FORMED IN 1961 TO PROTECT RICHMOND PARK AS A PLACE OF NATURAL BEAUTY AND PUBLIC PLEASURE

What is the Park for?

Autumn fungi

Princess Alexandra opens new horse ride

Something for everyone at Open Day 2008

The Park this winter

NEWSLETTERAutumn / Winter

2008

The

Frie

nds

of R

ichm

ond

Park

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This issue marks the end of a veryenjoyable and fruitful hand-over periodand a new beginning for me as editor ofthe Friends newsletter. But my predecessorAlison Donaldson’s extensive knowledgeand expertise will not be lost to theFriends; she remains a member of theCommittee and she has also agreed to beConsultant Editor of the newsletter. I’mvery grateful for the guidance, ideas andcontacts that Alison has provided over thepast year, and delighted that they willcontinue. She has done a wonderful jobon the design and content of the newsletter,and I anticipate few changes, just my bestefforts to maintain her high standards.

The 2008 young people’s photocompetition left us with an impressivecollection of photos of the Park in allseasons, and we have drawn upon themagain for our winter cover and toillustrate some articles. We hope thatyoung photographers are already out andabout in the Park taking photos for nextyear’s competition — and future newsletters.

In this issue we have also made space fora Comment piece (on page 10). I’dwelcome more contributions from Friendsof Richmond Park, so please do send meyour ideas, letters, and comments,however short (around 400 words fills atypical page). For example, you could:

• write a Comment piece, or “Letter to theEditor”, or respond to one;• write about what Richmond Park meansto you for a “My Richmond Park” feature;

• write about volunteering for a pageabout our volunteers;

• tell us if you spot any interestingwildlife in the Park...Your photographs would be very welcometoo. I look forward to hearing from you.

Marilyn Masonmarilyn.mason@virgin.net

The purpose of The Royal Parks, restatedin its latest annual report, is to "managethe royal parks effectively... balancing theresponsibility to conserve these uniqueenvironments with... policies to encourageaccess... enjoyment, education, entertainmentand healthy recreation". This is anexcellent statement of what The RoyalParks should be doing: balancing conservation against human use of the parks.

But when we come to what the report hasto say about The Royal Parks' objectivesand performance targets for the currentthree years, this balance is completely lost.Only one of the six objectives concernsprotecting the natural park environment,and that is qualified by the statement"for the enjoyment of families, childrenand visitors", not an end in itself. There is another objective to "conserve thehistoric built environment", but the restare to "understand and respond to theneeds of our audiences", "deliver cleareducation, health, sport and participationoffers", "deliver greater value for moneyfor the taxpayer through increased incomegeneration" and "demonstrateorganisational excellence".

None of the 15 performance targetsrelates to the conservation side of the balance. Instead, they are such things as"gain Green Flag status" (an award for good park management), "maintain orenhance customer satisfaction", "improvepartner and stakeholder management","reduce accumulated maintenance"(there is a backlog of £59 million),"increase profitability of commercialactivities", and "improve staff satisfactionlevels".

It is tempting to dismiss all of thisbecause of the management-speak (what isa "participation offer"?), but there areimportant points here. The objectives and

targets reveal thepriorities of The RoyalParks, which are allabout increasinghuman use of theparks and reducingthe cost to thetaxpayer. This reflectsthe priorities of the Department forCulture, Media and Sport (DCMS), towhich The Royal Parks reports (I wonderwhether DCMS sees Richmond Park asculture, media or sport — I suspect sport).

They say in business that "what is notmeasured is not managed". This is particularly true if bonuses are tied toachieving targets, as I suspect is the casewith the bonus of the Chief Executive ofThe Royal Parks. I doubt that theseobjectives and targets will affect howRichmond Park is managed day-to-day, butthey will almost certainly affect how headoffice spends its time, which projects getfunded and which new initiatives areimplemented. If The Royal Parks continuesto promote human use of the parks andgreater commercialisation to reduce thecost to the taxpayer, the "unique environments" of the parks mentioned inits purpose will suffer. Nothing in The Royal Parks' objectives and targetsrecognises this.

