Park project gets back on track

A PROJECT to improve accessibility in a section of Ponteland Park is back on track after an insurance issue was resolved.

In November, the Friends of Ponteland Park (FOPP) group was successful in its application to the Big Lottery Fund for almost £10,000 to make it easier for people to get up and down the slope at Oxbow Lake.

The funding will enable steps and a boardwalk to be built down the approach on the east side of the sheltered lake in order to access a new dipping platform.

As the FOPP has no public liability insurance, the town council was asked to place the orders.

But the Big Lottery Fund would not allow the money to be transferred to the authority and this caused a short delay to the project.

It has now been sorted as a formal agreement has been reached with FOPP to ensure that it is covered by the council’s public liability insurance and design warranties for the work can be switched.

Once the scheme has been completed, the authority will take over maintenance of the boardwalk and the site.

There will also be some planting as well as the installation of seats, nest boxes and bat boxes.

Along with pond dipping, people of all ages will be able to observe the wide variety of bird and aquatic wildlife in the area.

Source: Morpeth Herald

Marie Curie 'Field of Hope' in Ponteland Park

The local Marie Curie organisation, in conjunction with the Friends of Ponteland Park, is holding a daffodil-planting event in the Park on Saturday 16^th October  between 10.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.  Revd Peter Barham will conduct a blessing at the start of the event, and we hope that as many people as possible will come along in support.

We anticipate that many people will wish to sponsor the planting of daffodils in memory of loved ones, and to make a donation to the charity that does so much good work with cancer sufferers and their families.  There will be the opportunity to give money on the day, or you can donate to Marie Curie direct via the post or their website:   http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/      

If you'd like to take part, preferably in a practical way or just as moral support, then please come along to the Park between the times given above.  The daffodils will be planted in the banked, grassed area that adjoins the pathway from the Waitrose bridge towards Callerton Lane.

It is hoped that this 'Field of Hope' will be not only a stunningly beautiful and permanent reminder, to future generations, of the dedicated care that Marie Curie nurses provide for cancer sufferers but also a fitting remembrance of those special friends and family members who have died.

The web-link below gives more details of the national campaign, but please do come along to make this Ponteland event a really special one.  Planters of all ages are welcome!

http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/supportus/plant_a_million_bulbs/

Ponteland Duck Race 2010

The annual Duck Races on the river Pont took place in glorious late summer sunshine.  The Rotary Club organised another great event despite the bouncy castle not turning up and the river flowing at an all time low.  Families enjoyed the ice cream, tunes from the fairground organ and saw how Rotary help disaster victims through their box scheme.  The Rescue service were there showing off their new vehicle.  The ducks don’t fly and winners are at the mercy of river flow and windy gusts but Rotarians were out in their wellies to speed the contestants.
By Muriel Sobo

Dangerous Dog Poo!

I regularly cycle and walk in Ponteland using the pavements, cycle tracks and other footpaths. Despite all the  efforts of the council to provide Dog Poo bins, there remains a small number of dog users who have no intention of cleaning up after their dogs. This week alone I have seen a dog owner who was a runner and  whilst their dog  fouled the track behind them and they literally ran away. (It is not so cool to be running with a bag of poo!!!).I have seen another owner exercising his dog in the children's play park, despite the  variety of other places  nearby that dogs can be exercised. I have see an amazing amount of anonymous poo covered in flies almost everywhere alongside tracks and pavement where people walk and cycle.

This fouling can cause Toxocariasis and be really dangerous to humans but especially to children. They are more likely to explore in these areas without washing hands etc. The poo is also picked up easily on prams and cycles making access to it much easier for children.

Toxocariasis can be picked up easily and if infected can cause  very serious disease. It is an infection of humans caused by the dog roundworm Toxocara Canis and humans can also can be infected by the cat roundworm toxocara cati although this is not so common. Other than human contact and ingestion flies can also carry the disease  to food etc.

Please dog owners clean up after your dog. It is really important for our health.

L.Bailey via email

Friends of Ponteland at Party in the Park.

Please come and visit the Friends of Ponteland Park in the Meadow area on Sunday June 13th and join in some meadow fun. Lots of family friendly activities to interest and occupy, such as a bug and beetle safari, making a bird or bat box to take home, learn all about our local butterflies from a member of the Butterfly Trust and get a really close up view of our pondlife without getting wet. These  are but a few of the activities that will be on going during the afternoon, so please come up and join in the fun.

A beastly bench for Ponteland play park

All creatures great and small can be spotted in a Ponteland park since the introduction of a specially designed bench.

