wildflowers – GGERA

Wildflowers

Mike de Jong — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 04:02:00 +0000

We’re so grateful to Maureen Byrne who – after two years of dogged persistence – has succeeded in arranging for the wildflower beds in The Vale to be reinstated.

You can already see the lovely daffodils clusters enhancing the green.

Green Spaces in The Vale

Mike de Jong — Tue, 25 May 2021 06:00:00 +0000

You will remember that early in 2020 GGERA volunteers planted a variety of spring bulbs in the green spaces on The Vale, thanks to the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. The aim was to create a corridor of wild flowers which will look colourful and smell divine AND will entice butterflies and bees to come and make their home here too.

You may also remember that UK Power Networks dug up all our planting efforts a few months later.

We have some good news at last: Thanks to Maureen Byrne’s persistence one of the executives of the company has now promised compensation AND will himself assist with the replanting.

And while we’re on the subject …

Why not sow some wildflower seeds, which attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators, in your garden?

Pollination is important because it’s how plants reproduce and bear fruit. Over recent years, because of pesticides, our pollinators are dying and they desperately need the sustenance from wildflowers.

At the very least they are beautiful to look at.

2020 – What a Year it’s Been!

Mike de Jong — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 17:53:00 +0000

Covid-19. Perhaps enough said! But …

• It was lovely to see so many join in the Clap for NHS and to see how neighbours have looked out for each other throughout.

• Thanks to the residents who have been supporting our local pharmacy deliver medicines to the housebound.

Litter picking

• One resident was spotted litter-picking on his own in Purbeck Drive one early morning during the first lockdown. How kind!

• Thank you to residents of The Vale who have organised litter pick-ups in the green space there.

• We hope we can organise another estate-wide litter pick-up in due course.

We continue to campaign for Donoghue’s to relocate. On a related note, we were able to help coordinate some strong opposition to the proposed concrete batching facility in Cricklewood.

It was lovely to see in the spring the results of the earlier wildflower bulb-planting activity.

The Memories Group has been meeting weekly via Zoom every Wednesday 5:00–6:00 pm since April. It has become more of a support group to its members during these peculiar times. It welcomes all residents and those with a connection to our area. It is now on Christmas break but weekly meetings will resume on Wednesday 13th January. If you would like to join any of its meetings just email memories@ggera.org.uk.

After some months of cajoling, the vandalized cash machine in Pennine Drive has at long last been removed.

We do thank Barnet Council for installing the CCTV camera in Pennine Lane, behind the shops. Please email PC Singh at amric.singh@met.police.uk if you witness any antisocial behaviour in that area.

We continue to try to halt the overdevelopment of our neighbourhood. Some planning applications have been turned down after our lobbying. Thank you to all those who have taken the time to object.

Corridor of Wildflowers

Mike de Jong — Wed, 06 May 2020 21:04:00 +0000

Last week on one of the Vale green spaces we planted a corridor of wild flowers which will look colourful and smell divine AND that will entice butterflies and honey bees to come and make their home here too.