Merry Christmas

We at Friends of Coed Bach Park would like to wish all our supporters and Park users a Very Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year.

In January 2014 we will begin Phase 2 of the Seasonal ponds project.

Please watch this space for further events and feel free to join us.

Seasonal Ponds Day 4

Not much to report today as weather wise it has not turned out to be the nicest. But the workers and volunteers (More needed please!) are now on site.
As you can see below the ponds are now starting to take shape and the team are expecting wildlife to flourish in this are next year.

"It looks like somebody has taken a clump of clay and is now forming the sculpture"

The ponds are forming.

Pond are from 2nd woods.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/sets/72157637441654904/ Our Flickr page.

Seasonal Ponds Day 3

There were plenty of people on site this morning moving and cutting bits of tree and anything else they could lay their hands on.
Also a new drainage pipe was added by the pathway in the 2nd wood and we had the big guns in today with a tractor and chipping machine. And more importantly the weather was spot on :-)

A big thank you to all that helped especially all those that had travelled from Swansea we hope we can repay you one day.

By the time I arrived on site everyone was having a well earned break (just in case your wondering why there is no one in their machinery)

Removing tree stumps in the boating lake.

The Chipping Machine

Now people in the swings can keep an eye on their kids on the BMX track.

Pond drainage.

Brodie hopes this is not a permanent obstacle on his walk (It Isn't)

Volunteering is about friendship and making new friends (and FUN)

Break time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/sets/ 

Flickr Images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/sets/72157637419428975/ Todays images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/10730132943/in/set-72157637419428975 Video view from the swings.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/10730043426/in/set-72157637419428975 Video Tractor at work.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/10730424683/in/set-72157637419428975 Video Pathway workers.

Seasonal Ponds Day 2

The team are on site again today 6/11/13 and the word of the day is WET!!!!!!!!!!!

We are continuing where we left off yesterday with more clearing with chainsaws and moving the off cuts.
If you fancy coming along and getting muddy with us feel free to join us about 10am either tomorrow or friday at 10am in the park tennis courts.

Today's Team (all good swimmers)

And the winner of Miss good looking legs in wellies is..............

More water in this area already.

Also Friends of the park would also like to give a huge 'Thank you' to Vince of White Springs for the loan of the waders (photo above) We could not have gone through today without your help.

Website:-http://www.whitespringsfishery.co.uk/

Our Flickr Pages.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/10707673414/in/set-72157637377417283 Another tree coming down.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/sets/ Our Flickr Site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/sets/7215763
7377417283/ Todays Images.

Seasonal Ponds Day 1

Today 5/11/13 we finally began the clearance of the woodland around the old boating lake and between the swings and the BMX track.
This is stage one of our seasonal pond's project which will encourage more diverse wildlife to the park. 
A big thank you to all that turned up today.
And a huge thank you to CountrySide Connections for helping us from the word GO!!!!!

Our team

One hour later

2nd woods Boating lake

Vyv practising tossing the caber (and he missed me every time :-)

You can also find these images and three short film clips on our Flickr site at :-http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofcoedbachpark/sets/72157637353307465/

 

End of October News

Just to let you all know that the monthly meeting of the Friends has changed  to the last Wednesday of the month at Pontarddulais Cricket Club starting at 7.30.so our next meeting will be this Wednesday 30th October. It will continue to be on the last Wednesday of the month until the Cricket Season stars up again next year.

Also this Wednesday afternoon at 2pm (30th Oct.) we are joining up with the Pontarddulais Partnership Half Term Play Scheme in the Park to make it a fun afternoon with traditional games such as egg and spoon race, prizes and gifts to give away to the children as we celebrate the Park having the Queen Elizabeth II Fields In Trust status so please come and support us and join in the fun.

Then the following week, the first week in November, work begins on the creation of the seasonal ponds - see poster attached.

Click on poster to enlarge.

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubliee Fields in Trust status.

Come and join us and the Pontarddulais Play Scheme in the Park on Wednesday 30th October between 2pm and 4pm when we will be celebrating the Park receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubliee Fields in Trust status.

 

Also Coed Bach Park has been submitted for a Getting Active on a Fields in Trust Site Award so fingers crossed that we will be successful.

 

For more information please contact the Secretary Christine Thomas on 07890416892 or email milgi@talktalk.net

Upcoming Events

Please click on the posters to enlarge.

Sat 28th September.

