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Friends of Marple Memorial Park Task Days
The Friends have regular task days in the park for clearing weeds, planting, fixing bird boxes and similar activities. We like to keep a record of what we get up to and here are details of past task days. The next task day is: Saturday 30th August 2008 when we will be holding a French Boules tournament, time to be confirmed.
26 July 2008
This month we tackled the fungus on the tree sculpture again. It's been frustrating us that it grew back so quickly so we attacked half of it with an anti-fungal wash and sanded down the other half to see see what is most effective. It certainly looked good again when we'd finished but how long will it last? We also tackled weeding behind the library and around the ornamental beds and paths. The Youth Offending Team were also out in force and helped to trim the hedges around the bowling green and also to weed the paths.
Next month we are planning something a little different - a French Boules tournament on the new court that has recently been completed. We haven't fixed a time for kick-off yet but will let everyone know a couple of weeks before the event.
 Anti-fungal stuff applied |
 Sanding down |
 Weeding beds |
 One for you three for me! |
28 June 2008
A smaller team of volunteers concentrated on planting up the ornamental beds today with a full truck-load of begonias being added to the borders between the council offices and the war memorial. There's room for at least another truck-load too and a few volunteers who can make it will be returning to plant more on Wednesday 2nd July at 10am.
There was a good turnout from the Stockport Youth Offending Team and they helped out with a lot of weeding in the rose beds and around the library. There are a few of them visible in the background of the photos below but unfortunately we are not allowed to take pictures of them where they can be recognised. We thank them for their efforts all the same and hope they enjoyed the chocolate mini-rolls!
 Planting begonias |
 Planting more begonias |
 Planting even more begonias |
 Tidying up after planting begonias |
31 May 2008
After jet-washing the Tree Sculpture last month the main task was to give it a much needed coat of decking oil, which was recommended by the sculptor due to its anti-fungal properties. It was a very satisfying task and looked brilliant after it too. In addition to this another team of volunteers cleared the large circular ornamental bed ready for summer planting and even managed to raise £44 for the park by selling off the old plants for a £1 a bag. Very resourceful! The day was finished off by tidying up the small bed featuring Oldknow's Shuttlestone.
 The sculpture benefits from some TLC |
 Midnight gets a top coat |
 Polyanthas £1 a bag! |
 Shuttlestone bed gets a tidy up |
26 April 2008
Well spring is really here at last and the park was full of people enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. A good turn out of volunteers again ensured that lots of tasks were completed. These included planting of young willow trees in the boggy wildlife area near to the cinema, where the old canal arm used to be, edging of the main path through the park and weeding of the ornamental flowerbeds in front of the council offices.
We also set out to scrub the dirt and algae from the tree sculpture before re-oiling it but soon realised that scrubbing brushes alone were not going to be enough. Thankfully one of our regular volunteers, Steve, owns a jet washer and after fetching this the task became a lot easier, albeit much wetter too. The sculpture looked great when we'd finished and will receive several new coats of oil once it dries out.
In addition to all that, we fitted our new BBC Breathing Places plaque to the corner of the library and installed an insect study centre on one of the nature posts in the wildlife area alongside the canal. This is a special box with a solar powered light and lots of holes and compartments favoured by insects and a doorway that can be opened to observe the occupants. We're not sure how this will fare in the park but we can only hope that it will survive intact, in which case we may purchase more.
We were also joined by the Stockport Youth Offending Team, who did a great job of trimming the ivy from around the public toilets near to the library. All in all a very productive day!
 Scrubbing brushes and buckets are not enough |
 Steve's way is wetter but better! |
 Weeding of beds |
 Edging of paths |
 Insect study centre waiting for guests |
 New BBC Breathing Places plaque |
29 March 2008
The weather was surprisingly kind to us after the horrendous downpours yesterday and even attracted some new volunteers. It was great to see some new faces and they also enabled us to get lots done. Polyanthas were planted around the war memorial beds and twenty trays of native wildflowers were planted in the boggy area where the old canal arm used to be and along the edge of the woodland walk running parallel to the canal. Primulas were also planted down near the entrance to the park at lock 10.
In addition, the badly designed bat boxes that were replaced during the last task day were refitted as bird boxes after having new bases fitted and holes drilled. We also had a stall inside the library selling tickets to the special showing of the Railway Children at the end of April, and tickets for the raffle of Railway Children memorabilia.
As hoped, the daffodils were putting on a good show and the park is really starting to pick up after the drabness of winter.
 Planting near the old canal arm |
 Bird boxes fitted |
 All hands planting wildflowers |
 Daffodils looking great |
23 February 2008
A better turn out this month saw the Friends install twelve bat boxes, six in the Breathing Places area and six in the trees alongside the canal tow path. We also planted Hawthorn and Honey Suckle whips in the Breathing Places area and mulched shrub beds along the path near to the junior play area and alongside the council offices.
