May Updates from GRH OYD
COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR THE MILLENNIUM FOUNTAIN DRIES UP
The Millennium Fountain in Chase Green Gardens has not been working now for a number of months.
We contacted the Council to try and discover the reason. A spokesperson for the Environment & Communities Department simply told us, ‘I don’t believe we have plans to repair the fountain this year’. She did however add, ‘I will ask around and feedback to you if I hear otherwise’.
There seems to be little chance of hearing back. As someone else said to us, ‘Is this a cost-saving measure I wonder’. The Chase Green Gardens fountain is not alone and at present it appears there are six or seven water features across Enfield that have been turned off.
We were told that the Council Department with the overall responsibility for the water features is the CMFM (Construction & Maintenance & Facilities Management) ‘But I’m not confident they have the capacity to address the problems’.
It was explained to us that if the Millennium Fountain is filled with water it can become stagnant and, ‘quite possibly a health hazard’. It highlights the potential public health concerns of leaving these features inactive for prolonged periods.
If reactivating the water circulation for the Millenium Fountain is not feasible it has been suggested that it could potentially be planted up and become a garden feature and a lot easier to manage. This has already happened to the fountain in The Town.
SO IS THIS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY AND A WAY OF GIVING NEW LIFE TO A BEAUTIFUL AND UNQUE PIECE OF SCULPTURE ?
TWO QUESTIONS REMAIN:
We need to seek the views of Wendy Taylor the Sculptor
We need to know if there are any GRH Gardening Volunteers
TO BE CONTINUED……
So what is the fountain all about ………
The Millennium Fountain was created by Wendy Ann Taylor. According to her website she, ‘was one of the first artists of her generation to take art out of the galleries and onto the streets’
Before she created the Enfield Chase fountain she created works in St.Katherines Docks in London called ‘Virginia Quay Settlers Monument’ and ‘Timepiece’ both of which are now Grade II listed structures.
The current fountain commemorates the project to restore the River Loop undertaken by Borough of Enfield in partnership with Thames Water and Enfield Preservation Society with the support of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The Heritage Lottery grant 1997 was for £1,795,000 as a contribution to a £2.4m restoration project that included de-silting of the river, new signs, lighting, repairs to railings and bridges , resurfaced pathways, a pollution interceptor tank and pumps as well as the Millennium Fountain.
IT’S MAY SO IT’S TIME TO PAY, PLEASE
Each year in the month of May GRH Residents Committee ask the people who live in the three streets if they are happy to pay their membership subs.
The cost of officially being a member is just £10. And that is per HOUSEHOLD, not per person
The money raised is to help subsidise the GRH events -
The Summer Garden Party (This year on Sunday July 20th) the tickets are again just £7.50.
The buffet and drinks following the Christmas Carol Singing (Sunday December 14th)
The flowers for the hanging baskets that are planted up and hung each year.
The membership of £10 per Household also means we can hopefully subsidise other activities that come up.
Click here to pay your GRH Subs this year.
THE TALE OF THE LONELY CANADA GOOSE
Among the large flock of Canada Geese that gathers on New River there appears to be one that is all by itself.
All birds in the flock – male or female – have black necks. This one though has specks of white feathers on its neck and it seems that others in the flock don’t like it. Geese exhibit territorial behaviour and have been known to pick on other geese if they perceive a difference in appearance.
This was recently observed by a resident on River View. ‘A goose passing under Jephcott bridge suddenly started flapping its wings which lifted it out of the water. Flying just above the water and at speed it headed for another goose swimming with a few ducks about fifty feet away. It landed and started pecking at the other goose which was the one with white flecks. It immediately rushed away dipping its head regularly in the water as it went as it had obviously been pecked a number of times by the attacking goose.’
Speckling on the neck suggests that this particular goose is a hybrid – born of two different kinds of birds or two types of Canada Geese. It seems that this bird has got what is called a Leucistic condition. A survey has revealed that 1 in 30,000 birds have the same.
The other geese may also be preventing the ‘lonely goose’ from eating. If you decide to feed the goose please don’t give it bread. A better diet for it would be oats, corn and other seeds and peas are favourites.
THE CAMERA CLUB HAS MOVED
Edmonton Camera Club used to hold their regular meetings at Millfield Arts Centre on the A10 but they have recently moved and are now within a ten minute walk of most GRH residents.
It’s a dynamic and friendly club where like-minded photographers meet to share ideas and experience and do so once a month on a Monday evening at the Jubilee Hall in Parsonage Lane (just off Chase Side).
The club hosts monthly photography competitions judged by visiting experts along with a variety of exciting events – including a recent photography trip to Lesbos to capture images of the flamingos that migrate there every May.
You can see more about the club at www.edmontoncameraclub.co.uk
For membership enquiries email: edmontoncc.info@yahoo.co.uk
LITTER PICK SUNDAY 22nd JUNE
It’s very true that as the weather gets better the litter gets bigger.
For that reason we are planning a GRH LITTER PICK On SUNDAY JUNE 22 at 10.30am
It shouldn’t take too long and Pick-Up tools will be provided as are black bags to fill
PLEASE SAVE THE DATE
WILL CONTROVERSY HEAD THE COUNCIL’S WAY AGAIN ?
Five years ago there was controversy in the town when Deutsche Bank revealed plans to build a 26-story tower block on the site of the Palace Gardens Shopping Centre.
Deutsche Bank do not own the shopping centre but lease it from Enfield Council. At the time of the controversy objections to the plan came from the local community as well as the Enfield Society and the two local MPs at the time.
The plans were abandoned.
A few weeks ago The Enfield Dispatch, Enfield’s Free Newspaper, reported that the Council had agreed a new lease with Deutsche Bank that is simpler than the current lease and will run for 250 years. The plan was passed by the Council.
A report into the lease states that it will make any future development plans a lot easier to draw up. A spokesman for the Council said that he hoped Deutsche Bank would now come forward with a, ‘high quality, low-carbon development that would provide, ‘new homes, work spaces and public amenities’.
The newspaper says that there is a draft local plan that is expected to be approved later this year. Among other things the plan includes 329 homes on the site no higher than 27 metres – the approximate height of nine stories
THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF PICTURES OF BEAUTIFUL GRH
AND FINALLY………
It seems that the birds are not too impressed with the stylish new seating in Church Street.
STAY IN TOUCH
EMAIL: grhresidents@live.com
WEBSITE: www.grhresidentsassociation.org
INSTAGRAM: @grhenfield
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/grhenfield