Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Wishing her a speedy recovery Barry.
Beautiful picture on that postcard.
Roger
Guest 744- Registered: 20 Mar 2012
- Posts: 412
I second that Roger. Barry please give Colette my best wishes to get well soon. I have had several bouts of flu over the years, the first of which occurred after my employers offered us the jab. I was off work for a fortnight so it backfired on them. It is debilitating (bit like being run over by a Portacabin
) and sometimes takes weeks to recover.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
good to see portacabins getting a mention, we mustn't forget them.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
Get well soon Colette, you poor wee thing.
I too was struck down by the flu-jab, not that my doctor agreed it was so. GPs do have their statistics to think of.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 744- Registered: 20 Mar 2012
- Posts: 412
I wonder how many GPs have flu jabs
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
i wonder how many portocabins get flu jabs.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
funny you should mention portacabins brian i think there is one in the folkestone road, not totally sure though.
looks like we have totally hijacked colette's thread.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
quite possably howard,but do you think its had a flu jab yet.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Well here I am back in the saddle after two weeks of being struck down by the awful flu bug. Many thanks to the guys who wished me well, really appreciated your good wishes, always welcoming when one is feeling so very ill. I'd only had the flu jab the week before I was floored and as Carole said it was like being run over by a portacabin although in my case it felt more like a truck full of portacabins. Still onwards and upwards now and I'm so thankful to be on the mend.
Re Connaught Park, it was full steam ahead after my meeting at the Castle Forum evening starting with a follow up meeting and a detailed walk around the park with Denise and Liz from the Castle Forum. They are both very committed with lots of ideas and we are working very closely together to help kick-start our plans into action. We were fortunate on the day to meet with the Park Keeper, a lovely and very dedicated man called Alan. We learned a lot from him and told him about our plans to formulate our ideas into helping with the upkeep of the park.
As we already know funds have been secured for the repair of the ornamental pond and works are due to be undertaken this financial year (weather permitting). I am now very happy to report back that as part of the programmed works there will also be the refurbishment of the last remaining Victorian shelter as well as minor footpath repairs and additional soft landscaping works including pruning and tidying. As I understand it, DDC are currently investigating the possibility of external funding through the Heritage Lottery Fund. Apparently they are looking at using Kearsney Abbey as the initial site and if successful they would look at a similar scheme for Connaught Park as it is deemed to be one of the Council's main strategic parks. Naturally, I'm disappointed that Connaught is not their initial site test park, as personally in my view, it would make more sense as Connaught so desperately needs to get back up to scratch. However, there is no doubt that Kearsney Abbey is the more obvious choice, it attracts more visitors including people from neighbouring districts made more likely of course by the cafe on site and that all important asset, parking facilities which Connaught so sadly lacks.
I had my second detailed walk around the park with none other than our own KCC/DDC Cllr, one, Nigel Collor. Nigel is very enthusiastic indeed and is also helping me with lots of sound advice. Currently I have still got some important and influential people to see as yet with regard to funding etc, as I got a bit waylaid recently with that dreaded flu bug so lots more avenues to explore yet. I was happy to see that the long grasses on the renowned snowboarding slopes have been cut.
Meanwhile, I have settled on a name which will be C PAG, Connaught Park Appreciation Group under the umbrella of the Castle Forum. I will endeavour to get some cards printed shortly. In the first instance I envisage starting on the lower part of the park just inside the main gate where the aviary is situated. This aviary is very well looked after by a lovely lady called Janet and indeed is a great credit to her. To my delight, Alan, the Park Keeper has told me that apparently the area that runs right along from the aviary down to the absent cafe space (this area is in a sorry state at present) is to be tidied up entirely by the Council hopefully in the New Year, again weather permitting and if so (I will get confirmation of this soon) we could start to sow seeds there in the New Year after taking advice on when and what to sow from some experienced gardeners. Also I would endeavour to plant in the four flower beds and the larger fifth one, the one with the birdbath that sits opposite the once occupied cafe area. The benches along that area are on my agenda too, sanding down and repainting, they need doing very badly indeed. Some are missing too, so I will look at replacing them. The dilapidated hard tennis courts are currently unlocked so they need new strong padlocks to be put in place for over the Winter period. Poster boards at the pond area also need sorting as they in a bad state of repair.
Needless to say, I am looking for volunteers willing to put their names into the hat to help with the projects mentioned above at weekends. Of course you don't need to be available every weekend, I appreciate most people are busy but maybe you might be able to spare the odd few hours. I will be approaching some garden centres and paint suppliers for help with the materials needed towards our first baby steps. Just email me if you can join the volunteer list.
There are oodles of other ideas swimming around in my head but we need a starting point. As we go along we can tackle other issues such as improved tennis facilities, in the summer months particularly around Wimbledon time and we need new nets too. We need to look into the possibility of including Connaught Park on the bus route to help those less able to get to the park, of course parking facilities would be the answer, but I'm guessing that's a long way down the line if ever. Perhaps a mobile refreshment van for the Summer period, space already there of course. Also approaching various schools in the area with view to students taking over a part of the park to cultivate and plant flowers. We could also look into the Community Payback Scheme too which I suspect is a little more complex.
Must mention that awesome picture postcard that Kath posted, it was wonderful to see the Park in all its splendour
That's it for now folks.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
The hard tennis court.
The Victorian shelter which will be refurbished.
The fifth flower bed with birdbath.
Part of the area alongside the aviary with one of the vacant bench spaces.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Good to have you back feeling better, Colette.
You've been a busy girl and achieved quite a lot there I'd say.
The Community Pay-Back Team are always on the look-out for new community-based projects and this is a very good example of that. They will need to be supervised quite strongly, but that is within the teams organisation to ensure.
Some good photos showing where the help is needed; i said a while ago that the local schools could be invited to adopt a piece of the Park to cultivate and plant flowers etc.
Good luck with it Colette.
Roger
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,928
I spent many years in my youth playing(tennis) on those courts
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,879
Thank you for a very comprehensive and interesting report Colette, I hope you achieve all the help and funds you need to improve the park.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i second that, great attention to detail.
Guest 719- Registered: 11 Jul 2011
- Posts: 443
Yorkshire Born And Yorkshire Bred
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Thanks for your positive comments guys and gal of course
Yes Roger, I did note your suggestion on an earlier comment re the schools so I took it on board
Keith, I too have spent many happy Summer balmy days playing tennis on the courts and also on the grass courts but I hasten to add that it was not in my youth
My daughters used to love it as well.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
I have just got the local papers and I'm very pleased to see that the Dover Mercury have quite a comprehensive piece on page 14 complete with photos of Connaught Park. Thank you to Mr Graham Tutthill, it is very much appreciated. He has headlined the fact that I am looking for volunteers.
The Dover Express have also got a small piece on page 3 highlighing that volunteers are being sought. Thank you to Mr Phil Hayes, also much appreciated.
I have already received a number of calls including one from the Dover District Volunteering Group who are eager to help with finding volunteers so all looking very positive indeed
I have been in touch with the Dover Society and I am meeting with DDC next week. Still lots to do but will keep you all updated. Don't forget if you want to become a volunteer just email or phone me. It doesn't matter if you can only spare an hour or two from time to time as any help at all will be most welcome
Email:
barco@tiscali.co.uk Tel: 01304 202738
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Been nice knowing you :)
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
Colette, who are you meeting at DDC & when ?
Watty
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Thanks Scotchie, I will digest that one later on
Watty, I'm meeting with Darren Solley, Monday, 1pm at my house
