Ye who have a spark in your veins of cockney spirit, smile or mourn acccording as you take things well or ill;— Bold Britons, we are now on Shooter's Hill!
Welling and District Model Engineering Society public running
I’m glad to see that Welling and District Model Engineering Society are still at their home at the electricity station site near Falconwood railway station, despite uncertainty about the site’s future. They have just announced their programme of public running dates for 2015, as their web site says:
We look forward to welcoming you back in 2015 for another summer of nostalgia, riding behind our steam and electric locomotives. The dates and timings have now been confirmed. The railway and clubhouse will be open from 2:00-5:00pm. Train rides will be available for children and adults(!), with the last ticket issued at 4:30pm. Refreshments are available in the clubhouse.
Sunday April 12th 26th
Sunday May 10th 24th
Sunday June 7th 21st
Sunday July 5th 19th
Sunday August 2nd 16th 30th
Sunday September 13th 27th
Sunday October 11th (last running)
The popular Santa Special will run on 13th December if WDMES are still on the site. Santa Special tickets will be available at the 27th September and 11th October openings. There is a maximum of 4 tickets per person.
On 21 September 2013 you kindly posted some pictures and details of my attempts to get the Royal Borough of Greenwich to reopen the footpath between Shooters Hill Road and Academy Place.
Since then I have been emailing the relevant official on a bi-monthly basis.
The official told me in September this year that he would be getting legal advice on my contention that the path should be reopened in the basis that it had been used for 30 years by myself and others.
Although I have yet to hear back from him I am delighted to see that the path has been reopened and cleared of growing vegetation and perhaps more significantly, the two “this is not a right of way” signs that had gone up in Academy Place have been taken down.
I am still pressing the council to have the footpath and the adjoining lane from Academy Place to Bagshot Court adopted under the Highways Act to prevent their future closure.
But the reopening of the footpath means that it is possible to walk again from Shooters Hill to Red Lion Lane via Bagshot Court and Prince Imperial Way as marked in red below.
Route from Shooters Hill to Red Lion Lane
I hope this means the path is now open permanently. It had been open for a while last year, but was then re-closed. I suspect that was because the barriers had been broken down by vandals. The route from Shooters Hill down to the bottom of Red Lion Lane is a pleasant path through open fields, passing by what may have once been a sports field – the 1914 OS map shows a pavilion at the South end of the field. The old map also shows a miniature rifle range and formal rows of trees, both features are still evident though the only reminder of the rifle range is an embankment.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hill, the problem of the route of the Green Chain Walk near Woodlands Farm still hasn’t reached a conclusion. While the Woodland Farm Trust, Ramblers and Green Chain officers have all agreed that Woodland’s proposal for re-routing the path to go along the edge of the farm is acceptable, the owners of the land between the farm and the corner of Keats and Dryden Roads are now blocking progress. At the last Woodlands Farm AGM it was mentioned that this route is a permissive path and that the owners Bellway have refused permission for the Green Chain Walk to cross their land. In the meantime the Walk is still diverted along residential roads round to Oxleas Wood.
Update 23rd January 2015. Steve e-mailed to let me know that new signs have been erected on the Castlewood footpath, presumably by the MoD. There’s a picture of one of them below.
This year’s Christmas card photo is of a snowman in a snowy Eaglesfield Park from a few years ago. As in previous years I’d like to combine my season’s greetings and best wishes for next year with those of the Friends of Eaglesfield Park – their card is included below.
As well as wishing everyone a happy Christmas, Madeleine from the Friends wrote to thank all who volunteered at the park for their hard work over the last year, and also with an update on recent work at the Lilly Pond and changes in the park such as the new sign posts and information boards. She has written about all this on the Friends of Eaglesfield Park blog, which has some great photos of local wild life, including a sparrow hawk that got trapped between a wire fence and a wooden fence panel. The blog is well worth a visit.
If you’d like to escape from the pre-Christmas hectivity and get some fresh air and exercise, then head for Woodlands Farm at 10.00am on Sunday for a walk around the parts of the 89 acre farm that visitors don’t usually get to see. This is one of a series of monthly guided walks at Woodlands: Hannah, the Farm’s Education Officer e-mailed details:
Monthly walks at Woodlands Farm
Most people who visit Woodlands Farm don’t get much further than our farmyard, however there are a further 85 acres of wonderful London countryside, wood, hedges and meadows, to explore.
So join us for our monthly guided walks around the farm in all seasons and all weathers. Our walks will highlight seasonal farm activities such as hedging, lambing, the history of the farm and how it works.