With the emphasis now so much towardhuman use and away from protecting the natural environment, there is more needthan ever for the Friends to correct thebalance.

Ron Cromptonron.crompton@frp.org.uk

143 Palewell ParkLondon SW14 8JJ

From our ChairmanEdi tor ia l

What is the Park for?Cover photos Entries to the 2008 young people’sphoto competition Front: “Blizzard in April — surprised deer”by Tom White, aged 14Back: “Stormy Skies” by JessicaDarlington, aged 15

This newsletter is printed on paperwhich is 50% recycled.

Please pass it on to a friend or recycle itwhen you have finished with it.

The 2009 photography competitionfor young people The Friends are already beginning toorganise the next annual photographycompetition for young people, whichwill start early in the new year, with theprize-giving in June.

We need to replace members of theteam which organised the first twocompetitions, in particular, KarenRockell, who is now focused onEducation, and Jackie Grimes, who hasleft the Committee. The process is nowwell established, and Karen and BrianBaker will be available to hand over andguide the team. There is a variety oftasks to be done which can fit in withyour interests and availability. If youwould be interested in joining the team,please contact Ron Crompton atron.crompton@frp.org.uk.

50%

Cert no. SA-COC-001885

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Nature Nature

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Fungi in the ParkElisabeth Cheesman, with photos by Nigel Reeve, Royal Parks Ecologist

The nature and ecology of fungiFormerly classified as plants, fungi arenow known to be a separate kingdom.There are two types: macrofungi andmicrofungi. The macrofungi (those such asmushrooms and puffballs that produceeasily visible fruiting bodies) have somecharacteristics analogous to those ofplants, such as the root-like “mycelium”(the hidden part) and seed-like sporesproduced by the fruiting bodies (thevisible part). A fungal mycelium canspread over a large area of its “substrate”(the material it feeds on), and canexchange substances through its “hyphae”(tiny thread-like extensions to themycelium); the fruiting bodies shed theirspores to start a new growth. There arealso thousands of microfungi in the formof yeasts, moulds and so on.

Fungi are very important for thebreakdown of decaying matter, returning itto the environment. They can also form a“mycorrhizal” relationship with plant roots,giving, as well as receiving, nutrients; it issaid that many plants could not existwithout this relationship. Fungi are foodfor animals, particularly invertebrates, andare used by humans too.

Types of macrofungiMacrofungi come in many shapes,including balls, clubs, warts, crusts, andwrinkled or coral-like masses, and in agreat range of colours, often spectacularlybright. Smell and texture can be asimportant as appearance for identification.Stem (typical mushroom- or toadstool-shaped) and bracket fungi can drop theirspores from gills, pores or spines; othersmay release spores directly from a spore-bearing surface, in tiny vessels called “asci”.

Some Richmond Park fungi

On grassland we commonly see thetraditional mushroom or toadstool withstem, cap and gills, such as Parasol(Macrolepiota procera) or Fairy Ring(Marasmius oreades). Under trees, especiallyoak trees, we might find the fungi of treeroots or leaf litter, such as Butter Cap(Collybia butyracea) and Lilac Bonnet(Mycena pura), and sometimes Puffballs(e.g. Lycoperdon species) and Earth-balls

(Scleroderma species), which release theirspores by bursting open at the top. Don’tforget to look up into the trees too, as youmay see large bracket fungi such asBeefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica) orChicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus

Parasol

sulphureus); these names refer to textureand appearance rather than taste. Most ofthese do not destroy living wood but co-exist with the ageing process. Even fallenand felled wood is far from dead, andprovides food for many fungi, such asTurkeytail (Trametes versicolor), SulphurTuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) andGlistening Inkcap (Coprinus micaceus).