The mini beasty bench has been installed in the new children's play park in Callerton Lane after funding of £800 was provided by Ponteland Extended Services.

The seat has immediately become the star attraction for families as it is covered with carvings of a spider, snail, earthworm, centipede, woodlouse, May fly and other creepy crawlies.

Tree carving specialist Peter Bowsher was commissioned to create the piece, making it out of a huge tree trunk using only a chainsaw.

Extended Services Co-ordinator Sarah Herbert said: "When the play park was completed there was not enough benches for people to sit on so we decided to commission this work from Peter Bowsher.

"We wanted a theme of mini beasts and from a felled tree trunk he has completed this beautiful bench.

"I took my five-year-old daughter to see it and there was a family there asking the children what the creatures were so it is educational as well as practical.

"The people who came to the installation were very impressed with it and it is quite a talking point."

The bench unveiling was attended by Ponteland Mayor Robin Ramsay and youngsters from the recently opened Children's Centre.

Margaret McCormick from Extended Services said: "My children would have loved this when they were young.

"It really adds to the excitement of coming to the park. Absolutely brilliant."
Source: Morpeth Herald

MEMORIAL BENCHES RESTORED IN PONTELAND PARK

A popular park in a Northumberland village has undergone a new facelift thanks to community regeneration specialist Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East.

The memorial park benches at Ponteland Park in Castle Morpeth have been stripped, stained and restored to bring them back to life for local residents to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

The Wearside-based firm approached Friends of Ponteland Park (FOPP), a group of people who tirelessly strive to improve the quality of the 18-acres of park for wildlife and as an amenity for the whole village.

By way of a donation, the group which consists of 250 members, requested for all thirteen memorial benches to be restored and FHM were only too happy to oblige.

Simon Ferry, FHM’s Lead Resident Liaison Officer said: “We have just completed internal refurbishments on a number of bungalows and a sheltered housing scheme in Ponteland and we wanted to give a donation to one of the community groups in the area.

“We were introduced to FOPP at last year’s Pride of Northumberland Awards who said they would love to restore the benches within Ponteland Park but couldn’t afford to do so.

“After visiting the site and meeting members of the group, we were only too happy to help.”

FHM and a team from sub-contractors Colin Marshall Decorators worked with local residents to find out what colour stain they wanted the benches at the park which is owned by the Tyne Council of Ponteland.

Alma Prickett of Darras Road in Ponteland is Treasurer for FOPP and has been a member since its inception in November 2005. She said: “We are delighted that FHM volunteered to restore the park benches.

“Over the course of the last three summers, we have tried to maintain the look of the seats to a good standard but they have deteriorated and weathered and we were anxious as people have donated these to the park.

“With FHM’s kind generosity, it has freed up our time to work on other areas of the park such as landscaping and general appearance. The memorial benches have been stained in antique pine and will have a finish that is more durable thus improving the landscape of the park.”

Photo caption: Back row left to right: Clive Metcalfe (FHM Operations Manager), Alma Prickett, Heather Forshaw, Margaret Stainsby, Sharon Bulmer (FHM Resident Liaison Officer) and Simon Ferry (FHM Lead Resident Liaison Officer). Front row left to right: Sue Duncan, with Ellie and Rosie and Coral Wilmot, with Jess.

Slope project makes progress

A MAJOR project to protect a Ponteland slope is making progress.

Following works to examine the riverbank and natural slope at Fox Covert due to concerns about its stability, the Environment Agency has now agreed to the scheme.

Ponteland Town Council commissioned Scott Doherty Associates to carry out a desktop study of the area and it found that a section of the bank, approximately 120m, required some works in order to stabilise it.

The consultants had submitted estimates for preparation of the project and the authority has now instructed it to come up with a contract for the works.

Coun Robin Ramsay, Mayor of Ponteland, said: "It's encouraging that progress is being made on this scheme, but there is still some way to go.

"A contract with a firm price is needed before we can make applications for funding."

The council aims to finance the scheme by a combination of a ten-year loan, balances and grants and the intention is for the works to be carried out during the 2010/11 financial year.

This would have an impact on next year's budget, which is set to be confirmed in January.

Source: Morpeth Herald

Fire-Hit Bridge Cordoned Off

A WOODEN footbridge into Ponteland Park has been cordoned off after a fire created a huge hole in it. The incident is believed to have happened sometime between 2am and 4.44am on Friday, November 20 and it is being treated as suspicious.  When a fire engine arrived at the scene the flames were out but the damage had already been done. The bridge is used by those entering the park from the new entrance on Ponteland Road to walk to the Memorial Hall and Callerton Lane.

