From the blog

Community Picnic and Torridon PTA Fun Run

Councillor Natasha Burgess and Mehmet from Frothy Coffee cut the pavilion ribbon while Friends of Forster Memorial Park volunteers display the Green Flag

On Sunday 9th June we enjoyed our community picnic and Torridon school fun run. We loved seeing you all.

It was brilliant to celebrate the Park’s Green Flag Awards status and we heard the concerns of older girls about the park and their ideas for making it a space they’d like to hang out.

We were honoured Cllr Natasha Burgess could join us to open our newly decked Pavilion with Frothy Coffee Hut and the children of Torridon Primary School could raise the green flag!

Thank you all for coming, and to LSK Properties, The Ice Cream Shop band, the Lockdown Line Dancing Crew and Torridon Primary School PTA for making it such a lively event.

Of course, a huge thank you to all our incredible volunteers and community partners who help keep this park thriving with Lewisham Council and Glendale and ensure our community flourishes too.

Brilliant new cafe space

Work to improve the Pavilion has finished. We now have a beautiful new all weather outdoor space to enjoy with decking, seating and roof and safer access to the cafe. 

We are so excited and we love it – we hope you do too!
Pavilion work in progress during the build


The pavilion improvements were agreed with Lewisham Council as part of Section 106 funds allocated in 2018 to improve local community facilities.

The decking and shelter have been designed to improve the community’s experience at the cafe, as well as watching children’s football in all weathers and having a great space to meet.

A huge thank you to Glendale, Culverley Green Residents’ Association and Forster Park Friends committee (past and present) for seeing this through.

Please come and celebrate at the picnic on Sunday as we officially cut the ribbon to open this wonderful new space for all the community!

Tiny Forest comes to Piggy’s Island!

The diggers have been out this morning, preparing the space for tomorrow’s community tree planting.

A Tiny Forest is a miniature native woodland, about the size of a tennis court. They are an amazing location for wildlife, the local community, and can help fight against climate change.

So, come join us and plant 600 trees in your new Tiny Forest!

Free family-friendly event, everyone’s welcome! Bring gloves and spade if you have one, if not, we will have plenty on the day.

Arrive at the start of your slot to make sure you have plenty of trees to plant.

If you’d like to get in touch with the event leaders, email  tinyforest@earthwatch.org.uk

This is taking place at the side of the park adjacent to Conisborough Crescent, sometimes called Piggy’s Island!

What to wear:

We recommend wearing long sleeves and long trousers, plus footwear for a day in the outdoors, such as wellies/walking boots.

New woodland garden mural celebrates Benjamin Zephaniah’s Nature Trail

Have you spotted the new mural yet? It’s on the tool shed by the Longhill Road entrance and features some of the beautiful birds, insects and plants that you can see in the park’s woodland areas. Painted by Aspire Artwork, it is part of a broader piece of work to celebrate and improve our beautiful woodland garden.

The mural feature’s the final verse of one of the legendary Benjamin Zephaniah’s best known poems, Nature Trail. This is a firm favourite for many local schools and families, celebrating the diversity and beauty of nature.

There’s a hedgehog and a frog
And a lot of creepy-crawlies
Living underneath a log,
There’s a baby daddy long legs
And an easy-going snail
And a family of woodlice,
All are on my nature trail.

There are caterpillars waiting
For their time to come to fly,
There are worms turning the earth over
As ladybirds fly by,
Birds will visit, cats will visit
But they always chose their time
And I’ve even seen a fox visit
This wild garden of mine.

Squirrels come to nick my nuts
And busy bees come buzzing
And when the night time comes
Sometimes some dragonflies come humming,
My garden mice are very shy
And I’ve seen bats that growl
And in my garden I have seen
A very wise old owl.

My garden is a lively place
There’s always something happening,
There’s this constant search for food
And then there’s all that flowering,
When you have a garden
You will never be alone
And I believe we all deserve
A garden of our own.

Want to read more of this joyful celebration of nature? You can borrow the book version from Lewisham Libraries .

