff, on a regular basis for years. For the last year this has been c/o Teams. But the interesting thing is that we have all been in touch with each more than we did in “normal” times sharing ideas, many of which involve how best to keep in touch with you all, and this has been invaluable.

Red Sky at Night

I make no apologies for repeating a sunset photo in this blog. In my last blog it was an amazing sky over the Albert Memorial. After a long spell of spectacular evening skies, I am including one more photo but from a different point of view which might give you a second or twos pause for thought.

A Little Help Needed
Subtly, and with careful planning, the parks’ teams have been supporting our wild life. Against intruding, although possibly kindly meant, behaviour from human beings and less than helpful interest from dogs, there are some new things to look out for.

At the Italian Gardens you can see a small pop-up island which seems to have just appeared. It is a perfectly reformed swan island. The first one had finally collapsed back into the water last year. The swans used to nest on the grassy banks next to the Longwater until people spotted them and some decided to climb the railings for a closer look. Unsurprisingly, the whole swan family house and family building exercise regularly failed. The Island, as soon as it was created, was successfully used and has now been rebuilt.

Interest is already being shown in this des res by a couple of cygnets but probably they won’t be able to hang on to their tenure for long, the dominant males are sure to move in. I had no idea that the parks’ water was home to such a wide variety of fish….. bream, carp, perch, pike, rudd, roach and there might be crucian carp and possibly tench.

Their peril comes from the air above.

Hang over the parapet on the north end of the Serpentine Bridge on the Hyde Park side and just under water you will see a series of metal cages recently restuffed with brash from the coppicing work in the Long Water enclosure. These fish refuges provide shelter and although as hundreds of tiny fish emerge in the spring, and masses get snaffled by heron, there are always a few which survive.

The Egyptian geese and their goslings are enjoying the areas round the Diana memorial fountain garden in Hyde Park and the grassy lawn around the Henry Moore statue in Kensington Gardens as these are both closed off (the first only temporarily) and provide a safe haven. It’s not so good for this family photographed by the Serpentine bridge on the hard surfaced footpath and kerbside edge to the water. The northern edge of the Serpentine is a long border with no rushes, reed beds or any other cover to protect from people and dogs.

Curvaceous Kiosks

While you are in this area the kiosk at the Triangle car park continues to provide great coffee and snacks.

The kiosks are made from British steamed bent wood by designer Tom Raffield and made a welcome appearance a couple of years ago. Apart from this one there are two more, at Hyde Park Corner and at the Knightsbridge Barracks playground. There are more in The Green Park and St James’s Park.

The new kid on the block has just burst onto the scene in a glorious blaze of gold in St James’s Park close to Buckingham Palace, at the north end of the lake. It is the same design but made of brass so the gold will eventually settle to green. Its gold reflects the gold of the Victoria statue and the Palace gates and is worth a walk to go a little further to admire it in its new state.

Moving round the Park

New readers start here. For longstanding members since 2019, this will be familiar territory.

Many of you returned questionnaires about the Movement Strategy during rounds of consultations. The aim has been to focus on stopping park roads being used as commuting traffic cut throughs and to reclaim as much space as possible for use as a park. Five Royal Parks are involved with eight changes. Three roads have been closed in Richmond Park and on the main Chestnut Avenue crossing Bushy Park, the middle section has been closed. The result is an 800 yard stretch reclaimed for children to learn to ride bikes, roller skate and scooter.

The proposal for Hyde Park is the permanent closure of North Carriage Drive and the weekend closure of South Carriage Drive to through traffic. This latter is rather academic since, in the first lock down, TfL installed a cycle way along Park Lane which runs straight across the Queen Elizabeth gates which have been unable to open safely since.

Across the five Parks there were 18,000 responses to the consultations:
Hyde Park returned 75% in favour of the permanent closure of North Carriage Drive and 74% in favour of South Carriage Drive weekend closures. These have been trialled for the last 12 months. The Royal Parks board has resolved to continue the trials for another twelve months. I am disappointed that the decision for permanency wasn’t agreed at the last board meeting.

Easter

The long holiday is almost upon us and as we are still not allowed to go anywhere, the parks are expected to be busier than ever. Hyde Park manager Jason Taylor, is pleased to have been allowed one extra member of staff for the period to help cope with the anticipated massive clean-up. Every weekend in this lockdown both parks have been packed and it has been difficult to manage the rubbish left behind.

Money Money Money

With a catastrophic crash in the Royal Park’s income, all manner of new initiatives are being tried.

A “tap to donate” (£2 I believe) column has been installed in three places, the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, the Knightsbridge playground and at Serenity close to the Lido in Hyde Park.

With no major fundraising activities and limited minor events only, Royal Parks budgets have had a hole blown in them.

Hedgerows North and South

Along Kensington Road the mixed native hedgerow planting has been successfully established.

At the moment, the blackthorn is covered in white blossom. Pink flowering hawthorn follows and then dog roses. To the north of Hyde Park, along the Bayswater Road and close to Victoria Gate, hedges have recently been laid. They need time to establish but hopefully will provide a green barrier between the Park and very busy road.

Meanwhile the formal showpiece bedding near the Rose Garden (Hyde Park) is really looking splendid, and I am being lobbied strongly by the magnolia enthusiasts who are very pleased with the profusion of flowering trees all over both Parks which seem to be looking especially good this year.

Hot Off The Press

More details for both will follow in another blog and by Mail to our non-email members.

Dates for your diaries:

Wednesday May 26th 5pm
Members Meeting c/o Zoom
Members only
Three special guest speakers have accepted our invitation to talk about all aspects of our parks.

Tuesday 29th June
Plant Sale in the super nursery in Hyde Park
Members only
This is a favourite date which lots of you have been looking forward to. Wonderful plants, surplus to the Parks’ needs, will be sold in aid of the Royal Parks charity. Timing and arrangements will be made to make sure there is safe distancing will follow.

More treats are in the pipeline and we are longing to get back to meeting you all again and for the first time our new members.

Have a happy Easter all of you.

Sue Price
Chairman

Photography thanks to Paul Shelley and A Friend

Introducing Decimus Burton

Decimus Burton is possibly the most important contributor to the development of Hyde Park in its entire history and in fact the best of his work there is still with us today, almost 200 years later – like the imposing Apsley Gate Entrance, the magnificent Wellington Arch, both at Hyde Park Corner, and the overall layout of the park itself.

Born in 1800 his career took off at the age of just 21 after he had designed the first villas and terraces in Regents Park and this led to his appointment to totally rejuvenate Hyde Park three years later – a hugely challenging project for such a young architect.

Decimus (or DB as he became known much later on) quickly developed an outstanding reputation and within a few years was recognized as the foremost British architect and urban designer of the 19th century, and certainly set industry standards throughout his long career.

Later major design projects included work at two further Royal Parks (Green Park and St James’s), the Palm House and Temperate House at Kew Gardens, Athenaeum Club, the London Zoo, Chatsworth Conservatory, Phoenix Park in Dublin and significant urban developments at the English seaside towns of St Leonards-on-Sea and Fleetwood, and the spa town of Tunbridge Wells.

DB was a prolific designer and developed plans for literally hundreds of other houses, estates, clubs, schools, hospitals, churches, spas, gardens and monuments, and many other types of buildings, both in London and across Britain. Time for even a couple of lighthouses!

DB was particularly recognized for his versatility in working with different architectural styles including Roman and Greek Revival, Georgian Neo-Classical and Regency.

Hyde Park Briefing in 1824

In 1824 DB was selected as the architect for the entire plan of rejuvenating Hyde Park and was fully briefed by Charles Arbuthnot, the recently appointed Commissioner of Woods and Forests in George IV’s reign.

Hyde Park itself had been in a terrible state for years although it was still attracting considerable crowds. In fact maintenance of the park had been totally neglected and it had consequently suffered greatly from endless military reviews and celebrations (also billeting), major leaking sewage from the Westbourne stream and roaming cattle still being allowed, complete with cow sheds and even milk on sale to park visitors, straight from the cows!

In contrast Kensington Gardens was in a “well manicured shape”, as it reported directly to the Lord Steward who ensured the park was always maintained for the benefit of the Royal Family members living in the Palace.

The brief for Hyde Park to DB was concise but ambitious in terms of comprehensively upgrading the park to restore its condition and able to handle the increasing number of visitors.

Meetings between King George IV, Prime Minister Lord Liverpool and Charles Arbuthnot had also agreed the need for Hyde Park “to match the splendour of rival European capital cities”, particularly in view of its proximity to Buckingham Palace. (In this context King George very much liked DB’s design for the new Main Entrance on Hyde Park Corner and personally approved it!)

DB’S Overall Implementation Plan

Arbuthnot accepted DB’s proposed strategy of enhancing the countryside feel of Hyde Park with additional drives, pathways and bridle trails, with long vistas as opposed to it resembling anything like a municipal park. DB was also keen to develop a dignified and unified park character which would certainly require some extensive structural work.

Specifically DB recommended new railings round the boundaries of the park to replace the dilapidated brick walls dating from the 1600s, installing stylish new wrought iron gates, adding pathways and bridle trails, designing and building a series of four distinctive Gate Lodges – Cumberland, Stanhope, Grosvenor and Hyde Park plus two major constructions in the form of a striking new wide Entrance at Apsley Gate and a Tribute Arch to celebrate the Duke of Wellington’s victory over the French at Waterloo, both on Hyde Park Corner.

One of DB’s earliest actions was to arrange for the Achilles Statue behind Apsley House (and also in honour of the Duke of Wellington), to be re-positioned to make it a major focal point from the planned new park entrance at Hyde Park Corner.

All of the rejuvenation work was required as soon as possible and, once approved, DB duly delivered the complete package in a little over four years, by 1830. It was certainly a considerable task.

The Government was delighted with the results of DB’s rejuvenation project, with Hyde Park looking spectacularly transformed and also under new efficient management.

DB’s two main creations, the Apsley Gate Entrance and Wellington Arch remain very much part of London’s architectural and historical profile – and surely forms Decimus Burton’s main legacy to the nation. (Wellington Arch is often described as “one of London’s best loved landmarks”)

Later Projects for DB in Hyde Park

In 1830 DB was asked to upgrade the Grenadier Guards Magazine, close to Magazine Gate (and now the Serpentine North Gallery), to make it more appropriate for storage of new gun powders and other munitions like grenades.

Then in 1846 DB was briefed to design and build a fifth Lodge at the Prince of Wales Gate on Kensington Road – in fact this ultimately involved building two identical Lodges, one East and the other West, to make the best use of the significant space available, which was to prove invaluable in 1851 when it became a major visitor entry point for the Great Exhibition.

Also, in 1851 a more complex request to DB came directly from Queen Victoria to develop an alternative enclosure to the Buckingham Palace forecourt which also involved moving the Carrara Marble Arch commissioned at great expense (over 8 million pounds at today’s value!) by George IV, in 1820, from the Palace to a totally new location. So DB developed a plan to move the Arch to the NE corner of Hyde Park, close to the Cumberland Gate Lodge, at the confluence of the four main roads there, which the Queen quickly approved and that area soon became known as Marble Arch.

Incidentally, it took over three months to complete as it involved a painstaking “stone-by-stone” removal and transfer!

What About Decimus Burton the Person?

Born in 1800, Decimus was the 10th child of James Burton (Decem being Latin for 10) who was London’s premier property developer in the 19th century, and reputed to have been responsible for over 3000 new buildings in central London through his company. He had a major influence in guiding Decimus’s career in his early days as did John Nash, another famous British architect who worked closely with James Burton.

With his family background and working contacts Decimus was soon moving in London’s top society circles, which included close relationships with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, The Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Devonshire, Sir Humphry Davy and Sir John Soane amongst others. DB designed the clubhouse of the famous Athenaeum Club building which was certainly one of London’s grandest gentlemen’s clubs – and as a founding member (and bachelor!) he spent much of his leisure time there.

DB was very well liked by many and seen as” rich, cool and well dressed – his modesty, politeness and upright bearing were enduring, and his integrity and professional competence were worthy of the greatest respect”.

He never married and lived in St James’s and Tunbridge Wells, moving on retirement to Kensington and St Leonards-on- Sea in 1869.

Decimus Burton died in 1881 at the age of 81 and was buried at the historical Kensal Green Cemetery in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, alongside his brother Henry and sister Jessy. DB’s tomb is in the form of a Sarcophagus (stone coffin) made from grey Cornish granite with a pyramidal cover – which was listed in 2001.

_*Text and photographs by Harry Reid
Member of ‘Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens’* __

• …IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DB*

The Decimus Burton Society held its inaugural meeting at The Society of Antiquaries in May 2018 and since then has attracted the support and membership of many academics, architects, institutions, organisations and Burton home-owners to name but a few. Its main aims are to:

*Create a central resource point of material related to Burton and his work, with links to material elsewhere.

• Hold talks relating to Burton and his work
• Arrange visits to Burton-designed buildings, places and landscapes.
• Look to publish research into Burton and his period.
• Encourage students and others to study and appreciate Burton’s work.

If you would like to learn more about the Society, or become a member please review their website at: www.thedecimusburtonsociety.org

Contact Paul Avis-Chairman with any questions

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 1921- 2021

We were very sorry to learn of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. He touched many lives in this country over such a long time. The coverage in the media was a revelation and showed so much of what he achieved during his long life and how he managed this despite a very difficult childhood.

The Royal Parks especially have reflected these links both in their history as royal hunting grounds and also beautifully designed palace gardens. They have become a world-famous attraction for visitors to this country who love and admire the present-day form of this important legacy.

His son, HRH The Prince of Wales, became patron of the Royal Parks charity when it was launched in July 2017. He takes a great interest and visits often quietly and informally, to meet, for example, the apprentices and to thank the gardeners and cleaners. He is particularly interested in the trees and the wild flower areas.

If, like me, you were watching on TV the commentators standing in front of Buckingham Palace and reporting to the world, you too may have been impressed by the blaze of gold from the flower beds in front of the Palace. These are the responsibility of the Royal Parks, especially Mark Wasilewski the manager of St James’s and the Green Parks.

The planting is two colours of wallflowers, yellow in the outer and orange in the inner beds. Red tulips were popping up, but as these are left-overs from last year the “proper” ones are just opening up now. All the plants were grown at our Super Nursery in Hyde Park.

You may remember that last year these beds were planted with blue and white flowers to represent the NHS.

Tete a Tete in the Park

Hyde Park assistant manager, Phil Newcombe, is our horticultural specialist and I am grateful to him for keeping me (and therefore all of you) up to date with news of the latest things he’s been carrying out to improve and repair some tricky areas of the Park.
!/perch/resources/flowers-hyde-park-2-w420.jpeg(Meadow close to ‘Will to Win’ (27th April))!

You may have noticed different attempts to create a Meadow in the grassy area close to ‘Will to Win’ at the south end of West Carriage Drive. It was dominated by invasive plants and “Fat Hen” had taken over. Now, the dated photographs demonstrate not only the attractiveness of the new planting but also the planning for subsequent sequential flowering.

In December 2020 a Dutch specialist piece of kit, complete with driver, was hired to plant thousands of bulbs sourced in Lincolnshire. The “kit” is a small tractor and a hook-on hopper and cutter which somehow opens up the turf and then recloses it over the bulb. Apparently, this skilled duo travels round the country wherever large-scale natural looking planting is needed.

The narcissi were looking remarkably good in early April despite the late planting. The skill is in producing lovely swathes in a relaxed shape. How many broken backs did this save?

The area closer to the bowling green was more tricky as so much of it is waterlogged. Phil has tried a mix of anemone blanda, iris reticulata, crocus, chionodoxa, muscari, scilla, botanical narcissus and botanical tulips.

!/perch/resources/flowers-hyde-park-4-w420.jpeg(Mixed planting by ‘Will to Win’‘ (6th April))!

It is looking delicate and lovely and well worth a close inspection (though the strong sunshine may be hastening its end for this season). I hope some of you may have noticed these and enjoyed them as much as I have, particularly as they are aimed at us on foot! Phil hopes, and I support him, that there will be enough in the budget to repeat the exercise.

Rambling with Clare

Journalist and broadcaster, Clare Balding, was commissioned by a local hotel to produce a podcast for their guests to introduce them to the delights of both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. It was to be along the lines of Radio 4’s ‘Ramblings’ programme which I always enjoy.

I was asked if I would be prepared to walk and talk to Clare about parts of the Parks which they hoped their guests would enjoy. How could I say No? A small very efficient team met me in the hotel before we all set off and we did exactly as you imagine when you listen to the programme.

Clare chatted and was a very relaxed and warm personality (despite it being one of those very icy days earlier in April). They added on a few bits of my favourite locations, which they may or may not use in the final version.

The sound person followed on some way behind and Clare, who, with eyes almost in the back of her head, was able to pick up signals if anything needed repeating or she needed to change sides with me. This was all managed seamlessly. It was altogether a very interesting and enjoyable morning with a nice bunch of people.

Clare has recently agreed to be joint patron of Richmond Park with David Attenborough (two national treasures for one park, lucky things!) I said goodbye to them in Kensington Gardens as they went on their way to be met at Kensington Palace by one of the HRP team.

Law and Disorder

It’s been an awful week for Hyde Park with plenty of the latter and not enough of the former. As you have probably realised by now, we try to use our blogs to interest, inform and delight our readers with all the things to enjoy in both Parks.

(1) Cannabis 420 Many of you will know about this unauthorised gathering which is a growing problem every year. Don’t believe the Daily Telegraph when they reported a “few hundred people gathered to smoke cannabis”.

It is awful for all the staff who look after Hyde Park, for ordinary members of the public who want to enjoy their time there and for the police trying to manage it.

Sometimes called World Cannabis Day, the event (with no known organisers) started on American college campuses and has always taken place on the 20th April (420 American date style) with lighting up scheduled for 4.20pm. This has grown every year and crowds gather on the Parade Ground in the morning, building up to thousands (some estimates of ten to fifteen) during the day with a hard core staying into the evening and joined then by gangs. There were plenty of police on duty.

When things turned nasty in the evening the police applied for a Section 35 Dispersal Order. This is used when there are stabbings or threats of stabbings and gives the police more powers to stop and search.

The rubbish left behind was shocking and despite the toilets remaining open, every corner, bush or private garden was used. The smell was awful and with no rain forecast the problem won’t go away on its own. Clearing the filth usually starts in the gathering gloom when it’s safe to do so, and then again at 5am by teams from Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and St James’s Park. Normally the next day, 21st April, a major gun salute takes place (cancelled this year) in honour of the Queen’s birthday. This year, with a 5am start it was cleaned up by 11am (which would normally be too late for the gun salute.

What’s to do? It has been growing larger every year. Is this an annual experience our staff are going to have to put up with?

(2) Anti-lockdown demonstration On Saturday 24th April a crowd of about 1,500 gathered for an anti-lockdown demonstration. Although no distancing or face masks were worn and thousands of stickers were plastered everywhere, it was mostly peaceful and set off through the West End.

Later on, some of the marchers returned to the Park and as word had got out they were joined by an element who had heard about it and were looking for a fight with the police. They were about 500 in number by this time. It became very dangerous logistically for the police, some of whom got cut off from their colleagues, and they were defending themselves with batons only, no protective gear and no serious head gear either. Several police were injured.

On Saturday evening the Hyde Park bandstand and notice board were graffitied. Gangs have been gathering here, using the bandstand for drunken parties and it has become a crime hot spot.

Protecting our Views

Most members, if living in London, will have heard about Protected Views. These were built in, as a legal requirement of urban planning, to limit the height of new buildings within or adjacent to the sight line between two buildings to preserve the ability to see a landmark.

An example of where this has failed spectacularly is of St Paul’s Cathedral from Richmond Park. Go to King Henry’s Mound there (near Pembroke Lodge) and use the telescope to look towards the cathedral. The outline of the dome was obscured by a development about four miles BEHIND the landmark in Stratford. It was too late to do anything about it but the Friends of Richmond Park fought valiantly and I believe got the building’s cladding changed to something non-reflective.

There are thirteen protected vistas (or views) in London and our very own one is, I think, the shortest. Go to the centre of the Serpentine Bridge. Look east and lean on the lamppost in the middle. You may have to jostle other viewers aside. You will see the Palace of Westminster. The sight of all the tall cranes may make you nervous, and I worry that the buildings they are creating, admittedly smaller than the cranes are, may distract.

STOP PRESS!

Good news for lunchers

The Lido Cafe now has tables outside. As the area is very popular and could be a pinch point for crowds, the cafe has agreed to put fewer tables outside at water level, instead there will be seating (temporarily) for over 100 lunchers upstairs in the garden on the terrace, looking out over the lake to the trees opposite. No crowds passing in front of you. This is only until the Lido reopens for swimming sometime in June and after some work has been done on the changing rooms. There will be staff to monitor the numbers on the stairs and food will be brought up there (I believe).

Sue Price
Chairman

Kensington Gardens is the star of this blog

There’s a lot going on with trees, flowers and planting, buildings, exhibitions and art all grabbing our attention.

Starting with the South Flower Walk (SFW) at the showcase bed by the Albert Memorial, which we have featured quite regularly and our volunteers tended. I’ve had the advantage of an expert from OCS, Phil Whelan, giving me the backstory of the planning and management of SFW. You may find this interesting, if not, just continue to stand and stare at the flowers. But you could find this useful if, like me, you hold forth to friends and visitors.

This bed, along with the ones which line the S Flower Walk, are split into 33 small separate ones each with plans and its own number. Six years ago the whole area was mostly shrubbery. Each year, some new plants are tried out to see how they do and if they work well (surviving animal and bird attack) they may be taken up, otherwise the basic plan stays the same. Theresa does the design and the gardeners (including our volunteers) plant from the plan.

Seasonal planting takes place in Spring and Autumn, except for ‘Snobs Crossing’ which gets trampled by dogs and feet passing through in all directions, and so needs frequent topping up. Wallflowers, polyanthus, cultivated primroses and myosotis (winter bedding) started coming out on Monday, May 10th.

The summer bedding arrives starting 1st June and planting takes place (2,500 plants in the showcase bed and 15,500 in the rest of the SFW) over a two week period. Look out for a new feature, a snaking line of Foxtail lilies through the middle of the bed and planted very nervously from a plan by Tina and her companions.

Calling all (or any) volunteers

From amongst our new members or longer standing ones, Theresa Short, assistant manager and horticulture guru, would like to recruit two or three volunteers to join our tiny team who tend this prestigious SFW. You will become quite a high profile member, with frequent photo sessions and interviews (and that’s just the passing general public).

Could you spare some time, between 10.30 and 13.00 hrs, on a Thursday morning? For more information please contact our trustee Tina Higginson by emailing contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

A Gardening Companion

Recently while volunteer gardening in Kensington Gardens I had the pleasure of this little bird’s company. For a very long time it sat perched in the tree just above me singing a joyful and robust song. I was enthralled and felt as if I was being serenaded as I worked.

My colleague told me that it was a robin. Knowing nothing about birds I later read up a bit on robins. Apparently, they tend not to be afraid of humans. And are drawn to activities such as digging. They like to keep an eye out for earthworms and other goodies that may be in the freshly upturned soil.

So…I guess my little friend’s visit was not just social!

Action packed trees

There was drama overnight on 3/4 April when a large Red Oak (Quercus Rubra) fell across a path near to the Italian Gardens.

The tree was closely monitored from 2012 when a root decay pathogen was noted. The heavy compaction (from footfall) along the desire line to the south of the tree is thought to be the cause of the root problems. It was examined again in Feb. 2021 when extensive decay was noted, but it was thought that enough of the root system was intact to retain the tree for another year. These pathogens are difficult to manage as the degeneration is underground. It’s a difficult balancing act to judge when to take down a fine old tree against the possibility of keeping it a little longer.

More recently at the south end of Lancaster Walk, a chestnut tree (suffering from Chestnut Canker) shed a large branch overnight in the Bank Holiday very high winds. Sadly, the rest of the tree had to go as it had become unbalanced.

It’s sad that Kensington Gardens, with its wonderful collection of old and veteran trees, is losing so many to diseases. No cause for alarm, though, are the trees which are apparently leaning at perilous angles. I’m now doing an I Spy spotting exercise as there are a few of them. Look at the “apical growth” upper canopy (the top) and if it’s growing upright, all is well. It’s highly likely that the tree took on a lean in a high wind years earlier and has now stabilised.

“Be assured” says manager Andy Williams “the trees are surveyed regularly and in line with our detailed tree management procedure”.

The Famous Five are being well guarded

They are at the north end of the Broad Walk and are surrounded by a split chestnut and rope barrier. They are chestnuts with a genetic make-up special to the Gardens. Risk of compaction around them, and any other abuse, is headed off. They are Kensington Gardens tree treasures.

Kensington Palace Re-opens

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) have had a very tough time during the lockdowns. Over 90% of HRP’s income comes from visitors and of these, 60% are from the International market. Distancing means that ticket sales, launched a couple of weeks ago, are sold at a rate of 130 per half hour instead of 250, so more loss of income. They have had to lose a significant number of their staff in a restructuring programme.

The Palace reopens on 26th May and will be open from Weds to Sunday. On 3rd June, a fabulous exhibition “Royal Style in the Making” opens in the Orangery and will run until the 2nd January 2022. It will feature Princess Diana’s wedding dress (last displayed 1996) and will also focus on the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. HRP has, as have the Royal Parks, had to reassess all projects in the light of drastically reduced income.

The Grade 1 listed Orangery is undergoing external conservation improvements. This work is now on hold to reassess the necessary funding. Meanwhile essential restoration to the fabric of the building has continued.

Paul, our photographer, and I didn’t dare climb the green screening barriers for fear of being shot, but we did reach very high to take the photo of the Flemish Bond brickwork (that’s stretcher and header in a line) and fine feathered pointing. Together with the stonework, it all looks wonderful.

While the Orangery is open for exhibitions, the Pavilion will provide the catering and as this sits on part of the Orangery gardens, they will remain closed as their planned restoration is necessarily delayed. It can’t be emphasised enough, how badly organisations like this have been hit by the pandemic.

Following the unveiling of the statue in remembrance of Princess Diana , the Sunken Garden will reopen to the public on 2nd July.

Meanwhile at the East Albert Lawn, ‘Van Gogh Alive The Experience’, is just starting to be constructed and will open on June 4th until September 26th. It is totally accessible to all and has been arranged with safety in mind. Yet another thing to come and see, do bring visitors and perhaps combine with the Palace and the Museums in Exhibition Road. We will give this more coverage I’m sure.

Some home tourism to support HRP is called for. Have you got any UK visitors coming to stay with you over the summer?

……and Kensington Gardens keeps on giving!

The Serpentine Gallery never fails to give us something to think about. The Pavilion is taking shape, with a structure already visible promising an ambitious scheme to enjoy over the summer. Less showy is the flat paved area set in the grass to the south of the gallery, and sadly empty for some time. The gallery has presented, over a number of years, an engaging and thought-provoking series of sculptures here.

At the end of June an ethereal creation by Sophie Al-Maria will be the latest, and very welcome offering, to join this impressive group.

Eating Out …The Roof Top

Over to Hyde Park because we can’t keep away and anyway we’re hungry.

In my last Blog I mentioned this latest addition at the Lido.

My information was a bit shaky, Rob Colicci has given me more details. The Roof Top is open after 3pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and from midday at weekends.

It’s not very busy at the moment but will open for longer as customer numbers pick up. It will be there until mid-June when the Lido reopens for public swimming.

But what about lunch?

It was delicious, mine was the HG Walter beef burger, photographer Paul’s was the chicken burger (in batter which he says was crisp). No, he didn’t eat two. And the chips with skins on and Himalayan salt and Rosemary ….delicious!

Eat fast though, birdie eyes are on you all the time and have devilish cheek when it comes to stealing a few bits and pieces.

FAREWELL

We are very sorry to learn of the deaths of two valued members:

Daniel Hearsum: A life member since 2014, was more closely associated with Richmond Park where he had done a fabulous job in restoring Pembroke Lodge to its present glory. He ran a very successful business there as a location for weddings and events.

