Category: News

We have only just planted the cherry blossom trees and we already have this display of colour …

The Tile House, an octagonal building in the centre of the park, was built in 1883. The building was made for the Bath and West of England show – about 200 miles away – by the Aylesbury Tile Company to help show off all their different tiles. You can see lots of designs of tiles including bunches of grapes beside the door. Someone from Preston Park saw the building at the show and thought it would look lovely here in the park, so he bought it and had it moved here. It was originally a ladies’ toilet and was the first building to be erected in the park. It has had many uses over the years, including a place where people could hire bikes.

These fabulous photos by Rose Jones show the tiles in close up:

Artist Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva has been working to transform this Preston Twin elm tree into a major new artwork. She informs us that she has been asked to move the tree from its temporary home in Kemptown, so have had to stop working on it, take down the scaffolding and wrap the tree as best they can with plastic sheeting to protect it from the weather. Unfortunately, as they’ve been trying to dry the tree for over 4 months, this is extremely challenging. The moisture levels inside the timber are the hardest issue for the preservation process – so it’s devastating to uncover the tree while it is relocated. But, the GREAT news is that the tree is being moved back to her original location, next to its Twin Sister in Preston Park, and will be enjoyed by many more people as they continue to work on it.

Great work again this morning, with volunteers busy planting up the cherry blossom trees. They are just coming into bud if you look very carefully.

Easter Egg Hunt: Sunday 17th April, 10.30 – 14.00, near the Chalet Cafe

After two years’ absence due to COVID restrictions, we are bringing back our popular annual Easter event. Accompanied children aged 12 and under are invited to track down the answers to questions about the fauna, flora and history of Preston Park in order to earn themselves a cream egg. They can also participate in a drawing competition with the chance to win a giant egg. Face painters will also be available. The cost per child is just £1. We’re looking forward to a lovely, happy event – just what we need at the moment!

You can register for this event but we will also be pleased to welcome anyone who turns up on the day!

I’m Sharon. I’ve been a volunteer at Preston Park for a couple of years, so not as long as some people, but what inspired me about volunteering at the Park was probably at the beginning of Covid when I noticed how quickly the Rose Garden in particular was overgrown, as volunteers were not allowed to work it because of lockdown.

I had a conversation with Andy, Preston Park garden manager, and he welcomed me to join the volunteer group once the easing of restrictions allowed. The weeds were over our heads in the Rose Garden and we started on the mammoth task of tackling the weeds.

At the time there was only a handful of us who were allowed to work, with only one person on each rose bed because of the rule of six, so it was hard but we persevered and I gained a huge sense of satisfaction thinking that we were making a difference to our well-loved Park.

I use the Park every day and I wanted it to look nice and the roses to be in good shape for everybody to enjoy.

I think some of the things I’ve enjoyed the most are the conversations and the laughs I’ve had with other volunteers. It’s a joyful, uplifting experience. I tend to suffer with mental health, depression and anxiety, particularly in the winter months and it has lifted me enormously in lots of ways and I love the camaraderie and the good sense that we are doing something together.

I would recommend volunteering at Preston Park to anybody, any age, to love and join our merry throng. Now we have a big group of people who come out regularly even in the winter. Even if it is overcast and miserable, we get out here if we can and it is a joy.