1940s: “Rubbish from derelict bomb sites … always steaming hot…”

Posted on April 23 by Kerry Hood

“I have lived in this road since I was five years old, and I am now 81 years.

This park has beneath it rubbish from derelict bomb sites during the war. It was always steaming hot. Some parts of the Rec sink (because of this) so it was deemed unfit to build on – I don’t know if the powers that be still know about this – heaven help us if they built on this ground and it started to sink! I thought I should tell you the history of this land as there are not many of us left in the road to tell this story.

Before this [that it was a dump] my Grandad used to work in the Brick pit, building bricks, and this is why it was originally called Havelock Brickfields. It was a large hole until it was used as landfill of the wartime bombing rubbish.”

from a supporter’s email (2018).

Ward Councillors hand in Deed of Dedication Application!

Posted on March 28 by Kerry Hood

Friends of Havelock Rec are proud to say that our Ward Councillors, (Nicky Dykes, Will Harmer and Michael Rutherford from Bromley Town ward Conservatives) have handed in, to the council Environment portfolio holder, an application for the park to have a Deed of Dedication.

Though the park is already designated Metropolitan Open Land, the friends feel that in the current housing crisis, this is insufficient protection. For instance, the CPRE list 10 sites (link to pdf here) with the same designation that are threatened. It should also be noted that it is perfectly permissible to build schools or other public buildings on Metropolitan Open Land – which is why the site was identified for a school when the Friends ran their campaign to save it.

It is considered best practice to protect council owned green space with Deeds of Dedication, and Fields In Trust provided the Friends with help to fill in our application form – Fields in Trust work to safeguard recreational spaces and campaign for better statutory protection for all kinds of outdoor sites (through Deeds of Dedication). Hammersmith & Fulham Council are protecting all the parks ‘for future generations’ in their borough with Deeds of Dedication (see announcement here).

Here is a photo of the proud moment:

Handing over our deed of dedication over : Will Harmer (ward councillor), Bob Neill (MP), Michael Rutherford (ward councillor), Kerry (Friends), Nicky Dykes (ward councillor)

It’s Snow Days in our Park!

Posted on March 18 by Kerry Hood

This is the weather where people will walk a long way for the nice safe slope in our park! Here’s some of our pics of this year’s snow days in our park!

And some more scenic pics:

Some nice pics of our park – can you send us some too?

Posted on March 18 by Kerry Hood

Here’s some nice pics around of our park, and we were wondering if you had some too? We (or our parent friends groups/forums) would then be able to use them for future posts on social media, if that’s ok. We think our park is ace and want to show off how great it is!

collage of photos of Havelock Rec

Help us! Do you what this is – found in our Park?

Posted on March 18 by Kerry Hood

Help us – what is this mystery object?

The other weekend we were planting hedging whips to fill in gaps in our hedgerow, and we found this glass lense:

4inch glass lense dug up on Havelock Rec (aka the Brickfield) showing conchoidal fracture

Originally our park was a brickfield, and then a landfill site until the 1950s, so it’s possible to uncover all sorts of things that were discarded in yesteryear when you’re digging!

Do you know what it might have come from? So far we have the suggestions of a road lamp or a theatre light? We are hoping one of our members might also belong to the bromley local history society and can ask them?

Let us know what you think? If you are talking to one of our older residents, perhaps they might know?

S.O.S – Save our Swifts

Posted on March 18 by Kerry Hood

Bromley Swift Survey from the Bromley RSPB

How many swifts are nesting near you?

Swifts have been nesting in our buildings for centuries and have been a common sight performing their aerial acrobatics over our borough’s towns in the summer. They spend the rest of their year in Africa.

Unfortunately, their numbers are in severe decline. Between 1995 and 2015 the UK lost more than half its swifts. Numbers appear to have fallen even more in Bromley over the same period.

The RSPB believes that loss of nest sites is at least partly responsible. Due to our tendency to seal up buildings during renovation or knock them down, swifts are returning to discover their nest site has gone or access is blocked.