His Hearsum Collection held a significant number of items associated with the Royal Parks, including hundreds of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. He very kindly mounted a display of some of his treasures for our members at one of our AGMs a few years ago. He was very generous to The Friends as well.

He also promoted and contributed to exhibitions at the Mall Galleries, “Phoenix Park, Dublin” and in 2019 at the Garden Museum with “Play Protest and Pelicans: A Peoples’ History of London’s Royal Parks”. He will leave a big hole, especially in the Richmond Park community.

Eileen Menzies: A life member since December 1994 and one of the very first of this group. She loved the Parks and particularly the trees and was our first volunteer gardener in the South Flower Walk wroting about her experiences in our newsletter. An enthusiastic member who had lots of ideas and held strong views which were always in defence of the Parks.

They will be greatly missed and our commiserations to their families.

Members Meeting (via Zoom) Weds 26th May at 5pm

Guest speakers:
Tom Jarvis, Director, The Royal Parks
Andrew Williams, Manager, Kensington Gardens
Jason Taylor, Manager, Hyde Park

This is a chance to look at illustrations and hear news and views from our insiders in the two Parks along with an overview of all the Royal Parks. There will be a Q and A session at the end.
A link will be sent to members email addresses shortly before the meeting.

Dates for the diary:

All details and how to book a time slot in the next Blog

Butterflies and moths
A very small group with expert help and guidance, to look and identify species in two private gardens in Hyde Park at lunchtime.
15th June, 17th June and a reserve day, in case of total wash out, 24th June

Plant Sale
Once again in the Hyde Park Super Nursery, with all proceeds to the Royal Parks charity. Surplus plants for your own gardens and window boxes.
Tuesday 29th June

With grateful thanks to all who provided information and photographs

Photos by (in order)
Paul Shelley
Sandie
John Foldes
Serpentine Gallery
Rob Colicci
Sue Price

Chairman
Sue Price

Every Picture Tells a Story.

Members who live anywhere near to the parks, particularly the east side of Hyde Park and the south of Kensington Gardens will be well aware that, for months, there have been demonstrations taking place on the Parade Ground. It’s a huge, open, beautifully turfed inviting space for any group wanting somewhere to gather. Without major events constructing and decommissioning their paraphernalia and no ceremonial events taking place, the space it appears, is up for grabs.

The last two Saturdays had enormous gatherings in support of Palestine.

Manager, Jason Taylor told me, before the most recent one (22nd May) he talked to the organisers. He told them it would be unauthorised and was not approved in any way. Having then been told they would go ahead anyway, he took the pragmatic approach and worked on how to minimise potential damage.

The Palestine group who used experienced stewards were warned about litter. Both Jason and duty manager on the day, Rob Dowling, confirmed that the leaders were directing the crowd to take litter home, or dispose of it in proper places. This worked well and Rob commented that a sudden very heavy burst of rain scattered the crowd which resulted in some rubbish being dumped. OCS, our terrific cleaning team who work endlessly after these events, had got the Parade ground into good shape by 7pm.

The police estimate of 20,000 attending was over taken by the organisers claim of 180,000. Rob’s estimate was 70,000 and we’ll go with that. Still, it was a very large turn out and on a long hot May Saturday could well have gone on into the night, with other groups piling in.

Jason and I have talked at length about how vulnerable the Parade Ground is to events like this. We are looking forward to the return of some events which will bring in much needed income and the area will be there for all members of the public to enjoy. Also, it would be a pleasure to host ceremonial events again with gun salutes and military inspections. These would take it right back to when Hyde Park was first mapped after its status as a royal hunting ground had been changed and Queen Elizabeth 1 inspected her troops on exactly the same ground (but the quality of the grass may not have been so good).

Our ‘General Meeting’ (voting to take place on another day in the future) via Zoom on Wednesday was a really enjoyable chance to hear from the managers, Jason Taylor and Andy Williams, and Royal Parks director, Tom Jarvis, about plans, news, coping with climate change, use of parks looking ahead for future generations and managing in difficult times. Fabulous photos slid across our screens all through the three presentations. 64 screens signed on, so I expect a larger number than that were watching and listening to it all. Our minute secretary took a very good note and summary of what was said and it won’t be long before we can load them onto the website.

Lively Q & A’s followed and discussion, as much as one can have through a chat bar too (or is it a box?). Feedback and warm messages of support are still coming in and offers of practical support as well. It’s all much appreciated, with emails being forwarded in all directions.

A Close Up on the Nursery

“The Trumpet Shall Sound” …. Corinthians and GF Handel
It’s time to blow their trumpet for them, the super nursery tucked away as it is in the middle of Hyde Park may not have featured on our members’ radar.

Generous hosts and friends to ‘The Friends’ manager, Mike Jones and his staff have helped many members enjoy Spring and Autumn tours to gain an understanding of how things work. For the last few years (Covid year excepted) members have been pleased to buy surplus plants for their own gardens and balconies.

This state-of-the-art football pitch sized nursery was built over a year in 2017 after the old buildings became unfit for purpose. The site was originally a Georgian reservoir, and is sheltered from the worst weather.

For many years, Mike and his team have been working on more planet-friendly, climate change appreciation techniques in the production of the fabulous plants which they supply to all the Royal Parks and the Buckingham Palace flower beds.

Without attempting to write a PhD (which I couldn’t manage anyway), this blog’s aim is to give a brief description of the exciting things his team have been quietly getting on with.

Integrated Pest Management
Clever words to describe biological control (friendly bugs). Since 1992, when Mike started on this route, they have been building up an indigenous (UK) population of control bugs. The old nurseries with their nooks and crannies and rotting wood had developed a complete and sufficient number which needed very little topping up.

The new steel and glass structures are only just beginning to provide a friendly home for them to overwinter as moss grows in very small corners and tiny cracks are settled in. It’ll take another two years for this bug community to build up to full residential strength. Regular visits from entomologists to work out programmes to build this population up and monitor progress, are always in the diary.

Mike showed me a timetable for a year of managing outbreaks of thirteen different types of bugs, all intent on living on and under the plants. You’ll already know about aphids, whitefly and thrips but tarsonemid, springtail and leaf miner? Me neither.

The controls for these pests to have a safe journey are in a variety of means of transport:

Small cards with a dot, on which live pupae, Pringles sized tubes, specimen tubes (as in the sort you are occasionally asked to provide for your GP) and bran-stuffed boxes which cushion the bumps on the way all feature.

The cards are hung up, the specimen tubes laid down (so the bugs can walk out) and bran scattered so the inhabitants land safely. There are sometimes 1000’s to a container.
To provide a comfortable home while the bugs are out and about, dotted all over the nursery are tomato and cucumber plants with very large soft furry leaves, especially the aubergine in the centre of the top photograph. (not so different from a furry rug or duvet, I suppose) and the vegetable crop is shared between staff.

Spray?
I dared to ask.
Only used as a last resort if, for example, there’s a sudden explosion of something like aphids following very hot weather. The spray MUST NOT affect the original bug team. A garden centre spray could take three months to clear resulting in a lot of dead working bugs.

Mike says:
“Whereas you might think you’re doing the best thing for your plants, you’ve got to think of your whole ecosystem and what you’re trying to achieve”.

Flower Pots (aka that plastic problem)

Surveying trolley loads of flower pots, your photographer and I turned on the thumb screws.

All the pots were black and black can be recycled (not mixed colours), however nursery pots are not recycled. They are reused. In fact, reused to destruction. Mike estimates a pot can last up to ten years.

He has to buy in very few each year to replace the small number which are lost (for example our plant sales) and a few which don’t return from the gardeners.

Are they washed between uses? No —- clearly I’m well behind the times.

Trays are also black. He’s not so happy that the bulk of his trays are flimsy and crush easily. He has some really good thick trays which he guards zealously and these will last up to 10 years but are expensive to buy, and the outlay was considered too much for The Royal Parks.

Compost. Is it peat free?

The obvious question which at last we are all waking up to. And we now have to be careful what our garden centres are selling us.

For twenty years Mike has been trialling alternatives and has always been keen to use as little peat as possible. He is very pleased that at last he has got a good substitute and is happy that, by the end of the year, they will be completely peat free. His mixture is made up of wood fibre, a timber industry waste product, eg old pallets, bark, also an industry waste product as is the third ingredient, coir, from coconuts.

Like Granny’s secret Christmas pudding recipe he wouldn’t divulge the exact proportions, although I didn’t exactly press him for these. However, I can say that if you bury your nose in this mixture it smells deliciously of a damp forest.

And now to the next question….boldly asked

Carbon Footprint?
It does use a lot of fuel to heat the glasshouses but as they are new, measures have been taken to reduce the heat loss, improve solar gain through increased glazing and with up to date computer software the temperatures are more effectively controlled. Although they rely on heating, new ways are always being looked at to reduce their requirements.

And now to the icing on the cake

What are you particularly proud of? Without hesitation….

Apprentice Training
All the Royal Parks apprentices are students of Capel Manor College, Enfield, which has a satellite in Regents Park. Students spend a day a week for ten weeks learning propagation, plant training and plant husbandry.

Mike and his staff teach specific tasks according to their expertise, for example sowing seeds, cuttings and potting using an extraordinary machine. Mike teaches the safety side of working in a large nursery environment as well as other management things needed from day to day. He also teaches “Future Gardeners” on behalf of a charity whose students spend two weeks with him.

I can vouch for his skills as over the years he has given masses of time to our members to see how things run, to admire the plants as they are all ready to be distributed and explaining some of the details of this impressive place. We have all enjoyed these very much and hope that some of our many new members might be interested in having a tour in the early evening of September 22nd (the Autumn equinox) and welcoming back old friends too. There will be plenty of notice as a chance to book gets closer.

HRH The Prince of Wales, patron of the Royal Parks, is a regular visitor who enjoys meeting the gardeners, apprentices and cleaning staff and takes the opportunity to thank them all. His interest and involvement are much appreciated by them all.

Keep Wildlife Wild
Leave No Trace
The Royal Parks have launched a campaign to run throughout the summer with key objectives:

1: To remind visitors that the Parks are important refuges for nature and encourage them to adopt behaviour to help nature thrive.

2: To raise awareness of the threats to biodiversity in both parks (for example climate change, increased visitor footfall, spread of plant and animal diseases).

3: To publicise what The Royal Parks are doing to help nature in the face of these challenges.

The campaign is about education, not enforcement.

Keep Wildlife Wild
The message is to observe wildlife in their natural habitat, not to feed or touch them.

This part of the campaign will run until the end of July and the message will spread through the press, social media, signs, TRP website homepage and E-newsletter and organisations, such as ours, where we are in regular contact with our members who are supporters of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Leave No Trace
will run from the end of July to the beginning of September. This campaign is timed to coincide with the school holidays and will focus on litter, not leaving rubbish behind, barbecues and being sensitive to where our visitors choose to walk, picnic and settle.

“Help Nature Thrive” by not feeding wildlife.
Hyde Park has almost 13 million visitors a year and Kensington Gardens about 11 million. Their popularity results in high volumes of animal feeding which is upsetting the Parks’ delicate ecosystem.

Excessive feeding encourages large groups of birds such as gulls and crows. They bully other birds, steal their eggs and kill their chicks. Leftover food encourages rats, water quality is impacted by soggy bread and faeces from the overly large wildfowl population. Over-crowding of this group leads to stress and wildlife diseases are spread.
!

!

Our members will have noticed the wonderful wildflower meadows in both Parks, and the development of reed beds and areas of natural woodland, both round the Serpentine and the Long Water.

Members have also commented on, and worried about, the excessive feeding of some groups, for example the ring-necked parakeets. The crowds doing the feeding cause damage with their feet (co
mpaction and loss of trees) and the birds strip newly fruiting and flowering trees, reducing feeding suitable for smaller bird species to thrive.

As the larger more aggressive birds thrive and multiply, the smaller native breeds are now noticeably fewer. And, round these areas of frenzied feeding, gulls, squirrels, pigeons and crows gather to consume all the waste food on the ground.

Squirrels are fed in their hundreds around certain areas, for example the South Flower Walk, where they are looked on as cuddly cute little things. They are effective strippers of bark which kills trees and consume smaller birds eggs.

Swans are noticeably around now in huge numbers. I have stood near to Peter Pan and lost count, and many of you too may have thought that you are seeing an awful lot more than there were a few years ago. Your eyes were not deceiving you. In 1990 there were 13 swans in both Parks. In 2020 a survey recorded 175. The size of the body of water and availability of safe and suitable habitat means only three pairs can successfully breed. The flock is now very unbalanced in its makeup with two or three dominant cobs bullying the rest.

The noticeably larger number of herons are there because of feeding. They would normally fly over large areas, and there are plenty of watery spots both in central and west London to feed and settle. In all cases, the numbers of smaller native birds are declining as the large species grow artificially.

Transect Surveys were carried out in 2004 in Hyde Park and there were 45 carrion crows. By 2019 this number had increased to 500.

Small children have, for generations, loved to go to the parks to feed the ducks but perhaps it’s time to look at the ducks, observe them and try to spot some rarities, amongst all the more natural areas of vegetation which is being carefully managed along the borders of the Long Water and Serpentine.

With all the sensitive development of areas in both Parks to feed and nurture a wide variety of all bird species, there is no need for extra feeding. Reduction in numbers (of the dominant species of birds and animals) would be a good thing, and it would be a pleasure to listen to song and sounds from small native birds.

Admirably, the Royal Parks’ teams are committed to this programme and we are supporting them. There is much more on their website including competitions and fun things for children to look out for.

We have no volunteer rangers in Hyde or Kensington Gardens though, so introducing these “new” ideas to visitors may not be all that easy.

You can help by passing on the message to neighbours, friends and family.

Sue Price
Chairman
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

Acknowledgements for the photographs in order of appearance:
Nigel Pleming
Paul Shelley
John Foldes x 2
Paul Shelley
John Foldes x 3
June Mangan
John Foldes

MID SUMMER IN OUR TWO PARKS

Luscious and Lovely
This is a very self-indulgent blog for which I make no apologies. I have had so many messages from you all about how much you are enjoying the parks and particularly mentioning how well they are looking. And some of our very good photographers have sent me stunning images which my second-hand iPhone 6 cannot match.

COLOUR PALETTES
.. is a phrase which has, recently, seemed to trip off several tongues and makes us all sound like experts.

The glorious wildflower meadows across both parks are wonderful, especially in June, when butterflies, bees, moths and dragonflies were abundant. The massive rainstorms have made them turn a little bit. They have been worked on for about seven or eight years to get them to where they are now. Congratulation to the staff who showed so much patience. It’s not just a case of scattering a packet of seeds apparently.

The Swale (off North Carriage Drive) has been so much written about that it deserves a pamphlet all of its own. But it has, with extra efforts, begun to look rather lovely and is full of water, surrounded by foliage, insect friendly planting and split chestnut paling to discourage the labradors from flinging themselves in (or rather gives the message to their walkers). After Monday’s floods I wonder how it coped.

Phil Newcombe, assistant manager in Hyde Park and horticulture maestro, has sent me some photos of his own starry bedding schemes and the colour palette becomes very clear.

Firstly by the Rose Garden, pinks, reds and purples reign and although the sky, when he took the photo, was the grey leaden covering which we got used to (and sick of) for the last month, you can see the strong colours.

The next one is the Jubilee bed by Fisherman’s Keep. I would say it’s on the Rotten Row side of the bridge which leads to the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen.

There’s a change of colour scheme and yellows, oranges and red rule with golden foliage. Staring closely, I can see a lot of the plants which were available for us to buy at the plant sale and so may well be doing nicely in your own gardens, sky the same depressing grey.

We move over to Kensington Gardens and look again at the North Flower Walk (NFW), which is another spot I have written about a great deal. But we have a lot of new members so apologies to those of you who already know the well covered subject.

NFW was (about four or five years ago) an area with a big antisocial behaviour problem. Because of this, it was almost off limits to anyone with small children or who wanted to sit and enjoy some quiet time.

A lot of work has gone into clearing undergrowth, simplifying and replanting beds and installing the wooden sculptures which Mission Invertebrate funded. So, a small child sitting on a giant male stag beetle holding a little paper plate with a slice of birthday cake, was a feast for the eye (and her tummy).

The wonderful cascading rambler roses at one of NFW entrances is looking glorious and welcoming.

Close by at the Italian Gardens, assistant manager, Russell Stevens, has gone for very vibrant colours in the formally planted area. He also has some pretty exotic bananas there amongst the bright red impatiens (Busy Lizzie). The banana leaves have had to withstand constant stair rod rainfall.

The planting round the cafe is relaxed, calm and plentiful.

Have all the masses of rain helped or hindered? Certainly, floods on Monday were dramatic but, they have enabled the parks to look as lush as ever, with dense greenery and grass.

‘Colour Palettes’ continued for our members at our most appreciated and looked forward to Event…

THE PLANT SALE (Hyde Park Super Nursery)

Tina Higginson is our trustee who organised the timed tickets and had the bright idea of charging £5 per person to donate straight to The Royal Parks charity. She also marshalled us into being her slaves for the day (not exactly arduous I have to admit) and supplied us all with a very nice picnic lunch. I made a pile of banana loaves as I cannot get out of the first lock down habit.

Mike was a very generous host, supplied the coffees and teas to keep us going, and also answered endless questions and was patient with everybody.

Tina wrote to her fellow trustees: “Our last event for the time being was the plant sale at Hyde Park Nursery. I thought it would be a good idea to circulate the amount of money we raised through the Eventbrite ticket sales. We were able to control the numbers entering to 30 per hour throughout the day and not overcrowding the area.

Massive thanks to everybody who helped and especially to Mike and his staff who are so very generous in setting the whole thing up.

As a slave who didn’t have to do much on the day, I chatted to you all and observed that, despite my swearing to myself that my garden was full and I didn’t need any more plants, I found I had lined up rows of pots by the end of the day always, of course, to tie in with existing planting.

I was particularly impressed by the various ingenious means of transport many of you used to take plants away, but this will have to wait for another day. I really loved the careful selections you were all making, some small quantities for window boxes (sizes carefully measured in advance) and some large numbers for community garden squares, church gardens and a planted area in the centre of a block of flats. And one bold member who bought 16 Buckingham Palace geraniums to use as a border along his terrace. I wish I knew how he transported them.

We made £428.96 from ticket sales. Mike told us that plant sales made £1196.00 and so a total of: £1624.96 was raised for the TRP charity”.

BUTTERFLIES. (And a very bright moth)
Our second butterfly hunt had to be delayed by a week as the weather was a bit dubious. Butterflies and moths don’t like rain and wind…who does?

Luckily, everybody booked on the first date was able to come to the rearranged one. We were a full house and very pleased to have three experts this time. Dave Jordan, assistant park manager Hyde Park, whose idea this has been, helped by May who has joined the Mission Invertebrate team from the Butterfly Trust, and also this time, Ellie, who is working for the same trust and focusing on Butterflies in the city.

I’m sorry to say I can’t help being competitive and I did ask if on this basis Hyde Park would be considered a winner. She seemed pretty positive that it should make it. Ignoring the competition element (almost) Dave sent the following:
“We think the list below is a pretty accurate species list, fewer butterflies recorded than last week, but more invertebrates, including a show-stopping flying Stag Beetle (looks like a mini drone) that narrowly avoided predation by a Jay at the Hudson Memorial”

Sadly, I missed this as I had sprinted ahead to Rangers Lodge garden to pour out the glasses of refreshments and small things to eat.

But I did get told about it a lot…. Butterflies

Moths
Burnet Companion
Cinnabar female laying eggs shown here

Invertebrates
Male Stag Beetle (airborne)

Dragonflies and Damselflies
Emperor Dragonfly Common Blue Damselfly

Thanks to the Parks team for getting our two dates into the diary once again (we keep it to small numbers each time) and look forward to a repeat next year. We certainly missed it last year.

AND LASTLY
Moving away from plants and reaching out (as we do) to those of you who want to throw yourselves into some wild swimming, arrangements are now in place for the Lido to open to the public.

It has had to be very limited this year. With guidelines, rules and regs and a pretty old building with facilities which have been undergoing a degree of updating, it has taken time and effort to get things properly set up. It has never been the intention of the parks managers to stop swimming and the arrangements they have come up with, although not allowing large numbers as in normal times, are organised so that everybody through a booking system should be able to have swim.

The Lido will be open from 1st July to 5th September between 10am and 2pm. There will be pre-booked 45minute slots for up to 30 people lap swimming only. If some of you have difficulty booking online, it can be done in person at the Lido and you can call the ‘Will to Win’ Centre to book as well, but remember numbers are limited.

Unfortunately, this year there will be no availability to use the terrace and spend all day sunbathing on sun loungers. Colicci are using the Terrace for some periods as they cannot fit tables and chairs on the terraces at the water’s edge and allow for distancing.

Will we be back to normal next year? It would be lovely if that were the case and we can meet and talk, no masks, indoors if it’s raining (almost the only option for weeks on end this year). We are planning a couple of Parks based events for members in the Autumn and hope to see you at one of these.

Sue Price
Chairman
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

Photography thanks to:
Rob Dowling
Phil Newcombe
Sue Price
Paul Shelley
Andrew Beverley (Plant sale)
Margaret Spector (Common blue butterfly)
Duncan & Annette Campbell (Female Cinnabar)

An Update
The sub heading to the one above could be “Snooping and Prowling round the Parks”. It’s an occupation I tried out about a week ago and I don’t recommend it. I wanted to give you all some feedback on how well the campaign might be going, had the message made a difference and so on.

After a morning which started wonderfully in the Rose Garden in Hyde Park where the ‘Diana the Huntress’ fountain (photo above) splashed and sparkled in the sunlight, I stepped out on the lookout for transgressors. This does your soul no good at all and you end up feeling low and cross.

New readers start here. The Royal Parks (TRP) have launched a campaign to:

- Remind visitors that the Parks are important refuges for nature and encourage them to adopt behaviour to help nature thrive.

- Raise awareness of threats to biodiversity in both Parks (for example climate change, increased visitor footfall, spread of plant and animal diseases).

- Publicise what TRP are doing to help nature in the face of these challenges.

The campaign is about education, not enforcement.
In our blog of July 3rd, I described how excessive feeding, for example, has encouraged large populations of birds which would normally only number a very few in the space Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens has to support these populations.

Bird behaviour has changed, water quality has deteriorated (piles of bread rotting in it), vermin increased, huge numbers have resulted in bullying from dominant species and smaller, shyer birds are disappearing.
If you missed this blog it can be seen on our website in the ‘news’ section.

Signs have been installed all over both Parks in areas where normally people gather in numbers with (sometimes) trolley loads of supermarket bread to hurl into a seething bunch of swans and geese.

On the day I was on the prowl, there were only about two people feeding along the Serpentine and they were being very surreptitious about it. One man had cargo shorts on with huge deep pockets which were stuffed with bread. Every now and then, handfuls of bread flew out of a pocket and were thrown down without him looking down or pausing in his stride. He was followed like the Pied Piper by a train of keen birds. Where’s the pleasure in that when he couldn’t even stop to look at them? I snapped a gent who had concealed, when he saw me approach, a plastic bag of bread.

There were plenty of new notices and some of the new bins carry the same message about not feeding the wildlife. The Parks were quiet, I admit, as it was a very hot day, and there might be a different picture in cooler weather. Without Rangers to explain, and with more visitors and tourists in the future, I wonder how better behaviour can be sustained. Manager Jason Taylor agreed with me. He said he too had noticed fewer feeders and certainly the same pattern with covert feeding. He was going to liaise with other managers to get feed- back(!) from them too.

Over to Kensington Gardens, still snooping.
No parakeet feeding visitors having their photos taken, though evidence of parrot friends as plenty of apples rammed onto the spiked railings, and no one feeding swans by Peter Pan. I have recently stood and counted the huge numbers here (175 in 2020 up from 13 in 1990 in both Parks).

On to the Round Pond, which has recently in the hot weather been very whiffy. Several members have asked about it. I gather it’s a combination of the heat and the vegetation in the bottom of the pond rotting and breaking down, which is normal.

And amongst the huge amount of goose droppings and shed feathers, there are normally a few visitors with push chairs loaded with bird junk food, but not today. Instead, there was a woman repeatedly throwing a ball for her dog to dive into the water and swim for the ball. So much for the notices telling visitors to keep dogs on leads in this area.
In South Flower Walk there are no new signs (squirrel and pigeon feeding is the occupation here). There is one on the gates at each end and half way along, warning about no cycling, dogs on leads and feeding, and about one or maybe two on the railings half way along, but that’s it. Actually, for the last two or three times visiting this area, I have seen fewer squirrels and so have friends who I’ve asked. At the end of this you do, as I said above, feel rotten.

From the end of July to the beginning of September the message is to leave no rubbish behind, to clear up after yourselves and be sensitive as to where you decide to settle for your picnic. As during the first lock down visitors were seen sunbathing and picnicking in the middle of flower beds, this message is very much needed. We will update you in September.

Rescheduling Hyde Park Events
As all members know, Hyde Park now has to raise nearly all the funding to run themselves as part of the Royal Parks Charity. Money raised through catering outlets makes a considerable contribution, as do commercial rents, and above all major events which bring in much needed income.

We wrote some time back about a decision by the BBC to take their Proms in the Park and Last Night of the Proms away from London and relocate them somewhere else in the UK. These filled a slot over a weekend in September. In addition, Covid has been a blow for Royal Parks income and without this funding we would soon notice a deterioration in the high standards in our Parks which we have come to expect and, I hope, not take for granted.

TRP has looked at various options to use these now available slots and would like to add them to the June/July British Summer Time Hyde Park series of concerts. This has been successful for a number of years and had built up a pretty reasonable mid week programme, for both local community events and a free access to all varied entertainment programme.

The licence for two weekends of concerts would need to be extended to three weekends. There would be nothing on the Parade ground from the derig in July to the start of construction for Winter Wonderland.

Another benefit would be for all residents who live north of the Park as traffic movements to build/break would be restricted to one (longish) event only.

It is not an option to have nothing to replace the two missing concerts, the financial impact of COVID on TRP was been very hard and the loss each year is unsustainable without the income from events.

So the bad news, for those of you who don’t like the music, is that the concerts will take place on 24/25/26 June, 1/2/3 July and 8/9/10 July. Sound management is going to be worked on to make use of new technologies, and the angle of the stage will be adjusted. All the arrangements over management of ingress, egress, traffic impact, cleaning and stewarding will continue, and there will always be close liaison with local communities.

There will be two weeks of mid week programmes, and we hope that we will once again be able to run our plant sales which were so popular. As stakeholders are consulted, this information will gradually filter out into the press and I really want our members to be early in the loop to hear the news.

Can you guess?
One of our members, Vickie Irwin, has asked what these steel rings are for. They are fixed in the ground in North Flower Walk.
Can you guess?
Answer below.

The Bandstand in Hyde Park
The poor bandstand, along with other monuments in both Parks, got vandalised during the lockdowns and especially during the good weather in the first one. Groups of youths gathered at the bandstand, played very loud music and drank a lot, leaving behind piles of rubbish and smashed glass and evidence of all sorts of antisocial behaviour. During one of the massive illegal gatherings on the Parade Ground, the bandstand and other things round it sustained quite a lot of graffiti. The decision was made to clean it up and close it off. It is clean but still closed, and looking rather sad and sorry, but Jason has just told me that it will be repainted in the next few days. But does he dare open it up for access to all again? I forgot to ask.

Two summers ago, the Friends arranged and financed a series of very successful concerts here which were much appreciated by everybody. We do hope to be in a position to be able to have these back next summer.

Serpentine Gallery
The Summer Pavilion

We have all seen reviews of this year’s stunning Pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery. It’s worth dropping in to enjoy its strong lines over a cappuccino, and while you’re there do look over to the temporary sculpture spot beside the gallery in Kensington Gardens for an ethereal contrast. This one seems to float against the trees and is not obvious at first glance. Both interesting and to enjoy now as they are both temporary and won’t be with us for very long.

