Thursday 1 December 2011

Centrepiece

Thanks to the efforts of the Community Service workers, our stone centre piece is now in situ and looking grand.

At this time of year, it's hard to imagine sitting there enjoying a wee break but it's going to happen!

Saturday 29 October 2011

Make a Difference Day


Armed with tools and food, several volunteers joined forces for CSV Make a Difference Day in Cuthill Park.

One group tackled the weeds in the area in the community garden where the community servers will be laying down a stone circle next week.

Another group planted daffodils (kindly donated by Lidl) and tulips (awarded to us from The Big Bulb Plant) around the entrance to the park.  The group also put up special Dogwatch posters, designed by schoolkids, on the gate.  Let's hope irresponsible dog walkers get the message - the park is in a dreadful state with dog mess at the moment.

A group of men moved a huge log from the wooded area down to the garden where it will be used as a handy seat.

The vegetable garden continues to flourish.  There are several squashes growing and we picked the last of the potatoes and courgettes.

One thing that would make a huge difference would be the erection of a fence by the garden area. The dog mess is a disgrace in the park and is the single biggest disincentive to recruiting new volunteers.

THANK YOU to our volunteers: Annemarie, Arran, Celia, Charlotte, Emily, Georgie, Harris, Jan B, Jan H, Jocelyn, Josie, Lucy, Mary, Max, Nigel, Rose, Stephen, Steve and Tom.  You really did MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!



Sunday 23 October 2011

Help us tackle weeds and community isolation

The Friends of Cuthill Park are holding a work day in the park for CSV Make a Difference Day on Saturday 29 October.

From 11 until 2, dependent on weather, volunteers will be weeding around the apple trees and planting bulbs.  If there are enough volunteers, it is hoped that weed suppressant fabric and landscaping materials can also be put down in the community garden area.  Volunteers are asked to bring along garden forks if they have them and refreshments.

We’ve had a really successful year in the Community Garden with bumper crops of potatoes and peas.  The apple trees we planted last year bore fruit.  What is particularly special about the project is the friendships that have formed as a result of it.  Lots of families have come along, some for half an hour, some for half a day – just enjoying the outdoors in the company other people”

The Friends of Cuthill Park welcome new members and are currently looking for a Secretary.  Meetings are friendly and informal.  Volunteers are always welcome, regardless of experience or ability.

Thursday 30 June 2011

Please nominate Cuthill Park!

Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge

Nominate your favourite outdoor area

Bluebells growing wild
2012 marks Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and to mark that occasion Fields in Trust are launching their Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge. This is a new campaign to protect 2012 outdoor recreational spaces in communities all across the UK as a permanent living legacy of the jubilee.
From sports pitches to woodlands, children's play areas to gardens and bicycle trails to parks, the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge will protect a diverse range of outdoor spaces ensuring that there is something to appeal to everyone.

The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge gives communities an opportunity to vote for an outdoor space in their area to become part of the scheme and be permanently protected as a tribute to the Diamond Jubilee.
Nominations need to be in by 31 August 2011, at which point East Lothian Councill will use them to work out East Lothian’s favourite outdoor spaces.  They will then submit these to the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge organisers, who will make the final selection.  You will be able to follow all this from links on our web site at the above address.

Please, please take a few seconds to send that email nominating Cuthill Park as your favourite outdoor space to landscapeandcountryside@eastlothian.gov.uk

Sunday 19 June 2011

Work Day Survey

In a bid to tackle the perennial weeds and extend the growing space in the Community Garden we need to level the ground, lay down weed suppressant fabric and put down bark. We will need lots of help. It would be really helpful if you could indicate your availability by completing the survey (link below).


http://doodle.com/sm37gq5ezq5uinw4

Monday 30 May 2011

Music Bugs in the Park!

Music Bugs East Edinburgh are delighted to be taking part in this year’s ‘Big Lunch’.  Our fun, interactive music and singing classes are suitable for all children under 5 years and we invite all little ones with their grown ups to join in with a Music Bugs session from 12.30pm.

Music Bugs classes are currently running in Morningside, Leith and Musselburgh.  If you would like to find out more about what we do, go to www.musicbugs.co.uk , alternatively call or email Hilary (number and address below) to arrange a free, taster session at one of our weekly classes.

We look forward to seeing you all at the Big Lunch xxx

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Fantoosh Face Painting at the Big Lunch!

The fabulous facepainting of Lynn "Fantoosh" Fraser is known far and wide - and now she is coming to The Big Lunch on Sunday 5th June in Cuthill Park!

