Nature's Gym in Mayow Park, July 2014

This post should have been published in late July 2014 but somehow got forgotten with all the other excitement that was happening in Mayow Park in July and August.
Nature's Gym volunteers, led by Judith from Glendale and Jordon for Lewisham, ran two sessions in July to help our park volunteers with some of the gardening tasks that had been neglected. We were lucky that both days were sunny, 24th July and 31st July. The volunteers could choose from several tasks.

 One task was to rebuild the 'bug' hotel in the woodland near the hard-standing. The pallets were moved to a more visible position, stacked on top of each other and filled with leaves, grass, twigs and other woodland bits to create a cosy habitat for any creatures that would be interested.

The bug hotel begins to take shape

At the Triangle beds and across the path from the raspberry canes, there is a bench. Behind it is a maple tree stump with suckered growth around it. The growth  looked like a giant, unkempt, bush. Instead of removing all the suckered growth, it was decided to remove some only, to create a den and to reveal the tree stump with its fungi. Thank you J & J for this great additional feature in the park. Over the past couple of months since then children (and adults) have had great fun running in and out of the den.

Jordon in the new den

Judith in the new den

Another task for the volunteers was to re-mulch the woodland path between the larger plant bed and the magnificent dawn redwood tree. More volunteers pulled out overgrown plants and pruned the herb plants. The photos here hardly give the true flavour of what was achieved. Thank you to Nature's Gym. Since their visit more of our own park volunteers have been busy tidying up the Triangle beds and working on the orchard.

time to prepare fruit trees and canes for winter

It has been a great autumn and the time has come to prepare the Triangle garden beds for winter. over the  past few weeks a few volunteers have dropped by and weeded out some of the overgrown plants, pulled up strings and strings of bind weed, created a low fence to protect the bed at the apex of the Triangle and given some TLC to the wild flower mini meadow. Thank you to those volunteers.
On our list of things to do in the Triangle next are:
Cut  the raspberry canes down to ground level and give a good layer of mulch covering
Weed around the apple tree, plum tree , blackberry and currant bushes and give them a blanket of mulch
More weeding around other shrubs
Plant more hedgerow whips

Moving on to the orchard our tasks are:
Cut down three more of the guards
Remove weeds inside the guards and otuside
Prune each tree to keep their shape
Put a good layer of mulch round each tree

A list of dates for all these activities will be prepared.
Our first date is Friday 31st October from 11am to midday and possibly longer if enough people are available. Bring a trowel or hoe and gardening gloves if you have them.  The Friends group will also bring a few tools.
If anyone is interested in helping with these tasks, do contact us on  friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com

CRICKET TASK FORCE AT GROW MAYOW 12TH APRIL 2014

Following construction of new water and waste facilities for the restored Pavilion, a volunteer Taskforce from Caribbean Mix CC (CMCC) and London West Indies CC (LWIMCC) will help rebuild raised beds for food growing at Grow Mayow under supervision of Erika Sager and Iris Borgers.

For those of you who have been following the major construction works on the sewer and disruption to the site at the front of Grow Mayow, you will know that its volunteers have a huge task to reconstruct the site and return it to its former glory. Plans are already in hand to rebuild the front area of Grow Mayow. The Mayow cricket taskforce will do their bit to help on Sat 12^th April as part of their on-going commitment to help the park and the community.

This exciting support from our home cricketers has come about through a generous reciprocal arrangement in which Tim Lund (www.lund.co.uk) will commit 12 hours computer programming time to construct a new website for Caribbean Mix CC.

Cricket fixtures 2014 in Mayow Park

Here is a list of fixtures, including Cricket Week which will take place 31st August to 5th September 2014, the last week of the school holidays.