Summer Hols.
Your chair and membership secretary need a break:
Lynden Easton is the latter with about a dozen other things attached to her voluntary role. She lays out and sends by Mail Chimp all the things we want to circulate. She is also so good about writing kind letters to members’ families when we hear that someone has passed away, or there is illness, and also spends time talking on the phone to many of our very longstanding members who have no email. She works hard on her massive garden in the country and has a project to get it looking perfect for a daughter’s wedding in just over a year. The former is me, Sue Price. I am pleased to be by the water for a break, and from time to time sailing my tiny boat (which was given to me as a special birthday present, the number of the special birthday is a closely held secret).

We will of course let you know about any major news involving our parks as you are all important stakeholders. And we will restart our regular updates on the weekend of September 11/12.

For your diaries
We will also be circulating later in August, information about a couple of events for members in the Autumn. One is a tree walk with our old (young) friend, Greg Packman, on Weds 15th September at 11am and the other is a tour of the Hyde Park Super Nursery when it is stuffed with Autumn/Spring bedding plants, thanks to Mike Jones, on Weds 22nd September at 5pm. Booking not open yet.

Answer to the puzzle above
The rings used to have the benches chained to them to stop them wandering. Now, however, the benches (and there are masses of them in North Flower Walk) are chained to a nearby railing or, if that’s not available, they are bolted directly into the ground.

Have a wonderful summer!

Sue Price
Chairman
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk
30th July 2021

NEWSLETTER
Sharp eyes may have spotted that this is now called a Newsletter. It always was in fact and as you all very kindly kept telling us, you and your own friends really appreciated the jumble of updates and bits and pieces written to amuse and entertain. We found the feedback really helpful and it’s what has kept us positive that this system of keeping in touch is well worth the effort.

Of course we used to produce a printed paper Newsletter twice a year although, during Covid difficulties this was reduced to an annual effort. So your trustees, following a discussion, are renaming the printed version ‘Annual Review’ and this years is due later this month.

So welcome to our Newsletter, thanks to Mail Chimp and to our membership secretary and trustee, Lynden, for sorting everything out.

She asks:
“If you’ve changed address in the last year, please could you email me your new address for our postal mailing list?”
Email: lynden@lyndeneaston.co.uk

CATCHING UP

Summing up Summer
Welcome back to the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (FHPKG) Mail Chimp Newsletter.

August was disappointing, probably for all of us in the UK. Not only torrential rain but days without sun. This helped the grass and trees but not the flowers which do need sunshine to thrive (don’t we all?)

I hope all of you who love wild swimming, as we now call it, were able to swim in the Serpentine at the Lido. It took a lot of arranging by the Royal Parks to allow for distancing and Covid guidelines. The changing rooms were fully refurbished and the aim was not to allow them to get crowded.

For the whole of July and August there were bookable one hour slots for swimming from 10am to 2pm and there was a possibility of extending these hours if demand was there, but that wasn’t the case. There were slots for 120 swimmers per day, using the “ beachhead area”. The facility was only fully booked for 8 days. It had to be closed at the end of August when Blue Green Algae took over.

It costs TRP £1000’s to run the facility and so the rumours of the Parks making it a commercial venture weren’t true. The Parks are suffering from a massive hole in their budgets having no major events to fundraise, so costs have to be managed.

Meanwhile up stairs at the Lido, the area of garden which used to be accessible only by paying to get in, was opened up for all to use free of charge during the afternoons when the park is busier. Tables, chairs and deck chairs were placed around the garden, the children’s play ground (a lovely attraction) and a temporary station to order drinks and ice creams. The paddling pool was covered over as it requires a life guard on duty, this was too much to budget for. However the rest was perfect and families clearly enjoyed it towards the end of August and into September when the sun came out.

The top terrace garden probably won’t go back to private use despite some members long memories of toddlers parties and lying all day on chair beds. It’s a more open and democratic facility now.

If grown ups can swim in the Serpentine then children can paddle in the Diana Fountain which has been reopened. It has ‘in and out’ gates for busier times and security staff on duty. It was being enjoyed to the full when we took the photos.

Meanwhile with no events to raise funds filming took place and provided a good income. The Serpentine Pavilion was used in London Fashion Week to show Roksanda Illianich’s collection one morning.

Friends Events
We hit the ground running in early September with a lovely tree walk for members in Kensington Gardens. Greg Packman once again had everyone riveted, it was especially enjoyed by the many new members who joined us. Afterwards we cooled off in Kensington Gardens offices pretty courtyard .

And, not long after that Mike Jones entertained us one early evening in his kingdom, the massive Super Nursery. His tours are always packed with interest. It was held on the Autumn Equinox so we contemplated rather gloomily that nights really would now be drawing in. As we packed everything up at the end it was pitch dark, and only 7pm…..

Hold the Date
Mike is very generous to us and has once again offered us a plant sale of left over plants when everything has gone out to all the Royal Parks. The plants are not only top quality but at bargain prices too. All funds raised will go to the Royal Parks Charity.

You will be invited to book timed slots again on Eventbrite so look out for the email. The date is on Thursday 11th November which is just the right time to fill up the gaps in your gardens or pots.

Chelsea Flower show was on down the road with a different range of plants but honestly, the general theme running through the show gardens were salvias and grasses, plus sedums. And my goodness we have some spectacular examples in Hyde Park. Enjoy them while you can, I don’t suppose they’ll last much longer.

Assistant manager, Phil Newcombe is the horticultural expert for Hyde Park. Here he is in the rose garden checking his plant lists. A challenger for Chelsea Flower Show?

Congratulations to Phil who has just gained his masters from the RHS and I think looks very like Keith Weed (chairman of the RHS) Apparently I’m not the first to mention this.

But then Andy Williams, Manager of Kensington Gardens, was likened to Allan Titchmarsh recently by a member on our tree walk when he joined us. Who’s going for Carol Klein or Rachel de Thame ?

Van Gogh Live has now closed and I hope plenty of you were able to enjoy it. I took on board the comments from some of you about the difficulty with online ticketing. The lack of a box office or any human to help added to the difficulty. I promised to feed back.

Winter Wonderland this year will be ticketed and I will go into further detail when I write next time. However I want to reassure you that this event will have staff in a box office at two entrances to help. And so if you turn up at a quiet time and want to pop in, it can be fixed up on the spot. Tickets for those times will be free. I will explain in greater detail in my next missive.

Its nice to be writing to you all again and hope you have managed to stay well as we slide through the end of the summer.

Let’s keep walking and enjoying the parks before the winter sets in.

Chairman
Sue Price 9/10/21
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

Photography by:
Tina Higginson.
Sue Price
Rob Dowling
Paul Shelley
Robyn Easton

First Major Event for Hyde Park
(since Christmas 2019)

Congratulations to all who ran in The Royal Parks (RP) Half Marathon (‘The Half’) a couple of weeks ago and congratulations to the teams who organised it.

It has been postponed and run as a virtual event, but this time it was for real. The weather was fine and dry and the runners raring to go. To allow for social distancing 10,500 people ran instead of the normal 16,000. The race started on the Mall and finished on South Carriage Drive by the Old Football Pitches (sometimes now referred to as the Great Exhibition Field, which I think is rather good). This helped immensely as the crowd was much reduced in the park. There have been times when it has been so wet the whole area turns into a quagmire taking some time to repair but
, on this occasion the supporters were able to spread out.

The event raised £1.5 million for TRP a combination of corporate sponsorship, registration fees and runners who run for TRP charity. In 2019 £6 million was raised for other charities. This year 543 charities benefitted.

The runners really appreciated starting in a flag lined Mall by Admiralty Arch and the run which wove its way through both our parks passed many iconic places. Supporters were able to dash from one spot to another to catch sight and cheer on their special runner. I really felt for the runners struggling along at the end who were so spread out towards the back. We gave them individual claps and cheers, touchingly several of them gasped out thanks.

There were teams of people helping and I was able to speak to one or two. The team of Doctors with St John Ambulance were kept busy. Tragically, one young runner passed away at the finish and although help was with him very quickly, it wasn’t possible to save him. He was running in aid of prostate cancer research which his father is suffering from and very kindly many people have donated in his memory. Another runner had a heart attack but he was fortunately saved. What a sobering side to a happy day.

Behind the scenes
Some of you may recognise Bernard Horowski. He is normally to be seen gardening in the South Flower walk.

This time he had a sack to pick up litter which was more or less empty. He told me it was much better this time.

Instead of bottles of water at the drinking stations drunk and discarded all along the route, there were cups which had to be quaffed and admittedly dropped, but all in the place where they were picked up.

The teams of St John Doctors had a base on the Broad Walk and I took a group photo. I was told later about the tragedy which had taken place. It must have been a difficult event for them, but goes to show how important they are at this kind of occasion.

We are challenging Jeremy Clarkson
Phil Newcombe, Assistant Manager of Hyde Park, tells us the area where the ‘Half’ had its tented village is now being renovated with a programme of Autumn work. So, the football pitches are being decompacted, aerated, top dressed, seeded and fertilised. The kit used to do some of this work looks as though it might have been borrowed from Clarkson’s Farm.

An impressive programme, which was slightly delayed at the west end by sudden very heavy rain, will mean the enormous numbers of small weekend footballers and schools which use this area as their play grounds will soon be back in action.

In the meantime, bowlers may be startled as their lawn has apparently been torn up but it is being treated to spiking, scarifying, top dressing seeding and feeding. All this took place amazingly in one day and we are assured that the sound of gently clicking bowls and polite congratulations will be back ready for the season next year.

During the next week you should receive a copy of our new look Annual Review together with new Membership cards and a Concessions list, I hope you enjoy reading the review and also using your card.

Hyde Park Super Nursery Autumn Plant Sale, 11th November 2021
Don’t forget our members plants sale at the Nursery. Top up the garden and add to your winter planting.

There will be plenty of plants throughout the day and you will be able to buy some wonderful specimens to drop in to any gaps you may have. I was staring at the planters at the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen and they are packed with interesting plants, what a challenge to try to copy them.

We are delighted to offer our members a special invitation to purchase surplus plants from the Hyde Park Super Nursery. Some of you will have noticed the Autumn flower bedding plants being planted in both parks, giving you an insight into what will be available. It is your last opportunity this year to put a final splash of colour in your window boxes, balconies and gardens. Plants will be very inexpensive with prices starting from 50p. On hand will be Mike Jones, Nursery Manager and some of his staff to provide assistance with your gardening questions.

Tickets are £5 and along with the money raised from the plant sales, the proceeds will go to both parks. We are allocating 1 hour time slots from 10:00 until 14:00, the nursery will close at 15:00 before dusk falls. There will be plenty of plants supplied throughout the day.

Please Note: We can only accept cards on the day for purchases and don’t forget to bring you shopping bags!

We look forward to meeting you again on the 11th November.
See you there!

Sue Price
Chairman
24/10/21.
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

Photography by:
Sarah Scott
Rob Dowling
Richard Price
Sue Price
Phil Newcombe
Master Jarvis

ANNUAL REVIEW 2021
The great Mailing Operation took place a couple of weeks ago and we have been very grateful for all the kind feedback from you, our members. Words and pictures have both been mentioned as well as the new’ish design. Chauncey the dog (back page) is being recognised on his park walks and is soon going to sign autographs with a delicate dab of his paw.

The Annual Review was posted to our nearly 800 members plus numerous other comps to Royal Parks staff, friends from other Royal Parks, and many generous supporters. So, it’s quite an operation after which we all breathe a sigh of relief. Lynden, our membership secretary, master minded it (she sends this newsletter to you too) and a very noble bunch of trustees and other family members were roped in to assist.

Now back to our more informal way of keeping you up to date…..

The Hudson Memorial, Hyde Park

This is situated close to West Carriage Drive and in the bird sanctuary area. This is the native planted woodland which borders the nursery. It is particularly successful as an environment for small birds.

The memorial was built in 1924 to commemorate novelist, naturalist and ornithologist W H Hudson. It was very controversial right from the start as the bas relief by Jacob Epstein was considered indecent, more surprisingly the lettering by Eric Gill did not raise any objections. The area had become overgrown and a few years ago some tree and shrub clearing took place and efforts were made to sort out the long narrow pools. It was not totally successful, the pools at the back are very shallow and fill with leaves and the pipe work to the front bigger pool is very narrow.

Lots of action though is now in progress as 2022 marks the 150th Anniversary of William Hudson’s death. The surrounding hazel and self set elder has been coppiced, more clearing is taking place and a dead hedge created behind the side railings (already a successful version is doing well in the same area a few yards further north). Corporate Volunteers have been hard at work. Rowan trees will be planted round the back after more clearing, their berries providing feasts for robins, blackbirds, tits, wrens and gold crests.

The water at the front will be restored and provide a reliable small body of water which hopefully won’t be overwhelmed by blanket weed. The lawn will continue with wild flower meadow type planting up until it is mowed in early summer and then it’ll look like a slightly shaggy lawn for the rest of the year. A new interpretation board will be installed in front of the memorial. Rima the goddess of nature who featured in one of Hudson’s novels presides peacefully with her rather long and chunky arms and hands gently raised to all the strange birds round her.

For us hungry ones AKA “The Eating and Drinking Update”

Some older, long-standing park visitors may remember the Honest Sausage kiosk in Kensington Gardens? It was the name of the kiosk at the Palace Gate entrance and was much appreciated by a certain young Prince who enjoyed a breakfast bap there after a hard night of clubbing. Total discretion was always shown and the breakfast chef would never say a word and neither would the fellow gourmets so, the paparazzi never got to sneak up on him and his friends. Fast forward and the kiosk is now run by Colicci with the bacon bap having been dropped from the menu board as there wasn’t much appetite for it. Clearly, we are not like Richmond Park visitors who consume record numbers of these delicacies. I ate them there as a reward at the end of long freezing lock down walks sitting on a fallen tree trunk. So delicious!

Hot news … the bap is back in Kensington Gardens, at Palace Gate, for a trial period which started a week ago. So, if you want this treat for breakfast or lunch to continue do support them and hope they stay on the menu.

The Lido is now open as it was designed to be, the hatch is no more and choosing and ordering takes place indoors. The seating is in cosy booths or at tables with a view of the water is very welcome on colder days. The Rooftop Garden is closed for the winter.

Deckchair Generosity

And when we think of sitting in gardens and basking, it is good news that Nick Kwabi, of Park Deckchairs, has very generously offered our members a season ticket for the hire of deckchairs at a 30% discount.
A non-concession rate season ticket will be £77
A concession rate season ticket will be £31.50
www.parkdeckchairs.co.uk
Many thanks to Nick on behalf of those members who enjoy a regular relax in the sun in a deckchair.

Congratulations

Congratulations to member Harry Reid who wrote a stand-alone newsletter for us back in April about Decimus Burton. Harry hasn’t been able to return to London since the pandemic but keeps in regular touch from Hong Kong. His very thoroughly researched piece accompanied by good photographs, which he’d taken the year before we were all locked down, was spotted and has now gone further. It was published in a local residents magazine and then the Decimus Burton Society picked it up and published it. He has now been asked to write more pieces on the subject, but as I believe Decimus Burton was particularly busy in St Leonards, near Hastings, I don’t suppose it’ll involve either of our parks.

Plant Fever

It was a glorious autumn day on Thursday for our members plant sale in the Hyde Park Nursery. Thanks to Mike Jones, the Manager, and all the Trustees who helped out. There were some lovely collections of plants selected to enrich window boxes, pots and gardens through to next spring. As always colours and interesting combinations of leaf shapes were carefully chosen.

A quiet two minutes of contemplation took place at 11am. which was especially poignant as we stood surrounded by wonderful Native woodland trees in full Autumn foliage.

A good sum will have been raised for the Royal Parks Charity.

Kensington Gardens Broadwalk

The major digging here might have puzzled you. A cable is being laid from north to south of the Park. The benefit is financial from the fees charged. However, the extra good news is, the pay back will include a complete resurfacing of the entire length. This is something which manager, Andy Williams has longed for for some time but with nothing in the budget, nor any chance of there being, it was a bit of a forlorn hope. Andy is really very pleased, so no longer any Broadwalk patch work effects. A little patience may be needed particularly during busier times, because although it will remain open it will be a lot narrower in places.

I’m off on a little jaunt for two weeks, it’s the first time abroad for nearly two years and I’m feeling nervous about all the different things without which we get told to go home again. Our photographer, Paul Shelley will be looking after you very well in the meantime for your next newsletter.

Sue Price
Chairman

What could possibly persuade you to get up before dawn, to find yourself at Hyde Park Corner on a November Sunday morning? The veteran cars arriving through Kensington Streets on Friday and Saturday and the high tech trailers through the night gathering once again in Hyde Park raise the interest levels. The Imperial College garage doors in Prince Consort Road have been open a lot more recently showing off their own prize vehicle.

It is of course the London to Brighton run for the very earliest of these amazing models which have arrived from all over the world to join the journey.

I usually go along with our photographer, Paul Shelley, and while he takes dozens of photographs, I take the notes and look for the stories. There are always plenty of them and a palpable air of excitement around the drivers, owners and passengers. I couldn’t join him this year so he went it alone and took on the job of note taking as well as photographs. Not an easy task at all. He took, he told me, about 150 photos and selected 8. I don’t know how he could do that!

I do hope you enjoy reading Paul’s piece and perhaps even think about coming out for the start next year? It’s an exciting experience and I think he gives us a wonderful taste of it.

Sue Price
Chairman

If you are a Friend of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, what better way to start the first Sunday of November than witness living history? Your chairman, Sue Price, and I have enjoyed the start of the London to Brighton veteran car run several times now and the spectacle never ceases to enthral. The antique treasures of the road are perfectly matched by the autumn tints and the rising of dawn over the Serpentine. And this was a timely reminder of how innovative motoring technology was at the end of the 19th century with hints of what was to come in the future.

This year was special because it is the 125th centenary of the event. It was first run to commemorate the repeal of the red flag law requiring a bearer to walk in front of the cars, thus restricting their speed to no more than five miles per hour. Perhaps that now seems positively fast on the central London streets. Coinciding with this anniversary was a timely reminder of the looming concerns of climate change. The clouds of exhaust fumes from some of the cars demonstrated how far we have come over the last century.

The start is always at sunrise and this year I arrived early in order to photograph the dispatch of the bicyclists on their penny farthings aiming to get to Madeira Drive in Brighton before nightfall. Andrew Millward looked apprehensive standing by his 1901 cycle. The bikes giving a foretaste of what a vital part they play as a component of London transport today.

This spectacle is immediately followed by the ceremonial tearing of a red flag, performed this year by Andy Green OBE, the fastest man on earth and Ben Cussons, Chairman of the RAC.

As daylight started to fill the sky the first car off was a steam powered Salvesen, complete with firebox, boiler and chimney stack, perhaps more a locomotive than a car. The glow of burning coals below the rear seats served as a reminder that coal power has had its day.

But what of petrol? This was answered by the splendid site of a 1902 electric Columbia. A century ahead of its time, it now incorporates upgraded modern batteries giving it a range of over 100 miles. The Columbia was piloted by charming Vanessa Tjega who admitted to being a little nervous.

The cars trundled out of the park gates on their way to the south coast with shouts of good luck from well wishers. Clattering gears and chains, thumping pistons at different beats and squawking bulb horns filled the air as they set off. They leave in ‘time controlled’ batches giving the spectators a chance to take in the beauty of their cars and their mechanics. I enjoyed a chat with the Imperial crew sitting at the ready in the college 1902 James and Brown. From left to right Ben Stevens, Andrew Beggs (sporting an impressive handlebar moustache) and Daniel Bella.

You will always have the opportunity to chat to the drivers and their companions and it’s such fun to hear some of the stories. I met Rosie and Ella Matchan on their 1904 Phoenix Trimo. It was Ella’s first time on the trip and I wished them luck as she gave an optimistic thumbs up from her seat in the front basket.

By this stage the sun was shining over the water as we waved off the Lightfoot family in their De Dion Bouton which they purchased in 1981. Tracey Lightfoot explained the design advances in their car, including a four cylinder engine and a four speed gearbox.

As a foretaste of Christmas, Santa Claus was there with a sack of toys on the passenger seat. He explained to me that he had given the reindeer the day off, but his bow fronted Oldsmobile was a close resemblance to a sleigh.

Sadly, a handful of the cars were still sitting in the paddock, unable to start. The drivers looked downcast. One of them said to his companion it was running like a sewing machine yesterday. His co-driver pointed out that perhaps it didn’t like the cold morning. But as I walked away, I heard cheers and looked round to see them spluttering into life and setting off for Brighton.

What a magnificent display. such engineering and design innovation. And it’s a free show. I look forward to seeing you there next year on the first Sunday in November!

Paul Shelley
4/12/21.

Accredited Photographer
Friends Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

New Year News
Well, we made it, despite so much planning and replanning to complicate things. Was the turkey a leg only, a crown or an enormous bird? Somehow, we got through Christmas and New Year. Weeks of dark, damp and warm days were depressing until suddenly, in early January, we’ve seen the sun again and felt cold enough to “wrap up warm” in the morning frost. Thanks to our talented photographer who took sunrise pictures for us in Hyde Park. It’s the early bird…..

The Rose Garden in Winter
Despite the vagaries of the ever-changing virus, the Parks have a routine which carries on throughout the seasons and keeps us diverted and interested. Visitors to Hyde Park’s Rose Garden will have noticed something which is not a new road, cycle track or footpath appearing in December:

A small specialist tractor lays down a mixture of spring flowering bulbs. The crocus in the mix have unfortunately been a tasty snack for the squirrels to dig up. Hopefully, a few will have survived. The number of squirrels in both parks do a lot of damage.

This clever planting system was first tried out last winter next to ‘Will to Win’ on West Carriage Drive. The mixture which came up was magical. Do look out in a couple of months’ time both here and at the rose garden. I actually lay flat on the ground to take the photos.

In the meantime, hang over the bridge by the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen and look down into the Dell, you will spot a new arrival. There used to be a wooden footbridge over the stream which was so rotten it hasn’t been safe for years. In fact, our photographer lost a lens in the water when he tottered on it. A new small footbridge, very simple, with clean lines and a fine handrail has appeared magically and apparently overnight.

Tucked away quietly
In the nursery, the horticultural staff don’t down tools. It is down time in the garden for most of us but here the planning, propagation and potting never stops.

Each Royal Park has a member of staff with a special expertise in planning and planting schemes. Here are Paul and Jo preparing for Summer.

Each one puts in a wish/shopping list in the late summer for the following spring and Mike Jones and the team at the nursery have been working hard for months, growing to fulfil the orders. Once you know this, you can spot a certain style which differs from park to park. In some, Richmond or Bushy for example, there are only small areas where seasonal planting will survive munching by hungry deer.

In St James’s, vibrant colours feature above, there are also exotic tropical beds (the plants over winter in the larger nursery buildings) which attract plenty of camera action from visitors.

Winter Wonderland is back
After missing a COVID year, this immensely helpful provider of funds for the Royal Parks has just come to the end of a very successful season. With the galloping rise in Omicron numbers the fear was, it might close or even not get started. But with very reduced numbers and entry by ticket only, with evidence of vaccination or a recent lateral flow test, reassurance and safety worries were satisfied.

After a couple of visits, I felt the atmosphere was good. There was practically no queueing to get in as entry was timed. Moving around, especially in the afternoons and early evening was effortless. Suzy Griffiths, the IMG and event director, confirmed it was more easily managed this year. It is unlikely to return to the old system of unlimited entry. Booking was very easy online (even I managed it) and there were also real live people at a ticket desk to help. Entry charges varied according to the times of day and between weekdays and weekends, plus you receive a refund when you book a couple of attractions. When I booked a few rides for a couple of grandsons, a free one suddenly popped up. They loved it, as they always have done, and somehow managed to meet up with dozens of their mates while they were there.

This quote from an old friend who we bumped into on the dodgems with their grandsons: “We shall certainly go again next year, possibly two or three times with different sets of grandchildren. Thanks so much for the info, it made all the difference. Knowledge is power. Next year, I will go earlier and do the big wheel in daylight to get a better view of London and I suppose, I will have to do the Hangover since you both have”. That’s a promise we’ll keep him to.

As you know, I sometimes show off and put my own face in and this time it is a milestone, my husband and I are both on the Hangover, above..…honestly. I don’t know whether we were rising up the enormous tower, revolving gently about to plummet or actually on the descent, probably not the last one where we might have been screaming.

Out and About with the Friends
Our usual event, courtesy of Suzy, coincided with the fearful warning about Omicron and “if you want Christmas this year…..” It put the fear into enough of us that the number joining was far fewer than we’re used to. But we had such a good time!

Whisked in through exits and avoiding any queues into the VIP area for a briefing while we munched mince pies and sipped mulled wine. We listened to a very impressive presentation about running this event and how it was emerging with all the different constraints in place this year. We trotted round attractions, enjoyed super high up views and then were plunged into minus 10 degrees in the Magical Ice Kingdom. Fortunately, warmed again with more mulled wine, we ended up in the circus in a row of tiny red velvet curtain lined boxes. Here it was extraordinarily warm which it has to be to keep the acrobats and trapeze artists warm and supple and safely hanging on.

We miss Parks’ Friends

Arthur Tait BEM 1934-2021
Arthur was the chairman of the Friends of Brompton Cemetery for over 20 years and never lost faith in Brompton’s major restoration project. He worked to achieve £6.2 million in grants to transform the wilderness with high levels of antisocial behaviour to what it is today. Arthur was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2019 for civic services worthy of recognition by the Crown.

Brompton is managed under the umbrella of the Kensington Gardens team and has its own specialists. There was good representation from both Parks and the Royal Parks Guild at his memorial service. Foliage and seed heads from the cemetery featured in the flower arrangements.

I got to know Arthur a little through the twice yearly Chairs’ Forum meetings. The chairmen of all the Royal Parks Friends groups meet with the Royal Parks CEO and other members of his team who give us updates and presentations, and we follow with a session on our own. Arthur always had us completely bowled over with the enormity of the undertaking he and his trustees were committed to.

Richard Briggs 1944-2021
Much of what happens in Hyde Park today is thanks to Richard Briggs and his legacy. Some of you will have seen the whole page obituary to Richard in the Times in October.

Richard lived for Hyde Park. He owned the Hyde Park stables and, together with Ross Nye who established a nearby riding school in 1965, kept alive a tradition of horsemanship dating back to Henry VIII. His riders usually included numbers of celebrities who were in town for filming.

He led a campaign for the restoration of Speakers’ Corner and also fundraised for the Queen Elizabeth Gate at Hyde Park Corner. This was opened by the Queen in 1993. He was anxious that everybody should be able to enjoy the park, and he was the force behind Liberty Drives which provided electric buggies driven by volunteers to take those with limited mobility on a tour of the park. These buggies, bequeathed to the park, are in store with plans afoot, (somewhat curtailed in the last couple of years) to get these much appreciated and popular vehicles back into action again.

Personally, I met Richard at various parks stakeholders meetings where his input was lively and sometimes outrageous, but at heart he always wanted the best for Hyde Park and for it to be loved and enjoyed by all visitors.

Our thanks and commiserations are with his wife, Basia.

Hyde Park Bandstand
Once more it’ll come alive with the sound of music …

This is just the first notice to you all that our bandstand concerts will restart this summer after a two-year break. There will be four of them this year in August and September. Funded by ‘The Friends’ and, most importantly, by donations from members and other supporters we hope you and all visitors to the park will enjoy a widely varied group of bands performing on Sunday afternoons on August 7th and 21st and September 4th and 18th. All between 2pm and 4pm. Note, the dates and lots more information will follow.

AGM
Our delayed AGM was held on January 5th. This was a business only meeting without all the other things members and guests have come to enjoy. All members were invited to attend by Mail Chimp, or letter if no email address, and the details are on our website. The small changes to our Constitution were approved (as required by the Charities Commission) to hold AGM’s in future, either in person or electronically or a combination of both. We’ve had to learn fast during the last couple of years. It will be good to get together again in person and to a normal (for us) timetable which meant Spring meetings.