The crocuses are putting on a fantastic display in the woodland and it looks like the daffodils are set to do the same in the next few weeks.
 Planting whips |
 Debate amongst the crocuses |
 Dave fits a bat box |
 John and Patrick mulch some beds |
26 January 2008
The first task day of 2008 wasn't very well attended but there were still enough volunteers and park staff to offload and spread five wagon loads of wood chippings to mulch two large shrub beds between the Council Offices and the Bowling Green. Dave stood in for Adrian, who was not well, looking suitably dazed and confused. Fortunately he was able to stop himself falling over with a shovel and pick up truck. Good training is obviously of benefit in these circumstances.
It was good to see the Infants Play Area progressing well and it shouldn't be long before it is open for use.
 Dave is dazed and confused by Mark & Bob's speed |
 Mulching the beds |
 That looks better! |
 Dave stands in for Adrian |
24 November 2007
A cold and wet Saturday morning saw Marple's Beaver Scouts planting hedgerows in the Breathing Places woodland behind the library, see the Breathing Places page for more details of this event. We didn't manage to catch Adrian leaning on his spade this month as the Beaver had them all! We were also joined by Wayne Bardsley, Warden of Etherow Country Park, who came along to give us advice on birds boxes, bat boxes and wildlife habitats for the Breathing Places area.
The ground sculptures produced by Andrew Frost were positioned around the Tree Sculpture in order for the Friends to agree exactly where they will be installed. Five acorns and beech nuts will be sited around the Owl Sculpture and two others, an apple and a pear, will be sited in the infants play area.
The task day was also attended by the Stockport Youth Offending Team, who planted bulbs in the grassed area at the north of the park near to Garth Road and some members of the Friends also planted bulbs in the wildlife area near the canal. We apologise for not including photos of the YOT or the bulb planting, but it was just too wet!
 Beavers shiver for the Stockport Express |
 Lisa Bintliff hands out the tree packs |
 Ground sculptures laid out |
 in their final positions |
27 October 2007
The park was looking spectacular in its autumn colours for our Tree Planting Event sponsored by £100 from the Woodland Trust's "Tree for All" scheme. We were pleased to welcome a small band of guests to the park to plant 121 trees provided by the Trust and a collection of Horse Chestnut trees provided by schools as far away as Scunthorpe! The Chestnut trees were planted in the north of the park alongside Garth Road. The trees purchased with the money provided by the Woodland Trust were a mixture of Mountain Ash, Silver Birch, Bird Cherry, Hawthorn, Field Maple, Ash, English Oak and Hornbeam. These were planted in the wildlife areas running down from the back of the cinema towards the canal and on past the skate park and teen area.
 Planting alongside Garth Road |
 Autumn colours in the park |
 A tree from Scunthorpe finds a new home |
 Teamwork! |
 Mark hides in the bushes |
 Nowhere to hide for our favourite spade leaner |
29 September 2007
A great turn out by Marple Locks Heritage Society, the Friends of the Park and Churches Together saw short work made of planting approximately 3,000 pansies in the new "Lock 17" flower bed display at the entrance to Marple from Strines. The display is based on the council's 2006 Gold Award winning Tatton Show entry and was recreated in partnership by the Friends, the Locks Society and the Parks & Recreation Department. It will be dedicated to the late Gordon Mills and was funded by Parks & Rec, The Marple Website and Marple Area Committee. For more photographs visit the Lock 17 Project page.
Whilst we were all having fun with the relatively easy work of planting pansies in Oldknow Gardens the Probation Service were working harder on our behalf to remove the bark chippings from the former boating pool in the infants play area in preparation for installation of new equipment and safe surface in the very near future.
 That's a lot of pansies! |
 Adrian gets the silly pose over with early. |
 Young and old working together. |
 Finishing touches..... |
25 August 2007
A quiet Bank Holiday task day with several of our regulars away on holiday saw us hoeing and weeding the main flowerbeds, the War Memorial beds and the path edges to make sure the park looks its best for the Merchant Navy Day ceremony on 2nd September. Our numbers were bolstered for a while by several of our local councillors, who joined us to celebrate the fourth successive Green Flag Award by hoisting the 2007/8 flag for the first time. The flag was raised in tandem by Cllr. Shan Alexander and Cllr. Sue Ingham whilst Adrian supervised. Note how he has perfected the art of leaning without a spade.
 The new flag comes out for the first time. |
 What poise! |
 Don't those beds look good! |
 Bob's hoe is a blur in the background. |
27 July 2007
Although the photos make it look like a brilliant summer's day it still managed rain more than once during today's tasks. These included more weeding of the War Memorial beds as we finished soiling up ready for planting. The weeds are becoming quite a serious problem here actually and we may need to tackle these in a different way before adding new plants. A small contingent from the Stockport Youth Offending Team also joined in to help trim the shrubs around the Infants Play Area. Adrian and Mark had a tidy up around the Tree Sculpture and it was fantastic to see how many people stopped to look at this and talk about it or take photographs.