Action is urgently needed to prevent swifts becoming extinct in Bromley.

We are running a Bromley Swift Survey between May and July this year to discover where they are still nesting. We need to find this out quickly so that action to provide nesting spaces can be targeted in the right areas.

No knowledge of swifts or previous experience of doing surveys is needed. It will be really simple and easy, and help will be available if needed, for example on how to identify a swift.

We will ask participants to go for a short walk along the streets near to where they live or another location of their choice. A balmy summer’s evening would be best as the swifts will be most active then. The walk should be repeated at least once a month between May and July – so a total of three short walks. The participant would make a note of any swifts they see flying at rooftop level as this means that the birds will be nesting nearby.

It would be great if you could take part. The more people who join in the better as we will build a more detailed picture of Bromley’s swift population.

To take part in the survey or find out more information you can either:

email our Group’s Recorder Peter Smart on bromleyrspbrecords@gmail.com
call the Group on 07392 790 719.

RSPB Bromley Local Group

2018 Events

Posted on March 18 by Kerry Hood

Put these dates in your diaries!

14th April, 2-4pm – Easter Mini Olympics

9th June, 12-4pm – The *Big* Big Lunch!

14th July, 2-4pm – Bats, Birds, Butterflies and Beyond

5th August, 12-3pm – Summer Family Picnic

2018 Happy New Year from your Local Park!

Posted on March 18 by Kerry Hood

Just a brief note to wish all our supporters a great time this yuletide season, and that you might enjoy a good new year, and a thank you, everyone, for your unstinted support this year! Please keep an eye on the events page on the website so you don’t miss anything (though we will put posters on the noticeboards too)

I think we can say that the park has had a good year with all round improvements.

You might have noticed that, at the end of last year, we put up some rustic oak benches with the help of a volunteer group; Emma organised this – very well done – and Mark contributed the wood, so thanks to both of them!

In the spring, we had a record display of daffodils around the trees on the Havelock side of the park, thanks to the grass-cutting team who left them until the end of spring before mowing the area around the little trees.

Idverde, who are contracted to maintain the park, fulfilled the council’s obligation to replace some of our trees this summer, and put a ‘hippo’ bag for each new tree.

These dark green bags have a gap at the top (and a gap in the mesh protection too) that allow them to be watered – thanks to those people who watered the trees, that were within staggering distance of their houses! It was very beneficial to getting them through the dry spell in good nick. This year we have a new parks officer at idverde, Caroll Long, that you might meet in our park, she’s got lots of knowledge and enthusiasm, so it’s going to be great to work with her!

This year’s Big Lunch was very enjoyable, and lots of thanks go to Rebecca and Michelle for organising it – the cakes were as delicious as always! Unfortunately there was too much wind for the hot air balloon to take off, but I noticed that most of the men were standing around it chatting for ages, whilst being regaled by stories of ballooning derring-do!

In the school summer holidays we held our BirdBox and Bug hunting day, and a new family picnic days, both of which the weather behaved and we all had a good time.

From the bug hunting: a wool carder bee, a gatekeeper butterfly, and some people on the bug hunt!

We held another Hoedown in September, but on review, we are not sure that September is a good time to hold an event? Anyway, we will be re-thinking our events, and perhaps concentrating more on the Big Lunch and summer events, as this has not proved very practical for making the necessary arrangements during the summer. However, if you want to help and have your say on our decisions, all our committee meetings are open and we would be thrilled to see any of you!

Finally, just the other week, we have some more new trees – a little min-coppice of pine trees in the ESE corner near the green lane (to Waldo Road Waste Transfer station!). These will look really fabulous in coming years, and it’s great that they’ve been planted at such a good time of year, so they can put some roots down before the park dries out in the summer! Apparently these were planned in November 2016, so it’s great to see them!

Wishing you all the best in the new year,

Emma, Kerry, and your committee.