Orchard volunteering session, 6 Jan 2024, 10.30am

Sadly, we lost a whole row of plum trees in the orchard, probably the result of the drought the previous summer. However, we now have three apple trees to replace them: a Rosemary Russet, James Grieve and Ellison's Orange.  We will plant these Saturday 6th January, 10.30am - 12.30pm, weather permitting 

Rendezvous in the orchard, by the picnic bench. Please bring your own gardening gloves, but other tools will be available to borrow.   Other potential tasks include dividing up comfrey plants, checking guards and stakes, and mulching.  Email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested, so we can gauge numbers and let you know if we have to postpone in case of wet weather.  

The Ladywell Fields Tiny Forest--now not so tiny any more

About a year ago a 'Tiny Forest' was planted on a mound in the western half of the middle field (near Dressington Avenue).  A Tiny Forest is a dense, fast-growing, native woodland made up of 600 trees planted in a tennis court-sized plot.  They are not only an attractive location for wildlife but are great for people to enjoy as well, and can provide a range of benefits in the fight against climate change.  Lots of local people signed up as 'Tree Keepers' to help care for it and we met for regular volunteer sessions through the summer months. 

With the support of Lewisham Council, this autumn the Tree Keeper group embarked on a project to extend our Tiny Forest by about 30% to cover the rest of the mound. This involved eight volunteer sessions to double dig the soil, then a day of planting and fencing on 9th December. We have followed the same method as the original, except that we did the soil preparation manually. We are grateful to the Kenneth White Legacy Award for a small grant to cover the costs of 180 saplings and some additional fencing. 

Tiny forests need three years of care from local people before they become self sustaining. If you would like to be involved please email us ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk.

Next Meeting and Christmas Social, Thursday 7 December 2023, 7pm

We have the important job of adopting a revised Constitution, so please come and have your say!  

There will also be time to discuss any other pressing park issues, and the option of a chat and a drink after the meeting.

Meet 7.00pm, Thursday 7 December at the RUSS Community Hub, 12 Church Grove SE13 7UU (via the gate at the far end of Church Grove in Ladywell). 

Dockless hire bikes

2023 has been a record breaking year for dockless bike hire in London.  The lime green Lime bikes offer fast, convenient, environment friendly transport for an ever growing number users.  But some incorrectly parked or abandoned bikes present a hazard.   

Lime bikes in a no parking zone or causing an obstruction should be reported to the operator as soon as possible.  This is easily done via "Improper or illegal parking" menu in the Lime app--just take a photo and send.  It's not necessary to be riding a bike.  Or alternatively, 

• call 0800 808 5223
• email support@li.me 
• email lewisham@glendale-services.co.uk
• use the Council's 'Love Clean Streets' app
• use the 'Fix My Street' app.  

The operator must remove reported bikes within 12 hours.  

Parking rules for Ladywell Fields vary depending on location.  The south field and the middle field east of the Ravensbourne are no parking zones.  Elsewhere in Ladywell Fields it is permitted to end a journey and park the bike responsibly.  The Lime app is giving users clear instructions on how and where to park and collects fines from users who do not end their journey properly.  

The parking zones are about to change, though.  Lewisham Council has just announced a plan to create 300 bike park and hire bays across the borough.  With the introduction of designated Lime bike bays, parking will be banned everywhere else. 

Playground Improvements

The Park User Group has secured some funding through Lewisham's 'Greening Fund' to refurbish the playground in the southern (Catford Green) end of the park near the community orchard and Adenmore/Bournville Roads.  There are three options for new items to supplement existing playground equipment.  You can look at these options in more details, leave comments or express a preference via the user group's Facebook page.  Responses will be fed back to Glendale.

Committee update

At its AGM on 20 September 2023 the Ladywell Fields User Group elected Caroline Cupitt as Chair, Robert Sheppard as Secretary and Tony Rich as Treasurer for 2023/24.  The Group also adopted the Lewisham Parks Charter, which sets out the relationship between the Council and park friends groups.

Next Meeting and AGM, Wed 20 Sept 2023 7pm

The next meeting of the Ladywell Fields User Group (also known as the 'Friends of Ladywell Fields') will take place at 7.00pm on Weds 20 September.  

At the start of the meeting we will complete Annual General Meeting (AGM) business:  election of committee officers, re-adoption of the Constitution and receipt of the Chair's annual report.  If you'd be interested in serving on the LFUG committee during 2023/24, please email your interest to ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk. 

Probably at the Community Hub meeting space, at the end of Church Grove, Ladywell--venue to be confirmed.  

Please come along and help us ensure a wide range of park user views are heard!

Food, Folk ‘N’ Fun in the Fields, Sunday 23 July 2023

Come together in Ladywell Fields to celebrate.  There will be live music, activities for families, local food to try and community stalls--including Ladywell Fields User Group.  This year the community festival will be held in the North Field, near the cafe and railway station.  From 11am to 5pm, free entry.