And so, I end my first catch up with you for 2022. I hope you are all doing well, and also sincerely hope that we will be able to enjoy all the things we used to both indoors as well as outside perhaps in some spring sunshine?

Sue Price
Chairman
16/01/22

Photography
Rob Dowling
Paul Shelley
Sue Price

NATURE’S SCULPTURES IN THE PARKS
Our accredited photographer, Paul Shelley, usually specialises in gritty street and work situations with well worn faces looking resignedly into the lens. Industrial archaeology also features a lot in his portfolio.

However we are lucky that from time to time he changes the pace and visits our two parks for some spirit lifting photography.

On this occasion he told us he was feeling melancholy and looking at things from a different perspective. It’s an interesting point of view in the middle of winter.

Sue Price
Chairman

Taking a winter walk through Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens on a murky Saturday in January I found myself thinking about the wonderful natural artworks on display. Taking my camera I soon realised that the stripped back vegetation was presenting me with magical sculptures, the Serpentine and Long Water being the canvas for these scenes.

Perhaps winter gives a starker depiction of the wonders of the landscape of the parks. With these images I will suggest that you really should get into the parks in the next few weeks and take a good look at the views which will soon be changing with the emergence of spring.

Setting off at the eastern end of the Serpentine I am intrigued by the perspective that the tall grasses make for the roof line of the restaurant across the lake. To my eye the roof of this building was designed to look like the beating wings of a swan taking off and the wintery muted tones of the reed beds emphasise this.

Further along the bank two scenes of the boat houses across the water provide variations on a theme reminding me of Monet’s Rouen cathedral series. The catkins on the willows and the red stems of the cornus dogwood frame the pair of handsome little buildings in the distance. Is this intentional I wonder? Or perhaps a happy coincidence of nature and the skill of the parks’ teams


At the lido a line of birds are diligently obeying the No Diving sign as they sit neatly together on a rail. Like a section of a mobile hanging from a ceiling, perhaps they are waiting for someone to remove the notice so that they can go fishing.


Passing beneath the Serpentine bridge a solitary heron sets a prehistoric profile against the water. Tall and thin like a Giacometti on a slender stand. The big bird gazes impassively as two mallards squabble and stir up the water into an abstract pattern.
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Gazing across the lake I see a fallen tree covered with roosting gulls. The birds are oblivious to the lacy pattern that they make perching among the lattice of bare branches hanging over the bank. What a great idea to have left the tree rather than tidy it up and thus remove a contrast to the line standing upright behind it.

Walking around the end of the Italian Gardens I pause to take in the scene of contented weekenders sitting chatting by the fountains. Heading back eastwards I am treated to a surprise show by the air ambulance taking off. With a roar and a blast of bending grasses the helicopter climbs up into the failing evening light against the trees on Buck Hill.


Crossing the lakes by the Serpentine bridge people are watching the colours change in the sky as they look towards Whitehall. The winking lights on the London eye appear through the haze. The evergreen planting near the bridge, combined with the leafless deciduous trees make another organic frame to a long view towards the Albert memorial. I walk by the netting of the tennis courts. The floodlights offer a different perspective and I enjoy the patterns of the thistle heads beside the West Carriage Drive. In summer these would be in full flower whereas in January their shapes are stripped back and sharp.


It is now starting to drizzle and I head back towards Hyde Park Corner. My last view is from where I started my circuit. By now it was dusk and the lights across the lake combined with one of the beautiful gas lamps make the last artistic composition in these wonderful parks. I glimpse some snowdrops before I descend into the tube.

Paul Shelley
Accredited Photographer
Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
*
Soak up a Snowdrop Experience*

At this time of year, I make sure I head for the grassy banks to the east of the Albert memorial. The snowdrops have been spreading successfully each year and obviously love it here even without being fenced off. So, if you want to enjoy their profusion, this is a good time to have a look. I was there on Feb 1st and there was a magnificent sun setting, which cheered everybody up.

Mike Jones
We were very sorry to learn earlier this week that Nursery Manager, Mike Jones, had decided to leave The Royal Parks (TRP) after nearly thirty years of working in the nurseries. Mike worked for Meredith & Co who were contracted by TRP to provide nursery services. The contract came to an end on January 31st. TRP were keen to take the business back in house, and so Mike made the decision to go and left the Parks on Tuesday.

To the members of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens he has been a true friend and over many years he must have met hundreds of us and explained and taught us so much about the logistics of growing and delivering the enormous number of plants to all the Royal parks and the famous Buckingham Palace flower beds.

Communicating in a relaxed and friendly way is his skill and he made the art of peat free growing and what recycles and what doesn’t easy to understand. He demonstrated how to control pests by using friendly bugs, flying out of their cardboard boxes and packets, chomping on pests and then resting on their specially grown, hairy leaved aubergine plants.


More recently he suggested holding sales of leftover plants in the summer and autumn. These were immediately very popular with all our members, who chose carefully, listened intently to gardening advice and then carried off amazing selections by no less amazing means of transport. The many local church gardens, community planted spaces as well as our own pots, window boxes and gardens will miss his very classy annuals.


Everything about the nurseries has been a photographer’s dream and longer standing members will know that we have often written about and pictured news from Mike. The media too often beat a path to his door and he came across well on TV and in the press.

In my last email to you all I explained how each Park Manager or horticultural specialist puts in a ‘wish list’ (order). The nurseries are now hard at work growing the thousands of plants needed to fulfil these plans for summer planting.

We will miss Mike’s warm welcome to the Nursery and his patience in answering our endless questions during visits. My main regret is that we didn’t have the chance to thank him and say goodbye properly.

We send him all our warmest best wishes and hopes for his future plans.

Foot note:
Mike’s assistant Malika, who many members will also have met especially at plant sales, left last Friday, his decision was for personal reasons.

A Kensington Gardens Gem

Queen Caroline’s Temple (1734) was badly mistreated during the long Covid lock down in Spring and Summer 2020. Graffiti appeared very regularly and eventually the police suggested she should be fenced off for her own protection. This worked quite well, although some were still determined enough to climb over the hastily erected chestnut palings to party away in her shelter leaving horrible remains.

She was partially hidden by quite heavy undergrowth and so sight lines were not clear. The brambles have now been removed (the police are very pleased) and the building with her classical proportions is open for all to see. I think she looks great.

She is now due for cyclical redecoration and some work to the roof. This will take place soon.

Sue Price
Chairman
Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
05/02/22

At the beginning of the week we were telling potential guests, “It looks as though it’s going to be windy weekend.” By Wednesday I was told “there are going to be strong gusts on Friday and we are going to have to close the playgrounds.” The next day the decision was made to close all the the Royal Parks on Friday at least until the wind dropped. In the event, after a magnificent operation and a lot of very hard work by members of staff, they reopened around 10am on Saturday, but with some areas closed off where over hanging branches might have posed a risk.

All our managers, Andy Williams in Kensington Gardens, Jason Taylor in Hyde Park and Nursery manager Rob Dowling in Green Park were very busy indeed and the gardeners and OCS teams did a magnificent job from very early in the morning to enable them to reopen when they did. Members of the public who climbed in and ignored requests were very annoying.

Sadly for Richmond Park they lost a number of their significant trees, veterans and notable for their biological make up.

Over all, around 150 trees were lost across the Parks compared with 4,500 in the Great Storm of 1987.

Now read on…
Jason from Hyde Park reported

• Three trees down at the back of New Lodge in the meadows
• Two others down in the woodland surrounding the nursery (not significant trees)
• About 30 boats broke free of their moorings on the Island and ended up by the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen at the end of the lake. They were retrieved on Saturday morning
• Cycle paths and roads were covered with brash and this was cleared before the park opened on Saturday morning
• Large amounts of brash was cleared from all over the park by Monday
  
  Andy from Kensington Gardens reported

• Broken fence panels to the rear of the orchard in the allotment
• Collapsed fence panels in the boundary with Euro car parks by Orme Square Gate
• A couple of benches and bins thrown by the wind but undamaged
• 6 trees completely thrown (Mountain AshX2, Oak, Cherry, Norway Maple and Lombardy Poplar)
• 2 trees with significant damage (Oak and Pine)
• Massaria and dead wood thrown from canopies across the park

Our thanks go to them and all of their teams for working so hard to clear up and make the Parks ready for weekend visitors.

Returning the Parade Ground to a Green Sward
Immediately Winter Wonderland (WW) left in early January, specialist company Talbot Farm, funded by WW, were back on site and using state of the art equipment to reinstate the Parade ground to beautiful condition.

There is a difference this year as they decided to work from the north to the south. The north is a difficult, swampy area as there is very little soil between the surface and the roof of the Park Lane underground car park with practically no drainage built in. However, the weather has been very favourable (for grass) and with no extended frost, snow or floods to slow things down the grass there is looking wonderful already. They want to give it a little more time to build up strength before this area is reopened to thousands of feet. The Parade Ground is fenced off in plots with three north/south paths and four east west paths remaining open.

The most fascinating thing to watch is the equipment used to do the work. A fat tyred tractor unrolls turf in enormous lengths like carpet and when it reaches the fence, a man with a handy saw cuts it off. The contraption with the carpet lifts up for the big turn and then lowers and carries on carpet/turf laying.

I do worry about the dreaded 20th April when up to 20,000 show up to smoke cannabis, drink and use drugs on just this spot, leaving tons of waste and the next day the area has to be pristine for the gun salute for the Queens Birthday. Of course none of this is official, there is no permission and it’s not acceptable to anyone. Enjoy the grass when it’s at its best between reopening and the dreaded event.

A Return of Music to the Hyde Park bandstand
There’s been a two year gap between our last season in summer 2019 of concerts in August. This summer we are planning more and we have an exciting and longer series this time.

We are so pleased to announce that, thanks to September being available for us to use the bandstand, we are funding two concerts in August and two in September, so do make a note in your diaries as we need all the support we can get.

Sunday Aug 7th South London Jazz Orchestra
Sunday Aug 21st The Melodians (Steel band)
SATURDAY Sep 10th Orquesto Mambarito (South American Salsa band)
Sunday Sep 18th Snowdown Colliery Welfare Band (traditional brass band)

All the concerts take place in the afternoon and lots more details will follow.

• Very Generous Friends*
  We are extremely grateful for a very generous donation from the volunteers who have run the information kiosk at Hyde Park Corner. After a long break they are back in position answering questions although they tell me tourist numbers are not yet back to normal. They work in quite difficult circumstances and this is under review. In the meantime they have made a donation which they would like to go to fund one of our concerts (see above) and as we pay for these for the Park, a donation like this is very helpful indeed.

Spring cleaning in Kensington Gardens

Early one morning we came across Luke steam cleaning the Henry Moore Arch. Clouds of steam looked great in the early morning sun, which was Paul’s dream, and although it looked simple the amount of kit just out of the shot was impressive. The noise of the pumps and activity meant that this area, normally so busy with every kind of goose and duck milling about, was all clear of its usual occupants.

My own treat (to myself) at the end of all this writing is this photo of Iris growing in the grass close to the small Cavalry Memorial on South Carriage Drive, built to remember the men and horses who were murdered and injured in an IRA bombing attack. The flowers, now becoming more established and spreading in this natural spot, are a lovely addition to this quite quiet place.

Nicola Macfarland, a member, has written (below) about her regular walk round both Parks on a windy January day. She has found a lot to look out for on her impressive circuit. Many thanks to her.

Sue Price
March 5th

Photography by
John Foldes
Paul Shelley
Sue Price

A Winter Walk in the Parks

The number 23 bus set me down at Palace Gate and as I entered Kensington Gardens an enticing smell of bacon bap wafted over. However, breakfast not long ago I resolutely walk past. The sun is slanting bravely through the trees from a mottled sky, a mixture of blue with menacing dark clouds racing around, no doubt warnings from Storm Malik in the north. Victoria, on her throne up the hill by the palace, looks imperious and commanding, her statue starkly white against the glowering Winter sky.

A large group of roller skiers are assembled waiting for the instruction to start. It’s a colourful scene, bright jackets and elegant roller blades with edges of yellow hazard streaks. The skiers are of all ages even some “of a certain age” which surprises me as it looks such an exhausting sport and here without the snow to make the passage easier. They are off, some with sticks to help and some moving like skaters.

I reach the Round Pond, the ducks bobbing up and down on the choppy waves, and on the far side of the water a flock of white swans appear to be having a meeting. I take the path towards Temple Gate; the weather is getting better all the time. A pitch for rugby is laid out, white cones marking the boundaries. I watch one of only three small boys score a try; a second boy bringing him down but not before the ball has met the touchline. “Well done, Otto” shouts the coach, blowing his whistle loudly.

Now the low sun is almost blinding me, I can only just see the gold of Albert’s memorial statue if I shade my eyes with my hand. I leave Kensington Gardens at Temple Gate where I stop to take a photograph of an old oak tree with a massive trunk distorted into a monster shape.

I cross the road into Hyde Park, dodging cyclists and horse riders and head down to the Serpentine. Diana’s fountain tumbles through its narrow canals, even forming white horses, their froth illuminated in the sun.

The bullrushes by the water wave majestically in the wind. No-one is swimming and the blue row boats on the far side are tied up firmly; the wind sweeping the water in waves towards the Serpentine café. I walk, on passing families out for a stroll and children looking at the ducks and geese. I reach the far end and just before the café I see my first snowdrops, a large clump nodding their little white heads.
I cross the track avoiding stray roller skiers and take the path towards Bayswater passing the cordoned off area where Winter Wonderland has wreaked havoc with the grass. I stride on, sometimes almost brought to a standstill by the ever-increasing wind. Now I can move more easily as I am going downhill, and the wind is behind me. The sun is shining through the trees. Sometimes I think the trees look better without their leaves, but then when I see them in all their glory in the Summer, they are even more beautiful. Old brown leaves from last year hurtle along the ground in a bemused and chaotic manner.

I leave Hyde Park and crossing the road, enter back into Kensington Gardens. I am now approaching the Italian Fountains and I am pleasantly surprised to spot a few early daffodils, splashes of yellow in the Winter flower bed, making me think Spring is round the corner, but it’s still only January. I shall have a coffee here; this café is my favourite; its always bathed in sun and I sit on a bench sipping my cappuccino and look at the view, the fountains seem ethereal as the spray catches the sun.

I take the path towards the palace; I can see the spire of St Mary Abbots silhouetted in the far distance. On my left a class of aerobics is under way. A few yards further on and I strike off to my left; I must go and visit my favourite statue Physical Energy by George Frederick Watts.

If I look down towards the Long Water and on the north side, I can see the The Arch, the imposing sculpture by Henry Moore. It stands in a wonderful position, equally stunning from both sides. I continue, now walking towards the Palace, several games of football with little goal nets and teams of children playing enthusiastically, parents standing watching and encouraging. I notice quite a few trees cut down, lying on their sides and wonder what happens to the wood. Some are left standing like totem poles and I think of my friend, Giles, who earned a living by doing the most intricate carvings on similar trees making them works of art.

On Sunday afternoon choristers from the Bach Choir, the London Symphony Chorus and the Royal Choral Society came together to sing a selection of music including Myola Lysenko ‘A Prayer for Ukraine’, Orlando Gibbons ‘Drop, Drop, Slow Tears’ and ended with us singing together Hammerstein’s ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

The choirs were inspirational of course.

Click here to hear the choir, truly beautiful
I’ll leave it to member Jillian Dart who wrote the following, I couldn’t have put it better.

She writes:
Odile Marsh, (another Friends’ member) and I went to the Bandstand yesterday. It was very moving and quite lovely. The sun came out and the wind of previous days had disappeared. It felt like all the heavens were on our side.

David Hill (Bach Choir music director) did a great job engaging us all, even the people who could only do their best with their voices!

Thanks to the Friends and the Hyde Park team for helping organise this at such short notice.

Sue Price.
Chairman
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk
20/03/2022

Photos on the day were taken by:
John Foldes
Rob Dowling
Filming thanks to the Bach Choir

Home Thoughts From Abroad
From our foreign correspondent Harry Reid

“MISSING THE PARKS!”
I’m writing this article in Hong Kong where we have been living for the past couple of years and where we have a home, some close family and many friends. It’s been a very pleasant period I have to say despite a recent uptick in Covid infections, but I have certainly missed two rather diverse aspects of my regular London routine!

Firstly, the opportunity to jump on the Number 14 bus to get me to Stamford Bridge to see my beloved Chelsea Football Club in action which I have been doing now for over 40 years (and fingers crossed this will still be possible in the future!)

Secondly, the chance to regularly walk in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which are literally five minutes from our Knightsbridge apartment where we have lived for over 45 years.

Throughout this feature I am including a few photos I’ve taken in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which probably sum up what I’ve been missing better than any of my words can express!

Indeed, there is some spectacular walking available in Hong Kong, particularly on the surrounding islands in the South China Sea, but in the final analysis I’ve really missed the walks in “my” two parks in London.

But what exactly have I missed? I have thought about it carefully and I think it boils down to two key unique factors:

1) The chance to walk so many well laid out paths and routes (thank you Decimus B!) through beautifully green parklands covering some 600 acres and virtually on my doorstep – all immaculately maintained by the Royal Parks in spite of the millions of visitors every year and the financial limitations caused recently by Covid-19.

2) And wherever you go in the two parks there is an ever-present sense of history. These are certainly not bog standard municipal parks, but sophisticated parks which uniquely reflect so much of British history from the past 500 years – from Henry VIII to Elizabeth II today. The benefit being, there’s always something on your walk to make you curious, make you think and finally make you appreciate the experience

I can never forget that I’m walking in two parks which are slap bang in the very centre of one of the world’s largest cities, with horrendous traffic on all four sides but somehow it never interferes with the appeal and attraction of the parks.

I have walked literally thousands of times in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens over the years and admit to getting a buzz on each and every visit – whether its appreciating the beauty of the Long Water or the Rose Gardens one day, and on the next reflecting on major historical structures like Kensington Palace or even individual statues like Edward Jenner at the Italian Gardens, who saved the world from Smallpox in 1796.

I also really enjoy seeing the huge variety of birds, flowers and trees, plus of course the opportunity for some serious people-watching, especially at weekends! Regular events like the Annual Serpentine Pavilion design contest and the London to Brighton veteran car rally start are among the many rather unique Hyde Park happenings I look forward to seeing every year.

Invariably I set out for my daily walk in the parks around 7.30am – rain or shine. If it’s to be a Hyde Park day, then I will enter through Edinburgh Gate – if it’s Kensington Gardens then it’s a walk up by The Old Football Pitches and then cross over to Mount Gate.

When time (and weather) permit I very much like to enjoy a Latte at the Italian Gardens Cafe overlooking the fountains – it’s so tranquil and calm there I could actually sit for hours watching the world go by!

I always have my trusty Nikon camera with me and invariably take some shots – one never knows what’s round the corner! There are a few subjects I have taken a million times but never got the perfect shot – funnily enough the Italian Gardens comes to mind in this category, despite having taken it from every conceivable angle!

The other shot I’ve never managed to get, not even one measly attempt, are the Hyde Park foxes, which over the years various Royal Parks staff have promised me faithfully that they’re definitely around, but whenever I’ve got to the possible location, there’s absolutely no sign of them!

One of my ambitions has been to publish a book about Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (there have been remarkably few done over the years) and I got pretty close to it in 2020 until Covid came along and the publisher held it up, along with many of their other books. I plan to update the text and a few of the shots later this year, and try my luck again with the publisher.

In closing I should mention how much I have appreciated receiving the Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens Friends newsletters out in Hong Kong regularly over the past two years, which have all been a terrific update for me on what’s been going on – a grateful thanks to everybody involved with the publication!

I’m certainly looking forward to returning to London later this year and renewing my relationship with Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens – ‘I’ve missed you both that’s for sure!”

By Harry Reid
Member
Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
March 2022

Season Ticket Discount

Nick Kwabi (Deckchairs in the parks) has offered a discount to members for season tickets for the hire of deckchairs. Please go on line to contact info@parkdeckchairs.co.uk

Families, friends, old comrades and serving officers met again for the 98th Anniversary of the combined cavalry parade and memorial service on the 8th May in Hyde Park

After a two-year gap, it was great to see so many of this special group gathered together. Supported by generations of families as well, it made a really memorable day. Toddlers in push chairs wearing officers caps, a bowler-hatted child on a tiny bike, a photographer instructing “Try to look as crotchety as possible dad” and a stream of the most elegant dark suits, bowler hats and ladies in wonderful dresses all gathered on Hyde Park’s Broad Walk.

It was a perfect May Sunday, the sun shone from a blue sky but was not too hot, fresh foliage fluttering on the plane trees (perhaps setting off some sneezing and coughing) and bands and pipers warmed up in all directions.

Three bands led the marching with HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, taking the salute standing on a beautifully decorated flowery base thanks to our own Parks nursery staff.

A service took place from the bandstand, surrounded by hundreds of uniformed soldiers with other supporters joining in and us all singing hymns accompanied by the bands and respecting a two-minute silence.
A very uplifting morning which, I hope, was followed by some really good lunches for all those taking part after such a long gap. And about this time next year I would thoroughly recommend a walk into that area at about 10.30 am to join in with this notable event.

APRIL 20th ON THE PARADE GROUND
After reporting such a wonderful occasion, it’s depressing to write about this most unwelcome illegal event when cannabis smokers gather.

Long-standing members will know about this annual trial inflicted on Hyde Park. Hyde Park manager, Jason Taylor, gave me some feedback and I’m going to concentrate on the response by The Royal Parks (TRP) teams.

Jason’s main message was to highlight how well the OCS (ground staff’s) team coped. And how positive they’d been about getting The Parade Ground back into top condition as quickly as possible, and certainly by 10am the next morning. Everything has to be returned to pristine condition for the Queen’s birthday gun salute to take place on the same site at noon on the 21st. This includes removing all the remnants of glass and small metal sniffing canisters.

All options have been considered including closing the park entirely for a day, but this arrangement would exclude thousands of perfectly proper park visitors. Parks concessions would lose a whole day’s business and there is a possibility that the gathering would move to Kensington Gardens.

This year there were around 7,500 there, down from previous years which have been, on occasion, more than 15,000. Approximately 250 police attended and through the day they issued on the spot fines, seized goods and made arrests. They issued a dispersal order at 8pm.and the area was mostly cleared by 9pm. Further arrests continued outside the park.

During the day, the wooded areas and shrubs as well as the children’s education centre garden at the LookOut were used as toilets despite the latter being fenced off.

Huge amounts of litter were left on the ground and at 5am the next morning around 40 helpers started to clear the mess. OCS teams from Green and St James’s Parks and Kensington Gardens helped the Hyde Park team to prepare for the salute at noon and the security sweep at 10am. The ground was cleared by 9am and the rest of the park by lunchtime. The teamwork was impressive. Jason estimates the clean-up took 300 man hours.

This year, a litter collecting device linked to a tractor was hired and did the work of about 3 to 4 people. But glass and small metal canisters had to be cleared by hand. On the day, an extra six tons of litter was left in the park.

The teamwork and results were really very impressive and our thanks go to all those people who annually have to deal with this horrible mess, which is just dumped on a perfect green sward.

THE ROSE GARDEN “MOTORWAY” ……the story continues.
In the winter, I took a photo and wrote about a swathe of cleared earth in the rose garden area destined, I learned, for some wildflower and more natural planting.

I’ve followed its progress as has, of course, Phil Newcombe who is HP’s horticulture expert. This has been the source of some anxiety. Squirrels and pigeons caused a lot of damage to the planting mix over the winter, and I thought that almost everything had either been eaten, partly chewed or dug up and thrown about.

However, a brave selection had survived, though looking a little thin. More bulbs followed making a colourful display, and the motorway is now entirely green with an insect attractive green plant. Plans to continue and develop are afoot.

The bulbs, anemone, botanical tulips, botanical narcissus, muscadine and pushkinia survived. The squirrels got the crocus. Some bulking up by hand of successful bulbs will take place in the Autumn.

For the summer, 25 different perennial wildflowers have been sown including oxeye daisy. These are slow to establish so 9 different annual wildflowers have been added including cornflower, common poppy and corncockle.

We look forward to some good new photos to add to this story, so do send some good ones (high res please) of this latest part of the planting story.

A FLOWERY EVENING IN THE NURSERY
On Wednesday 11th May the rain lashed down all day and it was COLD. However, at 6pm on the dot, the sun came out in time for a group of members to start their tour thanks to new nursery manager Rob Dowling. Rob took over in February and has made a difference to the football pitch sized Hyde Park super nursery already.

He managed rather a large number of us on a snaking route through the different climate-controlled areas and coped with a great variety of questions and comments from a very involved group.

Corners of the nursery look like something out of Chelsea Flower Show. Tree ferns have come out of hiding and are dotted about all over the place attached to any nearby supports to stop them blowing over.

Carol Joseph – Trustee & volunteer

Members and trustees who volunteer in the nursery were there too and seem to enjoy helping in this tucked away world. More have come forward though, I hasten to add, not for half a million flower pot washing duties.

We ended with Pimms and canapés. The sun still shone and as the going home present was a very tall Buckingham Palace geranium, everyone seemed to be very happy as they wended their ways.
Thank you Rob, it was a memorable evening.

*Butterfly and Moth Spotting Walk in Hyde Park
15th June at 13:0*

Accompanied by Dave Jordan, Assistant Park Manager and May Webber from Royal Parks Mission Invertebrate scheme. The event is for a small group, so members need to book early.

SOLVE THE MYSTERY
Our last newsletter featured a mystery photo. No member of staff knew what it was, though assistant Hyde Park Manager, Dave Jordan, guessed it might be something to do with Imperial College. I was way off the mark when I thought it was an RCA sculpture of Herons’ Heads.

Many thanks to members Joe Ogden, and Duncan and Annette Campbell:

Joe says quite succinctly “The…. contraption is a research project by Imperial students as part of their degree. It’s sampling the air behaviour at different levels”.

Duncan and Annette told us that they came across the Imperial College physics students lugging it back to college to make adjustments as it wasn’t doing what it should which was to measure wind speeds at different levels. Thank you all.

CREATIVE CONFINEMENT
Founding member Neill Mitchell, has written a 570 page novel, “Hitler’s Ambassador”. The genre is historical fiction and features Hyde Park and Rotten Row at various points in the plot. The book was first published in the USA but is now on sale at Amazon Books UK at £10.70 including postage.


An impressive use of lockdowns and I wish success for the book.

OUR PHOTOGRAPHER
Many members have met our accredited photographer, Paul Shelley, and those who haven’t will have enjoyed his wonderful photographs in our newsletters, our Annual Review and also in SEBRA magazine.

An impressive use of lockdowns and I wish success for the book.

He wrote and added his own pictures to an account on a winter afternoon of a long walk in the parks. He noticed sculpture in all those winter plants, trees and branches ending with the lamps being lit against a darkening sky. He admitted to feeling melancholy and several of you commented on this. He had left his darling wife Valerie in UCH for an extra long session of chemotherapy.

Sadly the treatment did not work and Val died peacefully, without pain in a hospice on the 29th April.

I’m writing this on behalf of you all, to let him know how sorry we all are, how much we appreciate him and everything he’s done for us and that he and the rest of his lovely family are all in our thoughts.

Valerie was also a life member and loved trees in particular, coming along to several of Greg’s tree walks. In her last days, her bed was pushed out into a parkland garden so she could hear the birds and enjoy the new leaves on the trees.

WE’VE GOT PHOTOGRAPHERS
And thank you to them all for their talented contributions to this edition of the newsletter:

Rob Dowling
Paul Shelley
Nick Abalov
Phil Newcombe
Sue Price
Jason Taylor

20% off boat hire

The Royal Parks have offered 20% off all boating on the Serpentine.

After a three year gap the lovely Hyde Park bandstand will, once again, host four wonderful bands which will fill the space and deliver toe-tapping and dancing music on four dates in August and September.

With very many thanks to our extremely generous donors, without whom we couldn’t do it, we are unveiling the programme and hope you’ll be tempted by some of these offerings. We’re looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible. No need to go online and book fiendishly expensive tickets, these are free for everybody to enjoy, and should appeal to all ages and interests.