Green Flag and London in Bloom Gold Awards

Along with other parks and nature reserves in the borough that are already designated, Forster Park has recently achieved national ‘Green Flag’ status.

This is in recognition of the quality and management of its space, community involvement, recreational use and of measures to boost biodiversity including within the ancient woodland. 

Forster Park has also been recognised with a Gold in the London in Bloom awards for a large park, which celebrates and recognises volunteer and community efforts to make the Capital greener, increase biodiversity and enhance neighbourhood communities.

We are very proud of these achievements and we hope you are too!

We’re especially grateful to our incredible volunteers, the Council’s Parks team and Glendale who manage the park on behalf of the Council, the Frothy Coffee Hut team, all the community partners involved in the park – and our amazing sensory garden team, who won over the judges with our wonderful community space that so many of us enjoy being in.

Results of RSPB Bird Watch

Big bird watch on the 18th January 2023 in Forster memorial park with James Newton RSPB. 18 bird species viewed.

Whilst the group joined together, we showed a (thoroughly cleaned) fox’s skull and observed the nasal passage structure, eye sockets and remaining teeth along the jaw line. (Image T.Webb 2019)

James gives us an introduction.

The 2 main reasons for the timing of the RSPB Bird watch survey, which takes place at the end of winter, are:

  1. Visibility; during the winter months most of the woodland trees are deciduous and bare, without foliage or blossoms to obscure any bird sightings. Sightings are made far easier when on the bare limbs and trunks. However, many species initially appear to perform a camouflage act against the tree bark!
  2. The birds born last spring and summer will now have grown their adult plumage (full colour feathers) some species look similar when they’re still young.

A total of 21 Adults and children walked around the woodland paths, with binoculars to look up in to the skies and trees.

This whole area was previously Downham farmland. Much nature is still present as we explore the woodland perimeter which surrounds the park.

A robin red breast, our first sighting, sat up in the area behind the cafe. It took flight, although we were treated to several more along the way.

We watched as a woodpecker glided across the sky, with a particular dart-like appearance; a taste of what was to come.

A blue tit (yellow and blue…) skulked in the shrubbery.

Turning left into the wood chipping yard, beside the remaining discarded evergreen Christmas trees, we see a magpie (distinctive black and white) and a Stock dove (similar to a pigeon with shimmering green and purple feathers)

Wood pigeons (larger, grey birds frequently seen amongst the leaf litter searching for grubs) eating hawthorn berries and rose hips.

Then, continuing along a muddy entrance into the meadow to the right; the apple tree orchard.

A Greater Spotted woodpecker makes an appearance, hopping on a trunk. James tells us that their numbers are doing well across the country. We hear their ‘drumming’ as they bore holes into trunks with their long beak.

Black headed gulls fly overhead and a Blackbird sits in a tree.

We watch where we walk, as clusters of daffodils emerge amongst the grass, towards the path .

An orchestra of birdsong follows us as we head through to the north kent wood oaks for further sightings: Red wings (similar to a thrush with a reddish underwing.

There are 2 main species of Thrush:

The taller, graceful Mistle thrush (with a clicking call)

The smaller Song Thrush (which has a darker back and speckles)

The Parakeets (a vibrant green, non native, relative of parrot ) squawk overhead around us. They roost in tall narrow Poplar trees in the crematorium and at the Grove Park Nature reserve, alongside Greenfinches.

Parakeets on feeders

It’s common to feed them in urban back gardens and rather than having a detrimental affect, they can actually protect smaller, native birds, as when predators approach, they squawk loudly and fly off quickly. Theories aren’t clear on the origins of their increasing population although it’s unlikely that they’ve descended from a pair released by Jimi Hendrix in 1960s!

James points out several large wooden Owl boxes, fixed to the old tree trunks. He hears them hooting regularly between December and February. Although these have yet to be witnessed in the park.

We study several Nuthatches feeding in the trees. ID: Nuthatches climb up trees. Whereas Tree creepers display the opposite behaviour and creep sideways and downwards.

