DD13

Down in the Dell 2013

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2006 and earlier

Pearl Braddock, 1925-2013

Pearl, who started Friends of the Dell way back in 1996, has died aged 88 in a Surrey nursing home. For many years after her retirement she lived in Westbrook House overlooking the Dell. As a child minder she used to take little children down into the Dell to play. In those days there were several large climbing frames that were exciting things for older children to play on, but nothing for toddlers, so she started a campaign to raise money for equipment that small children could use. She would do sponsored swims at the Oddfellows, run a bric-a-brac sale on the pavement or sweet-talk the patrons of the Woodland or Murphy's into parting with fivers. She also persuaded Barclays Bank to make a generous contribution. Warwick District Council matched the funds she had raised, and it wasn't long before a small slide, a roundabout and two little rockers were installed in the Dell. At a time when the Dell enjoyed a rather unsavoury reputation, it was she who founded Friends of the Dell to raise public awareness of the amenity value of the Dell. It was her idea to hold a community party in 1998 which would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the official opening of the Dell as a public park. The Friends have held an annual party ever since in the Dell, with occasional barbecues and Halloween parties and more recently Music Festivals. Without Pearl, none of these events would have taken place. We owe a lot to her. At the 2012 Dell Party the Friends presented her with a framed copy of the new information panel on which she is mentioned. The picture shows her (centre) with her son Tim and friend Margaret Watkins after the presentation. 

Posted 7th September 2013. 

Family Bat Night   

With a little money left over from our Sustainability Grant we decided to spend it on another bat listening evening for young families on Thursday 22nd October. Last year's enthusiastic expert from the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Vicky Worthington, was with us again, with even more bat detectors this time, one for each family to use. There were some new games for the children that would help them to appreciate hibernation and the bats' need to catch huge numbers of flies, as well as the "bat and moth" game that proved so popular last year. There were 22 children present along with parents so the full turnout was well over 30. But if we are to repeat the event in future years we shall almost certainly have to charge for tickets.

The children "hibernating". 

   Now they have to guess who's under the sheet.

 

The "bat and moth" game.  

Detecting the real bats.

Posted 7th September 2013.

 

Friends of Victoria Park

Faced with Warwick District Council's decision to allow most of Victoria Park to be covered in cars and caravans for the whole of the summer holiday from 2014 for three years (initially), local residents have formed their own "Friends of" group to campaign against it. Friends of the Dell were asked for advice on how to set up their new organisation, and we were happy to oblige. On Sunday 1st September they will hold their first event, a picnic on the park at which they intend to publicise the issue. You can find them on their website where you can sign the online petition and help to bring the number of signatories up to 1500. Just imagine the Dell as a car park all summer long!

Posted 24th July, 2013 


Ben's Journey, Saturday 13th July


On what must have been the hottest day of the year to date, Friends of the Dell supported an event in the Dell to raise money for severely disabled 3 year old Ben Anker to receive stem cell treatment to alleviate various life limiting conditions, including cerebral palsy and blindness. For Ben's story, more pictures from the Dell and details of how to contribute to the fund visit his Facebook page.

Posted 24th July, 2013.

Dell Music Festival, Sunday 7th July 

 

 

Once again we "did it in the Dell", with the help of a grant from North Leamington Community Forum. On a very hot day with competition from several other local events, let alone a Wimbledon final, we managed an excellent turn out with an attendance of several hundred people. The emphasis was on young and aspiring bands and individual players from local schools and youth groups co-ordinated through Hybrid Arts. Their high standard was much appreciated and we hope that an appearance at this festival will have helped them on their way to future stardom. Established adult bands were also in evidence such as the Swaps, Cowboy, the Rosenberg Appeal and the Leam-Jazz Funk Collective, ending with a spectacular melange of recorded music and sound effects summed up as the General Theory of Dub.

A different kind of attraction was the presence of "Sirius", a graffiti artist, who produced an 8 ft x 12 ft masterpiece in the course of the afternoon, while children vied with each other alongside to achieve their own oeuvres in chalk on a giant blackboard. 

In return for a generous donation to the event, the Star and Garter laid on a barbecue which was kept busy throughout the afternoon. The Oddfellows ran their "splat the rat" and "spin the wheel" competitions to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, while One World Link (the OWLs) sold cakes and ran competitions in aid of the town's association with Bo in Sierra Leone. We were delighted to welcome a delegation from Bo, whose visit to Leamington happily coincided with our festival. Sarah Nelson and her "Snack shack" team offered face-painting and sweets. Tucked away in a shady corner we were grateful for the presence of three St John Ambulance officers who fortunately had nothing to do all afternoon but enjoy the music.

Grateful thanks to James Knight, Stewart Duthie and Chris Meeke whose unstinting efforts, enthusiasm and unquenchable optimism helped to make it all possible. Thanks also to Cydney Busby of Hybrid Arts. 

 Festival goers in the searing heat!

Posted 14th July, 2013. 

The Dell Party, Sunday 19th May 

With hot, dry and mostly sunny weather after several weeks of unseasonable shivering we must have had a record turnout at the Dell Party this year. We welcomed the Chairman of Warwick District Council, Cllr. Richard Davies with Cllr. Erica Davies and the Mayor of Royal Leamington Spa, Cllr. Judith Clarke with Mr Stephen Clarke and also our M.P. Chris White. As always the children enjoyed the bouncy castle and the Punch and Judy show while our resident face painter, Sarah Nelson, and her young "Snack Shack" team did a roaring trade.

The standard of music was excellent. A full programme was laid on by Dasato, One More Night, the Spa Strummers Ukulele Group, Wolf and Lockerby's Vanity Circus, Rocky Grindstone and his Stammerin' Tugboat Pirates, Midweek and the Hangover Blues Band. It is always good to see some new names appearing among the well established favourites.

A grant from Royal Leamington Spa Town Council helped us with insurance and some party costs, Signworks made the banner, TWPrinting printed the flyers, Osborne's laminated the posters and the Star and Garter laid on an endless supply of real lemonade. Raffle prizes were donated by local shops and businesses including Comme-ci, Comme-�a, Dell News, the Grove Practice, Havana, Kang's Stores, News Plus of Regent Street, the Oddfellows, Stonemonkey, Sweet As and the Woodland Tavern, as well as by many generous individuals. Above all we should like to thank everyone who came along and made the occasion a big success. It was a great afternoon.

A packed Dell last Sunday.

Posted 23rd May 2013.

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