Useful booksThe most comprehensive field guide isRoger Phillips’ Mushrooms and other Fungiof Great Britain and Europe, but it is largeand the huge number of species can beoverwhelming for the beginner. But noneof the smaller guides is completelysatisfactory, and there is a danger offorcing a specimen to fit their limitedrange of examples. The MycologicalSociety recommends the Collins NatureGuide Mushrooms and Toadstools ofBritain and Europe by EdmundGarnweidner, and the Collins Little Gem is

surprisingly good for its size. I also use therecent Dorling Kindersley publicationFungi, as it gives good habitatinformation as well as the newly-devisedEnglish names.

Foraging and the lawFungi should never be taken from anature reserve or Site of Special ScientificInterest (SSSI) such as Richmond Park,except, with permission, for scientificstudy. The police in Richmond Park arevery vigilant and will prosecute. In otherplaces, fungi should only be picked withpermission from the landowner, who mayimpose conditions. The ForestryCommission, for instance, allows onebasketful for personal use but nocommercial harvesting.

Elisabeth is leading a Friends walkfocusing on fungi on November 1st.

Chicken-of-the-Woods

Beefsteak Fungus

Puffball (smaller)

About the writerI had some grounding in botany as achild, helped by my father who was anart teacher and amateur naturalist.When I retired early from Classicsteaching, my botanical skills improvedquickly as my love of nomenclature andbeing out-of-doors seemed to cometogether. I started on fungi because theymainly occur in the autumn when theplant season is declining. I find themextremely interesting and beautiful, andenjoy the fact that many of their genericnames come from Greek, but it is provinghard to learn on my own and I am tryingto get as much expert help as possible. Ihave found local natural history groupsvery encouraging to beginners, and theycan certainly do with our support.Elisabeth Cheesman

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Ringlet butterflies spottedA breeding colony of Ringlets was foundin July in the Park by Ken Cheesman,possibly the first time that such a colonyhas been recorded. The colony was closeto the border with Ham Common, in adamp and relatively dark area near severalpatches of flowering bramble, whichattract many butterflies. Ringlets are asimilar size and colouring to the maleMeadow Brown, also be found in thatarea, but they lack the amber patch onthe underside of the upper wing that is adistinguishing mark of both sexes ofMeadow Brown. They also have a muchmore noticeable white fringe around theoutside edges of both wings, anotherhelpful distinguishing mark.

Nice weather for someThe wettest August since 1912 proved tobe good news for amphibians such asfrogs, toads and newts, which need dampshady places to survive once they haveleft the ponds they breed in. This year

New horse ride openedOn a perfect September morning, PrincessAlexandra opened the new horse ride onBroomfield Hill. The new ride offers greatviews across the Park and is a gentlerroute, more suitable for novice riders, thanthe one it replaces. It has been carefullylocated away from the road and avoidsareas of the Park that could be damagedthrough heavy use. The route will enablethe old ride, lined by valuable trees, to berestored to parkland. After the ceremony,Princess Alexandra was driven back toThatched House Lodge with MarkCamley, Simon Richards and others.

Funding for the project was provided by agenerous donation made by Mr PhilSwallow (pictured above, with PrincessAlexandra) through the Richmond ParkCharitable Trust (RPCT). Phil Swallow is alocal Kingston resident who rides regularlyin Richmond Park and is a Trustee of theRPCT.

Park amphibians enjoyed the freedom toroam as never before, and on rainy nightsin September Park roads were sometimeslittered with frogs and toads looking forsuitable places to hibernate.

But Autumn comes earlyHorse Chestnut trees, as in previousautumns, have been affected by LeafMiner Moth caterpillars, which cause theirleaves to brown and fall early. So far, ParkChestnut trees seem to have survivedthese infestations, and next spring theyshould look as lovely as ever.

Bracken controlThe stacks of cut bracken in the Park atthis time of year are destined to becomean acidifying mulch for the Azaleas andRhododendrons of Isabella Plantation.Bracken “bruising” was carried out inAugust to prevent bracken colonisingareas of more sensitive vegetation.

Royal Parks in the newsLocal Informers reported proposals tointroduce Fixed Penalty Notices in theRoyal Parks for offences such as failing toclean up dog mess, playing musicalinstruments and cycling in forbiddenparts. People spoiling the Parkenvironment for others could face on-the-spot fines of between £40 and £60.