SUNDAY 7th August 2.30 to 4.30pm
South London Jazz Orchestra
with Simon Selman who will demonstrate and teach a few swing dance-steps.

SUNDAY 21st August 2.30 to 4.30pm
Melodians Steel Orchestra
This award winning premier 30 piece steel band has, since 1987, been performing at Royal events and at prestigious venues throughout both the UK and overseas.

SATURDAY 10th September 2.30 to 4.30pm
Orquesta Mambarito and Colombian singer Fabian Velez
Between this high-profile band and singer, they deliver red hot salsa and Latin Jazz. We are expecting dance groups from all over to join us.

SUNDAY 18th September 2.30 to 4.30pm
Snowdown Colliery Welfare Band
To bring our mini season to a close, we return to the roots of traditional bandstand music by introducing this large brass band from East Kent, as a reminder and representative of all the coal miners’ bands from across Britain.

AN YOU HELP US?

We need help in promoting these concerts and plan for more in the future.
Without these generous sponsors and donors, these concerts would not have been possible. We are nearly there!

Our thanks to them all and perhaps to some of you who may be reading this?

The August concerts have been funded by:
An Anonymous donor
Colicci
SEBRA (South East Bayswater Residents Association)
The Victoria, Paddington
Taormina Restaurant, Lancaster Gate
Ozuki Sushi and Pan Asian Cuisine, Lancaster Gate.
The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

The Snowdown Welfare Colliery Band is funded by Carl Richardson in memory of his late uncle.

Our very grateful thanks to them all.

Orquesto Mambarito has been funded by the members of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and volunteers from the Hyde Park information kiosk.

If you feel able to add to this list and join this generous group, we would be extremely pleased and any amount, however small, will add to our coffers for this series and help us to have the confidence to think about continuing this recently renewed tradition of using our lovely bandstand.

Cheques payable to:
Friends HPKG and posted to Friends HPKG, The Old Police House, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH.

Or our Nat West Bank details are:
The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
A/c no. 18151701
Sort code 60-04-04

Please make sure you let us know that these donations are to be earmarked for the concerts.

BACK TOGETHER AT LAST

After three Covid, or fear of Covid, years with no live AGMs, we were very pleased to be able to get together again on the 6th July at the LookOut in the middle of Hyde Park.

We were very grateful for the offer to use this beautiful building surrounded by a private garden and sun terrace for our AGM. About 70 of us gathered for an early evening meeting. As we do every year, invitations were sent out to guests along with our members, we so enjoy the company and input of new faces and points of view. On this occasion, we welcomed several new local councillors and an MP who had tendered her resignation that morning, plus many members of The Royal Parks and contractor’s staff.

We couldn’t have managed without Graham Alderton the Centre Manager who worked very hard to set us up. Ledy Leyson from the LookOut education team welcomed us to the building and explained its origins.

Andy Williams and Jason Taylor gave comprehensive presentations on their own Parks, what had gone on this year and what to look forward to with loads of pictures. There were groans from time to time when shots of eg. debris relating to the Cannabis smoking day appeared. Royal Parks director Tom Jarvis, helped answer questions which were many.

We were really pleased to welcome both new Head Gardeners (a brand new role), Beth Handley (Hyde) and Russell Stevens (Kensington) as well as other key players and our 830th and newest member.

A drinks reception followed on a beautiful evening on the terrace, and our photographer circulated. It was a lovely spot but, we appreciate, because of its position and distance from any convenient drop off points, not easily accessible for many our members. It’s something we’ll have to try to put right next year (if we get invited back).

Many thanks to all the Trustees who worked so hard organising the logistics, including getting in significant quantities of refreshments and ensuring all our paperwork was present and correct. Without sleeves rolled up before and afterwards, there wouldn’t have been such a relaxed event for the rest of us.

And, we received quite a few thank you’s afterwards, which were both gratifying and unusual for an AGM, I think.

OUR FAVOURITE EVENT GETS A NEW LOOK

Hot on the heels of the AGM was the Nursery plant sale for members and friends. Over several years this has become an extremely popular event, and I think we have more queries about this than we do for any of our other events.

New manager, Rob Dowling, took over earlier this year and hit the ground running. It was not a slowly managed handover and he has worked very hard. He has quickly made a big difference to the place in the short time he’s been there. There’s been a great deal of turning out and chucking away of junk and rubbish, and small areas have been transformed. No wonder he’s got so many teams of volunteers working hard. They go home with handfuls of veggies and sweet peas all grown in huge pots in these allotment-like corners. Hyde Park courgettes and potatoes? Bring them on! So, our own members look- in was a little later than usual with fairly short notice.

But, the plants on sale! Our jaws dropped. The choice was impossible. One member returned on his bike three times, a convertible mini went off loaded to the gunwales with a row of five foot geraniums sticking up from the back seat. A bicycle was so loaded it could barely be pushed, let alone peddled and we were sorry that our favourite, the reclining tricycle, had a puncture and couldn’t make an appearance. The mini driver emailed later to say thank you and that she’d missed a trick because she had forgotten to ram the boot.

£1,028 was raised for the Royal Parks charity and we had a lot of appreciative members.

Thanks go to all the trustees who turned out to help, and a willing young man (son of a trustee), who cheerfully helped with plant trollies for hours.
A couple of trustees were even skilled enough to work the card machine.

Most thanks though to Rob who worked hard to make it so special for us, on top of his day job which is pretty hectic.

THE “GOING HOME” PRESENT

And last, but I know will be much appreciated by members, are a couple more opportunities to use your membership cards in the Parks.

Boating on the Serpentine The new boats are now launched, a little later in the season than is normal, but having taken them back in house there has been a lot to do. They are offering us 20% off boat hire (pedalos and rowing boats) and although it has been very busy at weekends, it will soon settle down and mid-week isn’t quite so hectic. I’m looking forward to a group of members being well prepared for the next Olympics national rowing team. Many thanks to The Royal Parks for treating our members to this discount. Benugo Recently I have met new manager, Mahfujur, at the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen (SBK). He has very generously offered our members 20% off food and drinks (not alcohol) at all Benugo outlets in both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Apart from SBK, these are the Magazine restaurant at Serpentine North and the little refreshment bar in the Serpentine Gallery South Summer Pavilion.

We are most grateful to him and wish him luck. It’s a difficult time, as we know, in the catering industry as a whole.

Enjoy your summer in the parks and keep cool!

Sue Price
Chairman
25/07/22
Photography:
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling

20% off food and drinks, excluding alcohol

at their Bowling Green Café

25% discount, excluding alcohol, at the following locations

Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

LET THE MUSIC AND DANCING COMMENCE
HOIST THE FLAGS

Unusually for August we are sending out a Mail Chimp newsletter to our members. This is a shortened version of our normal monthly offering.

HYDE PARK BANDSTAND
The first concert on the 7th August was a great success and was enjoyed by more than 300 foot tappers and dancers. Our photos give you a taste. Simon Selman, the swing dance teacher, certainly got everybody in the mood.

The hard working group of Trustees who were there to help, set up chairs for everybody in the shade to relax on, the ice cream van did a roaring trade and it was a pleasure to look over the bits of film footage and photos which followed. One of our Trustees reckons he’s going to audition for ‘Strictly’. A member commented “I attended the first concert yesterday. The jazz was wonderful and everybody was having a great time, especially the dancers. It was a beautiful afternoon and I think Paul got some lovely photos. I was lucky to get a seat in the shade under the trees.”

Why not join us for our next concert?

THE MELODIANS STEEL ORCHESTRA
Sunday 21st August 2.30 to 4.30 pm

They will be playing almost every number you ever heard of re arranged for a large orchestra of steel pans.

The seating will be there, no need for tickets, or any form of booking and everything is free for anyone who wants to call by. The ice cream van will be in attendance and the Royal Parks managed toilets are very close by.

On a personal note, Terry Noel, who’s the orchestra founder and leader, used to sit with me for many years as a magistrate on the NW London Bench. We’ve both retired but have kept in touch. Terry used to teach the pans in prisons, and occasionally found some really talented students. He got demoralised though as so often after making real progress he would turn up for a session only to find that the offender had been transferred to another prison without notice. How many potential stars in the making were lost?

HOIST THE FLAGS!

Both Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park have achieved their green flag awards with the maximum points possible.

Congratulations to both Andy Williams and Jason Taylor with their teams respectively in Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park

All the Royal Parks did extraordinarily well and these results reflect how much care and effort go into maintaining, continually updating and improving on everything that’s offered for us visitors to enjoy.

Our picture shows Andy’s team in Kensington Gardens and their ceremonial flag hoisting.

ITS SO HOT!
Managing the parks in the heatwaves.

As we are now in the second heatwave there has been a very great need to protect everything which grows in our parks. The trees, grass, shrubs and bushes as well as floral display planting provide shelter, shade, cooling and a valuable habitat for all forms of insects and pollinators and we human visitors need these important elements of our parks too. Recently planted trees and shrubs need special attention and even long established trees are now showing signs of stress.

Water comes mostly from the Parks own bore holes and watering is done very carefully at the most useful times of day or night when as little as possible is wasted.

Do read the very clear and informative press release which explains better than I.
click here for The Royal Parks press release

Our photo is taken in the ‘Will to Win’ garden in Hyde Park. The grass is dry of course but we can see that the yew hedging is not looking well and some of the pretty large shrubs look as though they have been lost.

I’ll hope to catch up with you soon, maybe with some music in our ears!

Sue Price
Chairman 13/8/22

Photography:
Tom Jarvis
Paul Shelley
Andrew Williams

20% discount, excluding alcohol, at the following locations

The Lido Cafe
The Italian Gardens Cafe
And all the kiosks within both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Steel Delivers Sweet Melodies
On Sunday August 21st, our toes started tapping from the off, to the familiar tunes of a Beetles medley specially arranged for the Melodians Steel Orchestra. A relaxing afternoon followed listening to this well-established and highly respected ensemble. Founded in 1987 by Terry Noel, the orchestra has provided opportunities for young people from varied social and racial backgrounds. Terry, who originally came from Trinidad, was awarded an MBE for his services to music in 2015.

I’m sure they won’t mind me saying that, given the many years this lovely group has been playing together, some of the young people don’t quite fit that description any longer. But the fact that they’ve been together for so long, entertain their audiences so well and enjoy their music, says it all.

And once again, we need to say thank you to all the people who have helped make these concerts possible. It’s not just the funding, it’s the logistics of getting a mass of bulky musical kit and instruments in and out of a fairly inaccessible place, as well as a van full of chairs.

For funding, the following have been extremely generous:
Carl Richardson
Tom Newman
Peter and Dimity Spiller
Lorraine Buckland
The volunteers from the Information Kiosk
A member who wishes to remain anonymous
Colicci
SEBRA
The Victoria, Paddington.
Taormina Restaurant, Lancaster Gate
Ozuko Sushi and Pan Asian Cuisine, Lancaster Gate
The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Nick Kwabi of Park Deck Chairs, without whom we would not have been sitting comfortably.

And from the Royal Parks team, Jessica Nelson, who has dealt with the permits and logistics.

And, of course, don’t forget the Trustees who have volunteered to help out each week with quite a lot of strong-arm heaving of chairs and generally working their socks off for months in the planning, and the willling(?) partners who have been co-opted too.

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has brought back many memories for us all. Several of you got in touch with your own remembrances and thoughts on the last few weeks. Some of these contributions are enclosed in this newsletter.

As far as the Friends organisation went, we had little to do except stand back, support, admire and congratulate the Royal Parks staff on the way the long planned arrangements slipped into place and suddenly “our” parks became a focus for the world.

From Friday morning when a 96 gun salute took place, our two parks played a vital role. There were three more gun salutes during the following ten days, large screens erected, flowers laid and then ended with the solemn progress of the hearse through Hyde Park and then Kensington Gardens on its way to Windsor.

The Parks teams couldn’t have done it better.

I nipped (well not quite) in and out, and hope that some of you were able to do the same. Every visit became memorable.

The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery performed four gun salutes during the week. Have you noticed how small their horses are? Their riders these days are often young women. Every appearance of the Troop was solemn and moving.

Flowers took over

The numbers of people laying flowers in Hyde Park grew, as Green Park became too crowded and then closed. The contractors made a lovely job of laying them out round trees and in patterns so that they could be seen properly.

Volunteers have been much in evidence, helping visitors to take off plastics and ties and then, for their final journey this week, loading the drays drawn by Shire horses Heath and Nobby.

Among my memories? Standing watching a big screen in the middle of the week, with tens of thousands of others, listening to the huge sound of Big Ben tolling simultaneously with the earth-shaking cannon fire of a salute. And, finally, witnessing the hearse turn out of Kensington Gardens through Queens Gate, the sun sparkling on the crown atop the surprisingly tiny coffin.

MEMBER’S MEMORIES

Queuing for the Lying in State

At noon on the first morning of The Lying in State, an instinctive urge (and a text message from a close friend) led me to join the queue.

For hours I shared memories with strangers. We all felt as if a member of our own family had died. The Queen belonged to all of us; we were grieving together. We shared the same love and respect for the wonderful monarch who had been a constant in all of our lives.

Naturally, my mobile ran out of juice early on. A photo I wish I had been able to take was of a serious young man seated close to the Globe Theatre with a placard saying `A Poem for Free`. I’m sure that had I stopped he would have had myriad gems at the tip of his tongue.

A lasting memory of the day was when a charming walking companion offered me half of his marmalade sandwich made earlier that day. I felt ‘in there’ with Paddington and HM the Queen. Rest in Peace, your Majesty; your subjects are doing you proud.

The gentle crowd-control was impressive. As we approached Westminster Palace, though, the atmosphere changed. We were instructed to dispose of all liquids and foodstuffs and to prepare for airport-style security checks. The bins were oozing.

At last, we walked silently through the entrance. Steeped in history, and creating an atmosphere like no other, the Great Hall is hugely impressive, even when empty.

On the stepped, red-carpeted catafalque, draped in the yellow and red Royal Standard flag, with candles at each corner, stood the coffin, with coronation orb atop, and complete with sceptre and crown. Red-coated Beefeaters and busby-wearing Royal Horse Guardsmen stood with heads bowed, silently guarding their deceased monarch.

We were being gently nudged along, invited not to linger long, but given just enough time to bow, say thank-you and God speed. I walked away with a lump in my throat and close to tears.

Tired from all that walking and waiting? Yes, but so pleased to have witnessed this remarkable piece of history.

As a member of the Friends it was heartening to know that the tribute flowers placed in Green Park will be composted in ‘our’ Hyde Park nursery and used eventually on the Royal Park flower beds.

Thinking of the flowers took me back to the tall Guards-red geranium we were given after our nursery visit; another lump in the throat…

*Jackie King*__

A Royal Memory…
It was in early 2001 that I noted from the Evening Standard that sponsors were being sought by the Hyde Park management for a 75th birthday gift to Her Majesty the Queen of 75 new trees to be planted in Hyde Park beside a pathway close to the Serpentine. I cannot now recall my suggested outlay but it was certainly no more than £100 per individual contributor. I signed up and was immediately invited to attend an event in the park when the HMQ and Prince Philip were to accept the gift.

I even persuaded my elder son to take a couple of hours off work to video his Dad meeting the Queen….

Unfortunately, the weather was horrific on the big day – torrential rain in London rather like the recent Thursday when HMQ passed away. But the show had to go on and Her Majesty duly did a ceremonial planting of one tree. I recall that, understandably, she did not look thrilled to be out in this sort of weather, even with two lackeys holding enormous umbrellas in place,

The small group of sponsors who attended (including The Standard which had made by far the biggest contribution) were then introduced to Her Majesty and she, of course, was very gracious in thanking us for the 75 trees and making appropriate comments on the dreadful weather.

I was hoping to chat a little with Prince Philip whom I had met several times previously when our company was working for the World Wildlife Fund (Patron HM Prince Philip). The Duke had, however, smartly taken refuge from the elements – so I missed him.

I should add that the adverse weather also put paid to my video; all my son got on film were lots of wet umbrella shots.

Doesn’t read like a big story about my one contact with the Queen – but, especially with Hyde Park having played such a prominent part in the mourning and funeral arrangements for Queen Elizbeth, I can still recall every minute of that brief contact over 20 years later….

*Harry Reid*__

Performing for the Queen
In August, the Melodians Steel Orchestra performed on our bandstand. Terry Noel the leader, writes: “Having performed for Queen Elizabeth many times over the years, we will miss her and her words of encouragement….” He tells us about a special piece of music favoured by Her Majesty. “We performed “Highland Cathedral” on several occasions in the presence of the Queen and on one occasion, when we did not perform it, she enquired whether we still played it. We reassured her and made sure we performed it the next time we played for her”.

The bandstand concerts fell silent
Our September series of two concerts is something we will, we hope, look forward to next September. Leaders of both bands were very helpful when we came to our quick decision to cancel. It was the right decision. I was pleased that, on the day we were due to have our brass band and Duke of York’s Royal Military School musicians concert, the Salvation Army band took over the bandstand and played reflective music.

EXCITING EVENTS

• 1) Hyde Park Nursery Tour*
  Tuesday 11th October 5pm to 7pm approx.
  By kind invitation of the manager, Rob Dowling, we have been invited to see the Winter and Spring planting before it leaves the nursery to be planted in the parks and at Buckingham Palace. Rob’s insights are always interesting, and if you were thinking of coming to the plant sale later in October, you might be pleased to plan what you need. We will finish with a drink in the warm glasshouses.
  

To join the Tour of the Nursery, please see the October update from the Friends to book your ticket

For new members, the Nurseries are tucked away in Hyde Park, a bio secure area which is not generally open to the public, so these opportunities are special for us. Situated between West Carriage Drive and the Old Police House, the Nursery is marked on A to Z maps. The nearest parking is on West Carriage Drive or in the Triangle Car Park.

2) Plant Sale – The Hyde Park Nursery
Wednesday 26th October 10am to 2pm
Again, thanks to Rob Dowling for his kind invitation. Autumn, Winter and Spring plants, to see you through until the glorious burst of colour during next Summer, will be on sale to our members. These fabulous plants, which are left over stock, are grown for the parks and are available for us to buy at bargain prices. All takings go to the Royal Parks Charity.

There will be help to load up cars if you want to buy a large quantity. Experience from the last sale is that we were astonished at the selection and quality of the plants, and found it hard to make decisions.

We will be setting up until 10am so don’t arrive too early, there will be masses of plants for everybody. Please note to access this event you must be a Friend of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

CARDS NO CASH PLEASE

3) Rowing on the Serpentine
Thursday 13th October 10.30 to 11.30 approx.
And now for something we haven’t tried before …

The boating on the Serpentine has been taken inhouse by the Royal Parks, and new manager, Tom Kiddey, is keen to meet us and for us to have a go at rowing. He has invited us to join him and his team and promises there will be plenty of help and assistance, and you won’t be shoved out to sea (sorry I meant lake) on your own.
To join the Rowing Event, please click on the link provided in the October Friends email update

Tea, coffee and even cake will be on offer to strengthen our arms, and our photographer will be in attendance. I am mad keen to try it out and am hoping that some of you would be interested in joining fellow trustee, Tina Higginson, and me in having a go.

Sue Price
Chairman

Photography:
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Andrew Dowling
Sue Price
Alexandra Easton

Your title here…Video of Floral Tributes for Her Majesty The Queen in The Green Park and Hyde Park

The Royal Parks have just released this two minute beautifully made Youtube film. Flowers brought in remembrance of Her Majesty are carefully laid out in the Green and Hyde Parks and make gorgeous displays, and then they have to be cleared…

If you were with us for our tour of the nurseries on that evening in the early Summer you will have carried your going home presents out at the end of the evening. I know that many of you have done well with these Buckingham Palace geraniums which are still looking marvellous. So you will particularly enjoy the end of the film ….
Click here to view the video

Our photographer, Paul Shelley, can be glimpsed near the beginning, standing by the shire horses, but he’s not one of the ones wearing a bowler hat.

Sue Price
Chairman

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If you wish to be kind enough to choose ‘The Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens’ as your nominated charity, we would be immensely grateful. Last year we received due to your generosity £90

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There are eight attractive images of Kensington and the full range of images can be viewed and purchased at: mountbattencards.com
Enquiries should be addressed to info@mountbattencards.com

We’ve made it into the dark period after Christmas and New Year celebrations and it seems a long haul to Easter. But at least the shortest day is well behind us and the burst of snow and cold in December made a stunning change from dark rainy days.

Colour

After this intro, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is entirely doom and gloom out there, but look around and you will see an extraordinary collection of different shapes and colours around both parks.

Red is the primary colour which stands out and clumps of berries are spotted (reducing as birds feed on them) all over. Our photo shows a bright collection round the nursery gates in Hyde Park. And there are masses of red robins whistling softly in the foliage.

Look at the planting of the containers at the Italian Gardens for contrasts of leaf colours and shapes. In a few weeks’ time, they’ll be full of spring flowers but, for the time being, the plants are stand-alone interesting. Though, I must admit, that the snow and very cold temps did rather flatten quite a lot.

Watch Out!

Plenty of members have been anxious about off-piste cyclists and scooters in both parks. Foot path/cycle route markings have been especially indistinct on the ground in Kensington Gardens (KG). In Hyde Park, very large bright crossed through cycle signs have appeared everywhere.

White marking on the ground in KG was last done in 2018. It is due to be repainted this month (Jan). The Paragon (warning and guidance) slabs on the ground are cleaned monthly but, during the drought, this may have happened less often. There are signs on every gate at entrances but these are occasionally, sadly, (sign of the times) vandalised or removed.

Let’s hope, when the bright white clean markings are clear and obvious, that there is a noticeable improvement in cyclists behaviour.

Marking and signage is being looked at across the whole Royal Parks estate, to make it clear and consistent. We would like there to be no opportunity for a rogue cyclist to say “I didn’t see any notice” or “There’s nothing to show I shouldn’t be here”.

Winter Wonderland Wowed Us

We had a great treat, thanks to Suzy Griffiths (IMG Vice President) and her team.

In early December, a group of us were treated to a VIP experience starting with a fascinating presentation from Suzy about how she runs this world-wide famous event, and makes it slightly different and even more attractive, each year. As grown-ups who, on the whole, are trying to follow some kind of healthy eating regime, it was a complete letting off of the brakes. We’ve never been offered so much mulled wine and cider, sandwiches and snacks, chocs and massive amounts of popcorn. But through it all we managed to see, enjoy and understand several of the major Winter Wonderland attractions.

Our apologies to those of you who weren’t able to join us as we were very limited on numbers, hopefully next WW we’ll be able to meet you?

Health Warning Alert for our Birds

Sadly, it’s most likely that Avian Flu has arrived amongst the wild geese, swan and duck population on the Long Water and Serpentine. More than 55 have died recently.

Avian Flu couldn’t be confirmed for certain, at the time of writing, because that has to be done by an official from DEFRA and they are busy testing domestic flocks which have to be culled, if positive.

However, the signs are all there and its tragic to see, despite notices everywhere, many people are still feeding the birds encouraging them to jostle tightly and get really close together.

Remembrance Sunday 13th November

Each year, at the Lancaster Gate War Memorial, a service takes place to mark this occasion. It is organised by Westminster Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg. Fr Paul Thomas from St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens, officiates assisted by assistant priest Fr Owen Dobson with the choir and musicians. It is always very well attended and is very moving and beautifully done. For the last few years, a fellow trustee, or I, have laid a wreath on behalf of all ‘The Friends’. It seems appropriate as Kensington Gardens is yards away on the other side of the road. I was pleased to meet the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Hamza Taouzzale.

If you live nearby, this is a lovely way to join in on that Sunday, it is usually held in the early afternoon at 2.30pm.

The Magazine Restaurant

Richard Price writes….
‘With two others, I recently had breakfast at this restaurant, just north of the Serpentine Bridge. Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, the building is airy and peaceful. It’s a calm setting, with shimmering green light reflected on the ceilings. It’s set in gardens designed by Arabella Lennox Boyd. We three felt rather quiet that morning as we had heard the evening before that the Queen had died.

It’s table service, now run by Benugo. The menu lists a number of quite unusual ingredients. Our choices were fairly exotic including Shakshuka, which was eggs with tomato and pepper stew, and a spinach and rocket salad. If this is too exciting for you, scrambled eggs with rye and pumpernickel sourdough, plus garden herbs and seaweed salad also feature, as well as bacon. Friendly staff looked after us very well, and we were able to use our members cards for a 20% discount.”

Thank you Benugo for your support for ‘The Friends.’

In the next edition look out for: New talent joins the park teams
Looking ahead at the Diana playground
King’s honours
Reasons to be cheerful in January
Bandstand news.

Sue

Sue Price
Chairman
14.01.2023

As promised, we are sending more bits of news and some colour to cheer you up.

Hard frost has returned with a vengeance, and with it some low sun. I suppose it’s too late now for me to plant those spring bulbs languishing in a paper bag?

We are grateful to member Dimity Spiller who has written for us on several occasions, and is an early bird visitor, for her January piece.

COLOUR

The hunt for winter colour in the Parks has become almost like an old ‘I Spy’ game.
Plenty more has appeared.
The Camellia Yule Tide is flowering already in the nursery, and is full of buds in the beds close to The Hyde Park Bandstand.

Edgeworthia, my Chinese vase yellow flowering favourite shrub, is a matter of a couple of weeks away and can be admired at the Albert Memorial, and also in the beds just mentioned in Hyde Park. At the moment, the frost has made it look as though it’s covered with tiny golf balls.

Cornus, those fiery red and orange branches of dogwood plus the acid green ones are showing in clumps in both Parks, and especially on the edge of the Princess Diana playground.

Reasons to be cheerful on a grey January morning

Dimity Spiller writes
Coming into the park before sunrise, the light is pearlescent and calming. After mid-January, the sunrise will get earlier but for now, hold onto the magic of being in the park in pre-dawn dark.
Our wonderful park staff who keep it all so beautiful, and make it available to us early birds
The glitter of a sharp frost or, better still, a new fall of snow increases the pleasure, while a low mist on the ground is so mysterious. Did I see Merlin disappear behind that tree?
For those who yearn for the Caribbean, there is always the potential for a bright blue sky tomorrow.
The architecture of trees is clearly seen, how contorted and bristly are some and how clean limbed are others.
Keeping a nose out for the scented shrubs is rewarded by the wintersweet, and the scented Viburnum amongst others. Next month, it’ll be the mimosa by the Old Police House.
And don’t forget the snowdrops.

Remember St Paul’s encouragement in Romans 15 that we should abound in Hope.

Congratulations are due

The King’s New Year Honours

The MVO (Member Victorian Order) has been awarded to:
Alun Mainwaring who is Head of events, filming and commercial development, and is based at the Old Police House. He worked tirelessly to deliver a wonderful celebration of the Queens Jubilee and was also very quick to tell me that it was a team effort.

He has always worked hard, consulting, liaising and involving the Friends in the delivery of all the programmes he works on. I think the jubilee arrangements involved dealing with countless more organisations. Congratulations from us all.

LVO (Lieutenant Victorian Order) has been awarded to: Mark Wasilewski. Mark is the manager of St James’s and The Green Parks, both of which were pivotal in the arrangements for the Queen’s Jubilee. Mark’s parks are always in the highest profile spot in national events.

Our member, Carol Seymour-Newton, has been made Life President of the Knightsbridge Association. She has worked tirelessly for that organisation for many years and deserves the accolade. She told me, when I congratulated her, that it sounded a bit daunting but I know she’ll continue to do a great job for the association.

Hyde Park Bandstand

As long-standing members will know, this structure is never far from our minds as it features so prominently in our year. We are already planning our bandstand concerts (only three dates available this year in August and September) and there will be more about these soon.

But while we have danced or relaxed, and tapped our toes to the music, have we paid attention to what is under our feet and on the ground in the whole area round the bandstand?

It’s a mixture of hard surfaces, some heaved by tree roots, and plenty of it in poor condition. A planning application (the bandstand is a listed structure) has been made to upgrade the hard surfaces and increase the grassy areas. We supported the application, and I’m glad to say that I have been notified that it has been granted.

