Recent Events Report

Saturday 18th April. Bluebell Walk.  And what a walk it was! The lovely Nick Bertrand,usually seen these days leading wading parties through Deptford Creek at low tide, led us around the bluebells for three hours. Nick is so knowledgeable on all things to do with plants with a bit of history thrown in for good measure. It was a very informative and enjoyable afternoon with a dazzling display of bluebells as a backdrop. Thank you so much Nick, for giving us your time and inspiring everyone to keep on trying to protect our lovely green space.

Sunday 17th May. Beating the Bounds. Thank you to the three people that came on this walk, poor Nick Goy has in the past has walked alone. It was a cool, but mostly dry afternoon and everyone enjoyed this long walk around the perimeter of the park to mark the boundaries in the traditional way. The origins of this walk in our park date from the late Roy Ramsey. Roy was a tireless campaigner for the preservation of park during the threat of another golf course, a driving range and huge indoor tennis centre that was proposed in the 1990s. He said we should have a symbolic walk to  try and establish some public right to keep the area open to roam in. 

Saturday 20th June. Boundary Posts and Ancient Trees Walk. On this walk we had our youngest ever participant at six weeks old. It must have been totally absorbing as she slept the whole two hours! Anyway it was pleasant enough weather not too hot and not too cold. The walk got off to a good start as one person discovered something new straight away, that there was a large pond in the park. Focusing on the trees really opens your eyes up to just how beautiful they are, especially at this time of year when in full fresh leaf. Granddad, sorry, Mal, who led the walk discovered a beech tree he hadn’t come across before, even after visiting the park for thirty odd years there are still new discoveries to be made. There are not many beech trees in the BPP woods, but this is not a bad thing as they do tend to become dominant and a diversity of trees will give a better range of habitats.

One highlight was the sight of flowers on the Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). This tree is situated to the left of the path leading from the fallen turkey oak up into the woods, just before the gorse on the right.

Thanks to all who came along to ‘An Afternoon with the Mitchells’, which could have been an alternative title for this walk.