Friends of
Castle Park

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2024

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Thursday 5th & Friday 6th December

Members craft sessions to make wreaths & Christmas decorations for sale at our Christmas stall 

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Saturday 7th December

Christmas fund raising stall in the park

 

 

PAST EVENTS

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2024

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​Awesome Autumn Tree Walk

15th October Maria Fremlin & Diana Hargrave led a walk attended by 12 members to see fruits and autumn colours. 

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Heritage Open Day Gray's Summer House

Sunday 15th September 

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Plant Sales & Recruitment Stall 

Saturday 7th September Went very well , sales included 42 of our hedgehogs knitted by volunteers and plants donated by members, total takings of £140.40. All profit used to support our park. 

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Members Summer Social - Putt in the Park

Saturday 10th August A very pleasant day attended by 20 members either playing the fun mini golf course or enjoying refreshments.

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Castle Park Bandstand Concerts

​We published the Bandstand Concert programme for summer 2024 

(May, June, July August).

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​Visit to Beth Chatto's Garden

Thursday 11th July We visited Beth Chatto's Garden and enjoyed an interesting private guided tour

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History Walk & Talk

Tuesday 2nd July Jim Grundy led a fascinating History Walk & Talk around the park.

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Plant & Membership Recruitment Stall

Saturday 22nd June 11.00am to 3.00pm. We enjoyed a successful stall, selling plants, hedgehogs & cards and raising our profile.  

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Friends of Castle Park - Colchester AGM

Tuesday 21st May, 2:15 pm, The Cloisters Restaurant, Greyfriars Hotel, East Hill.This year, Fiona Shipp, the newly appointed Parks, Countryside and Greening Operations Manager, gave a short presentation on her role on the Council.

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Collage Workshop with Lucy MacBrayne

Lower Bowls Pavilion

Saturday May 18th from 10am to 2pm

A friendly group of  members launched their "Inner Artist" and created some striking collages of the picturesque thatched bowls pavilion.  The cost was £25 per person and included all materials, cake & refreshments. 

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FoCP Spring Stall 

Wednesday 3rd  April 11.00am to 3.00pm. 

 

Find us by the Museum Street Entrance to the Park: Membership renewal and recruitment. We will have for sale our little Knitted Hedgehogs, Tea Towels & Cards (Collage image of the Castle) designed by Lucy MacBrayne. Plus a Cone Quiz kindly organised by member Maria Fremlin. 

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Trees in Bloom Walk

Saturday 2nd March 2.30 to 4.00pm

Please join Maria Fremlin and Diana Hargrave on a walk around the park to discover some of our wonderful trees in bloom. Bring  a hand lens or binoculars if you can.  

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Trees 

2023

 

FoCP Christmas Stall

Saturday 9th December 10.30am to 3.00pm. 

 

Find us by the Museum Street Entrance to the Park: 
wreaths, Sprays and Table decorations (made by us using foliage from the park), our little knitted hedgehogs and  - exclusive to us - designed by Lucy MacBrayne Tea Towels (Collage image of the Castle)

 

Awesome Autumn Walk 2023

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Saturday 14th October, 10.30am - 12.00 noon

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Join us for a walk around the park to enjoy the Autumn colours. 
BOOKING ESSENTIAL please email focp.whatson@gmail,com

Artist Lucy Macbrayne is in the park

Saturday 18th March, 11am - 3pm

Local artist Lucy MacBrayne is creating a collage of Colchester Castle as part of her series of Colchester's iconic buildings. Come and see her working by the Museum Street entrance.

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2022

 

Our Annual Christmas Stall

Saturday 10th December 10.30am to 3.00pm

Wreaths, sprays and table decorations (made using foliage from in the park), and our little knitted hedgehogs...
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Tree Walks Around the Park 2022

A Walk and talk about The American Species of Trees in the Park 
On Monday 12th September 2022 at 4.30pm

Please join us on a walk around the park to discover and learn about the American species of trees we have growing here. This walk will be led by FoCP member Pauline Cooke.