Meet at the Green Education building at 10 am. The walk will take about two hours. Please wear stout footwear and appropriate clothing for a winter walk. As we will be going through the fields we regret that the walk is not suitable for buggies or those with restricted mobility. In the event of bad weather the walks will be cancelled. The walks are free, but we appreciate any donations. Although you do not need to book if you would like to let us know you will be attending or have any questions please call 020 8319 8900.
Sunday’s, 16 November – Autumn Walk
Sunday 21 December – Winter Solstice Walk, On our solstice walk there will be a seasonal hot drink at the end.
Sunday 18 January – Winter Walk,
Sunday 15 February – Valentine’s Walk;
Sunday 22 March – Spring Equinox and spot the first lambs;
Sunday 19 April – Young Shoots
So get those boots out, dust them off and come to join us.
Woodlands Farm is located on the borders of the London boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich. At 89 acres, it is the largest city farm in the UK. Our priorities are education and conservation, and we are part of the Natural England Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. Our education programme attracts visitors from pre-school to third-age groups. The Trust aims to involve local community groups, schools, volunteers and businesses in farming and conservation, helping to bridge the current town-country divide.
We are open 9.30am-4.30pm, Tuesday-Sunday (except Christmas Day). There is no entry charge except for special events, though donations are always welcome.
And as an extra bonus on Sunday the walk will finish with a glass of mulled wine.
Wild flower meadow at Woodlands FarmWild flower meadow at Woodlands Farm
The Lady James Room at Severndroog Castle is the venue on Sunday 14th December for a performance of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” using the reading script that Dickens himself adapted from his book and followed for his own public readings. Dickens gave the first public reading in December 1853 and read it 127 times up to the time of his death in 1870 with audiences of up to 3,700 people.
The Severndroog Castle Building Preservation Trust have arranged to have a fundraising reading of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for one night only, at Severndroog Castle, on the evening of Sunday 14th December 2014. Seats are strictly limited by the constraints of the castle size, and early booking is advisable. The reading is by Roger Gartland, formerly of the National Theatre company, who has performed this traditional Christmas work for a number of years, to sell-out houses in a variety of venues.
The tickets are £12 each and include a mulled wine/soft drink and mince pies during the interval. Tickets can be brought for cash at the castle during opening times on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, or online from http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-christmas-carol-a-ghost-story-by-charles-dickens-tickets-14748817109 There is a small booking charge when booking online. Show lasts approx. two hours, including 15 min interval. Probably not suitable for children under 10 years.
Roger Gartland trained in repertory and was a National Theatre player for seven years. He was a co-founder of, and toured with, the touring theatre company “Not The National Theatre”. He has appeared at the Globe Theatre and in the West End, and his work also includes film, radio, voice-overs and TV.
What a very Christmassy thing to do – a performance of A Christmas Carol in a gothic folly in the woods accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies.
Two local community groups will be having a tidy up session this weekend: The Friends of Eaglesfield Park on Saturday and the Mayplace Lane group on Sunday. Both would welcome help.
The Friends of Eaglesfield Park had hoped to have their final pond maintenance session of the year a couple of weeks ago, but the council hadn’t cut the meadow beforehand so it wasn’t possible to sow the wild flower seeds. Volunteers at that session mainly worked on clearing excess vegetation from the pond, which meant donning waders and getting into the pond to pull up unwanted plants and increase the pond water’s surface area. More work is needed on reducing the pond plants, and, as the meadow has now been cut, the wild flower seeds can be sown. Madeleine from the Friends wrote with the details:
A short note to let you know that SATURDAY 22nd November (10.30am – 1.00pm) will be our last maintenance session before Spring 2015. To provide a rich habitat for wildlife and a beautiful focal point for visitors to the park, there are 2 very important tasks that require attention:
– reducing the pond vegetation. It is urgent we complete as much as possible now to ensure pond creatures are not disturbed in Spring. We can provide full length waders!!
– rough-raking the ground and sow wildflower seeds (meadow has now been cut).
I think we could achieve our tasks in the allotted time, but we really do need your help. Whatever time you could spare will be much appreciated and will make an enormous difference to the quality of habitat for all local wildlife and greatly enhance visitor enjoyment of this special corner of Eaglesfield Park.
I hope you will be able to join us. I’m afraid we do not have any gardening equipment – would it be possible for you to provide your own (e.g. garden rake, spade/fork, secateurs, builders plastic buckets, gardening gloves)? Don’t forget to wear wellies.
Of course, weather permitting !
