Friends of Inverleith ParkOUR update on YOUR Park Issue 25 Autumn 2015

AGMFollowed by talk by Dave Wright of the

Scottish Beekeepers’ Association,‘Pollinators in the Park’

Monday, 30th November 2015

Don’t forget to buy your copy (or many copies) of the2016 INVERLEITH PARK CALENDAR

With stunning photographs by Anne RushbrookCopies cost £5 and are available from Borthwick’s, Write Stuff, from Maria at 332 6567, Tony

at 332 4759, Anne at 332 7090, Joan at 556 7993, Cathy at 332 8707, Pam at 332 4765,

To join: click on http://www.inverleithpark.co.uk/ go to Membership, thenscroll down to subscribe, you will then be taken to paypal.

Membership is £3 per person or £5 per family.

REPORT FROM OUR CONVENOR - PAM BARNESSundial GardenWe hope you agree with us that the Sundial Garden is looking a lot more floriferous! Theongoing restoration project is the work of the Friends’ volunteers with the help andcooperation of Jen and Louise, the Park Rangers. We thank the Parks Department forallowing us to keep our tools in the Depot toolshed, but most particularly we thank themfor their apprentice, David, who was sent to to work in the Garden for a day a week fora few months this summer. His hard work has certainly made a difference. Unfortunatelydue to staff shortages , we are now back to our faithful band of volunteers: Joan, Trish,Janet, Kathleen and Elizabeth whom we all thank. If you would like to help, come and joinus! There is still a lot to be done before the spring planting. There will usually be someonethere on Wednesday or Thursday mornings to get you started and suggest things thatneed doing. Or ring Pam - 332 4765 or 07786186698.

We would like to thank all those dog owners who are keeping their dogs on leads in theSundial Garden. Gardening in dog excrement is not nice! However, I am glad to reportthat this hasn't happened lately so thanks again for your cooperation.

Events in the ParkOur request to move the Moonwalk to a site elsewhere in Edinburgh because of thedamage it does to the cricket pitch (unusable for most of the cricket season in 2014) hasat last been heeded. The new venue in Holyrood Park is a much more suitable place forsuch a large event. Thanks to Cllr Lesley Hinds for helping to find a satisfactory solutionto this problem.

The Foodies’ event was larger than ever this summer and was extremely popular. Therewas minimum damage to the grass which was soon repaired.

Maria Chamberlain’s Pond Dipping is always such a success that it was held twice thisyear - each time with lots of happy children and parents.

Cafe/ToiletsWe have been approached by 2 separate people who want to provide refreshments forthe park and we have spent some time trying to see if this could be done. We talked tothe Ferranti Bowling Club to see if we could come to an arrangement with them to sharesome facilities. Unfortunately the Chairman said that he could not find any member,who was in favour of opening the club to the public. This was very disappointing - we hadhoped they might be willing to let us come and speak to their members about it to seewhether it might be feasible and perhaps be good for both them and other park users.

We then asked the Head of Parks if the Farmhouse at the Depot could be used; he is stilllooking into what might be done to facilitate refreshments . Remember our successful‘Save Inverleith Park’ 2011 campaign - when we saved the depot from being sold off for

‘luxury houses’? We were then promised that the public would have a say in how thedepot is used, but since then it has been requisitioned as council offices and parts of itsgrounds serve as a a large car park for working vehicles and staff cars. The trafficproblems that these vehicles create is illustrated in Jenny Cook’s cartoon below. Shecounted 28 cars passing the busy playground area between 3.40 and 4 pm one summerafternoon.

We certainly think it would be great for the park and the community to have a cafe andtoilets. People who have lived in Stockbridge all their lives remember when the toilets inthe Farmhouse were used by the public, accessed by a door on the playground side ofthe building. It is interesting that the Victorians had all sorts of facilities in Inverleith Parkfor the community - but now we are a much richer society it seems we can’t afford them!Any ideas anyone? Pam Barnes ( 0131 332 4765; mobile:07786186698).

WildlifeThe Indian summer we have just enjoyed has ripened apples and has been responsiblefor some really lovely autumn colours in the trees and shrubs. Some of the allotmentholders have had the pleasure of meeting small grasshoppers and frogs and toads.Blackbirds, wrens, various kinds of tits, sparrows and dunnocks have all nested this yearand there have been sightings of water rail, sparrow hawk, kestrel, swallow, swift,thrush, house martin, goldfinch, chaffinch, greater spotted woodpecker, pied and greywagtails, heron, mute swan, mallard and tufted ducks, goosanders, moor hens and veryfew coots(why?) All the usual gulls and pigeons are around too. See next year’s calendarand website for photos of our one lovely cygnet, the only surviving offspring of Napoleonand Josephine. Any suggestions for a name?

Nick Benge and his water gardeners had to clear the pond again this year, but the mainculprit was a pond weed (Potamogeton berchtoldii), not filamentous algae (blanket-weed), which proved such a problem last year. No algicide was used this year, but lastyear’s treatment may still be having an effect.

Jenny Cook

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Fresh-air fitness equipment wish-list

The above equipment from fresh-airfitness (http://fresh-airfitness.co.uk/) is speciallydesigned for more mature individuals, but also suitable for all. Friends of Inverleith Parkhave been campaigning to have this installed in the park. The total cost would beapproximately £10,000. So far we have received a grant of £500 from StockbridgeCommunity Council and £5,000 from the Neighbourhood Partnership. If you would liketo donate to this project, please contact Joanbeattie@hotmail.com or go to our website.

Your Opinions Matter!Do let us know if you have any ideas for the park. You can send us a message on Face-

book, or ring Pam, or come to our monthly meeting in the Sundial Garden on the firstThursday of the month at 10.30 am. We are always glad to hear what people think.Pam Barnes 0131 332 4765

Air skier - 3m2 Air Walker - 3m2 The Rider - 1.5m2

Tai Chi spinners - 3m2 Self-weighted Rower -3m2Hip Twister - 0,45m2

We are happy to report that the pond-dippingexercise showed a healthy ecosystem of 20different species of invertebrates - and that’sonly those that were visible to the naked eye- plus one species of fish (stickleback). Thankyou children!Cathy Bell...........and did you know about the wildboar??? If not, set off on a wild beast huntnow! Photo Jenny Cook