Parks & Open Space

Storm Katie arrived in London on Sunday night/Monday morning and did a fair amount of damage.  On the Friends of Broomfield Park Facebook page Tomas Adomaitis has posted photographs of the effect on the recently planted lime trees in Broomfield Park.  Obviously, it doesn't compare to a pub having its roof ripped off (elsewhere in London), but it's a pity.  Hopefully, the Council will be able to fix the ten or so trees that were.......

The fourth annual photographic competition held by the Friends of Broomfield Park has been announced.  Visitors to the Park are invited to take photographs while there and submit them in one of two categories:  Adults and Under 16s. The competition runs until 4th August, after which a shortlist of entries will be exhibited in Broomfield Conservatory.  Visitors to the Conservatory will be able to cast votes for their favourite photographs. Last year's competition was won by.......

Work has started to create a new park on an area of open land just south of the North Circular Road - and local people have been invited to suggest a name. The new park - currently known as Russell Road Green Space - is partly situated on top of the underground section of the New River which passes beneath the Bowes Road section of the North Circular - slightly to the east of the railway bridge.  The land belongs to Thames Water, who are leasing it to Enfield Council.  The cost of.......

The project to transform an unexciting area of playing fields into a haven for wildlife and attractive open space while simultaneously helping to mitigate flooding reached another milestone on 9th March, when the Firs Farm Wetlands and Cycle Path were formally opened. See here at the ribbon cutting ceremony are (from left to right) Cllr Bambos Charalambous (Associate Cabinet Member Enfield Southgate), Ian Russell (Senior Engineer from Enfield Council), Cllr Daniel Anderson (Enfield.......

A charity which helps promote good practice among organisations involved in managing and supporting London's parks and other green spaces is calling on everyone who values them to lobby candidates for the upcoming Mayoral and Greater London Assembly elections. The London Parks and Green Spaces Forum has written to Friends of Parks groups throughout the capital suggesting points which should be made to candidates.  The Forum is particularly concerned about cuts in expenditure on parks by.......

The voluntary group Black Rainbow Events have published their programme of guided walks for 2016.  All walks are either within Trent Park or start or finish there. Trent Park History and MysterySunday 20th March 201610:00am till 12:30pmDistance: no more than 3 miles Trent Park Link Walk (Trent Park to Arnos Park)Sunday 17th April 201610:00am till 2:00pmDistance: no more than 6 miles The Beauty of Nature RevealedSunday 22nd May 201610:00am till 12:30pmDistance: no more than 3 miles The.......

An undercover film crew have revealed the existence of a strange sect in Broomfield Park. Footage filmed last weekend shows grown men and women dancing around an apple tree decorated with pieces of dry toast. Further investigations have discovered that this is an ancient ceremony known as wassailing, which also involves music and consumption of alcoholic beverages made from apple juice.  The people taking part are clearly attempting to hide their identities by wearing hats and scarves but.......

Within the next few weeks Enfield Council is hoping to start work to restore the double avenue of trees in Broomfield Park which extends in a straight line across the whole of the top field from the western edge of the Park in the direction of the ornamental ponds and remains of Broomfield House.  The avenues and the remains of a former "causeway" running between the tree lines are regarded as important features relating to the Park's Baroque history. The existing avenue of lime trees.......

Photograph:  Alan Wexler (an entry in the 2015 Friends of Broomfield Park photo competition) Broomfield Park could be named as the UK’s Best Park, in a new award programme set up by a national charity, Fields in Trust. The nomination, by one of the park’s users, says:  It has everything: three ponds for ducks, remote control boats and meditating by, bandstand with summer concerts, grass for games, grass for picnics, community orchard and cafe, remains of Tudor house,.......

If you think a local park, sports field or other green space is "the UK's Best", you have until 4th November to submit a nomination to the organisation Fields in Trust. Fields in Trust is dedicated to protecting "vital open spaces all across the UK" and many parks, sports fields, playgrounds and other open spaces are members. For the first time this year members of the public will be able to nominate open spaces (not necessarily Fields in Trust members) for a new award UK's Best Park - As.......

Friends of Hazelwood Rec have applied to the OneFamily Foundation for a grant of £25,000 to pay for improvements to the children's playground. Hazelwood Rec is a small park situated between Hedge Lane and Hazelwood Lane, with football pitches, a cricket field and tennis courts.  One side of the park is bounded by the New River and lined with willow trees. The case made for the grant by the Friends is as follows: Improving Hazelwood Rec playground The project will create a.......

The new (but actually old) railings in front of Broomfield Conservatory were officially inaugurated on 29th September.  A ceremonial "ribbon"  holding the new gates together was cut (using secateurs, of course) by Tony Dey of the Enfield Society.  Tony Dey cuts the "ribbon" with help from David Burrowes MP.  Looking on are Elizabeth Dobbie, Chair of the Friends of Broomfield Park's Conservatory Group, and Alison Trew from the Enfield Council, who administers the Enfield.......