Peace in the ParkThe annual duathlon in the Park on 14September meant closed roads and anexcellent opportunity to walk or cycle inthe Park without traffic around.

For weary duathletes, Park staffrecommended a common Park plant, Silverweed, otherwise known as "Traveller'sEase", effective for sore feet because itcontains a mild antiseptic and coolingrefrigerant.

Pollarding the willows The Beverley Brook is lined with about130 trees, most of which are CrackWillows. As their name suggests, theyhave brittle twigs and branches which areprone to break, ending up in the river andrequiring a tedious removal job. To reducethis, Park staff pollard about ten treeseach year, cutting the branches back to aheight above the browsing deer. Newshoots will appear in spring, creating anever-changing cycle of different tree sizesand canopy density. (More on wintermaintenance in the Park on page 13.)

Royal Parks Annual ReportThe Royal Parks has issued its 2007-8Report, entitled "My Park Is ...". It can bedownloaded from The Royal Parks website (www.royalparks.org.uk/about/publications/)or purchased from The Stationery Office,price £13.90. It contains details of someinteresting projects and improvementsbeing undertaken in the Royal Parks, andof Royal Parks funding.

With thanks to Park staff, Max Lankasterand Piers Eley for news items.

Park newsPark news

Princess Alexandra opens the new ride, accompanied by Park Manager Simon Richards(frontleft) and donor Phil Swallow (front right). Photo by Giles Barnard

Pollarded willows, detail from “Richmond’sWater Ribbon” by Charlie Thompson, aged 9

From carriage rides to a bouncy castle, from face-painting to pond-dipping, there was something for all thefamily at Richmond Park Open Day on September 21. As well as all the fun, there was plenty to learn aboutthe Park from the imaginative hands-on displays by wildlife organisations and local community groups. Insparkling sunshine 2,300 visitors "clocked in" at Holly Lodge, and some families who arrived at 11am werestill strolling among the 35 exhibitors' stalls at the end of the afternoon. A full programme of guided walkstook visitors out into the Park to hear from experts about its history, its deer, its trees and its butterflies. Theevent, organised by the Royal Parks team at Holly Lodge, was described by Park Manager Simon Richards as"a huge success". Assistant Manager Adam Curtis enjoyed the "wonderful community spirit" and praisedthe contribution of the Friends of Richmond Park: "We couldn’t have done it without the help of

their 30 volunteer stewards, whose amazing enthusiasm helped the day to go with a swing."

After a morning spent drawing the wagon, one of theshires has shoes replaced by farrier Michael Johnson ofHam, a task he performs every six weeks.

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Park news Park news

Something for everyone at Richmond Park Open Dayby Michael Davison, with photos by Michael Davison and Karen Rockell

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Alfie Walker, aged four, from Swiss Cottage, tries onthe antlers of a red deer stag at the British DeerSociety display.

Traditional country crafts were a theme of Open Day. Simon Farndonshows how to weave a hurdle fence section out of hazel rods.

Three-year old Ashling Shand takes the drivingseat of a John Deere tractor, one of the piecesof heavy machinery used in the Park.

Young naturalists intrigued by the creepy-crawlies discovered by dipping a net into a pond in the Holly Lodge gardens.

Steve Green, who looks after the horses at Holly Lodge, gives youngsters a ride on a wagon drawn by the Park’s stalwart shire-horses Jed and Forte.

The Friends stall, with moble nature display

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As ever, the Park continues to keep mymanagement team exercised in a varietyof ways.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the last twosummers have been relatively favourablefor the establishment of young trees andwe have been concentrating on replacingtrees that had failed as a result of theprevious years’ droughts. The mostcommonly planted trees are Oak,Hawthorn and Sweet Chestnut. We havestopped planting Horse Chestnut due tothe effects of the Horse Chestnut LeafMiner; however we have reintroducedsome Wych and English Elm to the Parkand also another rare native tree — theBlack Poplar. In future years expect to seecontinued diversification in tree planting,but I suspect this will not include olivegroves!

