Best wishes for 2015.
Lots will be going on at the park in 2015. We will build on the huge progress in 2014 and we aim to win a Green Flag award. We will therefore be working hard with the Council to keep the park neat, tidy, and environmentally sustainable too.
Bucketing rain stopped at 9.30am on Christmas Eve and started again at about noon but there was a fine winter’s morning for gardening in between. We planted climbers and shrubs around the compost area and in the SW corner. And we weeded…
It was a fine mild morning yesterday and we managed a lot of weeding, despite the Christmas garb!
I must admit, though, we didn’t hang about too long before adjourning for Janet’s fresh morning coffee in the park and wandering off for Christmas lunch at Porto and Fi.
A rotten Wednesday morning certainly justified the decision to cancel today’s volunteer session. It was cold wet and windy.
This was held on 2nd December at Trinity Academy. There was a good turn-out (21) and it was a positive and good humoured meeting, with much input from the floor. Alastair Robertson gave a brief presentation on the group’s activities over the past year and what we are hoping to do in the future. The park has improved hugely and the big aim for next year is a Green Flag. The office bearers are unchanged and the only change in the Committee is that Vikki Floyd has been elected, replacing Stuart Gardiner who didn’t seek re-election. Thanks to all who came along, especially Ritchie Fraser, the North Edinburgh Community Parks Officer. Details will be available in the draft minutes which will be posted soon in the Administration page on this web site.
We’re well on with our composting project (funded by a City of Edinburgh Council Waste Action Grant). The compost bins are complete and nearly full already. There are signs that the composting is getting going but we’ve added worms to speed things up. The main screens are now in place – all level with right angles and straight lines thanks to Sandy. Next stage is the bark path and some climbing plants so the screen blends in with the rest of the park.
It was a terrific Wednesday morning, despite some early frost, and we had an excellent turnout of members plus a team of three from Quintiles on an away day. We got loads done, collecting over 20 wheelbarrows of leaves and making good progress on the screens for the compost bins. Janet produced coffee and cakes at 11 – as you can see, Janet didn’t manage to bring a red carpet for our visitors. All in all, we had a great morning, capped by Louisa, Steven and Erica adding the worms to the compost bins!
It was a damp and drizzly morning but Gail got most of us to warm up and exercise before we started. I’m afraid I was one of the few aging male slackers who didn’t participate!
We cleared more leaves and worked out a detailed plan for screening our new compost bins.
Friends of Starbank Park 