The next Mayplace Lane community clean-up will take place on Sunday, 23rd November between 11.00am and 1.00pm. Local residents will be clearing rubbish and removing weeds from the lane and possibly planting plants and bulbs. Greenwich Council will again provide equipment such as litter pickers and bags for rubbish, and will collect any rubbish at the end of the session. If you’re planning to come along then it’s worth bringing some strong gardening gloves. If you have anything stored in the lane you may wish to move it to ensure it is not thrown away.
We have three local Christmas Fairs to look forward to this year – Woodlands Farm, Shrewsbury House and Severndroog Castle all have Christmas events in the next few weeks. Plus there is an early Christmas shopping opportunity this weekend at the “Mudlarkers Christmas Pop-up Shop” run by local artist Tide Line Art.
Maureen from Woodlands Farm wrote with details of this year’s Christmas Fair:
All are welcome at the Woodlands Farm Trust Christmas Fair on Sunday 30 November 2014, from 11am to 3pm. Come and watch the arrival of Father Christmas on the pony trap driven by Bob the Shetland pony, sip mulled wine whilst browsing stalls of local produce and crafts for early Christmas present ideas, or relax in our café while the children enjoy crafts and games. A great festive day out for all the family. Entry is free – to visit Father Christmas is £3 including a gift. Donations are always welcome – all money raised helps us to care for our animals.
If you are a supporter of Woodlands Farm you might want to think about becoming a member, which you can do at the farm stall at the Christmas Fair. As well as getting the farm’s excellent newsletter and free participation in some activities such as bat walks members can attend the farm’s AGM and vote for board members, and membership fees help support the farm’s animals and educational events. Individual membership is only £12 a year, with family membership £18. Having a strong set of regular supporters will also help protect the farm against any future threats, such as a motorway to a new river crossing.
Shrewsbury House and Severndroog Castle both have their Christmas events on 7th December. The Christmas Craft Fair at Shrewsbury House has become an annual event and is usually packed with interesting stalls. It is open from 11.00am to 4.00pm, entry free. This year they also have two shows by the Wiggly Wild Show, at 11.15am and 1.15pm. The Wiggly Wild Show teaches environmental education to children assisted by a variety of animal accomplices, such as “hermit crabs, hissing cockroaches, praying mantis, toads, newts, garter snakes, bearded dragon, scorpions, giant millipedes, beetles, giant snails, gecko, hedgehog, stick insects and more!” Father Christmas will be at Shrewsbury House too, hopefully rested after his exertions at the farm the week before.
Severndroog Castle
Severndroog Castle’s Christmas Market is one of a series of events they are running in December. The market will be open from 11am-3.00pm and promises “Mulled Wine & Mince Pies, Cakes & Cupcakes, Hot Food & Drinks, Craft, Food, Drink & Sweets Stalls, Storytelling & Family Activities”. The Castle have another Christmas event, “Step into Christmas”, the day before the market. Their web site gives details:
Step into Christmas
Saturday, 6 December Performances 12 to 2pm and 3 to 5pm
Severndroog Castle introduces Eldorado Extra (a subsidiary of Eldorado Musical Productions) to bring you a programme of songs and poems to put you into the Christmas spirit. Some songs you might expect but others will surprise you. So come and join the fun. The performance will last an hour and will be followed by mince pies and a glass of wine/soft drink
Ticket includes access to the castle, viewing platform, an optional historical tour and a glass of wine with a mince pie.
Tickets £10 each – tickets can be bought at the castle (cash only) or booked online (booking online includes a booking fee)
Tide Line Art create very expressive pieces of art using flotsam and jetsam – driftwood, pieces of glass and pottery, old rope, plastic, and other discarded odds and ends – much of it collected while mudlarking along the banks of the Thames. I especially like their fish made out of pieces of broken glass that have been worn smooth by the tides, and have a beautiful example on my bathroom wall. They are holding a pop up shop at The Studio, 75 Lassell Street, Greenwich SE10 9PJ from Friday 21st November (5pm – 9pm), Saturday 22nd November (9am to 6pm) until Sunday 23rd November (11am to 5pm). We’re all invited to pop along “for tea and biscuits and to have a browse. lovely stocking fillers, art and upcycled jewellery.”
Amelia wrote to let me know about a new play group for babies and young children called Little Shrews which starts at Shrewsbury House next Thursday, 6th November at 1.30pm. She wrote:
The group is aimed at babies and toddlers and will run every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30-3:30, starting on Thursday 6th November 2014. There is a suggested donation if £1 per family and tea and coffee available for the adults.