In recent weeks Adam’s Pond has beendrained and some 600 square metres ofsilt have been removed. This silt has beenstored in a temporary lagoon in theSidmouth Wood and in time will beincorporated into our compostingoperation and used in the Park. In themeantime, the pond will have a smallarea of reedbed planted which shouldprovide shelter for the ducks that try tobreed there most years but which usuallyfall prey to dogs. The pond will beallowed to fill with rain water over theautumn and winter.

As many readers will know, the Park wasdesignated as a Site of Special ScientificInterest (SSSI) in 1992. The park is dividedinto a series of management units and

each is assessed for condition by the bodynow known as Natural England. They havetargets set nationally for improving thecondition of the nation’s SSSIs. Each unitis assessed as in favourable orunfavourable condition, and then asimproving, no change or declining. Adam’sPond was assessed as unfavourable anddeclining, and so was our highest priorityfor action.

Partly as a consequence of the practice inthe mid 1980s of spreading sewagesludge in a bid to improve fertility, muchof our grassland has also been assessed asbeing in unfavourable condition and wewould very much like to improve it. Thegrazing project, which will have re-commenced by the time you read this, isone way we are using to improve floraldiversity and hence condition. Elsewherewe have been cutting grass for many yearsin the Park and removing it off site toreduce fertility, essential for the re-establishment of acid grassland.

The new horse ride opened by PrincessAlexandra in September (see page 6) isparticularly important as it has enabled usto close the horribly degraded ride knownas Test Hill. This will be restored to openparkland over time and we hope thatsome of the trees on Test Hill that hadsuffered will recover.

Environment

The Park this winterby Simon Richards, Park Manager

“Skeleton Tree” by Harvey Weston, aged 8

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Comment

been responsible for the loss of severalspecies in Richmond Park, includinghares, weasels and stoats. They are alsothought to have caused a drop in thebird population, especially skylarks,which nest on the ground. However,notices asking dog owners to restraintheir dogs in areas of the Park wherethe skylarks nest have been effectiveand numbers have increased recently.

Park Manager Simon Richards, a dogowner, makes it clear that the RoyalParks are not mounting an anti-dogcampaign: “Everyone is welcome inRichmond Park but we expect them tobehave responsibly and thoughtfully. Asfar as dog owners are concerned thatmeans keeping your dog under controlat all times. Observing seasonal noticeshas been shown to be of considerablebenefit to wildlife.”

John Karter is the new Friends PublicityOfficer, and an item based on this articleappeared in Richmond & Twickenham Times.

Concern is growing over the smallminority of dog owners who allow theirpets to run out of control and threatenthe Park’s wide variety of animalinhabitants. Ron Crompton, Chairman ofthe Friends of Richmond Park, says:"Dog walking in the park is on theincrease and the conflict between dogsand Park wildlife is becoming a realproblem."

Three cases of attacks on animals inrecent months, two of which resulted inprosecutions, have highlighted thesituation. The most serious case, heardat Richmond Magistrates Court inAugust, involved a dog attacking a deerand biting it on the side of the face andthe ear, resulting in the deer having tobe humanely destroyed. The dog-walkerwas convicted under the DangerousDogs Act but given an absolutedischarge. In another dog attack on adeer, the owner escaped with a cautionas the deer was not seriously injuredand the dog was under control whenthe police arrived.

In August, another dog owner wascautioned after allowing a dog intoBishop’s Pond, where it chased ducks.This was despite the notices aroundmany Park ponds asking people to keeptheir dogs out of the water in the latespring and summer months to protectyoung birds, especially swans. Last yearall the cygnets born in the park werelost, killed by foxes and dogs — but dogscan still frequently be seen swimmingand playing in the ponds and some ofthe notices have been removed ordamaged.

Over the years, dogs rooting around inthe undergrowth are thought to have

Lewis Blakey, aged 14: “Harmony of the pond” — aharmony easily disturbed

Are dogs and wildlife compatible? by John Karter

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Brain BafflerMystery MammalAt night you might find me on the woodland floor or around a log pile looking forfood. Complete the puzzle below and find the mystery mammal.

