Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden

November 2003

History

The Garden

The Friends

Contact

Recent activities
  2005-6 Archive
  2004-5 Archive
  2004 Archive
  2003 Archive

Dates for your Diary

Newsletter
  November 2003
  June 2003

Management Commitee

Constitution

Links

First of all, don't be concerned about the large franked envelope in which this Newsletter was distributed - the cost did not come out of our membership subscriptions and we weren't going to look this gift horse in the mouth. It is also a blacklwhite edition - in June all paid-up members got a colour newsletter but we cannot afford to do this too often. Maybe one of our business members would sponsor us to the tune of approx £80 a newsletter in colour twice a year? Or two businesses at one newsletter each? Do get in touch - if you can help. A recap of the past 2 months and some dates for the future. The first AGM of the Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden took place on 11th September at 7.30 pm in the Annandale Street Mosque. Around 20 people attended and although most of the official normal AGM Agenda business was moved through swiftly there were three items about which everyone got very animated.

Dog Crap: There was general agreement that it was only a small minority of dog owners who were totally irresponsible and spoiled the Garden for everyone; there was some support given to the suggestion that dogs should be kept on a leash; and a strong voice for pursuing the idea of getting dogs banned from the Garden altogether. The Selts: Bryants have offered to pay for six new benches in the Garden to replace the present trestle-style seats, and the Parks Department have offered Caithness Stone for the bases - as we cannot keep the setts 'for Health & Safety' reasons. Caithness Stone is a very acceptable alternative and at least we still have setts at the 3 entrances to the Garden.

The Garden: There were reports from three members of the committee - the Tree Lady (Julie Johnston); the Bird Man (Mitchell Manson) and the Bug Lady (Jane Ellis). Jane reported that two bugs (yellow leafhoppers) have made their home in the Garden which is the ONLY KNOWN site for these bugs in the Lothians -and one of them is rare in north Britain. We are trying to find photographs/drawings of these bugs - can anyone out there help?

Recently, you may have noticed some interesting growths near the street railings. Is anyone out there an expert on fungi? Any information would be very welcome.

The 'fun' side of the evening was provided by Alan Bennell from the Botanics. Alan gave an enthralling talk, illustrated by slides, of how the Leith Walk Garden came about and its move to the Inverleith site. Not only fun but we learned a tremendous amount of history too! He also offered us a Guided Walk through the Botanics in the Spring/Summer time. Great! Our links with the Botanies continue to flourish - watch out for news of our joint venture in the Spring.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY BULB PLANTING - Wednesday 26th November from 9.30 am on CLEAN-UP SUNDAY -12 noon on the 30th November NO clean-up in December

JANUARY 2004 - Clean-up on Sunday 25th at 12 noon

Clean-Up Sundays

Don't forget - the last Sunday of each month at 12 noon for about an hour. The next one is on Sunday 30th November. But NOT IN DECEMBER - we are giving ourselves a day off on the 28th December. The first clean-up of the New Year will be on the 25th January 2004. A lot of glass gets picked up, and the ubiquitous dog crap, but there does seem to be less litter overall than when we started the monthly clean-ups last March. This may be accounted for by more people picking up litter as they walk through the Garden - and long may this practice continue. We are also making an effort to clear the ground immediately around the trees so that the rain water can penetrate. We lost one tree this year and a couple of others might be in trouble because of the dry weather. More volunteers on these Sundays would be very welcome - protective gear is provided. Soup/coffee afterwards - courtesy of the Hopetoun Inn.

Bulb Planting:

10,000 daffodil bulbs are already being planted along the railing adjacent to the.Huntingdon Place development; 2,000 each of Professor Einstein, Mount Hood, Golden Harvest, Barrett Browning and Magnet; and 12,000 snowdrop bubs will be planted in the centre of the Garden - 6,000 each of Galanthus and Nivalis. 4,000 bulbs are being kept back for a community planting on Wednesday 26th November. Children from the local primary sehools will be there and we hope members and local residents will also join in - from 9.30 am onwards. Soup/coffee (11.30ish) - again thanks to the Hopetoun Inn.

The Management Committee 2003 - 2004

Chair. Eileen Dickie 4/1 Hopetoun Crescent. 556 0903
Vice Chair: Bill Chalmers 10/1 Huntingdon Place. 557 2754
Secretary: Mitchell Manson 17 Huntingdon Place. 557 1993
Treasurer: Jeannie Harper 2/3 Huntingdon Place. 557 0656
Andrew and Julie Johnston 20a Gayfield Square. 557 3351
Barbara Clayton 4/2 Huntingdon Place. 556 2779
Evelyn Hunter 5/4 Huntingdon Place. 557 3301
Irene Duncan 41 Haddington Place. 556 9957
Jane Ellis 9a Annandale Street. 556 9957

Contact any of us with any queries/suggestions etc.

AND OUR WEBSITE Have a look at: http://www.hopetouncrescentgarden.org.uk The website will be updated at least once a month and always after any committee meetings, clean-ups and other events. It will be worth looking at the Forthcoming Events page occasionally as this is one of the methods we will use to publicise such things as the installation of new benches, bulb planting ete. We will carry on publicising by posters around the Garden and its immediate area and start to send e-mails to those members online. So, if we haven't got your e-mail address please send me an e-mail:

chair@hopetouncrescentgarden.org.uk

And best wishes to all our members and supporters for a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. Keep an eye open as you walk through the Garden, pick up the occasional . piece of litter and enjoy the snowdrops and daffodils as they flower in the Spring.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-