We're official !

Very good news today ! Our registration has been accepted by the Breathing Spaces section of the BBC website.http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/breathingspaces/places/showrecord?11689
and if that link works I'm putting myself up for the Nobel Prize for Science.
Everybody seems to have been busy with family things this weekend, but if the rain holds off we should get on with a bit more digging this week. Terry, the man from Waltham Forest Green Spaces has e-mailed to say the bulbs are on their way, so everyone had better get their trowels out. Anyone with additional trowels please make them available for our additional volunteers. I'm sure Emrie and his Grandfather will be out to help !

A bit more history

Well, here it is, the plot in question. Not much to look at yet, but that's the point really. The only reason for anyone to refer to it, is because it's that spot by the bins where that poor young man was stabbed to death. Those of us living here at the time used to avoid it, but hidden in the picture is another clue. Every year on the anniversary of the event, members of the family come and put flowers on the lamppost. I always felt ashamed that this was a spot where people threw their chip papers and drink cans. A family deserves more dignity than that. We talked about looking after it, but never got round to it. But the flowers kept appearing. So this year we finally got round to doing something about it.

Tulip Watchers

This time last year, the Church Hill Road Gardeners came together to join Monty Don is planting our Spring Green Tulips.This is a rather nice reminder of Carol and Ivan's winning effort. Unfortunately the tulips came out while they were away on holiday, so they didn't really get their full recognition. I have just printed out the application form from the Big Lottery site, all 32 pages ! It's a bit daunting, we're a very tiny project for a 32 page form and I will certainly need help to fill it in. In our favour we have the fact that we have not only identified our piece of land, but we already have permission to work on it. Volunteers are urgently needed to help dig over the garden so that we can plant the bulbs. Ivan has made an excellent start and Nathan has done a bit, but we need to get on with it a bit...

Regristration

Oops! Last post written so quickly I forgot to look at the screen or check it ! Sorry about that.
Just got back to find we have been duly registered at the BBC Breathing Places and have a user name and password. That allows us to post events and things, but I haven't worked out how yet.
Have not yet been over to look at the garden, it's been raining so hard I expect it looks much the same. We still need to organise our bulb planting day, Miranda is going to sort that out I think.
I will be e-mailing the draft constitution this week, but now I'm off to the gym to work off some of the food and drink I've consumed this weekend.

It's suddenly got vert busy ar 36

Life has suddenly got very busy and very crowded for us. Joel has returned from his travels and we're off to a party in Bristol, so won't be helping out this weekend.
Joan has agreed to be our President, I'll try to e-mail everyone the draft constitution when I get back.

Registration

Won't be doing much today, as I'm off to see a baby, an activity I find even more exciting than gardening ! But in the spare moments between waking up and the shower, I've managed to fill in the registration form for the BBC Breathing Places. They wanted to know what our website was, and it seemed to indicate we had to have one, so I gave them the blog address and we'll have to cross our fingers that it will do. I had a quick look at the people who have already registered, they all seem to be big organisations and have posh websites. I do hope they are going to allow ordinary people like us to join in.
Now I have to wait for Louise at the BBC to get back to me and tell me if we are allowed to register.
I was thinking that it might be nice to ask Joan at No32 to be our President as our senior resident. She knows about the garden, I was telling her about it the other Saturday. What do people think ? If we're going to have a written constitution, we might as well have an honorary president.

It's getting serious !

So many things have been happening over the last few days, I've decided to use my very elementary blogging skills to record them and share them with the people who are about to become the Church Hill Road Garden Committee !

This has all come about through a few new developments. Whilst enjoying a delicious barbecue round at Mick and Margaret's the other Saturday, everyone was talking about 'Autumn Watch', which got me thinking...

Then chatting to the ever industrious Ivan and Carol over at the garden, Carol suggested we might qualify for one of the Breathing Places grants.

The next Saturday we pick up the scent at the Apple Day at the Vestry House Museum, where Michael notices they have the leaflets.

Miranda offers some encouragement, and promises she will soon be out in the garden, so off I go.

So far we acquired a Treasurers' Trust Account with Nationwide ( that's another story), where we have our deposit of £80, Mick is going to get the paint for the wall with his contribution.

We also have a letter heading, designed by Nathan, I can let you have a look at that, I hope !

And as if by magic, it worked !

I have a draft constitution for you all to look at and agree, we need this to qualify for a grant. I sort of rewrote one based on one used for a Croquet Club, it looks a bit formal but it does the job.

The next post will be about the work that's been going on in the garden itself. I'm finding it all quite exciting, I hope I'm not boring everyone else to death.