Monday 1 September 2008

DigFood!!



We all love Victoria Park here in Leabank Square!!

Just a few metres down Berkshire Road & over the bridge & we have this amazing park to enjoy!! (see: http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2006/11/victoria-park-or-viccie-park-as-almost.html





Now - I know that it is technically in Tower Hamlets Council - but all of us here in Hackney Wick feel as though it is OUR park as well!! Just because someone once drew a line on some map - doesn't mean that we in Leabank Square don't feel some LOVE for Viccie Park!?!
But there is potential to love Viccie Park EVEN more!!

As some of us are aware - there has been a load of consultation about what the future of Viccie Park is going to be. Tower Hamlets are trying to find out what local people think about this amazing park.

BUT........... some incredible people have come up with a great new idea!

You know how we all love to plant our own fruit & veg all over Leabank Square? Well - this could just happen within Viccie Park as well!

I'm not to sure if you know that the deers in the deer enclosure might be transferred to somewhere like Richmond Park, i.e. the remaining females can be put into a large, open herd in a large park or the grounds of a UK Stately Home. There they can graze & roam as nature intended - with thousands of square metres & hundreds more existing deers.

This leaves an incredibly fertile garden of land that Tower Hamlets need to think about using in a different way. Can you think of anything better than a large veggie garden?!

Imagine how well food will grow on soil that has been untouched by humans, & deers have been pooing all over for for decades?!

Plus - it is right next to the amazing Rose Garden already. On one of your weekend trips to Viccie Park - you could take a massive lungful of relaxed air in these neighbouring gardens & chill out before coming back to the Wick.

The only thing - Hackney Wick - is that Tower Hamlets have still not definitely decided that the garden should go in the deer enclosure. Based on all our growing here in Leabank Square - we would definitely go mad for a ground as fertile as this spot.

Having spoken to loads of you - I know that there is great interest in joining any voluntary group set up to do the gardening in Viccie Park - should they set one up. Please follow the link (http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/templates/news/detail.cfm?newsid=9878) and let Tower Hamlets know how enthusiastic you are - and that if at all possible - could they site it in the deer enclosure.

Aaaaaaanyway - well done (again!) Tower Hamlets for this incredible new initiative - we - this side of your park - applaud you & whatever your end decision - hope that we can become loyal & committed partners - even if we are not technically Tower Hamlets citizens!!


PS: Last week - TimeOut magazine voted Viccie Park - the Best Park in London - & too right too!!






Please feel free to add any comment about this blog entry! Simply click ‘comments’ below & you can tell us all what you think. You can use your own name, a pseudonym, be anonymous, or even join blogger yourself. The more we all discuss Leabank Square – the more we all feel part of it!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Count us in - we will fill the Tower Hamlets survey in a few minutes time. It would be a great idea to use the deer pen. We have always felt so sorry for those poor deers - especially when there are concerts & fireworks on in the park.

Another reason for having it in that space is that it will be near the Olympic site where we all lost our allotments when they started building. There are loads of us fomer Manor Graden allotment holders who are twiddling our green thumbs.

Sóna - if you can give us some of the flyers from Tony to help you photocopy & distribute as well.

See you on Wednesday.

Gail

Anonymous said...

Hey!!

Just done the deed and sent in my views. Wouldn't it be great if we could persuade TH to site the garden in the deer park, it would be so easy to get to.

Also, it would be much easier for them to direct green fingers towards - EVERYONE knows where the deer park is!

Anyway, pass on my Good Lucks to Tony.

Moby

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

Why don't you invite Tony down to the Leabank Square Festival?

Besides all of us here in The Square - there are going to be thousands of other people visiting the area - most of which use Viccie Park anyway - so he will surely get loads more people interrested!!

Just a thought.....

Mary