Meet at 4.30pm inside the park gates at the Museum Street entrance. The walk will last approx. 1hour and 30 mins.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Please email focp.membershipsec@gmail.com

Grays Summerhouse Open Days

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FoCP is hosting the opening of Grays Summerhouse in the park for two Heritage Open Days on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September 2022, 1-4pm

All welcome!

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https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/grays-summer-house

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Walk Around the Ancient Tree Species in Castle Park 

Sunday 24th April 2022
 

Please join us on a walk around the park to look and learn about the ancient species of trees we have growing here. This walk will be led by FoCP member Pauline Cooke.

Meet: 10.30am inside the park gates at the Museum Street entrance. The walk will last approx. 2 hrs.
 

BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Please email focp.membershipsec@gmail.com


Friends of Castle Park - Colchester AGM

Our AGM will be held this year on Tuesday 24th May in Greyfriars Hotel, High Street Colchester at 2.15pm. We are hoping that Nick Christo our new Parks, Countryside and Greenings Operations Manager will come and talk to us about the work he will be doing. 

 

Oak Trees in Winter - a Walk in Castle Park Colchester
With Diana Hargrave

Sunday 13th March and Monday 14th March, at 10.30am
 

A walk around the park to look at and learn a bit about our 10 different species of oak tree in winter. We can include other park trees along the way as and when they catch our eye.  
 
2021
 

AGM Summary Report

Since June this year we have been able to open up our activities on the events side. We began with the Rangers Bio diversity day when as part of their education programme they invite families to take part in the count of flora and fauna within the park.
 

At the end of June we were once again at the Food & Drink Festival. It was scaled down this year with numbers being limited and the park was unable to provide us with plants this year due to COVID complications. Members and friends rallied round and provided a splendid selection of plants by taking cuttings and dividing plants plus super home crafted items and we enjoyed a very successful weekend.
 

During September we took part in the first Eco-festival to be held in the park, serving refreshments. This introduced our group to many new people and helped us with our fundraising.
 

The other first this month was our stewarding of Gray’s Summerhouse for the national Heritage Open Days event run in our area by Ipswich & Colchester Museums. They were keen to have a part of the park in this event and were thrilled when we suggested the summerhouse with a self-guided walk.
 

We hope to conclude the year with a Wreath and Christmas Decorations stall.

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2019

 

The Woodland Trust 'Tree of the Year 2019' 

We recently came second in this competition! Thank you to everyone who voted for the Sycamore tree on Colchester Castle (left, top) in The Woodland Trust 'Tree of the Year 2019' competition. It achieved second place and the council will receive a prize of £500 towards the preservation or promotion of the tree.

The Tree of the Year competition is held in the United Kingdom in Autumn each year by the Woodland Trust, a nationwide conservation charity. Nominated trees are shortlisted by a panel of experts before going to public votes to select a tree of the year for each of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom.

Adam Cormack from the Woodland Trust stated "The people of Colchester, and indeed anyone else that voted for the tree, can rightfully be proud that they have helped to put one of the most remarkable trees on the map".
 

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Gardener's Question Time: on Thursday 19th September
We enjoyed an evening with Park Gardeners Jon Wright and Simon Lawrence,  in the Ranger's Cabin; an opportunity to hear from our Park Gardeners about gardening in the Park, and how they keep it looking good all the year round.
 

 

An afternoon of animation and storytelling with Nick Butterworth 
On Saturday 20th July we were treated by Nick Butterworth to a delightful afternoon of animation and storytelling (left, below). The young families gathered in the Rangers Cabin were held enthralled as he engaged with them (below left). Nick finished the session by signing books the children had brought along.'

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This was also the first official appearance of our Junior section character created for us by Nick and named by competition winner Finnley, aged 10, as ‘Oakley’ (below right). The winner of the colouring competition Yvie, aged 6, was there with her prize of Nick’s latest book, ‘One Springy Day’.