James shares additional news that Ravens have been observed around the East coast and Ashdown forest. Other more local sightings include a Sparrow Hawk and a Red Kite (with a forked tail).

We conclude our bird species sightings: 18 within a single hour.

Until next year!

New Gym – Tell Us What You Think!

We hope you are enjoying autumn in the park.

How are you getting on with the new gym especially?

Forster Part Outdoor Gym – tell us what you think!

We would like to hear your feedback so far, how you are using the equipment, and what else you might like to add.

Please do our short survey here, it’s really quick and we value your thoughts: https://forms.gle/5tiUKdtUL3uVQTXz6

As you know, Lewisham Council and Sevenfields Primary Care Network recently installed some new gym equipment in Forster Park – they are keen to get feedback on this from park users.

As well as this, thanks to Phoenix Community Housing residents, we have the opportunity to add to the adult gym equipment as part of our Green Shoots project, and we want to know what else you would like!

If you would like to get in touch directly with us to share your thoughts on the gym equipment, or on anything else in the park then please do.

You can email us at foforstermemorialpark@gmail.com or find us on social media: Instagram @forstermemorialpark; Facebook: Friends of Forster Memorial Park; Twitter @ForsterMPark

Thank you!
Rachel, Forster Park Friends

💚 Celebrating 100 years of Forster Memorial Park and designing for the future together.

ForsterPark100 #LoveForsterPark #WeareLewisham #ParkPlay #GreenShoots #PhoenixTogether #WeareLewisham #CatfordArtsTrail

Do survey now

https://forms.gle/5tiUKdtUL3uVQTXz6

What’s on in the park

Regular activities
Healthy Walks
Tuesdays 10.30-11.30am
Join this friendly walking group for a walk to and around Forster Park. Meet 10.30 Goldsmiths Community Centre SE6 1QD or 10.45 at the Longhill Road entrance to the park. Free. All welcome!
Register online https://mailchi.mp/enablelc.org/lewishamhealthywalks

Gardening Club
Weekly Volunteer Gardening sessions
Friday mornings, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Meet at the Centenary Sensory Garden (top edge of the playing field). The garden is inclusive for all volunteers and visitors. More info foforstermemorialpark@gmail.com or in the Forster Park Friends Facebook group.

Lewisham Lionhearts U12 and U14 football training
Saturdays 9.30-11.30am
Football training for 10-14 year old boys and girls (school years 5-9), all abilities welcome. https://www.lionhearts.club/
Contact lewishamlionheartsfc@yahoo.co.uk or 07391 747 579

SportsFun4All football club
Saturdays 10am-12noon and Sundays 10am-12noon
Football club for boys and girls of mixed abilities and ages 3-14, with FA qualified coaching staff.
More info: https://sportsfun4all.com/

Cafe
The Frothy Coffee Hut is open daily from 9am to 4pm in the Pavilion, serving hot and cold drinks, food and ice creams. Table tennis bats now available to borrow. @frothycoffeehut

Toilets
The toilets are open daily over the summer in the Pavilion. A key to the disabled toilet and baby change facilities is available – just ask any of the cafe staff next to the toilets.

Please note: All weekly activities are run by third parties unless stated above, please check up to date information with individual contacts. Friends of Forster Memorial Park accept no liability.

To share your activity here, please email the activity, time, day/date, cost, booking details and contact info to Foforsterparkfriends@gmail.com. Thanks

Love Forster Park?

Please report any graffiti, fly tipping, vandalism, litter issues or anything broken to Lewisham@glendale-services.co.uk and on Love Clean Streets. Report fallen trees here. Call 111 or 999 for any illegal activity.

Join and support our work as a member of Forster Park Friends here.

Share your #parkplay and follow us @ForsterMPark on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Volunteer to join our lovely team and help keep improving our lovely park. Email volunteeringfofmp@gmail.com to find out more and get involved. Thanks!