 The Memorial beds are weeded again! |
 Bob collapses on his spade |
 The Youth Offending Team in action |
 Three wooden sculptures for the price of one |
30 June 2007
No action photographs this month due to the horrendous weather but despite all the rain the Friends of the Park did manage to do some litter picking and tidying up of the park ready for the Locks Festival the following day. In addition, the Youth Offending Team braved the wet weather and joined us to plant up the flowerbed nearest to the library. We'll perhaps add a photograph of this if it ever stops raining for long enough to take one!
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26 May 2007
The Friends continued work to improve the War Memorial flower beds by adding new topsoil around the rocks placed during the last couple of task days. The site where the locks display had been was also soiled over and the old plants removed from the main flower beds around the stone bird bath in front of the Council Offices.
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28 April 2007
A beautiful sunny April day saw the Friends continue their work to improve the War Memorial flower beds. The remainder of the old rockery stones were returned to the beds and the existing shrubs cut back to accommodate them. The stones were arranged under the artistic direction of Community Parks Officer Bob Wilson and to be honest looked pretty good when we'd finished. Next task is to soil up around the stones ready for planting. The Friends also mulched about 50% of the flowerbed near the Sun Dial to keep down the weeds.
A group of the Friends also had a look inside the Park Cottage to get an idea of its size and to think about a possible use for it. The building is structurally sound but has been neglected badly and it is going to cost a lot of money to return it to a usable condition. Funding the cost of this work is currently the biggest stumbling block to overcome.
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24 March 2007
A good turnout saw the Friends working in a number of areas. The large flowerbed between the Bowling Green and the Council Offices was mulched with wood chippings to keep the weeds down. The hedge bordering the Bowling Green was cleared of leaves and tidied up and around 50% of the original rockery stones were returned to the flowerbeds surrounding the War Memorial.
In addition, a new notice board was installed by the Parks Team near to the Infants Play Area, so that hopefully the Friends can reach a larger audience with details of their Task Days and other activities.
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24 February 2007
A cold wet morning saw the Friends of the Park tackle the borders around the War Memorial, including removal of old bedding plants, weeds, couch grass and Elephant's Ears. The Friends were ably assisted by a group of youngsters under the guidance of the Stockport Youth Offending Team, so light work was made of turning the soil over, digging in fresh compost and tidying and straightening of borders.
The involvement of the Youth Offending Team was a new experience for the Friends of the Park, but it was a positive one and we hope the youngsters will be able to return to assist with the planting up of the borders that they have helped to prepare today. We also hope that they took something from the day too - they certainly seemed surprised that anyone would do this kind of stuff voluntarily!
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20 January 2007
The first task day of 2007 saw the Friends and the Parks & Recreation Team leveling off the site of the Tatton Show locks display, which is planned to be moved to Oldknow Gardens alongside lock 13 on Stockport Road. An application for funding to pay for new metal replica lock gates has been submitted to the 'Stockport Fund' by the Friends and we are waiting to learn if this is successful.
In addition, the second interpretation board, this one explaining about the locks and canal, was installed at the entrance to the park near lock 10 and Oldknow's Warehouse. The new board features a map of the locks system based on the one from the Virtual Tour of Marple Locks, a potted history and some rather nice photographs.
 Spades become a blur! |
 Shovel leaning practice |
 Adrian & Mark Mixing it |
 Interpretation board installed |
18 November 2006
A group of the Friends met in Memorial Park to plant bluebell and daffodil bulbs alongside the path running through the wildlife area adjacent to the canal. Daffodils were also planted around Ian Rice's memorial bench near the entrance from the canal near lock 12.
At the same time as all this planting was going on Adrian Ellis and Dave Forber from the Parks & Recreation Team installed a new interpretation board near the memorial that explains the history of the park and how it was gifted to the community in memory of the men of Marple who died as a result of the Great War, 1914-18.
 Daffodil planting |
 Dirty hands |
 Adrian supervises |
 Interpretation board installed |
22 May 2004
The Friends' first Task Day was held in the park on Saturday 22nd May 2004. The objective was to clear the brambles and undergrowth along the dry stone wall bordering the canal and to remove saplings growing out of it. A safety fence was also erected around the sluice near the entrance to the park at lock 10 and bulbs were planted in front of it that should improve the appearance once they grow.
The Task Day was well attended by members of the Friends, a group of youngsters led by local youth group leader Andrea Nylands and several Stockport Council workers from the Parks and Recreations section. As well as helping with the work, the youth group put on a barbeque and ensured that everyone was well fed.
Here are a few photographs taken on the day:
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Thanks everybody, and well done!