The group was suggested to Shrewsbury House by three local mums. Shrewsbury House have been incredibly supportive and aware of the large number of parents in the area. They really want to encourage a friendly community space which will work as a drop-in for parents, carers and their little ones throughout the area. We will be having themed events as the group grows and hope to have guests, nappucinos and even musical entertainment at times!
Shrewsbury House will be a great venue for the playgroup which joins a very wide range of other groups which use the Grade II listed building, from photography and Iyengar Yoga through to French and fencing.
It is a long time since my last email, but I hope our blog at http://eaglesfieldpark.org/ has kept you informed about FOEP activities and progress of the pond and surrounding meadow. It is only 2 years since the pond and meadow were restored and already they are providing a wonderful environment for the wildlife of our local area.
During the year we have continued with monthly pond/meadow maintenance, planting, tidying and pond dipping and have enjoyed some beautiful weather. However Autumn is now upon us and we need to make sure all is prepared for Winter so that we can look forward to the new Spring.
Probably our last opportunity to prepare for Winter will be Sunday 26th October, between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm.
We would really welcome and appreciate any time you could spare to help us ! We are hoping to thin the pond vegetation and to rough rake the meadow/sow wildflower seeds (subject to whether or not the Council’s Parks and Open Spaces Dept have been able to cut the meadow). Of course, “Weather Permitting”.
If you are able to join us, don’t forget to wear old clothes and wellies. I am afraid we are unable to supply tools – could you kindly bring your own ? Particularly useful would be garden rake (not lawn rake), spade/fork and don’t forget gloves.
The Lilly pond has come a long way in the last few years, from the overgrown eyesore with broken railings at the end of 2011 to the verdant wild-life friendly pond of today. Some of the photos showing the transformation are included below.
Eaglesfield Park Lilly Pond October 2011Eaglesfield Park Lilly Pond March 2012Eaglesfield Park Lilly Pond May 2013
As well as the regular pond tidying and pond dipping sessions, the Friends recently hosted a group of young volunteers from National Citizen Service (NCS)The Challenge for a day. The 15-17 year olds took on two tasks. One was gardening. Some of the park’s pathways were being obstructed by low and overhanging branches of holly, hawthorn and acacia trees or narrowed by brambles and nettles: the volunteers cleared these to make the paths more easily passable. They also delivered copies of the leaflets shown at the top and bottom of this post to over a thousand homes around the park.
There are lots of pictures and some videos of the volunteers in action and the results of their work on the Friends’ blog.
Hannah, the Education Officer at Woodlands Farm sent details of their October half term events for children:
October half Term events at Woodlands Farm
Wednesday 29th October
Autumn Scavenger Hunt
1pm-3pm £2 per child
Join us for our autumn scavenger hunt around the farm. If you can find everything you get a prize!
No need to book, just drop in! For more information, call 020 8319 8900
Thursday 30th October
Make a willow bird feeder
11am and 1pm £3 per person
Join us to learn how to weave willow to make a lovely bird feeder for the birds in your garden, just in time for winter. Booking is essential, to book call 020 8319 8900.
Friday 31st October
Horrible Halloween
6pm-8pm £3 per child
Come along to a spooky evening at Woodlands Farm. Wear fancy dress as we explore the farm by night as well as make a spooky craft to take home. Booking is essential for this event, to book call 020 8319 8900.
For more information, see our website or contact Hannah Forshaw on education@thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org
Woodlands Farm is located on the borders of the London boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich. At 89 acres, it is the largest city farm in the UK. Our priorities are education and conservation, and we are part of the Natural England Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. Our education programme attracts visitors from pre-school to third-age groups. The Trust aims to involve local community groups, schools, volunteers and businesses in farming and conservation, helping to bridge the current town-country divide.
We are open 9.30am-4.30pm, Tuesday-Sunday (except Christmas Day). There is no entry charge except for special events, though donations are always welcome.
Nearest tube: North Greenwich
Nearest BR: Welling
Buses: 486 and 89
We are a farm so sensible shoes and clothing are recommended! We do allow dogs, but please note that these must be kept on a lead and not taken into any farm buildings.
During the summer Hannah has been leading a team of dedicated volunteers on a set of surveys of the farm flora and fauna, including meadow plants, newt and pond life, bats, butterflies, moths and mammals, not to mention the Opal Biodiversity Hedgerow survey and Opal Tree health survey. Here are a couple of their finds: A Wood Mouse and a Lunar Underwing Moth.
Wood Mouse caught on the Woodlands Farm mammal surveyLunar Underwing Moth seen on Woodlands Farm moth survey