Generosity from the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

Welcome to new manager, Ismini Stefanidou, who has had an eleven year career with Benugo and comes to us from working for Benugo in several of the Royal Parks, as well as the South Kensington Museums.

As she only started in December, we have given her a short break before we rush in to photograph and interview her!

I met Gulshon Dadral (Benugo Operations and Account manager) a couple of weeks ago and he introduced us.

I am so grateful, on behalf of you all, to Gulsh and Ismini for offering our members an increase to our discount at SBK to 25% when you show your card. This will start on Feb 1st.

It applies to Serpentine Bar and Kitchen, not the other Benugo outlets at The Magazine or in the temporary Pavilion in the summer.

SBK is, I’ve found, extremely good for a big breakfast, the pizzas are excellent too, but not for breakfast.

Boys and Girls come out to play

Ryan Gill has joined the Kensington Gardens team and is the manager of the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground.

Our photographer and I had a fascinating hour there in the morning last week before it opens to the public, and Ryan was a wonderful guide. He comes from Hertfordshire where he was in charge of 60 green spaces and 40 playgrounds. Full of knowledge about play equipment, what’s new, what’s tired, what needs replacing, and also hopes for some important development and major refurbishment were mentioned. This playground, with its million visitors every year, gets well and truly hammered, and at peak times has a deli style queuing system.

You may have taken your own children or grandchildren. It’s not possible to go in without a child, so a visit in the witching hour before 10am is special if you haven’t been able to go recently, or ever.

I was impressed that the sound posts are all working (I have never heard them in action) and several other pieces of equipment are being adapted or improved.

Whatever happens, the galleon will always be a favourite.

Ryan has offered to give our members a tour in the 9am to 10 am slot, and we can finish with coffee and perhaps croissants to reward ourselves for the early(ish) start. I can promise it won’t be dull!

We will let you know when we have a date which will probably be in the early spring.

Glimmering Gas Lamps

Few members will not have heard about the decision in Westminster to upgrade or replace some of their gas lamps, and the strongly held views about this.

Hyde Park has a lot of gas lamps, and following our trustee, Will Gray’s, research and visit to the Westminster presentation by St James’s Station, we are now all looking keenly at some of our own lamps.

We will, of course, keep members up to date with any developments.

Sue Price
28/01/2023

Photography:
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Sue Price

Sue Price
Chairman

Hard frosts turned Buck Hill into a deepest country landscape, and the clear, sunny half term days which followed filled the parks with children and their families getting to know London. Days are clearly stretching out and we know we’ve turned the page on winter.

Colour

After our “spot the colour hunt” started in the early days of New Year, February has been a frenzy of dashing about, as so much is popping up all over.

Loads of these little splashes of bright colour appear amongst the grass and are the results of successful planting exercises, using volunteers and a specially designed tractor. Thousands of spring bulbs have been planted this way and the results are delightful.

The Iris Reticulata is everywhere, and is particularly lovely in the grass round the small but poignant memorial to those soldiers, civilians and horses who lost their lives or were injured on 20th July 1982 on South Carriage Drive.

Mimosa, by the Old Police House, is always an early golden show but, unfortunately, this year has been so decimated by people stealing branches it looks quite bare on one side…shame.

Luckily, several new trees have been planted and are becoming established in the protected area behind railings at the Cavalry Memorial.

Look at the Dell for pure spectacle and, close by, the quiet and peaceful setting around London’s first Holocaust Memorial. The surrounding boulders set amongst silver-trunked birch trees circle the large stones inscribed from lamentations with

As controversy swirls round the massive memorial proposed for Victoria Tower Gardens, this quiet and reflective place, now surrounded by swathes of snowdrops, should be visited and appreciated by anyone who would like to pass some time in quiet contemplation.

My friend, the Edgeworthia, has some satsuma orange coloured cousins growing in the nursery, so hopefully they too will soon be appearing as are unusual family members of the Hamamelis Mollis (witch hazel) which is at a showy time of year, and has lots of new plants establishing around the rose garden and Cavalry Memorial beds (and in front of the bandstand toilets).

Our thanks to Hyde Park Head Gardener Beth Handley, for giving us the information which set us off in the right directions.

A VIP date for all our members

Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
Annual General Meeting
Weds 19th July
6pm at The LookOut in Hyde Park

With grateful thanks to Graham Alderton who is the operations coordinator at this busy and beautiful location.

More details will follow, and this year we will try hard to arrange transport to this very central Hyde Park location for those who would find it a help.

Remembering Luciano Pavarotti

We know some members who remember the first Stones Concert and, following some recent footage of Pavarotti in Hyde Park in 1991 being shown again on BBC 4, longstanding member Neill Mitchell got in touch with the following memoire about this concert. It rained torrentially from beginning to end.

Neill writes
“I was beneath a little tree which offered no shelter, but was joined by a travelling salesman from Justerini and Brooks of St James’s, with whom I shared a very fine bottle of claret poured by him into two cutglass tasting glasses, despite the two of us being total strangers to each other!

Now that is chic…..soaked to the skin in office suits (requested not to raise umbrellas to avoid obstructing the view of others), standing under a little tree in Hyde Park, drinking fine claret in cutglass to the live performance of Pavarotti!”.

Neil adds, it had been warm and dry all day which was why they were all there in office suits. It is still fresh in his memory, 31 years later.

I wonder how many members have similar strong memories of other very special occasions, perhaps the Carol King concert which people get misty eyed over. Sadly, I wasn’t there, I had to make do with seeing it on telly, but it was SO good even then.

More Dates!

Make a note, and look out for booking details which will follow soon. All these groups are for limited numbers.

The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground Kensington Gardens
Thursday 23rd March 9am
Re-discover your inner child…our new playground manager, Ryan Gill is keen to show us what is happening, tell us about plans, and show us what’s changed since we were last able to get in (if ever). This is a private visit in the morning, before the Playground opens to the public. Followed by coffee etc and pastries at 10am

The Nursery, Hyde Park
Thursday 11th May 6pm
This part of the Royal Parks empire has been transformed, since it was taken under the wing of new manager Rob Dowling a year ago. (See below).
It has always been a highlight of our calendar. I booked us in quickly, as Rob told me that his diary was filling up with visits……followed by drinks (last year it was Pimms)

For all of these events, booking will be by Eventbrite
We are grateful to all the kind members of staff who have offered to entertain us, and to trustee Tina Higginson for managing the bookings. More events will follow as they are confirmed.

Ist Anniversary Celebrations

Our photographer and I had a most enjoyable visit to the nursery to meet the elite team.

A year on from the in-sourcing of the nursery to Royal Parks, Rob Dowling and the nursery team have overhauled the operations and growing environments. There has been an enormous clean and tidy up, pleasant areas have been created to help all the volunteers and staff with the propagating, growing and tender plant winterising that is now a feature of our Royal Parks calendar.
Head gardeners are looking for interesting new plants and ways of displaying them best. And we enjoy the results. The staffing structure itself is different and there is now a grade recognition of the horticultural experts. Each one is established in a house (that’s glass not street) and has a particular specialism. The depth of knowledge is awesome. We were bowled over and long to show you all what and how they are growing. We could put together an entire newsletter about the nursery alone even without starting on the technical details.

If you are able to join us for the tour in the evening in May, you will see the environment for yourselves and how it has changed.

We met four of the experts, there is also Jo who many of you have met, and we have photographed her from time to time. Apologies to her, we ran out of time.

Thanks to Aaron, Dave, Charlie, and Mark

Aaron is in charge of house No 8 and grows the large 2ft 3ft and 4ft Senna red Pelargoniums, all specifically grown for the beds at Buckingham Palace. From tiny cuttings to serried ranks of hundreds of tall plants in four and five litre pots, everything is the result of his skill. The world will see the end results as the film crews move in again this year for the first King’s Birthday Parade for HM King Charles III, in June. His depth of knowledge of this unique crop is incredible.

Mark is the vegetative propagation professor having charge of two houses and has worked in the Royal Parks for thirty years. Way back, he was an apprentice in the gardens of Eltham Palace.
Now, he teaches apprentices the art of taking cuttings. The favourite part of his job is the end stage when he sees trays of his plants going out to fill the parks with colour and interest.

Dave also is a propagation maestro, but was very busy setting up a team of volunteers for their afternoon session which we didn’t want to interrupt.

Charlie, in his scented pelargonium kingdom (House no 8) was extremely enthusiastic about the volunteers and thinks they have brought much to benefit the nursery. He enjoys meeting so many different people.
His world is fascinating, scented leaf pelargoniums of every shape and texture. Cola, cider, lemon, Old Spice are a few. He taught us the difference between a pelargonium and a geranium. There were dozens of different varieties, all carefully labelled. His favourite is Regal Joy which has a flower a bit like a carnation. For Charlie, this is a long way from his family’s theatrical background, but he is clearly very much in a place which he loves.

Our thanks to them all for being so patient and so enthusiastic with us two ignoramuses.

The volunteers have become an important element of the nursery growing capabilities, and are much appreciated by everybody we spoke to on our visit. The training was impressive and I believe some of the volunteers have gone on towards a career in horticulture.

Welcome Ismini

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen (SBK) has a new manager who we met over a breakfast coffee this week. Ismini moved to London from Greece 12 years ago.

She worked as part of the Benugo team at many central locations, including our own South Kensington Museums and Westminster Abbey. Ismini also launched Benugo at some new locations before becoming a General Manager. She says Benugo are a great company to work for.
She has now won Manager of the Year for the second time. We wish her luck in her new role here in this lovely location.
We didn’t have time to have a Full English breakfast, but on the menu it looked great.

Don’t forget to use your members card for the 25% discount.

Look Up

The Serpentine Gallery has had scaffolding enclosing its clock tower, for some time. Now, all is revealed and a wonderful restoration has been completed.

The gold on the weathervane sparkles in the sun, wood, brickwork and lead look extremely smart. Congratulations to the team at the Gallery, and also for returning the front garden to a great lawn, after the departure of the temporary pavilion.

You no longer have to book tickets to go into the two galleries, so do enjoy the chance to nip in when you’re in the area.

The show in the Serpentine Gallery North is gorgeous and very tactile looking. Hard to keep your hands off!

Sue Price
25/02/2023

Photography:
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Ryan Gill.
Sue Price
Chairman

Colour

All through the winter we’ve been waiting for this it seems.

The glorious results of massive bulb planting exercises are now there to be enjoyed across both parks.

Some planting was the result of hard work by volunteers on the corporate volunteering programme and hundreds of schoolchildren, other areas were planted by a specially designed tractor which visits to lay swathes of bulbs. Around Hyde Park Corner, cameras have been busy, the plain lawns there have been full of crocuses.

Safe Havens

It’s a busy life for the waterfowl in Kensington Gardens and, unfortunately, some of this is down to harassing dogs who have careless owners ignoring all signage. The dogs can’t read. Loafing areas have been created (that’s its official name and I love it) in Kensington Gardens.

A couple of years ago on the Long Water by the Henry Moore sculpture, an off-shore shingle beach was created for birds to relax and just loaf out of dog’s and, hopefully, foxes reach. It was an immediate success, and can be clearly seen from the Serpentine Bridge.

Last week, a loafing area has been created and finished in the Round Pond. It’s maddening to see owners throwing balls and branches into the Round Pond for their dogs to fetch. But good to see that the birds have somewhere to go, apart from the hard surfaces round the edge of the water.

Can you read?

In Kensington Gardens, the worn-out signage giving cyclists a clear message, has been replaced with strikingly white lettering.

Not one off-piste cyclist could claim they hadn’t noticed it, could they? There are also warning slabs set into the ground, notices on posts, and also on every gate or railings at all entrances.

I think we should congratulate and thank the team at Kensington Gardens for this level of clear instruction. It only needs people to comply with what I think is very clear.

Keeping fit in the parks

Two members contacted us, contributed these pieces and included photos. They are an impressive bunch who would like some more of you to join them.

A few enthusiasms about Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

Over 22 years ago I started a relationship with Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens. I joined the Serpentine Running Club when I was 60 having previously ‘retired’ from running when I was 25. I made many friends and started loving running again. Going ‘off piste’ in the Park was my great love. Running became magic! In fact, among the plaques surrounding the Serenity sculpture located on the south of the lake is one which reads: ‘Running is Magic SID WILLS’

Most Saturdays and Wednesdays I work in the Parks with runners. During the lockdown the Park was even more important, providing a peaceful sanctuary for runners – and others. I was able to continue assisting ‘one to one’ with new runners. To me, the Parks have so many wonderful areas.

I am not the only Serpentine Running Club member who loves the Parks. Here are some comments from members:

_There are always different seasons and times of day which make it never boring. Lovely scenery round every corner and a beautiful lake and wildlife to observe with new paths to explore every time you visit. A beautiful space that caters for all

A tranquil and calming oasis amidst the bustle of the city. A visual and sensory experience that enhances running. You can enter Hyde Park with all the worries of life and within moments everything is ok.

I love running in one of the most beautiful Parks in London in the most vibrant way. Senses are elevated as one’s endorphins kick in! Running in Hyde Park can also be cleansing for the soul._

We run every Wednesday evening from Marble Arch and Saturday morning from Hyde Park Bandstand. We also have other regular events during the year. The range of abilities can spread from a very high level to those who only wish to mix running and walking.

For anyone interested in joining one of the Club’s ability groups contact Catharine on: member-liaison@serpentine.org.uk

Nordic Walking

With so much emphasis on older people getting enough exercise, walking in the park and gardens provides a great place to do this. Since 2013 the ‘Silverfit’ Nordic Walking group have been doing just that.

If you don’t know what Nordic walking is, it’s an enhancement of normal walking, using poles which improve stability, balance and posture, plus activating many more muscles.

‘SilverFit’ is a small charity, putting on weekly exercise events around London for the over 50’s. We meet at the Tennis Café, Park Sport (was Will-to-Win) and are still going strong 10 years later.

We get together once a week on Tuesday mornings, setting off at 11 for an hour’s Nordic walking. We have poles and offer instruction to newcomers and encourage everyone to chat and appreciate the changing scenery of the parks.

The session charge is £5 and goes towards the running of the charity. Most members stay for a drink and socialise at the café afterwards (and we have even added an occasional game of bowls).

We are keen to let regular park users know of our existence. If anyone wants a new challenge and to meet new friends we are here.

For more information click here to view our website

Boys and girls (we all wish we were) came out to play

On a sunny morning new manager, Ryan Gill, welcomed us at the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. Before this world famous playground opens to the public at 10am, and solitary adults are shown the door. we were able to have the treat of being taken round, told about all the exciting plans and what repairs Ryan has already got underway. We climbed and clambered over everything, squirmed through narrow holes to slide down to the ground and climbed rigging.

I clutched my brow and worried about our insurance. However, we all enjoyed coffee and cake together, unharmed, as an army of buggies swarmed in on the dot of 10am and we were gently thrown out to sit at the picnic tables outside.

Many thanks to Ryan for suggesting the event and entertaining us so well. He was so full of energy and enthusiasm, it left us pretty awestruck. We will look forward to the major plans as they are revealed and inform you all.

Caught short?

Nearly all visitors, on a longish visit to the parks, will need to use a toilet at some time or other. These are dotted around, run and maintained by different organisations, some of which are cafes and other businesses in the parks.

However, there are two toilet blocks in each of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which are run by The Royal Parks (TRP).

These, I have found, are reliably clean and well maintained although I admit to not visiting when the parks are really very busy.
They cost 20p to use by a very slow and stately card reader (it costs TRP an awful lot more than this to maintain these particular blocks).

The two in Hyde Park are at the bandstand (admire the well planted flower bed while you are there) and The LookOut which is in the centre of the park, not far from Reformers Tree.

It has a wonderful sculpture on its front lawn by Polly Hope and Theo Crosby, and it’s worth a visit just to see it.

In Kensington Gardens, one is at the Marlborough Gate entrance right by the Italian Gardens Cafe. The other is undergoing a bit of refurbishment as the roof was leaking, and the new plasterwork in the ladies is damp and taking time to dry out. It’s just off West Carriage Drive, on a path to the back of the Albert Memorial. It’ll re-open soon.

I recommend all of these to you.

Dog walking friction

Since the pandemic, we know that there has been a great increase in dog ownership. A new pet in lockdown seemed a wonderful idea, and we were never going back to an office or an away-from-home work space, were we?

The result is a huge increase in the number of dog walkers, both commercial and owners, especially in Kensington Gardens, this has led to a big jump in the number of incidents reported to the police. There are reports of paid dog walkers with too many dogs, and some out of control. Although there are 10/12 licensed dog walkers who should display their arm bands clearly, there are many who are not.

Following our Safer Parks Panel meeting with the police, they are going to focus on policing this kind of offence, although it is particularly challenging. We have been asked to report every incident so that they can build up a picture of any pattern of offending, or even of particular dogs which they can only get from images. Anecdotal reports are insufficient.

In emergency it’s always 999, don’t be embarrassed that perhaps your incident is, or isn’t, an emergency especially if it’s ongoing.
Contact the police 101.
Park phone 0207 161 9631 (voicemail).

We are lucky, as Royal Parks go, that we have a considerable number of police stationed in Hyde Park and they can, if they know about an incident, get to it quickly.

STOP PRESS: Kensington Palace and the Orangery

The Orangery is very close to re-opening, initially as part of the exhibition space and then later for events and catering.

The Pavilion will remain open for catering for another year, and the whole palace with a new exhibition very soon.

The recently erected further fencing round the back of the Orangery has puzzled some members. It is there, with permission by a licence from TRP, and gives the builders space to refurb the original railings and fencing, and planting round the back of the building. When it comes down, all this area will be revealed, after a long project which had the very bad luck of being struck by a long close down over Covid and the financial blow which this brought with it.

Have a happy Easter Holiday.

Sue Price
March 31st

Photography
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Phil Newcombe
Sue Price
Maxine Buchanan- Michaelson
Sid Wills

Welcome to our combined April /May newsletter. I am in the lucky position of being able to introduce our guest editor.
Paul Shelley, our accredited photographer, has been in and out of both Parks these last few weeks and has taken masses of wonderful new photos.

BLOSSOM TIME
It turned out that “April is the cruellest month“(T S Eliot, a local resident) as it was mostly very cold and miserable.

We started with daffodils looking amazing all over Hyde Park and against wild skies beside the Serpentine, and were stunning. By the end of the month we crept into May and Paul takes over……….

The blossom was magnificent this year – until the wind and rain came. The North Flower Walk in Kensington Gardens has been a particularly spectacular spot for cherry blossom. The walk is a little known gem in the parks which has been much improved in the last year or two.

Take a stroll along it and you will see the intricate wooden sculptures, one of which makes an intriguing bench. There is some fascinating planting designed to be friendly to insects whilst also being colourful and attractive. And of course there is the blossom and soon, the summer flowers provide a stunning backdrop.

It has been interesting to note that this spring the cherry blossom has been an attraction to young Japanese. It was a delight to see this elegant young woman and her friends taking in the beauty of one of the trees along the walk.

VISITING A SECRET WORLD – 11th May 2023
This was a rare chance to see inside the vast nursery, where the bedding plants for the Royal Parks and Buckingham Palace are grown. It is a secret hiding in plain sight in the middle of Hyde Park, but unknown to most because it is low down in an old gravel pit and surrounded by a belt of woodland

The nursery is not open to the public but thanks to the kindness of Rob Dowling, the Manager, a group of 30 members and guests were given an insight into the workings of this important part of the Royal Parks machine.

Rob introduced the evening by explaining the background, to the recent construction of the present nursery complex. He took us from room to room, each with a different temperature, humidity, and scents. We saw tiny seedlings and large rubber plants. Tall geraniums destined for the Palace and tree ferns. We were shown the scientific approach to benign pest control, unnoticed until it was pointed out to us.

Guests were invited to choose a “Going home present” from a large selection of the giant bright red Buckingham Palace geraniums. A difficult decision.

We all enjoyed a cool Pimms and some delicious nibbles and, after thanking Rob for his generous help, contentedly strolled back across the park to our tube stations, comparing notes along the way.

Chairs note: A few geranium flower heads were spotted along the route home …

• PLANT SALE – HYDE PARK SUPER NURSERY*
  Weds 28th June 10am to 3pm

After all the plants have gone out to the Royal Parks and Buckingham Palace and some spares have been kept, there are usually some left overs. These are really high quality plants in a wide range of varieties and colours.

Our members are lucky enough to be invited to this private sale for the ‘Friends’ and all takings go the The Royal Parks charity.

Members are invited to bring friends, family and neighbours with them. Help will be arranged to get plants to the nearest car park for those who wish to buy a quantity. Lots of planting advice will be available.

The nearest car park is at the Triangle Car Park and along the West Carriage Drive, both just north of the Serpentine Bridge.

The nursery entrance is about 200 meters east along the private park road, heading towards the Old Police House. It is marked on maps.

There is a secure gate which will be attended and it will open at:
10am prompt.

PAYMENT BY CARD ONLY
Our thanks to Manager Rob Dowling and his team of experts.

THE MEDITERRANEAN COMES TO KENSINGTON GARDENS

THE NEW ROCK GARDEN
If you drop into the Italian Gardens café in Kensington Gardens you will notice a new rock garden that is being created by Russell Stevens and his team. It’s a fascinating project which reflects the trend towards landscaping which can survive in semi arid conditions.

Bumping into Russell who was hard at work, he took time to explain to us the concept of the garden. The initial prompt to create the change to the planted apron round the front of the café from the seating deck was that the slope down to the pathway was too steep. Soil was gradually encroaching onto the drive. Furthermore, the angle of the slope only enabled grasses to grow. Dogs were running over it and the bank was becoming a rather sad sight.

Thinking laterally, Russell decided that the best solution was to create something completely different. First of all a low fence was installed along the front of the area to keep animals and pedestrians out. This has not resulted in any inconvenience because there are gentle access ramps at either end of the café.

Rocks were implanted to stabilise the ground and a soil material of deliberately poor quality was imported from nearby in the parks. Russell explained that the planting medium should not be too nutrient rich. In fact the plants to be used thrive in conditions where they are put under a degree of stress. It is impressive to think that the materials are largely moved from nearby locations.

Finally a group of olive trees complete the garden which promises to be an attraction to passers by as they look at its progress through the summer. One of our members who lives in Bristol loves dropping into the café for a coffee whenever he is in London. It’s one of his favourite spots in the capital.

BOATING PARTY
We can’t offer punts on the Cambridge Backs, but the next best thing must be the luxury of messing about in boats on the water in central London on a long, June evening.

Thanks to new manager, Tom Kiddey, we have been invited to the boat house on the edge of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, to enjoy a taster of either rowing or pedalling (pedalos). If either of these aren’t attractive, a drift on the water, in an electric boat driven by one of Tom’s master mariners, might appeal. We’ll help out with Pimms or a delicious non-alcoholic alternative and some small things to eat to keep the sailors steady.

Soft shoes are recommended and the ability only to climb in and out of boats (with plenty of help) or just sitting, and watching and sipping, is also an option.

AVIAN FLU
While on the subject of water, although the government has relaxed the bird flu regulations, there is still a problem with birds (especially water fowl) dying in the parks. The managers are concerned that Avian Flu has not disappeared so please, still no feeding and signage will remain in place.

REMEMBER LIBERTY DRIVES?
Some of our longer standing members will remember that there were buggies which gave rides in the parks, to those less able to get around on foot

These were owned and run by a separate charity and driven by volunteers. That charity was wound up a few years ago, and the buggies kept in store in Hyde Park. Our Friends group has campaigned for a long time for some of these to be resurrected and used for the same purpose. That was to help with accessibility to our hundreds of acres for those who are less physically able, and would really enjoy access to areas which they may well have visited and enjoyed in the past. Younger visitors too may need help in covering the large distances. A couple of the buggies have gone off to Greenwich and Bushy Parks, and are being driven by volunteers there and we have reports of them being much enjoyed and a great success.

We would like the ability to get them back into use in our two parks. The volunteer drivers are still ready and willing, and a good system for training them was in place and could easily be resurrected. We have a trustee who worked tirelessly in the past, and is happy to take on any new format or arrangements which might be needed to improve accessibility for all groups to enjoy visiting these two world famous parks.

Sue Price.
19th May

Photos
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Anne Greenstock
John Foldes

The Royal Parks (TRP) have been working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and it has been agreed that closing the roads during this series of major events (for the British Summer Time (BST) concerts) is an essential mitigation measure to reduce possible risk to park visitors and event goers and support crowd safety management.

On the following dates all park roads in Hyde Park will be closed from 11am until park closure:

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th June
Friday 30th June, Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July
Thursday 6th, Friday 7th, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July.

This will mean no cars or deliveries will be able to enter the park once the roads are closed on these days.

To facilitate the operation of these road closures, all on-road parking will be suspended on these days, and the Serpentine and Triangle Car Parks will be closed from 11.00am.

These few Summer months have been like the curate’s egg “good in parts”.

It’s the middle of August already, noticeably darker in the evenings and mornings, but our parks are looking luscious with all the rain we’ve had.

Music and Dancing in the Park

Don’t forget that the concerts return to the bandstand in Hyde Park. They are designed to set you dancing if you wish.

On Saturday 19th August, Orqesta Mambarito, with their star singer Victor Marchangioli, performed their smooth Latin American Music.
Thanks to funding from the volunteers at the Information kiosk at Hyde Park Corner.

Many ‘Friends’ members attended, some admiring from comfy seats, others taking part in the dancing. The rhythmic music reverberated around the Park virtually inviting all to come along and see what was happening. Much spontaneous fun was had by all.

Click on the link below to view everyone enjoying the music and joining in the dancing at the Bandstand on Saturday:

Latin American Dancing at The Hyde Park Bandstand

Snowdown Colliery Welfare Band will make an exciting sound from their massed ranks of brass players, on Sunday 3rd September from 2.30 to 4.30 pm.

Traditional and modern arrangements will take us back to where the bandstand concerts were first performed in our parks on these spectacular listed structures.
Thanks to member Carl Richardson for funding this concert.

We’ll really swing into action at our third and final concert, on Sunday 10th September from 2 to 4.30 pm, with the South London Jazz Orchestra and swing dance teacher, Simon Selmon. He’ll show us the steps from 2pm onwards,.
Thanks to the Marble Arch BID team for funding this concert. It’s a generous gift to our community.

We can enjoy all the concerts listed, either by joining in or relaxing on a chair, which will be set up for you. Bring a picnic or choose an ice cream from the van which will be parked there.

No need to book, the concerts are free for everyone to enjoy and suitable for all the family.

Thanks too, to:
1) Benugo for supplying snacks and drinks to the volunteers who are helping arrange these concerts, and a generous discount to performers.
2) Colicci for supplying bottled water to our performers.
3) Nick Kwabi of Park Chairs for supplying and transporting enough chairs for everybody.

Thanks to all the hard-working volunteers and trustees for the administration, both before and on the days of these concerts.

Thanks to Jessica Nelson (Parks Events Officer) for her help, and the staff of Hyde Park who all play a part in making these days go with a swing.

Spend, Spend, Spend! The Royal Parks has opened their first shop and it’s in Hyde Park at the boathouse. It opened in mid-June and is full of attractive park and natural world associated merchandise. Do pop in to have a browse if you’re passing and, to encourage you, members are offered 10% discount on showing their membership card.

Tea for two? Or coffee for more?

The lovely 2023 Serpentine Summer pavilion was visited by trustee Will Gray, who writes about it here, and was photographed by our Accredited photographer, Paul Shelley.

The 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by French Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh, is open until 29th October and is well worth a visit. It looks fairly understated from the outside and is not a building that shouts for attention. But, up close, the quality of the craftsmanship and materials become more apparent, and the interior is beautiful. The roof is pleated wood and appears almost vaulted with a central oculus giving light from above. More light comes in through the fretwork panels between the upright columns.

I went there on a beautiful sunny July day, where the interior was a lovely shaded calm space with a gentle breeze drifting though the side panels. It was like stepping from Mediterranean heat into a cool shaded chapel. Perfect on a hot day.