Bug Houses & Muddy Pond Dipping

Sat 28th Sep 2pm—4pm

Visit the Bug Houses we created a few weeks ago and see whose moved in with Dawn Thomas - meet at children’s play ground and children must be accompanied by  a parent—please wear sensible shoes  - thank you

September Meeting

Please note the Monthly meeting of the Friends of Coed Bach Park will be at the Pontarddulais Cricket Club  this Thursday 26th September 2013 starting 7.30pm All welcome.

Also this Sunday Children's tennis sessions are starting at 3pm-4pm £2 per session at Coed Bach Park.

Tennis

Sorry that the Sunday Tennis session was cancelled 15/9/13 but the weather was just too bad. Tennis will be on next Sunday from 3pm to 4pm - cost £2 for more details check out Tennis Pontarddulais Facebook.

Upcoming Events

Click to enlarge

Free Play In The Park

The Pontarddulais Play team are in Coed Bach Park today from 1pm and they are also there again tomorrow Friday 8th August.
And then again all of next week. Fruit and Squash is available under 8's must be accompanied by an adult.

Even the adults have been joining in so it's not to late for us all to act like a kid :-)

(Sarah the artist who was doing the masks and painting paper moths with real flowers with the children will be back on Friday 16th August in the afternoon to do more "nature into art" )


We also currently have an exhibition throughout August at the Pontarddulais Library.

Tennis in the Park.

Tennis Sessions are going well and will be carrying on every Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9.30am to 11pm.

Thanks to Geraint and Rhys for taking time out and teaching the kids a few tricks.

So far about 20 people have been turning up for each session so we are glad to see it so well supported.

Image by Christine Thomas.

We also have some other events coming up shortly.

Meeting/Holiday and Future Events

We are having our regular monthly meeting this Thursday 7.30 in the Cricket Club and the posters and flyers have gone up and out about the Tennis Activities for 5-10year olds which will be starting next Tuesday 30th July and then every Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9.30 to 11am  throughout all of August - there is a small cost of £1 per session and help would be appreciated from 9.30 till 10am each morning to take  the register and the money. 

The Pontarddulais Partnership will be having their Play Scheme in the Park for the first two weeks in August from 5th to 9th August and from 12th  to 16th August and we are joining in with them for National Play Day on Wednesday 7th August 1.30pm - 3.30 pm with Sarah Holden who will be leading a workshop on Green Masks and Butterfly/Moth Paper Puppets and Sarah will be back on Friday 16th August 1.30pm - 3.30pm doing Mini Sketch Books and Simple Willow Weaving.

On Saturday 7th September from 2pm - 4pm  there will be Building Bug Houses and Muddy Pond Dipping led by Dawn Thomas and Dawn will be leading a Bug House Inspection on Saturday September 28th from 2pm - 4pm.

Friday 6th September Familly Bat Walk in the Park with Detectors at 7.30pm led by Steve Lucus and on Sunday 6th October 10am -12 there will be identify the Fungi in the Park led by Teifion Davies.

From Friday 2nd August throughout all of August we will be having an exhibition in the Library about our activities in the Park and the future activities in the Autumn such as the creation of the seasonal ponds. 

Sunday 4th August we will be joining with the Pontarddulais Partnership and having a Stall at the Gower Show, they did a nice article in the Bont Bulletin about the Park and getting the QEII status.

Hope to see you on Thursday.

all the best

Chris 

Also this article appeared in the online Evening Post.

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Parks-important/story-19562427-detail/story.html

Tesco Staff Paint The Childrens Play Area

A big thank you to the  Pontardulais TESCO staff members who along with Christine and new FOCBP member Steph volunteered to help us paint the play area in the park today.

Every Little Helps......And this helps the community in a big way "Thank You" (Liam Chloe and Paul)

2013 Pontardduais and Hendy Carnival

For the third year running we had a stall at the Carnival.

A big thanks to everybody that helped out through out the day.
And thank you to Pontarddulais Partnership for allowing us to use part of their stand.

Pontarddulais Partnership Stall

A busy Carnival field

Young FOTP member Gethin hands us a picture of the park he has made

Gethin's Picture :-)

Wyndsor sorting the paperwork out (Or plotting world domination????)

The first few attempts at pin the tail on the Donkey did not go well

Our Blogger with the printed Blog

                     Filling out the questionnaire

A family letting us know what they would like to see more of in the park