East Tynedale Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Oates said: “This is being treated as a case of arson. Together with the fire brigade, police are investigating this incident.
“I would urge anyone with information about the persons responsible for this malicious act of vandalism to contact East Tynedale CID on 03456 043043, extension 61460.”

The footbridge had only recently been refurbished by Northumberland County Council and Ponteland Town Council Mayor Robin Ramsay said talks have already begun with the unitary council about getting it re-built quickly.

“It’s very disappointing as it appears a few mindless people have caused so much disruption by making an important thoroughfare unusable. We are in discussions with Northumberland County Council to get the footbridge repaired as soon as possible, even to the point of possibly making a contribution to the works.”

Source: Morpeth Herald

Party in The Park

The four Ponteland churches had their prayer mats out again and were rewarded with another dry day for their Annual Party. Dozens of volunteers had put in a lot of preparation and were there early on Sunday to get everything ready to entertain the hundreds who came to sample the very diverse offerings. The familiar displays from the village clubs and organisations, and the sounds of wonderful musical talents were augmented this year by some new exhibitors. The Party organisers from the churches wish to record their huge appreciation of all the local businesses that supported another very successful event. The Punch and Judy show never fails to entertain both adults and children. Try your strength and if you ring the bell you win a balloon. The food options of beef burgers, hot dogs and spicy Indian were very popular. The Friends of Ponteland Park had Lottery Money to fund a variety of displays. Among them was Shaun Hackett who showed children how to sweep for insects in the grass and how many different ones they could find. The Wildlife Trust personnel were giving the young ones a free bird box kit for them to hammer it all together and take away to hang in their garden. The percussion band of the Ponteland Samba Group, under their leader Chris, played enthusiastically on a variety of instruments.

Friends Secure Funding for Ponteland Park Work

BUDGETS are blooming for a dedicated park group as more funds are pledged for its work.

The Friends of Ponteland Park was formed in late 2005 to improve the area for wildlife and the public with planting and environmental projects to run through the seasons.Various initiatives have taken place, including the creation of a young people's wood, seating improvements, footbridge renewal and pathway enhancements, as well as regular maintenance tasks.

And now the volunteers have set their sights on the replacement of a rickety old fence.The barrier runs along the perimeter of the old railway, but has fallen into disrepair and the area has become a magnet for litter.

The Friends plan to construct a new ranch-style fence in its place, while Ponteland Town Council has pledged to provide resources to clear the overgrowth, paving the way for fresh planting to create a wildlife corridor.

However, the Council support was dependent on funding being secured for the rest of the project so the group was delighted when the Borough's Community Fund Panel approved a £1,514 grant for the work.

Friends Chairman Margaret Stainsby said: "That is marvellous news, it's fabulous."I'm very pleased about that because the whole project hinged on whether we could get this old fence removed.

"The Town Council has promised that if we got the grant for the fence, it would clear the embankment."The idea is that once the new fence is installed, we will prepare a trench to make it ready for a wildlife hedge, with all native species planting in it.

"We are trying to make the park more interesting for people to visit and produce something they can look at throughout the seasons, as well as bring the wildlife into the park."Castle Morpeth councillors unanimously approved the grant when the application came before the final meeting of the Panel.

Member Richard Dodd said: "There is a lot of good work being done in the park and the Friends are very enthusiastic.

"As we all know who live around there, this group has worked hard over the years and has had one or two good events of late.

"The Friends' most recent project was the creation of a flower meadow after securing a grant for almost £10,000 from the Breathing Spaces campaign.

The area was cleared last Summer and experts were brought in to advise on the best ways to go about the scheme.In September, more than 1,000 varied flower plugs were delivered and they were all planted by the end of the month.

The next plan is to extend the area, stage a number of community events, improve the Long Walk and buy additional bird and bat boxes.Volunteers meet in the park every Tuesday afternoon or early evening to carry out their work.

More helpers would be welcome.

Source: Morpeth Herald

Ponteland Park Open To All

Big improvements have recently been made to the main Park entrance off West Road which should make it safer and easier to use for people with all kinds of wheels. The path through the Park to Fox Covert Lane has also been improved and widened. To mark this step forward the Mayor and Lady Mayoress came to cut the tape and celebrate with us. The picture shows Lady Mayoress, Sylvia Proudlock, cutting the tape surrounded by councillors and Friends of the Park.

By Muriel Sobo