NEWSLETTER ARTICLE - OCTOBER 2019
As the summer is now something of a memory and the clocks going back at 2am on Sunday 27th October, it is good to look back on the enjoyable events that took place outdoors in our park towards the end of September.
We were very pleased to welcome back our friends from Mencap, who enjoyed a lively sports day and a session of Tai Chi, led by Zhijun Wang. Refreshments were provided by the Friends, and DJ Donald Bunting was on hand to add some musical fun. We look forward to hosting more such events in the future.
On Saturday 21st September 100% Producers introduced us to a great array of talent from their local performers, who attend and train with the group at Harrow Arts Centre. Among those entertaining us were Grime MC Owenzo, who made a great impact with his lyrics and flowing performance, and Joseph Doran who played guitar and sang his own compositions, using a loop pedal to build an inspiring performance. At times you could have been forgiven for thinking that Ed Sheeran was in front of us, but it was an Ed Sheeran Illusion!
Kidology gave a lively dance performance and were later joined by some members of the audience. This just showed how much talent is still to be discovered, as tiny tots bounced along to the music and children of all ages span around performing some amazing moves. 100% Producers welcome local 14 to 25 year olds to join their group, which meets on Thursday evenings and provides support and advice to budding performers. We look forward to seeing more of the upcoming local artists.
Our Sunday morning litter picks and general tidying sessions have made a great impact on the appearance of the park and will be continuing every Sunday at 10.00am. All are welcome to join in and experience the improvements that can be made by working together, enjoying a sociable refreshment break, and gaining the benefits of being in the great outdoors. As a bonus, it is always good to hear from local members of the community, who tell us just how much they appreciate the efforts that are being made on their behalf.
Tuesday 22nd October: Bat event. 6.00pm FREE
Meet up by the Pavilion to join our popular bat watch and interesting walk around the park with Simon Braidman. Simon is an expert on bats, their habits, and habitats and will show us just where to find them in our park. Using his hand held bat detectors the group can hear the sounds of the bats in flight and watch them as they fly around at dusk to catch the insects that they feed on.
Very soon there will be bat and bird boxes installed in the park, as part of our wildlife watch events, and this will provide great opportunities for the local community to learn more about the activities of these creatures.
Wednesday 23rd October: Quiz Night. 7.00pm £10 per person including food.s’ HQ. Don’t miss out tickets are in great demand.
For this event we will be welcoming a new quiz master who will set the questions to test us all. Come as a team (up to 8 people), or join with other quizzers to try to win a prize. Bring your own drinks and drinking glasses. Chilli meals (vegan, vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be catered for by advance request), followed by cakes.
Thursday 31st October: Halloween Murder Mystery. 7.00pm to 11.00pm. £25 per person including buffet meal.
We will be welcoming the return of Moneypenny Productions, this time with their interactive murder mystery production Carnival Killer. Watch the performers and try to pick out the killer, working with the other guests on your table. Will you find the clues to lead to the solving the mystery? If not, just sit back and enjoy watching the actors spin their web of mystery, while enjoying a varied buffet meal. There will be a raffle on the night, with the desirable top prize of 2 tickets to the Harrow Whisky Festival being held at the Best Western Plus Grimsdyke Hotel in Harrow Weald, on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th January 2020.
Sunday 10th November: Remembrance Day Service in the Park. 11.00am
Meet at the lych gate, opposite the Memorial Hall, to join in the service and to pay your respect and honour those members of the Armed Forces, and allies who fought alongside them, whose lives were lost during past wars and conflicts.
Monday 11th November: The Friends of the Park Meeting at 7.00pm in the Memorial Hall
All are welcome to come along to add their ideas, listen to the progress that is being made and express any concerns. At the same time you can enjoy a drink from the bar.
Sunday 17th November: Mitzvah Day. 10.00am
This is a day when people all over the world work on undertaking tasks for the benefit of others and their community. Our special plan for the day includes creating an orchard around the north gate of our park and making additional preparations as part of our wildlife watch project. All volunteers will be very welcome. Last year throughout the world over 40,000 people of all faiths, in 30 countries volunteered on this special day and over 1400 projects were begun. We are proud to become a part of that great day of social action.
Every Wednesday: Tai Chi 10.00am FREE
This group is run by Zhijun Wang, and includes a friendly walk to the park from the corner of Enderley Road HA3 5HF, followed by a 30 minute session of Tai Chi. Anyone who prefers to make their own way to the park for the Tai Chi session, rather than joining the group walk, is welcome to do so. The group is well attended, rain or shine. New members are very welcome. The regular weekly sessions will be continuing throughout the year.
Upcoming Events for your diary:
Look out for our mulled wine tasting session…..more information to follow!
Saturday 14th December: Old Time Music Hall and Singalong with the wonderful London based Players’ Theatre, who uphold the tradition of good old fashioned Victorian music hall entertainment. This event will be held at the Memorial Hall from 7.00pm, and promises to be a lively and fantastic evening, with a great Christmas buffet, for £25 per person. Tickets available now.
Sunday 22nd December: Carols by Candlelight. Join us in the park at 4.00pm to 6.00pm for a community carol singing event, with keyboard accompaniment. Includes sausage rolls, mince pies and more.
CAN YOU HELP?
Promotion of the events organised by the Friends of Harrow Weald Recreation Ground is helped by the display of posters that we produce. Although we have a number of regular locations for the posters, we would really like to hear from anyone who can offer a suitable additional space to site them. If you know of a venue or location that could help with this, we would love to hear from you.
We are in need of an experienced gardening company to help create the new landscaped areas and pergola for the park. If you can help with recommendations or are a company happy to discuss this with us, please contact us.
We are still looking for additional volunteers to lock and unlock some of the gates to the park. This would be particularly helpful when the existing volunteers are away, or are unable to fulfil this daily task. Gate management is really important in keeping the park safe and tidy and any help that you can give would be very much appreciated and is a big factor in improving our area. The locking of the additional gates in the evening has already reduced littering and anti-social behaviour.
If you would like to set up a stall at any of our events, please contact us. No charge will be made to registered charities, but a donation from profits made is requested from all other stallholders. You are welcome to bring your own table, or tables can be rented by advance arrangement, at a cost of £5.00 per table per day. Priority is given to local stall holders.