Along with her body-artist buddies, big-hearted Fantoosh has raised £8,000 for Comic Relief by painting expectant mums tums.  Now she is kindly giving her time to support the plans to upgrade the park.  

You can see some Fantoosh faces (and bumps!) at the gallery on the Fantoosh website.
Come along and get a Fantoosh Face - suggested donation £3 in aid of The Friends of Cuthill Park - you won't regret it!

If you can't wait until the Big Lunch to have your face painted then pop along to the park on Sunday 29th May when Lynn will be working her magic on the crowds at the Coastal Food Fair from 12-6.

Friday 29 April 2011

The 2011 Big Lunch - you're invited!


The Big Lunch inspired an estimated one million people to have lunch with their neighbours across the UK last year - including over two hundred who picnicked, partied and played together in Cuthill Park. 

The 2011 Big Lunch on Sunday 5 June (12-2 pm) coincides with the 3 Harbours Arts Festival and Mural Fest - what better chance to join in the al fresco fun? 

Enjoy an outdoor lunch in the company of friends, neighbours and community groups. Bring your own picnic, something to sit on, and entertainment. You’ll enjoy it. Really. Food, music and laughter tastes, sounds and feels better with others.

The trouble is we’re all human and deep down we’re often shy. It’s not easy making small talk. It takes courage to stop being a stranger. But once you do, you’ll realise how many good, talented and interesting people there are in
your neighbourhood who all feel the same way you do. Those who took part last year know that on the day, those inhibitions soon disappear in a game of Twister.

Six more reasons to get stuck in
  1. To stoke up community spirit – we call it Human Warming. 
  2. To make the third of us who live alone feel happier, closer and...friendlier. 
  3. To show how local people can change a neighbourhood for good, forever. 
  4. To conquer our natural shyness, to open our curtains, doors and minds and look out for one another the way we used to.
  5. To share stories, skills and tools, so we all end up richer in every sense. 
  6. To discover common ground across age, class, faith, race and the garden fence, and to remind ourselves that charity begins at home, or at most, a couple of doors away.
If you want to register on the Big Lunch website that would be great, but feel free just to turn up on the day.  If you want to organise something, perform or promote your organisation that's fine too - just remember the emphasis is on Free, Community and the Environment and let us know your plans.

Thursday 21 April 2011

Hide the Humps - Plant a Flower!

Eggsciting News!

Excuse the pun, but we're rather excited at having 100 Followers on Twitter. We'll be posting and tweeting much more in the days leading up to Big Lunch.  You can follow our tweets at @cuthillpark. 

We used Twitter recently to record the Cuthill Park bluebells on the National Trust's Bluebell Map.  We think they are Spanish bluebells as they don't have the graceful curve of the British bluebell which has all its flowers on one side of the stem.

If you're an outdoorsy type you will love the National Trust's free 20 page download A Pocket Portal to Nature

We highly recommend families to take a look at the Woodland Trust's Nature Detectives website which is packed full of activities and games to play in the park.
Easter scavenger hunt nature detectives wildlife club arrow scavenger hunt
spring nature trail ticklist nature detectives wildlife club arrow spring nature trail kit 
Easter egg large nature detectives wildlife club arrow egg trail
large rabbit picture nature detectives wildlife club arrow Easter bunny trail
Easter hunt sheet nature detectives wildlife club arrow spotter sheet
 nest challengenature detectives wildlife club arrownest building challenge
chocolate Easter nests nature detectives wildlife club arrow Easter nests recipe
easter basket nature detectives wildlife club arrow Easter basket
rabbit ears nature detectives wildlife club arrow rabbit mask
Easter card nature detectives wildlife club arrow Easter card template
forest floor cake ingredients nature detectives wildlife club arrow forest floor cake
Easter wordsearch nature detectives wildlife club arrow wordsearch
lamb jigsaw puzzle nature detectives wildlife club arrow lamb jigsaw puzzle
Lesser celandine 'spot the difference' nature detectives wildlife club arrow spot the difference
easter chick nature detectives wildlife club arrow Easter chick art sheet
rabbit outline nature detectives wildlife club arrow rabbit art sheet 

Hope you all have a great Easter break - and remember the slopes of Cuthill Park are perfect for rolling eggs down!

Thursday 7 April 2011

How to plant lots of bulbs

(Click on the image to make Jan and Sarah work faster!)

Join us for more bulb planting this Saturday, 9 April from 10 a.m. till 12.