The community for users of Preston Park in Brighton, UK
Elm disease has been discovered in the Prestonville area, meaning the city’s historic collection of trees is at risk of dying.
Residents are being asked to stop bringing elm logs into the area.
Please see the below article for further information:
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23681796.log-warning-brighton-elm-trees-chopped/
Preston Park has once again been awarded the Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces. Introduced in 1996, and first awarded in 1997, the award aims to establish agreed standards of good management, which in turn, helps to justify and evaluate funding and raise park attendance.
The owners of spaces that wish to hold the accreditation, pay a fee to be assessed by volunteer judges on an annual basis with a process involving secret shoppers and inspection of both the park and the owner’s management plans. The aspects that spaces are judged on are:
We look forward to seeing the new flag flying in the park soon.
On a rainy afternoon this week, over 20 people were led by Alister Peters, expert arborist, on a very interesting and enjoyable walk around many of the different trees in Preston Park.
Much of Brighton has chalky soils on which some trees can struggle to survive, but Preston Park is in a valley with better soils, enabling a wide variety of trees to flourish. Whilst, you will find familiar trees such as the beech (common and copper), London plane, lime, English oak, chestnut (horse and sweet), sycamore and several species of elm, there are also trees that are less common in this country, such as the sequoia, various species of maple, ginkgo, walnut, Hungarian and Turkey oaks, and Indian bean tree, to name just some of them. The last, (as shown in the photo), was in flower. Some of the other trees have beautiful flowers earlier in the year or particularly attractive foliage in the autumn.
It is comforting to know that such a large variety ensures and that we will continue to have many wonderful trees in Preston Park despite the threats presented by diseases such as ash dieback and elm disease.
Our next walk will be on Thursday, 17 August and will be curated by Alan Griffiths, former CityParks manager.
To attend this walk, please sign up to Eventbrite. The event should be wheelchair accessible but please note that as it will be held in the park, the ground may be uneven. Donations will be requested at the end.
Please see a message from Fabuloso about Brighton Pride:
Dear Preston Park residents, we recognise that the Pride weekend can be an inconvenience for some residents and appreciate your patience and good will.
As one of our closest neighbours, we would like to invite you to come and experience for yourself Fabuloso on Sunday 6th for just £5, all of which will be donated to Friends of Preston Park.
We are pleased to be able to offer £5 tickets for Sunday to residents in the following streets (see red area on map):
· Preston Park Av
· Preston Road (opposite park as on map)
· Preston Drove (lower end as on map)
· Preston Park Ave
· Grange Close
· Rookery Close
· Greenacres
· Stanford Ave (lower end as on map)
To redeem this offer, follow the link (click here) to purchase your ticket. On the day take your e-ticket along with proof of residency and photo ID to the box office in Preston Park before 3pm.
Children under 12 are free but will need their own ticket (click here) and MUST be accompanied by an adult over 21 at all times.
(no more than 2 children per adult)
For more information, please visit: https://www.pride-tickets.org/fabuloso-resident-offers/
An extra volunteer gardening session took place this weekend in the Rose Garden. Volunteers battled the bind weed and deadheaded in the hope of a second crop of lovely roses. The roses are really enjoying the sunny weather this year. It was a lovely warm day and a number of new volunteers came to help. We hope to see them back again soon.
It is intended that we will have further weekend sessions other than our usual Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ones and we will advertise this nearer the dates.
For further information regarding volunteer gardening or to donate to our Rose Garden fund, please refer to FoPP website.
Preston Park was visited today by Simeon Elliott for his bird walk around the park.
Unfortunately, many of our winged friends decided to go elsewhere, although we did manage to see a couple of Treecreepers, Robins and Blackbirds. As well as the usual Gulls, Pigeons and Sparrows, we did see a Gold Crest and hear a beautiful Thrush. We all retired to the Chalet Cafe at the end for tea and cake.
Simeon will give us another walk in spring so hopefully we might see and hear more then.
Our next walk will be on 22 July, when Alister Peters will give us his tree walk. The walk should be wheelchair accessible but please note it will be walking around the park so the ground may be uneven. Please sign up on the FOPP website for a free ticket through Eventbrite. Donations will be requested at the end.
Brighton & Hove residents were once again invited this week to join elm tree expert, Peter Bourne while he explained the varieties of the city’s huge elm tree collection.
The city’s collection is significant because it can boast to be the largest collection of elms in the country. This is in part because it has not yet succumbed to the ravages of elm disease that has destroyed other areas of the country.
Peter not only entertained the crowd with his arboreal knowledge, but also his witty stories of how Sussex came to be called so, as well as the historical confusion of scientifically naming the different varieties of ‘ulmus’. O
n a serious note, Peter also explained how the beetle transfers the tiny spores on its body, that kill the elms. We would like to reiterate the warning that elm wood should not be brought into Brighton & Hove as infected wood on the back of a truck will be contaminating healthy trees as it travels through the city! It is that deadly!
Peter Bourne will be giving further talks, including one for St Peter’s church in Preston Park.
The next FoPP walk will be the Bird Walk by Simeon Elliott on 14 July. To sign up, please go to our website to find the link to Eventbrite. The walk should be accessible for all, but please bear in mind it is a walk around the park and surfaces may be uneven. Donations will be requested at the end.
It has been proposed to close the Presto Park train station ticket office. If you would like to oppose this, please leave comments at this email address: ticketoffice.GTR@transportfocus.org.uk
Simeon Elliot has a huge wealth of knowledge in relation to birds and their habitats. As Brighton & Hove’s largest park, you would think Preston Park should have a huge array of bird species. So why not join us and find out what the park has to offer? Donations will be requested at the end of the walk.
The walk will take place on Friday 14 July at 9.00-10.30am. Click here to sign up on Eventbrite.
Renowned elm tree expert Peter Bourne is available once again to provide an insight into our huge elm collection.
The walk will take place on Sunday 9th July at 11.00 – 12.30 starting at the Chalet Café.
Sign up on our Eventbrite page here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/elm-tree-walk-with-peter-bourne-tickets-660450002737?aff=ebdsoporgprofile