1 I live mostly underground and leave a ‘cast’ behind me.2 I live under the bark of rotting logs. I breathe through gills in my legs.3 I live under logs, my wing case shines and I eat slugs and snails.4 I have 8 legs and paralyse my prey before eating it. 5 My legs look like a wavy brush when I move.6 I hide in dark, dry places and live in soft woodland earth.7 I love eating flowers and upsetting gardeners!8 My larvae feed on rotting wood for 4-7 years.9 Not as many legs as my name suggests.

Hint: look on page 12 of the Summer 2008 newsletter — you may find it useful! Karen

Fascinating FactsThe Woodland FloorThe woodland floor is full of valuableminerals which come from dead plantand animal material and the bedrock.These minerals help to feed the treeand are absorbed by the roots in awater solution and taken up into thetree through the Xylem tubes. Manycreatures live in this habitat.

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Friends news

The children (and adults) were enthralledand sat in total silence while Susannatold them about some of the finds. Katiedid her bit with the deer bones and othermammals. It was a brilliant experience forall.

We hope to take the nature table to moreschools and other organisations to spreadthe word about our local nature reserve.To do this we need more helpers.Enthusiasm is vital, knowledge, for thosewho don’t have it, will come later —Susanna won’t mind my saying that ayear ago she was a complete novice onmatters of flora and fauna. If you areinterested, please contact me onforp@sky.com or 07738 493 707.

As the saying goes: "From little acornsmighty oaks grow".

Education is an increasing priority for theFriends, not only for our members, butalso for other users of the Park and thelocal communities around RichmondPark’s borders. In particular, we aremaking our first focus families andchildren. They are the custodians who willprotect the Park in the future, and wemust make every effort to encouragethem now.

Following the young people’sphotography competition (the next onewill be launched early in 2009) we areplanning other events to help children seethe Park with new and informed eyes. Ourfirst activities are based on looking moreclosely at the park: the regular YoungFriends of Richmond Park page in thenewsletter; the Big Draw event, for allages; the development of family naturerambles and treasure hunts, which startedon a rainy October Saturday; and our starattraction, the mobile nature table (seepage 8).

For those who have not seen it yet, thenature table is an invaluable way ofshowing everyone the diversity of life tobe found in the Park. It is fabulously“hands on” so people can pick things upand really look and feel the items, fromseeds to feathers and skulls, the beautifuland the gory! When Susanna Ramseytook the collection to Latchmere PrimarySchool, expecting to show it to just oneclass, they were so impressed they askedher to leave it in school all day. Fourother classes went to see it (from Years 4,5 and 6). Susanna also talked to onemore class and her daughter Katie tookover for another one. The head andseveral other teachers popped in too.

Educationby Karen Rockell

Treasure hunting in the Park

Answers to brain baffler 1. Earthworm 2. Woodlouse 3. Groundbeetle 4. Spider5. Millipede 6. Wood Ant 7. Slug8. Stagbeetle 9. Centipede

Mystery Mammal:Wood MouseI’m a nocturnal mammal; I live in a holein the ground and eat insects andspiders.

Answers to puzzles on page 12

Chi ldren

by Karen Rockell

1 R R 2 O L S 3 R N E 4 I 5 L E 6 W A 7 G 8 G L 9 N D

Wander the Web If you would like some help in identifying trees:http://www.british-trees.com/guide/home.htm

If you would like to know more about the sciencebehind the leaves changing colour in autumn:http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/813E4EC0-DB8D-4ED1-A86E-379000319ACF/0/whyleaveschangecolour.pdf

Answers to brain baffler on page 13

Elm

YOUNG FRIENDS OF RICHMOND PARK

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Friends informat ion Events

Walks

All are welcome. Walksstart at 10am fromthe car park and finisharound midday.

Please phone PeterBurrows-Smith on 0208392 9888 inadvance if you needspecial support orhelp with the walk,and please keep dogsunder control.