LoveForsterPark

www.forsterparkfriends.org
www.facebook.com/forsterMpark
www.instagram.com/friendsofforsterpark/
@forsterMpark

Report on the Wild Food Foraging day in Forster memorial park

During the day we held a couple ‘taste and touch guided tours’ in the sensory garden with adults and children.

To taste: several thymes, sage, tarragon, parsley and fennel seeds.

To smell: The uplifting scent of the geranium (kind donation from Liz Gill). The surprising aroma of the curry plant.

To feel: The soft lambs ear leaves and feathery achillea leaves, the silky artemisia powis castle.

We admired the stature and seeds of the sunflowers.

Wild food guided tour with safety guidelines

We walked across the field and observed dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) and plantain (Plantago major) along the pathway.

We continued to the woodland edge and discussed the difference between deadly Hemlock (not found in this park) and the delicious cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), which is prevalent and with low growing foliage during the cooler time of the year. Garlic mustard / Jack by the hedge (Alliaria petiolata), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), chickweed (Stellaris media) were also studied.

In the woods we saw stinging nettles (Urticae dioica) and burdock (Arctium).

At the end by Glendale’s entrance, we observed young Shaggy Inkcap mushrooms (Coprinus comatus) growing in the grass, which when older yield a black ink-like liquid, suitable for painting!

Plus a Ganoderma fungus close to the old tea hut building.

Ganoderma fungus
Ganoderma fungus

We completed our day with a / Our day culminated / in a wild food feast made and prepared by Effat Batul, who set up our ‘sofre’ picnic style tablecloth on the grass to sit around.

Wild food feast
Wild food feast

Forest feast gourmet salad menu

Buckwheat, sunflower seed and chickweed pâté served with Beetroot, marrow and tomato salad.
Date, apple and ginger and apple dessert with Fresh Rose hip jelly was Served on avocado tree leaves and eaten with wooden cutlery.

Forest feast gourmet salad menu
Forest feast gourmet salad menu

Art: Our colourful, striped stems from the Tree Spinach plant found new delight used in decorative mobiles.

colourful, striped stems from the Tree Spinach plant
colourful, striped stems from the Tree Spinach plant

We are looking forward to organising a new winter session for more visitors to enjoy the garden.

Theresa Webb (Kitchenbuddy)


Catford Arts Trail comes to Forster Park!

How are you enjoying autumn in the park and the new outdoor gym? It feels good to look around the park and see all the improvements this centenary year so far, and we are so grateful for all your positive feedback and support this year.

We have a busy Autumn in store and more improvements to come too…

Firstly, we are very excited that the Catford Arts Trail is coming to Forster Park!

Come and make some nature and landscape art with us this Sunday 9th October in the Outdoor Learning Area and on 16th October in the Sensory Garden, 2-4pm, and join the rest of the arts trail through Catford and Bellingham.

More details below

There will also be a Peace of Cake community gathering in the Sensory Garden for Sabina Nessa on Sunday 23rd October and a Lewisham launch of the four new outdoor gyms on Saturday 29th October.

We’ll be in touch about some other things but please do in the meantime pop in to any of these events and say hi.

Forster Park Friends

💚 Celebrating 100 years of Forster Memorial Park and designing for the future together.

#ForsterPark100 #LoveForsterPark #WeareLewisham #ParkPlay #GreenShoots #PhoenixTogether #WeareLewisham #CatfordArtsTrail

What’s on in the park

Events Catford Arts Trail
Sunday 9th and 16th October, 11-4pm 

9th October – in the Outdoor Learning Area with Secret Adventurers’ Club
16th October – in the Sensory Garden with Secret Adventurers Club and Kitchen Buddy, including morning foraging workshop

Drop in and make some nature and landscape art with our #GreenShoots team. All welcome.

