Archive news

In this blog we share a little bit of history of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, planting in the park, rambling with Clare Balding, some of the issues with recent demonstrations and examples of where our views are threatened.

Decimus Burton is possibly the most important contributor to the development of Hyde Park in its entire history and in fact the best of his work there is still with us today, almost 200 years later – like the imposing Apsley Gate Entrance, the magnificent Wellington Arch, both at Hyde Park Corner, and the overall layout of the park itself.

The weather is dull and blustery on this first Sunday of British Summer Time. I hope that the forecast for sunshine and warmth in a couple of days is accurate.

Today’s blog mentions some other Royal Parks where our stories link up. All the Royal Parks have Friends’ groups and the chairs and I have met together with Royal Parks senior staff, on a regular basis for years. For the last year this has been c/o Teams. But the interesting thing is that we have all been in touch with each more than we did in “normal” times sharing ideas, many of which involve how best to keep in touch with you all, and this has been invaluable.

Beautiful Spring flowers in The Parks – a gallery of flowers and goings on in the parks in March

It’s the Spring Equinox today (20/03) which seems to me to be an auspicious day to be writing.

Phil Newcombe, Assistant Park Manager, Hyde Park, is in a similar Spring like mood and wrote to me:
“It’s amazing how a few bulbs make people smile as we come out of Winter, the COVID test team at Victoria Gate have commented on how many folk stop to admire what is just a handful of Narcissus ‘tete a tete’ by the gateway.”

A fun view of the different activities spotted in Hyde Park from skipping to tree climbing……

Boy – has the weather changed, from “wear as many clothes as you can” to “do I really need this jumper” in the course of the last two weeks. The plants and trees must be in such a muddle. Still long may it continue to bring us the joys of spring.

It had been a long, long week. The day job, now a computer in the spare room was busy and demanding. I was “zoomed” out. The news was just depressing — more people infected, tragically more deaths, disputes over whose vaccine it was and who got what, when and where — having had a glass of red too many on Friday night I needed a reboot. Lockdown 63, week 4,786 and counting was getting us all down!