Let the Music and Dancing Commence

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