#WorldFoodDay2022 WeAreLewisham #phoenixtogether Catford Arts

Regular activities Healthy Walks
Tuesdays 10.30-11.30am
Join this friendly walking group for a walk to and around Forster Park. Meet 10.30 Goldsmiths Community Centre SE6 1QD or 10.45 at the Longhill Road entrance to the park. Free. All welcome! To register Click Here

Gardening Club
Weekly Volunteer Gardening sessions

Friday mornings, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Meet at the Centenary Sensory Garden (top edge of the playing field). The garden is inclusive for all volunteers and visitors. More info foforstermemorialpark@gmail.com or in the Forster Park Friends Facebook group.
 
Lewisham Lionhearts U12 and U14 football training
Saturdays 9.30-11.30am
Football training for 10-14 year old boys and girls (school years 5-9), all abilities welcome. www.fclewishamlionhearts.org
Contact lewishamlionheartsfc@yahoo.co.uk or 07391 747 579

SportsFun4All football club
Saturdays 10am-12noon and Sundays 10am-12noon
Football club for boys and girls of mixed abilities and ages 3-14, with FA qualified coaching staff. 
More info: www.sportsfun4all.com

Cafe
The Frothy Coffee Hut is open daily from 9am to 4pm in the Pavilion, serving hot and cold drinks, food and ice creams. Table tennis bats now available to borrow. @frothycoffeehut

Toilets
The toilets are open daily over the summer in the Pavilion. A key to the disabled toilet and baby change facilities is available – just ask any of the cafe staff next to the toilets.

Please note: All weekly activities are run by third parties unless stated above, please check up to date information with individual contacts. Friends of Forster Memorial Park accept no liability.

#Love Forster Park?  Please report any graffiti, fly tipping, vandalism, litter issues or anything broken to Lewisham@glendale-services.co.uk and on Love Clean Streets. Report fallen trees here. Call 111 or 999 for any illegal activity.

Join and support our work as a member of Forster Park Friends here.

Share your #parkplay and follow us @ForsterMPark on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Volunteer to join our lovely team and help keep improving our lovely park. Email volunteeringfofmp@gmail.com to find out more and get involved. Thanks!

#LoveForsterPark
www.forsterparkfriends.org 
www.facebook.com/forsterMpark
www.instagram.com/ForsterMpark
@forsterMpark

Tree Walk Report Debbie Nelson

On Sunday Sept 11th, Nick Bertram, from Creekside Discovery Centre in Deptford, led a Tree Walk round the park, telling us lots and lots of things we had no idea of.  Starting from the cafe, a group of about 25 of us, headed towards the woodland path nearest the main Whitefoot entrance, where we very slowly made our way towards the Longhill entrance.  On the way, Nick told us that:

The playing field is an assert, which was a clearing in the ancient woodland, and is easily seen on very old maps of the area. Forster Park, like Beckenham Place Park and The Woodland walk in Downham, is an area of Ancient Woodland.  The official definition of this is woods before 1600, but there are ancient woodlands which are primeval and go back to the last Ice Age. Wildflowers such as native bluebells (another name for which is wild jacinth), anemones and wood mellick, are ancient woodland (or ancient hedgerow) indicators, especially if found together. 

We then looked at trees along the path:

Hornbeam- Carpinus Betulus – can be an ancient woodland indicator. Has a silvery snakeskin diamond patterned bark. The leaf is tooth edged, then each tooth serrated, so the leaf is doubly serrated.  The wood is slow growing and extremely hard. In the past, each species of wood had its own use, wood was used for everything, – keeping warm, furniture etc.  Woods survived because they were coppiced- cut low down to produce many stems, producing a regular supply of wood.  Deciduous trees were coppiced, in rotation, depending on the species, maybe a 5 year to 25/30 year cycle.   Coppicing stopped some years ago and woods aren’t managed in the right way now.

Field maple- Acer Campestre- a truly native maple. The other maples which can be found are sycamore (originally from Mediterranean) and Norway maple.

Oak- 2 native species – peduncular and sessile, which do hybridise.  And 3 Mediterranean species – Turkey oak, cork oak and Holm oak (evergreen), which have gone wild.

