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.

It actually rained on a Wednesday morning!  But our reward for working through the rain was a glorious rainbow

We finished assembling the compost bins and they’re nearly full already.  Next stage will be camouflage with trellis and climbing plants.  We also collected loads of leaves and pruned the phygelius, which gave us even more to compost.

The compost bins are taking shape now and there’s plenty compost to fill them, with leaves, weeds and prunings all abundant.

Last year’s winter bedding is still providing a show despite facing north and growing in the shade of the cherry trees.

The compost bins (courtesy of our Waste Action Grant) arrived yesterday in very flat packs.  Construction is already underway. Nothing looks too difficult but substantial use of the screwdriver will be necessary.  With decent weather, they should be in place by the end of next week.

Winter bedding has been planted in the park, many thanks to Julie and her team for all their hard work.  We’re looking forward to a great show of primulas, tulips, crocus and hyacinth through the winter and into spring.

Janet has replanted the Friends of Starbank Park boat – bulbs and winter bedding.

And you can see Starbank Park from Newhaven Harbour which looking particularly pretty in the sun this afternoon.

The Friends of Starbank Park have been weeding together for a year!  It was a good excuse for a celebration, so we had coffee and birthday cake (thanks Liz) in the park, then a birthday lunch in the Starbank Inn (which was excellent!).

All that was left of Liz’s cake after 5 minutes

But we did do some work today, weeding, tidying and preparing for the compost bins.  Sandy did a brilliant job on the crescent.