Calling Tree Keepers of the Tiny Forest, Monday, 10 July, 5:15pm

Earthwatch Europe, sponsors of the Tiny Forest in Ladywell Fields, have exciting news about this new local ecology project.  They will hold a science day at the Tiny Forest--a fun event for counting butterflies and bugs 🦋🐛🪱, measuring trees🌳 and also getting a little muddy! It is a FREE event open to children and adults of all ages, to connect with nature, learn about local wildlife and also to conduct vital citizen science surveys in your local Tiny Forest.  This is a wonderful opportunity to become a Tree Keeper, learn about survey methods and continue the monitoring in the future. Please feel free to invite others who might be interested--friends, family, neighbours--the more the merrier 😃.  

Date and time: Monday, 10 July, 5:15pm-6:30pm.  The Tiny Forest is close to Lion Close, Lewisham, London SE4 1JE.  Register in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/663640515647

Watering the black poplar saplings, Wednesday 31st May 2023 at 7pm

The weather has finally become dryer and we have young black poplar saplings in the park which need watering. Unfortunately in other years we lost saplings due to insufficient watering, so this year we want to make sure every tree that needs it has enough water.  As published before, the black poplar saplings are important for the ecology of Ladywell Fields.  

They need several buckets of water in dry weeks, and unfortunately we cannot rely on the contractor to water the trees enough.  We should therefore take the initiative and start watering ourselves. 

Volunteers are invited--this won't take very long and also makes for a lovely evening walk through the park. Bring a garden bucket, if you can.

Meet Wednesday 31st May, 7pm at the community orchard (southern tip).  

Please email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested.  As the summer progresses, we will organise more, regular watering sessions. 

Meet the wildlife at Ladywell Fields Biodiversity Week from 20-28th May 2023

Meet the wildlife at Ladywell Fields Tiny Forest.

This year's Biodiversity Week at Ladywell Fields will be all about the Tiny Forest--our local nature reserve of 600 saplings, planted last November along the western side of the middle field by Dressington Avenue. 

Tiny Forest Biodiversity Week is a simple survey of wildlife.  More volunteers are welcome to spend time in nature and conduct a small survey to monitor the tiny saplings as they grow into a super powerful forest!

This can be done on the day and at the time to suit you--no appointments to keep.  Everything you'll need can be found at https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/biodiversity-week.

Community Orchard volunteering session

+++ UPDATE--PLEASE NOTE+++

As we expect very wet weather on Saturday 6th May 2023, we are postponing the volunteering session.

A new date will be published here shortly.

+++++++

The plum blossom has nearly finished in the orchard. Once the fruit has set, we can do some pruning on these trees. We are therefore having another volunteer session on Saturday 6th May, 10.30am - 12.30pm. For those who wish, there is also comfrey cutting and weeding the mulch circles around the smaller trees. 

Rendezvous in the orchard, at the southern end of Ladywell Fields, near the Bournville Road entrance. Under 16s welcome with close supervision. Please bring your own gloves and secateurs if you have them, but some will also be available to borrow. Please email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested, to gauge numbers and so we can let you know if we have to cancel in case of wet weather.

Black Poplar Saplings

Last year twenty new trees were planted in Ladywell Fields, including 14 Populus Nigra Betulifolia, the native black poplar. The male trees have long been growing in the park, but in recent years several have fallen in storms or had to be felled. We hope to establish a new generation of native black poplar trees along the river, and to include the rare female trees.

Last year was, of course, a tremendously difficult for newly planted trees due to the severe drought.  Unfortunately we lost six saplings. The planting scheme has ensured they are replaced and three male, plus three female, trees have just been replanted. If you look for the new tree cages near the river, you will see that the trees are still very small. It has again proved very hard to find anyone who can supply them and these young whips have come from Suffolk. They will need our care for the first couple of years but are fast growing and should soon establish.

All these trees have a fortnightly watering contract for the first two years, however they will need additional watering through dry periods. Last summer a small group of us spent a very pleasant hour watering on Wednesday evenings, 6-7pm. Please get in touch if you would like to help this year. ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk.  

Community Orchard volunteering sessions Saturdays, 28th January and 18th February 2023, 10.30am - 12.30pm

There is quite a lot to do in the orchard at this time of year so we are holding two volunteer sessions in the next few weeks. We'll be doing winter jobs: pruning, weeding, mulching and checking guards and posts. Please come along to help and maybe learn something new about caring for trees. Rendezvous in the orchard which is at the south end of Ladywell Fields, near the Bournville Road entrance. Boots and old clothes recommended. Under 16s only with close supervision. Please bring your own gloves and secateurs if you have them, but some will also be available to borrow. Please email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk if interested, so we can gauge numbers and let you know if we have to cancel due to wet weather.