The Peduncular is also called the English oak, Quercus Robur, and is the dominant one in London.  It has a short stem to the leaf, with rounded lobes (ears?) at the base of the leaf.   The Sessile oak, Quercus Petrea, likes more acid conditions, has no stalk, and no lobes, the base of the leaf just slants in.

Elm- we saw plenty of Wych Elm, this is native (unlike the so-called English Elm which was brought over by the Romans!).  Wych elm leaves are very big, about 5 inch, pointed, serrated, lop sided at the base.  Whereas English elm leaf is about a quarter of the size.

Rough hairy feel to the leaves.  Dutch Elm disease (so called because a Dutch scientist worked out what it was) – we lost nearly all the mature Elm trees in UK in 70s and early 80s to this disease – they were tall distinctive trees, a great loss to the landscape. The fungus was a different species to before, arrived cos of world trade (we were then still moving tree trunks around the world with the bark still on). The fungus was carried on the back of a female beetle which bore holes in the bark to deposit eggs. The tree would react to the presence of the fungus by shutting down its up and down transport system – xylem and phloem. The disease hasn’t gone away. Wych Elm reproduces by seed and can only grow to a certain height. The English Elm does not die back, it spreads by roots, and new trees spring up from them, but not tall.

As we walked down the first path, on the left, set back a bit, we saw many coppiced Wych Elm, perhaps 4-500 years old, and maybe the oldest trees of all species in the park. Some trees are much older or younger than they look.

Ash – this is one the two most common native species in London. There are several Ash trees in the park – most seem to be ok, this one was recently felled due to ash dieback. It has pinnate leaves – several leaflets arranged opposite each other on a stem, making one leaf.

Hazel- fairly low growing, leaves are alternate, broad and roundish, with doubly toothed edges, ending in a short tip. Leaves feel soft.

He pointed out that there wasn’t much of a shrub layer, as it used to be cut back by park management, though not now. Where there was a break in the canopy we saw some young wild trees – hawthorn, wild cherry, ash, and wild rose.  But cutting that shrub layer has meant loss of native bluebells, anemones etc.   Woodlands need to be managed for biodiversity.  Oak don’t regenerate much within woodlands- there’s a mildew affecting them- though they can grow at the edge of woodland or outside it.  He recommended Oliver Rackham as an intellectual author who really knows species, for a broad understanding of issues.

Just before the end of the first path, before the bin, on the left we came across stinking iris which grows wild in woods, then a snowberry shrub, with very round leaves- this is a North American shrub which has been planted.

We turned the first corner (!). away from the Longhill entrance and saw an old Oak just on the left, where half the trunk all the way up, was different to the other usual half. Could be the effect of lightening a while back but seems like healthy growth higher up. Old oak trees hollow out, and this actually keeps them stronger, so they live longer.  There is a huge range of age of trees in the woodland- unlike a plantation- and this is all part of what to understand about the woodland.

Elder- we saw several, and they were all very affected by the drought. Many dead leaves and dead thin branches. Looks like the rain came just in time, because there is new growth.  Elder has pinnate leaves, leaflets arranged in opposite way around the stem, like ash but fewer leaflets – commonly about 5 leaflets.  Elder trees fruits early, which is great for birds.

Holly- this has a negative effect on woodland, tends to take over, like ivy does. Holly used to be broken down and used for animal winter fodder, and therefore was cut back and managed. Ivy can be a nuisance, especially when it trails the woodland floor, preventing other species. Ivy flowers, berries however are good for wildlife, as food and as a habitat. Should be managed though.

Hawthorn- saw two types- the usual Crataegus Monogyna, and the Woodland, (or Midland) Hawthorn. The latter is an ancient woodland/ hedgerow indicator.  You can tell by picking a haw (the ‘berry’) and finding 2 stones inside it.  Monogyna only has one.  The woodland hawthorn was halfway down this section on the right.

We got to the end and crossed over, down toward a field. Nick showed us his maps again. This time an aerial photo from 1947, clearly showing that all the fields and meadow areas were used as allotments then. At the bottom of the fields are Lombardy Poplars, in a straight line – and clearly were planted, as were the Scots pines down the side of Conisbrough College. Looking at the field, what is missing?  Wildflowers.  Nick said it was in a very poor state. Wildflower meadows are hard to create, but it can be done by collecting local wildflower seeds, and possibly wildflowers from destroyed sites.