It also made a nice change, that the commercial (catering) use for the pavilion seemed to have been rather better thought through than in many previous years and were very understated and subtle.

Lina Ghotmeh said her intention was to “creat(e) a convivial canopy that invites visitors to sit, eat, and think”. I think she has done this splendidly and has even designed the tables and stools inside – available in a limited edition from Conran this autumn.
Will Gray
Trustee

Glorious Planting

The formal beds have been a riot of colour this year, helped by the copious rainfall, some warmth early on and now, perhaps, some more late summer sun.

The head gardeners have shown what can be done with their increased staff levels plus apprentice and volunteer input. Our photographer has been busy.

The Hyde Park bedding has themes which are reflected in the colours and planting. There’s an apprentice bed with (I think) a jewel-coloured theme, sun- glasses are called for and, by contrast, look at this year’s black and white beds close to the Rose Garden in Hyde Park. They are slightly different to last year (which I called Marmite) and, once again, include plenty of very interesting plants.

In Kensington Gardens, the Mediterranean planting and redesign at the Italian Gardens is coming along well but will look better later on, Head Gardener Russell tells us.

At Victoria Gate, the planting looks very different with plants telling a story and an explanation board should, by now, be in place. Plants to dye for is one story. There are others and more will follow. Watch this area, as it is the most changed in my view.

More Music on its Way

Not so little brother or sister bandstand in Kensington Gardens currently shrouded in tarpaulin. It will be unveiled in September, following an extensive refurbishment, and a return to being a functioning concert platform is keenly anticipated.

It will comply with modern safety requirements, and have proper railings and an improved surrounding area. Although it doesn’t have power, we hope that some music might be able to be enjoyed in this new (to us) location.

Flowers for Theresa

I represented the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens at Theresa Short’s funeral in late July. Theresa was the loved and much missed Assistant Manager of Kensington Gardens, and she had spent all her working life (30 years) with the Royal Parks. Our photographer came with me as he had taken so many portraits of her amongst her plants, in a place where she was happiest. We were able to give her sisters copies of our newsletters which she had either featured in, or had written for.

Long Summer Days Several Friends’ events made these great fun this year:

BOATING EVENING
Our boating evening, thanks to manager Tom Kiddey, was really very enjoyable with the choice of rowing, pedalo leg-work, or relaxed in an electric-powered launch. Everybody who knows me, will have realised that I have been running a small campaign to increase the popularity, or at least knowledge, of rowing a dinghy. I admit defeat. When it came to it, almost nobody chose to row a boat, although they are nice new craft and very comfortable.

The sun shone, it was warm and rather breezy, I could have rowed straight over a coot’s nest but oar feathering hadn’t left me and the coot survived. It was surprising how many members on the evening were determined to recreate childhood seaside holidays. Smoked salmon sandwiches, hot sausage-rolls and Pimm’s helped us no end, and many thanks go to Tom and his team.

NURSERY PLANT SALE

Plants flew off the shelves again at the Nursery plant sale in early July. Once again, the means of getting the plants home was ingenious. The selection was better than ever. We were all determined to be self-controlled and highly selective, but mostly failed. The longest distance travelled by a member? Bristol!

The strangest method of transport of plants? A shopping trolly shared with a very aged dog, two others being kicked out and made to walk home.

The takings? All to the Royal Parks charity, and a record at approx. £1700 + for the day. Many thanks to our great friend and supporter, Nursery Manager Rob Dowling.

AGM

Our AGM on the 19th July was another wonderful warm evening. The LookOut was the perfect venue. Thanks to manager, Graham Alderton for inviting us. There were about 70 guests and members and the presentations, which focussed on wonderful images, were enjoyable. The Q&A session was lively, with some unusual points of view being made. (No traffic anywhere in the park on any roads at all) and an ingenious way of being rid of less than welcome park users…bombing cannabis smokers with artificial rain clouds from above.

After this, we adjourned to the deck outside for drinks and a lot of mingling. Our photographer was busy, and we have a great picture collection from the evening.

STOP PRESS!

Hold the date – A private view of Kensington Palace, when the Palace is not open to the Public, for the Friends’ members and guests, on Monday 23rd October at 10am, and a look at the exhibition, ‘Crown to Couture’. Followed by a late, light breakfast, we will hear from the director of palaces, Justine Locker, about the progress of all the restoration work to the buildings and gardens.

Look out in early September, for the Eventbrite invitation to book tickets for this very special limited numbers visit.

A sorry day for Serpentine swimmers

All of you who love a cold swim, shared with geese and swans, have had to hold off for (hopefully) a short while until the water quality improves.

From the 11th August, swimming has been suspended as algal bloom has developed in both the Serpentine Lido and the Long Water. Some of this is the highly toxic variety of blue green algae, of which there are high levels. Dogs are at risk as well so keep them clear.

Swimming will recommence when the water is safe.

PS I’ve heard from many members recently. Some with problems, which I can only pass on to members of staff. In some cases, I can help by asking questions on your behalf.

Unfortunately, there is not often an easy answer to solve all problems. The Parks are complicated places with plenty of fine balances between all the needs, wishes and requirements of the different and widely varied park visitors. Everybody who works in the Parks loves these glorious spaces, and they always want to do the best they can to keep them as wonderful as possible for us all. Sometimes, not all problems are easily dealt with and an ideal outcome for everybody, not always possible. But everyone, including our Trustees, are trying their best.

Can we look forward to a glorious Indian summer this year? Can I look forward to seeing lots of you at our September concerts? I do hope so.

Sue Price
August 22nd.

Sue Price
Chairman
Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
Old Police House, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk
www.friendshpkg.org.uk

Photography:
Simon Cox
Rob Dowling
Lynden Easton
Nicola Mc’Farland
Sue Price
Paul Shelley

10% off purchases to members

The shop is located in the Boat House on the Serpentine in Hyde Park

“Fill Dike” February

Apologies to you all that our February newsletter has slipped into March.

Slipping and sliding are about right for both parks at the moment, but not on icy cold crisp winter mornings. February has lived up to its name, and I’ve never seen so much standing water and for so long in both Parks. Take a few steps away from a path’s hard surface in some areas, and you are quite likely to sink in over your ankles.

Our photo library of trees and plants, covered with a hard frost and even snow flurries and rows of snowmen, has not been replenished this year.

The compensation is the early blossom and masses of spring bulbs and flowers. There’s plenty to enjoy.

An Unforgettable Christmas Eve

Our story continues ….

A driver with passengers, who was probably racing along West Carriage Drive, lost control of his vehicle and ploughed along the Serpentine Bridge causing a massive amount of damage to the parapet and structure of the grade 1 listed bridge.

Jo, who was on duty that night, is The Hyde Park technical officer and was (Jason tells us) the star of the Royal Parks team. We visited the site with Jo to get an update.

Conservation architects and structural engineers have been appointed.

The bridge is constructed of solid Bath stone and brick work with thick Bath stone facings.

Repairing it is a complex job, and the bad news is that it has been shifted out of shape so realignment is needed.

Work will start in the Summer and go through to Spring 2025, followed by reopening in Summer 2025.

Jo and Hyde Park manager Jason Taylor have moved all the whole pieces of balustrade into safe storage. While we were taking our photos, I spotted another large piece high up the banks in a bush, and Jo pointed out large chunks in the water. The impact must have been like an explosion.

I bumped into one of Jo’s family who told me that she was a bit weary later on Christmas Day when she was joining in Christmas games ….. enough song and dance on Christmas Eve!

New Faces

Welcome to them all. We had the great pleasure recently to meet two newly appointed members of staff both with backgrounds outside the Royal Parks. There have been more appointments recently and, so, there will be further introductions before too long.

Pat Kelly:
is the new Assistant Manager in Kensington Gardens.

In the last few years, he has been running his own business and before that he worked with the NT at Ham House and Petersham meadows.

His experience working with volunteers at the National Trust will be very helpful, and his great love is horticulture. His passion is landscape photography (Paul looked nervous) and he studied photography at college.

Pat chose the little shingle beach by the Henry Moore statue for his photo. It is a safe place which has been created for all the waterfowl to rest and relax, away from dogs off leads and away from marauding foxes. A small gulley of water and a fine mesh fence separates it from the land.

Welcome to Pat and we look forward to meeting him again before too long.

Darren Share:
is our new Director of all the Royal Parks. His office is in the Old Police House.

He comes from Birmingham City Council where he looked after a comprehensive portfolio, including all parks and open spaces, and was one of the driving forces behind Birmingham’s annual entry at Chelsea Flower Show. This main pavilion stand always wins a gold medal, although Darren tells me I’m wrong and they missed a gold on a couple of occasions.

When we met Darren, his chosen backdrop was the nursery as plants are what he loves most.

He told us he had already visited all the parks for an overview and was now about to embark in more in-depth meetings and focus on managers’ wishes for particular plans and projects.

When we spoke, he was into his sixth week at the Royal Parks.
His answer to “What are your early thoughts?”
“Wow!
It’s wonderful.
I love it more every day”.

We wish him luck and hope that perhaps we can start on our own path to the Chelsea Flower Show?

Another new arrival who we are looking forward to meeting is Matt Pottage who comes from the RHS where he has been curator of Wisley for many years and created many fine growing attractions there.

What can you see down there?

Some enormous pots have been delivered to Hyde Park. They are earmarked for a space, perhaps at the Lido, where they will be stunning points of interest. They have The Royal Parks logo on them and are beautiful.

I actually think this photo is worth a best caption competition but haven’t the energy to organise it. Apart from thinking about planting these whoppers, we were discussing how to fix them to the ground, theft’s not likely but maybe some attempt to push one over is a grim possibility.

Magnificent Mimosa Dimity Spiller writes…..

How can something so fragile and exotic as ‘Mimosa’ flourish in a cold, grey, early spring, London? Coming round a street corner, you can smell the scent before you see the bright yellow blossoms. The tree’s origin is Australian, and the quotation marks are because it is not a member of the true mimosa family but an acacia, acacia dealbata. It is fast growing and though not very long-lived, it has colonised countries with a Mediterranean-type climate around the world, indeed it is deemed invasive in some, such as Spain and Portugal.

The vast specimen by the Old Police House has been so vandalised by thieves that it is not in flower this year. However, we can still enjoy the heady scent and joyous yellow flowers, as there is a small stand of trees by the north entrance to the Rose Garden, and several flourishing bushes in the plantation between the Bandstand and St George.

Restoration Drama

Paul Shelley writes…..

The restoration of the parade ground following Winter Wonderland continues apace. It’s impressive to see, twice a year, the coordinated operation to repair the area after the winter funfair and the summer concerts. Any of you walking through the north-eastern side of Hyde Park recently will have noticed the serried ranks of wheelbarrows and long temporary netting fences. Subsoil is levelled and turf carefully laid on top.

What I didn’t expect to see as part of the process was a fierce looking hawk being tended by its keeper. But there, within the fencing, stood a man wearing a gauntlet with a large bird on his wrist. What a magnificent sight. The bird, complete with a small bell attached by a chain to its leg, was resting and being fed with chunks of raw meat which it was tearing into with relish. Engaging with the falconer, I established that the bird is a Harris hawk. Originating from the south-west United States, it has the advantage of not being familiar to our crows. Apparently, the crows land on the new turf and upend it in search of worms and insects.

This would negate all the good work being done to create smooth new turf, so the hawk is an effective tool within the whole ground restoration plan. It’s a carefully thought-through process from start to finish. Keep flying over the parade ground, Harris the hawk!

AGM – Hold the date

Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Wednesday 3rd July, 6pm.

This will take place once again at the Look Out (now renamed The Hyde Park education and learning centre) this is at the kind invitation of Graham Alderton, the centre manager. Buggy transport can be arranged for those who would find the walking distances a problem. More detailed arrangements will be circulated nearer the time.

The meeting and presentations will be followed by a drinks reception.

And Finally…..

Although the snowdrops have melted away, the parks are now covered with narcissi, trees covered with early blossom and beautiful Camelias and magnolias.

Exotic hellebores are everywhere, and gardener James showed us his specimens in the beds close to the Cavalry Memorial. As the flowers fade, he told us, the markings become more prominent. Spot the striking strong yellow ones close to the Albert Memorial and….do enjoy a walk as the days grow noticeably longer.

Sue Price
02/03/24
Photography:
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
June Mangan

Design
Lynden Easton

Sue Price
Chairman

ANY QUESTIONS……?

It’s very exciting for the Friends that, after several years of trying, a new home for our information kiosk may soon be established.

The Lodge by the Apsley Gate used to be the Friends’ office where members staffed a small desk to greet and help visitors. That is now a café, and the volunteer members were moved to an attractive but not entirely suitable kiosk close by. They have run this little kiosk valiantly for many years, but dwindling numbers have meant that they aren’t able any longer to provide the level of service which they would like.

Our very grateful thanks go to them all, and especially to Patrick Read and Mary Aird who have impressed on us all along about how much they’d like to revive this addition to the Royal Park experience.

As most of the other Royal Parks Friends groups have managed to run quite ambitious information centres, we have dreamt of something similar in a prominent position.

Now, thanks to Hyde Park Manager, Jason Taylor, Assistant Manager, Jo Grant and our own Trustee, Will Gray, this is about to be launched.

For a very short trial period only, and with careful gathering of statistics during it, a temporary kiosk will be positioned close to The Hyde Park Corner end of the Serpentine Road. This trial will run only for a couple of summer months, but of course, if it proves popular and there are plenty of visitors asking questions apart from toilet locations, the option will be to extend the run.

Will Gray writes:
“The aims of a revamped Park information service are as follows:
Offer a service to visitors to Hyde Park.
Trial the feasibility of a volunteers’ information kiosk in a better location.
Promote Friends and Royal Parks Volunteering and increase awareness.
We’re looking for friendly and enthusiastic people to join the existing team of volunteers. The main requirements are enthusiasm, common sense, and a basic knowledge of the park or a willingness to learn. Any additional training will be given.

The planned trial will be on:
Monday 3rd June to Friday 2nd August 2024
The shift patterns will be:
Monday to Friday between 10.00 and 16.00, divided into three-hour shifts (10.00-13.00, and 13.00-16.00).
We think this would be a good opportunity for our many members who would like to be more involved in helping in the Park, but find the current gardening volunteering isn’t suitable”.

If you are interested, or would like to find out a little more, then please contact Will Gray: infohpkg@gmail.com

Boys and Girls come out to play

A hop and a skip over to Kensington Gardens and take the chance to re-acquaint yourself with the playground at Buck Hill.

A smaller relative of the large Diana Princess of Wales memorial playground, also in the north part of Kensington gardens, it has been transformed recently.

Everything is smart and colourful on a lovely forgiving surface. Not one single item is roped off and there are some new things to play on. The planting round the edges is now a little more protected, but not by fierce fencing. Smooth, fat, round buffer-rails run round the edges of the planted parts. They have no sharp edges and can be ducked under if a ball goes in that direction.

It’s a delight, and thanks to Manager Ryan Gill who was determined to give it a new lease of life, it was all achieved in a short time in January/February.

Shake it up ….At a showcase bed

For any of us who have walked east along the South Flower Walk in Kensington Gardens recently, we may have stopped in our tracks at the large flowerbed by the Albert Memorial.

It is undergoing major changes since it was first re-planted as a destination flowerbed some years ago. Manager Andy Williams explained that gardens which are designed to a high standard, do not stand still. Balance amongst plants changes, not such welcome things take over, and very few of us are brave enough to tackle this kind of change at home if it’s needed.

Head Gardener Russell Stevens has planned a massive re-planting. A wandering soft path has been designed through the middle for gardeners only to help with their access (wheel-barrows can now be moved in and out). Our volunteers are very pleased with this. When I passed by, bamboo canes were laid out like a giant jigsaw with straight-sided pieces. Clearly each “piece” was destined to have a mass of something new installed.

Watch this space, and we’ll keep all of you who aren’t able to visit up to date with progress reports.

h1. Last call….

For our always enjoyable tree and garden walk in Hyde Park, with head gardener Beth and tree expert Greg.

Behind the scenes and a pleasant drink in (we hope) a sunny private garden before lunch.
Tuesday 30th April 11am to 1pm

Anne Mallinson OBE JP

Service of Thanksgiving
Friday 17th May 12noon
St John’s Church
Hyde Park Crescent
W2 2QD

Many of our longer-standing members will remember Anne and her late husband, Terrence Mallinson. They were both life members of the Friends, and very enthusiastic and keen supporters for many years. Anne was the one who always leapt up at our AGMs to propose a vote of thanks.

They both enjoyed coming to our events, even when getting about became a little more difficult, and were game visitors to ‘Winter Wonderland’ with us. Terrence was particularly interested in trees. Anne was a public servant all her life and was involved in dozens of organisations and served as Lord Mayor of Westminster.

Anne died peacefully on 26th December 2023.
Her family have told us how much she enjoyed the Friends. They would like to invite members who may remember Anne, and all that she did for her community, to join them at this Thanksgiving Service.

Anne and Terrence lived long and generous lives, and we were lucky to know them both.

And last of all….

The competition which wasn’t ….
In our last newsletter, we showed a photo of an absolutely enormous pot destined for Hyde Park. Nursery manager Rob Dowling, Hyde Park, assistant manager Jo Grant and I, were all hanging over the edge wondering how it was to be planted and how protected from efforts to push it over.

It was worthy of a caption competition but I admitted I couldn’t organise one……
The winner of the (no prize) non-competition is Anne Greenstock with the following:

“Whose idea was it to plant that bonsai in here in 1982?”

Sue Price
26/04/24

Photos:
Paul Shelley
Ryan Gill
Sue Price

Eventbrite booking photos:
Tina Higginson
Rob Dowling

Sue
Sue Price
Chairman

After Flaming June (our last offering), things have warmed up a little and ‘The Friends’ have been very busy indeed. It’s been a pleasure, as always, to have met so many of you at our various events.

1. Bandstand Concerts

Ready to strike up again, and an exciting first for the Kensington Gardens bandstand.

First of all, I’d like to thank our three immensely generous and loyal members who have funded the wonderful concerts on the Hyde Park Bandstand for several years:

• Carl Richardson through ‘RICHARDSON’ for the Band of The Mercian Regiment
• A member who wishes to remain anonymous for Orquesta Mambarito Salsa Band.
• ‘Marble Arch BID’ For the South London Jazz Orchestra, and Simon Selman, dance teacher.

KENSINGTON GARDENS BANDSTAND is the exciting new kid on the block

After several years of detailed restoration, this beautiful bandstand with a patterned ceiling is ready to stage a concert. It’s close to the south of the Round Pond.

Would you be kind enough to consider helping fund our newest venture?

A performance by the Epsom and Ewell Silver Band in the Kensington Gardens’ Bandstand?

Some generous donors to join those above would be so welcome.

Here’s the line up for Hyde Park and they’re all FREE!

Sunday 18th August 14.30 to 16.30
The Band of the Mercian Regiment will be travelling from the Midlands. We’re confident that they will make a splendid sound and will give us a fine start to the season.

Sunday 1st September 14.30 to 16.30
Orquesta Mambarito Salsa band with Victor Marchangioli, attract a large following. The costumes and dancing are spectacular. Join in for a dance.

Sunday 8th September 14.00 to 16.30
South London Jazz Orchestra (SLJO) will be playing their superb brand of swing and big band tunes. And Simon Selman, swing dance teacher, is the bonus as he will teach us all the steps beforehand and get us tapping our toes and dancing along.

*Sunday 15th September 14.30 to 16.30
Epsom and Ewell Silver Band. This is the first time the band has played for us, so we want a good turn-out to give them a ‘Friends’ warm welcome. Also, it’s a chance to help launch the future of this beautiful bandstand.

We look forward to seeing your photos, so snap away during these dogdays of Summer.

And, if you think you can help fund this last special treat, please email: contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

What? Where? How?

An information kiosk, staffed mostly by ‘The Friends’ and organised by Trustee Will Gray has, since early June, been running for a short trial period mostly to gather stats.

Have you noticed a little shed with a lift-up hatch and a window (not serving crepes, cider or ice cream, sadly) located on the Serpentine Road close to Hyde Park Corner? It has extraordinarily large signage on it but slightly dwarfed by the smart Tom Raffield designed kiosk for Colicci, next door.

It has been staffed by gallant volunteers who did not know what to expect, would they be swamped by a tidal wave of visitors or would they languish, only answering occasional questions about nearby toilets?
OR?
They were rushed off their feet, sometimes dealing with 300 to 400 visitors daily, and all wanting directions to attractions over both Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

Although they covered most weekdays and most slots (morning/afternoon), they have the capacity to expand to further weekday sessions and weekends. The original volunteers in the kiosk next to the cafe at Hyde Park Corner, joined the new team and worked well together.

I was told that the free maps were a star take-away, visitors walked away treasuring them. So much for “nobody reads maps anymore” and QR codes taking over. Talks are underway for the future, and how to organise a useful and efficient facility for the Park. Planning needs to be applied for and we will certainly keep you all in the loop. Look out for them and just say hello, even without asking a question.

My bunting, brought from the seaside, was rejected after a short time as being unsuitable, I was sorry about that.

Merchandise on the Move

Have you noticed a very odd combination of a tall, slim container being pedalled along the Serpentine Road, with an identical twin following closely behind?

It’s the shop coming to you, remember the mobile libraries? The container behind is carrying spare stock

Here, they are setting up outside the shop, which is situated at the boathouse. They move around and visit St James’s Park and Palace Gate in Kensington Gardens. Their customers are totally different in each, they told me, with tourists almost the entire clientele at St James’s, and local residents in Kensington buying birthday presents.

Bon Voyage! The goods on sale look like a really excellent selection.

Remembrance of things past

Proust
When I wrote to you all earlier this year about memorial benches, after a long break, available in Hyde Park, your response was immediate. Jonathan Taylor, who is the Legacy and Major Giving Manager from the Royal Parks, told me that he hoped benches in Kensington Gardens might soon become available. That time has come, and there are now some benches to remember someone who loves or loved Kensington Gardens.

Jonathan writes:
“There are a small number of opportunities available for benches on the North Flower Walk, The South Flower Walk and the Mulberry Walk. All in Kensington Gardens.

The Royal Parks Charity requests a donation of £10,000 (inc. VAT). Inscriptions, on an engraved brass plaque, will be fixed to the top rail of the bench and lasts for ten years. The design will be in hardwood with a double seat, as in our picture.

As members of the Friends, we are invited to bypass the online enquiry form and contact The Royal Parks Dedications Team directly at: dedications@royalparks.org.uk

If you are seriously interested, I would encourage you to call them fairly promptly as, from past experience, the benches are reserved very quickly.

And a special last request from me (Sue) to the lovely member who I chatted to at the AGM who has bought a Hyde Park bench for her to enjoy in her life time! Please could you contact me on my email: contact@friendshpkg.org.uk

Out and About with the Friends

July was a hectic month for us members. Luckily, all our events were held in good weather (which was a miracle considering the level of rain fall).

The Plant Sale
Thank you to Manager Rob Dowling, Orla and the nursery team who once again laid out shelves of the most enticing plants for us to top up our gardens, pots and window boxes.

This is always the most keenly anticipated of all our events, and a genial location for plant and garden chat, as well as sourcing of garden specials to take home.

Bravo to the clever colour combinations chosen. A decent sized donation was made to the Royal Parks Charity.

Italian Gardens, Pumping House and the Pets Cemetery
A very hot day, and many thanks to Kensington Gardens Head Gardener Russell Stevens for his offer to take us into the pumping house, where we enjoyed the sounds and sights of several generations of pumping systems, still working flat out.

Beforehand, we learnt about planting in this area and that, when filling our garden troughs (I wish), remember the mantra ‘Thrill Fill Spill’ (all types of plants needed to be a design success).

The Pet Cemetery is a very quirky little place and almost invisible to the outside world. One of the oddest things are the names (but then those who came before us could say the same about our choices). Imagine shouting Baa Baa all-round the park, and others I can’t mention.

We finished with cool drinks in the courtyard of the Kensington Gardens offices. Many thanks to Russell and all the team at the offices who moved things round so we could enjoy ourselves in their spaces. Also, many thanks to the trustees, retired trustees and partners who helped with the complex arrangements around shifting the small groups.

Annual General Meeting
Held once again at the Hyde Park Learning Centre (thank you to manager Graham Alderton).

A record number turned up and really enjoyed a short introduction about what was below us (a Victorian reservoir still occasionally full of water), presentations from both managers and loads of wonderful images.

Chief Executive Andrew Scattergood spoke to us about how running a meaningful park management programme has been helped by becoming an independent charity.

Drinks on the terrace rounded off the summer evening. Trustees worked very hard running this pleasant and sociable evening, and many thanks are due to them too.

Q: What’s in a name? A: Quite a lot I believe

Did you notice the little pavilion when you came into the AGM in July at the Learning Centre? This is the ‘Look Out’ and, until recently, that or ‘LookOut‘ was the name of the whole development. Actually, the pavilion with its turret has an interesting history and was an early spot for police surveillance of potential trouble at Speakers Corner or at the Reformers tree.

There is plenty of documentation, early drawings of police officers perched on top of the turret, and plans of this building on record. It fronted an overgrown storage area for deckchairs, grass cutting equipment and heavy gardening tools.

I was dismayed when recently the name seemed to have disappeared and it had become the “Gatehouse”. Its unusual history and proper name therefore was at risk of being swept completely away.

Following some submissions from us, it looks as though there has been a rethink and I’m glad to say that, with ‘The Friends’ help, the pavilion will be named clearly and an information board installed nearby explaining some of its unusual history.

I’m hoping the time taken to create and install this is a lot less than it took for a similar board at the ‘Bastion’ in Kensington Gardens (also donated by you all) and will need a lot less nagging from me.

AND NOW I USUALLY SIGN OFF
But, unusually, I’m handing over to our assistant editor, Paul Shelley, under instruction from Mike Fitt, Chair of the Royal Parks Guild.

A Citation for Sue Price Sue Price is too modest to write this herself, but I am sure that you will want to know about the citation she has been awarded by the Royal Parks for her outstanding service as Chairman of the ‘Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens’.

Her work extends beyond our two parks to the wider forum of all the Royal Parks.

The award was presented to Sue by Loyd Grossman, who has now stepped down as Chair of the Royal Parks.

The citation merits being quoted in full and reads:
Before Sue became chair of The Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, membership was small, the AGMs were sometimes chaotic, and the relationship with the Parks was at times strained. Sue has transformed ‘The Friends’ into a charity with a thriving membership, a diverse range of events and a commitment to be ‘true friends’ of the parks.

Sue works tirelessly for ‘The Friends’ and her commitment is unwavering. This includes everything from organising interesting events, hosting meetings at her house, writing such great articles, promoting the parks for e.g. SEBRA, and joining countless stakeholder meetings for events and projects.

When she speaks, it is with a passion and strong support for the Parks, whilst understanding the realities and challenges that such prestigious Parks face.

Sue is not afraid to try something different, especially if it means a great article (and photos) for the next Friends’ newsletter. The photo on the screen is a time when a group of Royal Parks staff were offered a unique tour of the sewers underneath Hyde Park. The offer was extended to Sue and she leapt at the chance to be winched down into the Victorian sewers below the park, wading through raw sewage, with a broad smile on her face.

Sue also has a very personal touch with the Royal Parks and contractor staff, as well as her members and park concessions.

The teams in both Parks and at the Nursery always look forward to the plant sales where delicious home-made cakes are produced. Sue always knows the names of the individual staff and engages with them in conversation. This is something that is really appreciated by everyone across the two Parks.

Overall, Sue is very appreciative of the work that we do in the Parks. Her understanding of the consideration and effort that goes into everything, from the smallest flower bed to hosting major music concerts, is greatly appreciated and shows that she is a true friend of the Parks.

Members of the Friends Forum commented:
“Sue has chaired the Forum of Royal Parks Friends group chairs for many years. In doing so, she is committed, determined, and diligent, on behalf of all Friends groups. She is
welcoming, inclusive, offering advice, and providing kind support, to each new Chair as they begin to get to grips with their issues and responsibilities.