*CoursesTo be confirmed.Friends members only,£2 fee. Bookingessential, phone 0208876 2623.

See alsowww.frp.org.uk/walks

Events

Friends Committee Chairman: Ron Crompton

Vice-Chairmen: Peter Burrows-Smith (Walksand Courses) & Sheila Hamilton (Hon.Membership Secretary)

Vice Presidents: Richard Carter, DavidMcDowall, Douglas Reynolds, DavidThorpe, Mary Thorpe

Other committee members: Brian Baker(Hon. Secretary); John Collier; AlisonDonaldson; Max Lankester; JackMaunders; John Repsch; Karen Rockell(Education); John Waller (Hon. Treasurer)

Patron: Lord Rix, CBE

Friends walks and courses

Date What and where

1 Nov, 10am WALK: including Fungi. Meet Pembroke Lodge car park.

6 Dec, 10am WALK: including Christmas nature. Meet Kingston Gate car park.

26 Dec, 10am WALK: Boxing Day. Meet Roehampton Gate car park.

3 Jan, 10am WALK: including Winter Wildfowl. Meet Sheen Gate car park.

17 Jan, 10am COURSE: Introduction to Birdwatching*

7 Feb, 10am WALK: including Trees. Meet Pembroke Lodge car park.

21 Feb, 10am COURSE: Introduction to Birdwatching*

7 Mar, 10am WALK: including Pen Ponds Nature Trail. Meet Robin Hood Gate car park.

21 Mar, 10am COURSE: Spring Birds and Bird Song*

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Queries about the Friends?

For more information about The Friends ofRichmond Park see our website -www.frp.org.uk — or contact Brian Baker,Honorary Secretary, on 020 8546 3109.

Subscriptions & membershipSubscription rates: £6 individuals, £10households and societies. All membershipenquiries to Sheila Hamilton on 020 88762623. Application forms can be downloadedfrom our website www.frp.org.uk.

Queries about Park Management?

If you have any observations or concernsabout the way the Park is being managedplease contact Park Manager , SimonRichards at:

The Royal Parks, Holly Lodge, Richmond Park, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 5HSTel: 020 8948 3209Fax: 020 8332 2730Email: richmond@royalparks.gsi.gov.ukWeb: www.royalparks.gov.uk

Police telephone number: 020 7706 7272

Would you like to be a volunteer atthe Visitor Centre?The Centre has two principal functions:to give information and to sell aselection of postcards, greetings cards,tea towels, shopping bags and the like.

The Centre opens on Fridays, Saturdaysand Sundays. We are now looking toopen on Mondays to Thursdays as well,and so need more volunteers. There arealways two people on duty, work daysare flexible, and all volunteers are givenfull training and a polo shirt to wear.Our experienced volunteers will be onhand to start with.

If you are interested, please contactBrian Baker on 020 8546 3109, or emailbriangbaker@greenbee.net, to arrange aweekend date and time to visit theCentre, meet experienced volunteers,and find out more about what they do.

Join Friends monthly email Since April, members for whom we haveemail addresses have been receiving amonthly email highlighting Friendsactivities, together with the Park andIsabella Diaries by Simon Richards andhis staff. If you would like to subscribe,please email cottonbarbara@yahoo.co.uk.

Annual Dinner for the Holly Lodge CentreTickets are £55 (Concessions £45). Further details and/ortickets from Holly Lodge, tel: 020 8948 3209, ext. 236 or259.

Douglas Reynolds of the Friends Committee will be goingand if you wish to join him at his table please let HollyLodge know.

Friday 14 November, 7 for7.30pmThe Belvedere, PembrokeLodge

Changes on the Committee

Jackie Grimes, who was responsible formarketing and was also very involved inorganising our successful young people’sphotography competition, has resigned.Our thanks to her for the hard work andskills she brought to the Committee.

Jack Maunders has been co-opted to theCommittee; subject to approval by nextyear’s AGM, he will take over as Treasurerfrom John Waller, who is retiring.

The Friends of Richmond Park

www.frp.org.uk

Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve

& Site of Special Scientific Interest