About planting acorns- can collect acorns, grow on at home and plant near Oak trees, and fence off, but we need to really really understand what is already there, and what the long-term affect would be, and what management would be required. Don’t rush into planting. Rapid mass tree planting has ruined many landscapes with rare wildflowers all over UK and other countries, and as happened only in Greenwich.

Turning left along the woodland edge, we came across an Oak with leathery leaves, probably a hybrid, possibly with Holm Aak, or looking at the bark, could be with cork oak. Turning left into the woodland at this point, we walked up back towards the corner of playing field closest to the lower Whitefoot entrance.  There we came across several wild service trees.

Wild service tree – an ancient woodland indicator, also found in BPP, and in large numbers in Oxleas Woods. Distinctive leaf shape, with several sharp points, very symmetrical.  Also called the Chequer tree.

We went back on ourselves in search of the oldest Oak trees  These have been pollarded, and some are about 350-400 years old. Pollarding is being cut back high up so animals can still graze and not eat the tree. England has one of the highest concentrations of pollarded trees, and BPP and Mayow Park also have many.  Pollarding stopped over 100 years ago.  Pollarded trees are often on the edge of woods or planted along footpaths as parish or other boundaries.  Many of our ones are along the top edge of the dog walking enclosure.

There we finished, and didn’t have time to see the Whitebeam, a native tree though here it was planted, as it prefers chalk soil, and our one is along the west side of the playing field.  Nor to see the Silver Birch, Blackthorn, and others.

As a conservationist, Nick emphasised the importance of understanding and preserving the whole ecology of the woodland, the problems of introduced species, poor management and climate change, which is increasing the number of evergreens in woodland. We learned so much, and hope to see Nick again, in a different season, as there is so much more we can learn about our park.

Memories of Forster Memorial Park

Local Resident Sheila Warr first visited the park in 1948 – she shares her memories below

My very first memory of Forster Park is when I was about four years old.  My parents, brother and I had just moved into the newly built houses opposite the park in Whitefoot Lane in 1948.  Several young families had moved into these houses and my mum used to take several of the neighbour’s children and myself up to the park.  Where the Academy is now used to be a meadow with long uncut grass and on one occasion my mum took us up to play there and she kept hiding from us so as I couldn’t see her and me, only being 4 started to cry.  However she soon appeared again so all was well.

Then as I got older we were allowed to play in the park and at the Whitefoot Lane side there was a bank with lots of trees on so we used to play up and down the bank hiding from each other among the trees.

When I was about 8 or 9 Mary Bennett who lived right opposite my house became a Play Leader and we used to go up to the park and do all sorts of activities.  The boys played football and the girls played netball and we used to play matches with other parks such as Chinbrook Meadows at Grove Park, Home Park at Lower Sydenham and Southend Park in Southend Lane.  Other activities included Scottish and Irish dancing and gymnastics, doing displays jumping over a box.  Sometimes we  did displays at other venues, such as the Ladywell Centre and I have a picture of Mary’s daughter, Pat and I way back in about 1956.  Also as I was growing up Mum always told me that she and my dad did their courting in Forster Park which must have been in the mid-1930’s.

My next memories are of when my son was born and I used to take him to what was called the One O’clock club, although it did run from about 10.00 in the morning till about 4.00pm.  It was for pre-school children and their parents/carers and again there were lots of activities for the children and of course it gave the parents/carers time to chat with other parents/carers.  I can also remember there was a paddling pool too which was great on a hot day.

It was great when the Sports Pavilion was erected in memory of Mary Bennett as she had been such an inspiration to so many children as they grew up.

Now I am in my seventies I walk in the park whenever I can and during Lockdown in 2020 I made sure I walked there every day for an hour.

Yes, Forster Park has many great memories for me.