Fixtures:  ‘CRICKET AT MAYOW’ 2014

1)         KRCL Home Fixtures in the following competitions – see heavy type below:

Kent Cricket League, Caribbean CUP Competition,

 2)         Friendly Home fixtures:

HERTS, SUSSEX Senior County XI’s

COMMUNITY XI’s from cricketing nations:

India, Pakistan, Asian, British Tamil Society, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, South Africa

APRIL Sat 26      CM - F            Bow Green                              

        Sun 27     CM - F            Oakfield Warriors-INDIA              

       Wed 30     LWIM-F          Sussex50/60/70+                    

MAY  Tues 13 CM – F           HERTS Seniors: to be played at Streatham Marlborough

Sat 17  CM                 OD CUACO              

          Sat 24    CM                 BOCA Sports                               

         Sun 25    LWIM            SIMBA Caribbean CUP                               

JUNE Sat 7    CM                 HSBC

         Sun 15    LWIM            STARLIGHT – Caribbean CUP                                                

         Sun 22    CM - F            Clapham Nomads                                      

        Sat 28      CM                 STREATHAM MARLBOROUGH

JULY Tues 1   LWI - F           SESCL Asia - tbc                                                       

         Sat 12     CM                 DULWICH                            

         Sun 27    LWIM             Pakistan XI                             

AUG Sat 2      CM                 ORPINGTON                                               

         Sun 3      CM - F            India XI - Dartford                                         

         Sun 10    CM - F            Billericay                                 

         Fri 15      LWI - F           NOMADS-Tony Leslie Mem.             

         Sat 16     CM                 HAYES                                  

         Sat 23     CM                 BLUE STAR                                                 

         Sat 30     CM                 STREATHAM MARLBOROUGH

 CRICKET WEEK

AUGUST     Sun 31     CM - F            Caribbean Ladies XI               

SEPT Mon 1   LWIM             TBA                            

          Tues 2    CM - F            MAYOW CUP MAYOR'S ‘Invitation’ XI's from:

                                                Lewisham, Bromley, Bexley & Greenwich

                                                Residents Open Day

         Thur 4     CM - F            Selsdon                                   

         Fri  5       CM - F            330 Academy 'Irratics' 

          Sat  6      CM - F            BLACKHEATH SELECT           

         Sun  7     LWI - F           East Essex Stallions     

         Sun 21    CM - F            Hawks

         Sat 27     LWI - F           SRI LANKA XI-KREEDA           

         Sun 28    CM - F            Morden           

Cricket activities in Mayow Park.

FOMP received an email with  the following information from one of the members of our home Cricket Clubs:

CRICKET TASKFORCE - Sat 29^th March and Sat 5^th April

A Taskforce of volunteer Players from Caribbean Mix CC (CMCC), London West Indies Mix CC (LWIMCC) and Streatham Marlborough CC (SMCC) started work  on Saturday 29^th March 2014 to maintain and improve the area of the cricket square and immediate surrounding grass land. Today they were clearing up winter debris and spreading fertiliser. Other tasks will include re-seeding the outfield area in readiness for the new season and trimming some low overhanging branches of nearby trees. The season will start on Sat 26^th April CMCC vs BOW GREEN 1.30pm Start.

This volunteer taskforce activity around the cricket square is under the supervision of Paul Harper and Luke, from Glendale Services. This morning Luke was training them He is pleased that the cricket clubs are taking an active role in maintaining the space.

Both Clubs play Kent Regional Cricket League (KRCL)  - METRO 1 Division, as part of the ‘Regeneration of Cricket’ by Lewisham Council in Mayow Park, under direction from Martin Hyde of Lewisham Greenscene.

The Friends of Mayow Park (FOMP) have been kept informed relating to cricket facilities. The cricketers  have a proposal, agreed with Greenscene, for a storage container behind the newly restored Pavilion, housing two heavy rollers which will enable weekly rolling and necessary maintenance of the cricket square.

England Cricket Board (ECB) has made an investment of £50,000 relaying the cricket Square for the development of cricket in Lewisham, with a further investment at Hilly Fields.

Photos from workday on Thurs 27 Feb 2014

These photos should have been posted weeks ago but I forgot . . . .

Darren & Chris cut back ivy on the blackthorn

Volunteer & Park keeper pull out weeds

Workmen repair path after heavy vehicles used in major sewer works made the paths unsafe.

Work session THURS 25TH FEB 2014

There will be a joint work session with Glendale and FoMP volunteers on Thursday 27th February 2014 from 10am to midday.

We will focus our work on the Triangle beds, pruning raspberries, weeding and mulching round fruit bushes and in the herb beds. 

Glendale staff will be working alongside the Friends to prepare the beds for spring.

Meet near the entrance to the Bowls containers.
If you would like to join us please let FoMP know by email: friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com  so we can bring enough tools and refreshments