The community for users of Preston Park in Brighton, UK
We’re pleased that the lovely pond in the Walled Garden has had its paved surround repaired. You may remember the pond was vandalised last year, its paving torn up and thrown into the water. Damage was caused to the lining of the pond which will take longer to rectify. In the meantime the dozens of fish for whom the pond is home are happy, and the pond looks good.
Our bid to Pride for £1000 from their community fund has been successful and we received the money into our account a few days ago. And our bid to Sussex Police for £500 from their police fund (money from the sale of unclaimed stolen property) has also been successful. PCSO Simon Turvey personally delivered the cheque:
This means we will be able to host this year’s park-promoting events without worrying about funding. Our thanks to Pride and to Sussex Police.
How would you like to have a fantabulistic Christmas wreath on your door made from the (professionally-sourced) greenery of the park at a risible cost of £3?
Then come to our wreath-making day: Sunday 11 December from 11am to 3pm in the men’s bowls pavilion.
Expert (!) tuition and all materials will be available to you, as well as festive music, hot drinks and mincers. It’s a great, festive event, guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit.
Our 2017 calendars are now on sale including the winner and twelve other excellent entries from this year’s photo competition. It only costs £5, with all proceeds going to our voluntary group’s fund. Use the Contact facility on this site to order yours.
More than five hundred of you joined us last night for the 2016 Halloween Lantern Walk. There were some fantastic costumes and lanterns on display. Well done to the prize winners who received chocolate cups and £20 Waterstones vouchers.
Thanks to our sponsors Fox & Sons and Sainsbury’s Local Preston Park, whose generosity made the event possible.
It’s coming up to that time again . . . Halloween . . . so, as we always do at this time of year, we are preparing for the Preston Park Halloween Lantern Walk.
We’d love to see you there – it’s a free, family event designed for accompanied children up to the age of thirteen. We’d like you to bring your home-made lanterns (no naked flames please, perhaps you would use battery-operated lights) and, if they want, children can dress up in scary costumes. Adults too can do their bit to scare away park demons by coming in fancy dress.
It’s on Saturday 29 October at the men’s bowls pavilion.
From 6pm there will be dry ice, scary music, Laura Brett – a story-teller of (not too) scary stories, and there will be the French Revolution stand selling sweet and savoury crepes and hot drinks.
At 7pm we’ll walk around the dark park with our lanterns to frighten away ghoulies and monsters.
After the walk there will be a prize awarded for the best children’s lantern, the best children’s costume and the best adult costume.
We’ll be there . . . will you?
Hearty thanks to this year’s sponsors: Sainsbury’s Local, Preston Park and Fox & Sons.
Winner in the Recreation category and overall winner:
Winner in the Landscape category:
Winner in the Sport category:
Winner in the Nature category:
To see all the shortlisted entries, click on the links below:
As part of the city’s Heritage Weekend celebrations, Andy Jeavons will be conducting free tours around the Rock Garden this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (the 8th, 9th and 10th). Meet at noon by the little house in the Rock Garden. It’s a lovely tour, so if you haven’t been on one yet it’s worth going along.
Also Sue Shepherd from Friends of Preston Park will be conducting another free Illustrated History of Preston Park walk with fascinating info and wonderful old photos of the park. The walk is this Saturday, 10th September, meet at 2.30pm at the Rotunda cafe.
Not part of this Heritage Weekend but back by popular demand, tree experts Alister Peters and Peter Bourne will conduct another free tour of the rare and magnificent Trees of Preston Park. Alister and Peter know the trees in the park extremely well – they will amaze and delight you with the stories behind our wonderful trees. The walk’s on Saturday 17 September, meet at noon at the Rotunda cafe.