Under her, the Forum has tackled some difficult issues that have led to a new era of cooperation between the Friends groups and the Royal Parks. The Forum members appreciate her strong leadership and are delighted that her outstanding contribution to supporting the Royal Parks is being recognised.”

“Well done, Sue. Very well deserved”

From, Paul Shelley accredited photographer

Photography:
Paul Shelley
Sue Price
Rob Dowling

Thanks for plenty of extra text to our sub editor Paul Shelley

Design and layout Lynden Easton.

Sue Price
Chairman

Summer’s Last Stand

This seems like the beginning of a new term for me. Even though it’s decades since I really did have one, I can’t quite throw off the feeling.

We’ve still got some nice treats for you all to enjoy, and it puts off thinking about shortening days.

This Newsletter will be followed in late October by our Annual Review, which is a much bigger proposition, so apologies for a brief silence from this editor.

‘‘Let’s Hear the Music and Dance’‘

Our first two bandstand concerts in Hyde Park have been a great success.

The Mercian Regiment
Played a charming selection, and the appreciative audience included many veterans of the regiment as well as families and friends of the bandsmen, both past and present .

Summer’s Last Stand

This seems like the beginning of a new term for me. Even though it’s decades since I really did have one, I can’t quite throw off the feeling.

We’ve still got some nice treats for you all to enjoy, and it puts off thinking about shortening days.

This Newsletter will be followed in late October by our Annual Review, which is a much bigger proposition, so apologies for a brief silence from this editor.

‘‘Let’s Hear the Music and Dance’‘

Our first two bandstand concerts in Hyde Park have been a great success.

The Mercian Regiment
Played a charming selection, and the appreciative audience included many veterans of the regiment as well as families and friends of the bandsmen, both past and present.

Sponsor Carl Richardson was delighted

We have a great selection of photos, including several where the scarlet tunics make a real splash of colour.

Orquesta Mambarito
Followed last Sunday (1st September) and the salsa dancing took off very expertly. The big Latin Jazz band kept everyone dancing or enjoying watching all afternoon, and there was still dancing to recorded music long after the performance had finished. A very generous member has funded this once again and we are so grateful.

South London Jazz Orchestra (SLJO)

Along with teacher Simon Selman.

So, dancing shoes are in order again as everyone around is encouraged to join in. I realise you have to be reasonably fit for our entertainment, it’s not just a slight shuffle round.

Marble Arch BID is the generous organisation which has sponsored this concert for us all to enjoy. The Trustees and I Iook forward to seeing lots of you there.

FUTURE CONCERT Kensington Gardens Bandstand
The Epsom and Ewell Silver Band
Sunday 15th September 2.30pm

And now for our latest addition, with “drum rolls,” we look forward to enjoying the first concert organised by us on the newly restored Kensington Gardens bandstand. It’s funded very generously by member Sarah Joiner, who responded instantly to my appeal last month. She tells us “…the Kensington Gardens bandstand was such an important part of my childhood summer”.

The Epsom and Ewell Silver Band are very pleased to be playing for us on and have a large number of musicians coming along. We hope they’ll all be able to squeeze onto the platform, and we will be able to unlock the chairs which we will set up for you all to listen and relax.

Many thanks to Sarah. The bandstand is close to the South of the Round Pond.

An Eye Opener c/o the Serpentine Gallery

Wednesday 18th September at 9.30 am
Many thanks to Alexa Chow, who is the Project Curator at the Serpentine Gallery, for her offer to show a group of members and guests round the temporary Summer Pavilion. This will be before it opens to the public at 10am.

This Event is free. There will be a 30min tour of the construction and explanation of the design, before the public arrive.

Alexa will then be available for a Q & A session.

We need to keep a register of participants (limited numbers) so are asking you to book through Eventbrite (you will receive this link via email). There is no charge for this interesting start to the day.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Or, how would you like it to grow in the Spring?

We are grateful to Rob Dowling (Nursery Manager) for giving us another date for our own Autumn / Winter/ early Spring plant sale at the Nursery.

HOLD THE DATE!
Tuesday 22nd October 10am to 3pm

More details will follow as logistics may be slightly different this time. A reminder will be sent nearer the date.

Ave atque Vale

Hail and welcome: Matthew Pottage, who has joined the Royal Parks as Head of Horticulture and Landscape Strategy.

One of his strategic objectives is to deliver “World class horticulture” to the Parks. He comes from the RHS at Wisley, where he delivered many exciting and innovative schemes, and you’ll have recognised his name (and his voice) from BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time.

We were lucky to hear him at our AGM, and it will be a pleasure to report on innovations and schemes as he works with the Head Gardeners across all the Parks.

Kasia Swiderska has just joined the staff at the Nursery as Assistant Manager. We look forward to meeting her at one of the events at the Nursery and introducing her to you all properly in a future NL.

Farewell, good luck and congratulations: Martin Hojka has been the Assistant Manager at the nursery for several years. He isn’t going far, to St James’s Park as Assistant Manager to Mark Wasilewski.

Although we think of the nursery as the centre of our world, it turns out St James’s is actually closer to the heart of everything important in this country. Royal occasions, ceremony and government are all conducted with St James’s as a backdrop, or playing a major part. This has lured him away.

Martin and his special dogs, 9-year-old Boston terrier Duke and 4-year-old Australian Labradoodle Brodie, will be missed here in Hyde. Occasional visitors to the office with Martin, they had become small celebrities.

I wish you all well and hope we can all enjoy some lovely (cameras in hand) autumn days in the Parks.
Sue

Photography:
Rob Dowling
John Foldes
Tina Higginson
Sue Price
Paul Shelley.

Apologies to anyone I may have missed. Thank you all for your snapping.

Design and layout Lynden Easton.
Sue Price
Chairman

September 8th 2024

January

Janus’s month, like the Roman god, looks both ways. Back to the old year and a chance to review and process some of the things which happened, and forwards to the new year perhaps with some resolutions?

The parks have looked strikingly different from one day to the next during the month so far. Our headline shot of an early (8am) grey view across the Serpentine shows mist rising from water full of broken ice, to slightly warmer air above. Below you’ll see the same walk, on another day, to work with a low sun through the trees emphasising the frosty grass.

Throughout this Newsletter, there’s a great selection of frosted seed heads and foliage all from Hyde Park. The next newsletter I expect to be full of the earliest Spring flowers.

Policing the Parks – Keeping us Safe

You may have heard or read that there are reductions in police funding in the pipeline. We have now been told that funding for our Royal Parks Police is planned to be cut completely from April 1st.

We rely very much on our 81-strong Royal Parks Police force (across all the Parks). A branch of the Met, they know their patch very well and are the only people who can enforce park regulations, impose fines and make arrests for offending behaviour. Our dedicated officers work hard to keep these parks safe.

Our Parks Police give reassurance to visitors from the UK as well as from all round the world and for us, the lucky ones, who mostly live within reach for frequent visits. On a daily basis the police deal with cyclists, dogs, rough sleepers (who have occasionally in the past taken over shrubby areas) littering, thefts, Speakers Corner challenges, antisocial behaviour and a myriad of other things which crop up daily.

Their presence is crucial.

Lobbying is all we can do at the moment and on behalf of you all, we are working closely with the Royal Parks Directors. I have sent a letter, on behalf of all the Royal Parks Friends’ group Chairs, to Sir Mark Rowley and Sir Sadiq Khan amongst others. We are now contacting our MP’s, Councillors and Assembly members, as are all the other Royal Parks contacting theirs. Approx 80% of our police funding comes from central government and 18% from the London Mayor.

Talks, meetings, and all lines of communication are open between our Directors and the Met. There are dozens of questions as there is so little detail before us, this decision seems to have been reached very quickly.

It might help if you too could contact your local Councillors and MP’s. And, of course, we’ll keep you all informed and updated.

Our MPs are:
rachel.blake.mp@parliament.uk
Rachel Blake for Cities of London and Westminster joe.powell.mp@parliament.uk
Joe Powell for Kensington and Bayswater

The Old Police House Gets a New Look

Planting at the head office of all the Royal Parks has changed drastically recently. Matthew Pottage, who arrived a few months ago from RHS Wisley and is also a regular on BBC Radio 4 Gardeners Question Time, is now Head of Horticulture and Landscape Strategy. He has recently replanted, together with head gardener, Beth Handley, the front of The Old Police House in Hyde Park.

Massive sculptural pots, and an array of plants resistant to the privations of global warming, now front the impressive building. It’s well worth taking a detour, via that spot, and I think you’ll be surprised.

Winter Wonderland Goes Home

Winter Wonderland has now left, gradually the fencing panels are coming down and Talbots are moving on to the site to start the fabulous job they do of reinstating the ground. While this work is being done, a huge old power cable which crosses the Parade Ground, is going to be replaced. It is damaged and is almost the last working cable to supply power to the West End. The new cable will be sunk into a conduit and this really essential work may mean there might be a delay in reopening some of the footpaths which cross the area.

So, marathon trainees will have to modify their routes a little longer and we are all looking forward to our lovely green sward reappearing in time for Easter.

Congratulations

to Royal Parks Chairman Loyd Grossman who, in the King’s New Year’s Honours List, was knighted for services to Heritage. We have emailed Sir Loyd with our very best wishes and thanks from us all for everything he continues to do for ‘The Friends’. It’s a very well-deserved award.

Kenneth Stern RIP Chairman, Friends Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens 2000-2005

I’m very sorry to report that our past chairman, Kenneth Stern, passed away on 16th December 2024.

Kenneth was a great supporter of these two Royal Parks and shamed me with his ability to get letters about them published regularly in the Times. He wrote to us just before Christmas 2023:

“As I prepare to celebrate my 96th Christmas, I send greetings and good wishes to….all trustees and members. Well done in keeping the society flourishing”.

His daughter, Melanie Fletcher, wrote that he had been getting progressively more frail and was unable to take part in the many and varied events which he so relished.

His funeral is on 23rd January at St John’s Church, Hyde Park Crescent and it is expected that there will be a large number of his old friends and neighbours there, as well as current Trustees to represent the Friends.

We’re sorry… (1)

that our accredited Photographer, Paul Shelley, had an accident in late October in South Africa and badly damaged both his shoulders. After operations, he is making a slow and complicated recovery but may still have more surgery to face.

It’s about now that he gets cracking on new photos to go with everything we produce for you. Unfortunately, he cannot hold a camera or press a shutter button. Everybody has got used to him wandering round as a regular visitor, taking some wonderful photos at our events and in the Parks. His output shows that his favourite subject is people, and he makes the best of all of us. We wish him as speedy a recovery as possible. We miss him.

Longer days to look forward to and resolutions maintained!

We’re sorry… (2)

that so many of you were disappointed you weren’t able to book for our Winter Wonderland pre-Christmas visit. The event was fully booked in a couple of hours. All, except one who was a guest, were members and nearly all were new visitors. The Trustees spent too long at our last meeting trying to work out a simple way of improving the booking system for this one event, and when we started to think about a Taylor Swift concert model, we realised we were beginning to lose the plot.

We’re sorry… (3)

that those of our members who live abroad (the furthest is New Zealand, I think) will not have seen our Annual Review, which came out as a paper copy to the rest of you in late October. Trustee, Lynden Easton, sends out a special emailed copy of the review and it’s set slightly differently by our wonderful printer, Adrian Barnes. He works with Lynden producing it. Very sadly for Adrian, on a Friday at the end of November he was emailed, pre-dawn, to inform him the owners had closed the whole group of businesses. None of the payroll were being paid the previous month’s salary.

Can You Help?

Our volunteers ran the information Kiosk in Hyde Park last summer, on weekdays, as a temporary trial for a short period. It was so successful that at times they were rushed off their feet and the trial was extended into October. Reopening in the spring is already being planned, with Easter a possibility. They are very keen to get more volunteers to join the rota, and we would be happy to answer questions and talk about what’s needed.

Our trustees, Will Gray and Patricia Ladkin, are looking forward to talking to any of you who are interested.

Please email contact@friendshpkg.org.uk. and they will be in touch.

Janus Looks Forward

Dates for your diaries:

Nursery Tour: Tuesday 13th May 6pm

Plant Sale: Tuesday 1st July 10am to 3pm

AGM: Wednesday 2nd July 6pm The Hyde Park Learning Centre at The Look Out .

Further details and booking for the tour will follow.

In the meantime Nursery Manager Rob Dowling, who’s preferred subject is plants, trees, skies and views, is filling the gap and this is how we’ve come to have such a lovely collection in this Newsletter. Thank you to him and please don’t trip up.

Sue Price
Chairman
Photography
Rob Dowling

Design and layout
Lynden Easton

February slides into March.

Christina Rossetti said it…
‘But for fattening rain
We should have no flowers.
Never a bud or leaf again
But for soaking showers.’

And there’s plenty of flowering rewards to enjoy now in both parks.

Police…an update

Thank you all for contacting your Councillors and MPs about the possibility of our parks losing their dedicated police force. As part of a group of ‘Royal Parks Friends’ we also lobbied widely.

Chief Executive Andrew Scattergood has updated us:
Initially, we were told that the parks OCU (Royal Parks Occupational Command Unit) was to close at the beginning of April. However this seems to have been delayed, there is no final MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) decision, and it is tied in with other MPS cuts.

We expect it to take place in a phased way so that staff can be relocated elsewhere in the MPS service.

The effect of this is that officers are managing their own careers are leaving and the outer parks in particular are now understaffed. Our two parks are OK for now (with a temporary officer helping out) but it won’t be too long before the outer parks have to fully close their services.

We have a list of concerns which are particular to Kensington Gardens, and especially Hyde Park. These include Changing Guard duties, Speakers Corner and World Cannabis Day.

Of course, we will keep you updated and our directors have requested more information on several occasions which we will pass on whenever there is anything useful.

Girls and Boys come out to play

Our wonderful Princess Diana Memorial playground in Kensington Gardens has served a generation for 25 years and is visited annually by over a million appreciative children and their carers. As it no longer springs back after the annual patching up, the time has come for more than a refurb. Generous funding has been confirmed, and all preparations are in place for a rebuild over the winter between late October 2025 and Easter 2026.

The new playground will be designed for all children to have access and will be more exciting and challenging.

The story behind the project is rather lovely. After extensive tendering from companies all round the world, the bidding was won by the same company in Bavaria which designed the first playground. Even more happily, is that a craftsman who worked on the first pirates’ galleon is still there and will be creating the next one for us (with two basket look-outs).

The whole thing will be created in Bavaria and brought over in parts to be reassembled by its team on site over a few days. Our group which visited were delighted to see, on the display boards in Germany, lots of cuttings and illustrations of “ours” which apparently was a game-changer at the time and inspired similar playgrounds in the USA and Middle East.

Ryan Gill, the very capable and talented playground manager, showed me the fascinating plans. As soon as we can get into the new one in 2026, I’ve asked him if our members can have an early morning visit before it opens to have a try out.

Our ancient friend

The Wollemia Pine is an example of a species of tree, described as a living fossil, and some of the living specimens today are between 500 and 1,000 years old.

Ours was planted in the Dell, a gift from the Friends (FHPKG) in a formal planting ceremony by Philip Joseph in recognition of his founding and chairmanship of the organisation.

Mostly, they grow to an enormous height (at Kew they thrive) but ours hasn’t put on much growth at all although its foliage looks quite good. Matthew Pottage is concerned about its lack of growth and has let us know that he is going to focus on giving it a bit of TLC to see if that encourages it to burst into action.

There were two of these in the South Flower Walk, one on each side of the path, planted later and not funded by us. I believe they were part of Chelsea Flower Show one year. One didn’t survive and has been removed. The other is alive but not looking terrific.

Matthew is in touch, and we will update you but do look for it at the Dell.

Ready to go

The volunteers’ kiosk (or hut as we often call it) has reappeared on the Serpentine Road after its sheltered winter break, rather sooner than we were expecting. It is looking very smart and will open for business on April 22nd. Thank you to all the members who responded to the request for helpers to staff it and have stepped forward. The “old” brigade has been meeting regularly over the winter months, to enjoy coffee and pastries thanks to Benugo’s generosity and kept in touch with each other.

Thanks to Patricia Ladkin for thinking of this and setting it all up. So, we have a strong team and Assistant Manager Jo Grant has been working very hard at digging everything out of storage to make sure it’s manageable, works well for all heights, and looks good from all angles.

Our next challenge is to get some kind of uniform (maybe a sweat-shirt or fleece, or at least a lanyard) and then we really will look “teamy” and our photographer can get snapping again.

Glorious flowers and an early visitor

I wasn’t too sure about the large photo in Saturday’s Times, of a young woman in Hyde Park reclining in the middle of a sunny grassy-planted area full of daffodils.

What’s wrong with me? All I could think was the photo must have left a body-shaped squashed imprint in the middle of a swathe of flowers and a second one, too, of the photographer.

Ignore this seasonal moan and enjoy it all.

There’s a tidal wave of blossom all round us.

And while you are out and about, the naturalising cyclamen in the fenced-off areas by Speakers Corner, have taken off this year in a spread of pinks and white under the massive London plane trees. 

These are there thanks to you! Paid for by a ‘Friends’ donation about ten years ago they stayed very quiet for years but are now really a treat.

An unexpected March visitor, a Comma butterfly, flew in and rested on sunny, west-facing stonework in Hyde Park.

Puzzled??

This is the first of an occasional series of “where are you standing?” photos from either park. No prizes but answer will appear next time.

We are indebted to our two main photographers:

Paul Shelley, who has recovered from his awful accident enough to manage a very small camera, especially if he has me as his bag-carrier and battery/lens-changer.

Our other camera man, Rob Dowling, produces fabulous shots with his phone and is first to send some spectacular plant and tree pictures, and has access to behind-the-scenes which is helpful

Sue Price
Chairman
14th March 2025

Photography
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Additional photos from Bambina Carnwath and Sue Price
Design and layout
Lynden Easton

I’m so sorry to tell you all that despite vigorous campaigning the decision has now been made to close the dedicated police force in our Royal Parks.

The letter from Commander Owain Richards is below together with the response from Andrew Scattergood, CE of the Royal Parks.

Thank you to you all who wrote and lobbied all our potential influential friends from ward councillors to MP’s and ministers as well as the London Mayor. Richmond Park Friends group did especially well getting coverage in the TV London news.

The police horses, stabled in the middle of Hyde Park are also being closed down. London will lose one of its very special features.

However there was no rolling back on the decision.

We will keep you all informed as and when we have any more news.

Sue Price

THE LETTER FROM THE MET

I am writing to you in my capacity as the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) lead for Royal Parks and as a frequent user of Royal Parks, I wanted to update you on the future of how the policing of Royal Parks across London will look going forward.

You may not be aware, but the Met has been placed in a position where it is having to make a number of tough choices, as we are facing a £260 million funding gap. This is not a position we want to be in and we know the impact this has on our dedicated officers and staff and the stakeholders we work with daily.

We have been working closely with The Royal Parks (TRP) to understand their concerns and work with them to agree a sustainable and practical way forward on how the Royal Parks are policed. I would like to thank them for their support as we continue to navigate our budget challenges and tough choices.

It is with regret that we have taken the tough decision to no longer have a dedicated Royal Parks policing team. The transition to our new model of policing the parks will be complete by 1 November 2025. However, whilst there will no longer be a dedicated policing team for the parks, I want to reassure you that the MPS will still undertake our core responsibilities – responding to emergency calls, which is non-negotiable, patrolling, supporting events and maintaining relationships with partners and stakeholders. However, this work will now be undertaken by the local neighbourhood teams – rather than a dedicated unit – as is already the case for places like Clapham Common and Brockwell Park.

By taking this decision, it does provide an opportunity to build on existing relationships, with the integration of the Royal Parks policing unit into supporting local policing. This includes helping to support the efforts to tackle community crime within every Borough, whilst ensuring we retain the experience on how BCU policing teams understand the unique requirements of parks policing.

I appreciate this will come as disappointing news. It is not a decision we wanted to take, and it is unfortunate that due to the tough choices we are having to make as an organisation that we have been forced into this position. However, I want to reassure you that all royal parks across London will continue to be policed to ensure they are safe environments for people to use.

Yours faithfully,
Commander Owain Richards Metropolitan Police Service
New Scotland Yard Victoria Embankment
London SW1A 2JL

THE ROYAL PARKS’ RESPONSE

A Royal Parks’ spokesperson said: “As the charity responsible for managing and maintaining London’s most historic green spaces, we are disappointed with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) decision to close its dedicated Royal Parks police unit.

“The Royal Parks MPS unit and its predecessors have been a massive part of the rich history of the parks in London for over 150 years. We are deeply grateful to those police colleagues who have been so committed in their work to protect our amazing green spaces and ensure the safety, security and welfare of the millions of visitors to the parks.

“We are awaiting full details from the MPS on how this decision will impact their policing of the parks going forward. The Royal Parks Regulations can only be enforced by the MPS. The safety and wellbeing of everyone who uses the Royal Parks is our top priority, and we want to reassure the public that we are working closely with the police over the next six months to ensure a plan is put in place to maintain public safety once the unit is fully disbanded.”

Sue Price
Chairman
contact@friendshpkg.org.uk
www.friendshpkg.org.uk

Photograph: Sue Price
Design and layout: Lynden Easton

Both parks have looked amazingly beautiful this spring. Tulips, especially, had the Wow! factor. Perhaps it was the incessant teeming rain in the late autumn and early winter (very bad luck for Winter Wonderland) followed by strong sun, meant we had memorable displays.

Blossom round the Albert Memorial, and in the recently planted area in memory of Theresa Short, rivalled Japan’s blossom season. Little ceremonies took place under trees with proud families gathering for photographs, with wonderful costumes and frocks on display. With my useless camera I could only smile and congratulate. Luckily, our “proper” photographers were busy.

Lucky Top Hat Draw in Action Again!

Many members will be acquainted with this lucky draw in the British Summer Time concert season. Thanks to the generosity of the Royal Parks, there are even more tickets for you to win.

We have been offered the following:

Saturday 28th June: Zach Bryan x 1pair
Saturday 5th July: Sabrina Carpenter x 1pair
Friday 11th July: Neil Young x 1pair
Saturday 12th July: Stevie Wonder x 1pair

Mid-week Open House events
Tuesday 8th July: Darts Championship x 3pairs
Thursday 10th July: All Things Orchestral x 3pairs

Send your (up to) two choices BY 6pm – Wednesday 25th to Kathy Spanos email: events@friendshpkg.org.uk

She will stage a draw out of her top hat which comes out annually. She will then forward the email addresses of the winners to the Hyde Park team and notify you if you are one of the lucky ones.

We are, as always, immensely grateful to the events teams of the Royal Parks for being so generous.

Good luck!
Sue

Hold the dates

Tuesday 1st July 10am to 3pm: Friends Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens Plant Sale
The Hyde Park Nursery

Our very popular opportunity to buy beautiful plants at bargain prices from a huge selection of surplus top-quality plants, grown for all the central London Royal Parks and Buckingham Palace.

Payment by card only All proceeds to the Royal Parks Charity.

Plenty of help transporting large quantities of plants by trolley to the Triangle Car Park nearby.

Wednesday 2nd July 6pm: AGM Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
The Hyde Park Learning Centre (formerly ‘The LookOut’)
Members only (and previously invited guests)

Tuesday 29th July 6pm to 7.30/8pm: Out and about in Hyde Park with Matthew Pottage Starting in the ‘LookOut’
A very special evening, finishing with drinks in the Dell (weather permitting).

Booking via Eventbrite in a short while. This will be for limited numbers only so look out for the booking alert giving you more details.

Bands are back! Thanks to our wonderful sponsors, the following dates are in the diary The Hyde Park Bandstand

Sunday August 17th 2.30pm to 4.30 pm: The Band of the Mercian Regiment

Sunday 31st August 2.30 to 4.30pm: Orquesta Mambarito

Sunday 7th September 2pm to 4.30 pm (note different time): South London Jazz Orchestra (SLJO) and dance teacher

Kensington Gardens

Sunday 14th September 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm: Epsom and Ewell Silver Band.

More about these wonderful bands and our generous sponsors in our next newsletter, but don’t forget to note the dates.

Dimity at the Round Pond

This has been a bumper spring for birdwatchers at the Round Pond. The first brood of Egyptian Geese, 8 of the original 9, has made it to late teenage, all they need now are the red legs of adulthood. The most recent brood was a pair and sadly is now a singleton. Was the heron spotted on the side of the Pond at the weekend the culprit? Enchantingly, the Mandarin ducks have produced a family. 12 down to 10 at the time of writing, still tiny but so active and independent, whizzing around the water. A pair of Great Crested Grebes made a brief appearance, but the Pond is too open water for such shy birds.

A sadness is the scarcity of any representative of the Hirundinidae family. The screams and acrobatics of the swallows and their cousins were in short supply last year and so far this year is no better.

Dimity Spiller
May 2025

You were there!

May in the Nursery
Manager Rob Dowling hosted a great evening. The glasshouses were packed with plants ready to go out to all the parks and Buckingham Palace, the evening was light and sunny and it was warm. We had everything, even a bit of tutored scratch and sniff (pelargonium leaves) “no, Coca Cola doesn’t come through” “sherbet lemon’s so strong”.

With going home presents, and after Pimms and canapés we had had a lovely evening. Rob, as a thanks, was presented with a bouquet (of asparagus!).

Brompton Cemetery
In June, Manager Emma with Head Gardener Chris and Funerary Manager Matt, took us round and with the added interest of the catacombs we all had a really interesting and enjoyable afternoon.

We sat down to tea together afterwards, and there were plenty of quite cheerful conversations about possibilities and preferences for our own last arrangements. This is an amazing place which we are hoping to revisit soon and perhaps focus on monuments and their surrounding planting.

The Pavilions at The Serpentine Gallery

A 9am visit to the recently unveiled Serpentine Summer Pavilion, plus the little children’s Lego Pavilion with curator Chris Bayley, was attended by a large crowd.

This shows that everybody can turn out bright eyed in the morning and on time when there’s something interesting on offer.

s we left just before 10am, there was a queue of little children and their carers waiting to get in. Gallery supporters of the future! Wonderful.

Sitting comfortably

A recent suggestion by the development team to our members, that some commemoration benches were being offered for sponsorship, was quickly taken up.

One member, Helen Perkes, wanted her bench to enjoy in her lifetime. Her story is one of over 50 years of enjoying the parks. Her inscription says: “Wonderful memories of the trees, plants and wildlife within these parks. Constant companions throughout the seasons….”.

She has celebrated on or at her bench, which is very close to her home in the north of the park, with friends on many occasions. Plenty of passers-by have been intrigued by her story.

And now we turn a quarter circle Everything’s coming up rosy as we move into full summer, and in mid-June the gardening teams are planting beds as fast as they can. Roses (in the rose garden close to Hyde Park Corner) are looking luscious. As their bushy pink flowers die back, the herbaceous planting takes over. It’s a lovely space with masses of quiet sitting areas, Diana the Huntress Fountain sparkling in one. The lozenge (or paisley pattern) shaped beds close by are being planted now so it’ll be interesting to see what the colour schemes are this year. Remember for two years, beds with black and white plants?

Wildflowers are perfect now. along the long wall between the Old Police House and the works yard, and beyond. This was a shrub border which had got overgrown.

The exotic planting at the Old Police House is settling in well, with some stunning little gems to spot.

At the Italian Gardens in Kensington Gardens, Head Gardener Russell Stevens has been working on a difficult, very steep, very hot south-facing bed in front of the cafe. It has become a Mediterranean Garden and, at last has succeeded in its battle with frolicking dogs, it looks suitably Provençal.

His large recently redesigned and replanted garden at the Albert Memorial, is now looking good.

I do hope you are all able to get out and about in cooler moments and enjoy it all.

Sue
June 22nd 2025

Sue Price
Chairman
Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

Email: contact@friendshpkg.org.uk
Website: www.friendshpkg.org.uk

Photography thanks to:
Paul Shelley
Rob Dowling
Carl Richardson
Lynden Easton

Design and Setting by Lynden Easton