Events and News

Date for Bark in the Park announced

The date for Bark in the Park, the ever-popular annual fun dog show organised by. the Friends of Queen’s Park and supported by Coastway Vets have been agreed with Brighton & Hove City Council.

It will take place on Saturday, 17th June in the dog area of the park.

SPONSORSHIP AND PITCHES

As usual there are opportunities for the ten individual classes, as well as the overall Best in Show class, to be sponsored.

Additionally, there are opportunities for companies and organisations to book pitches to be at the show. All funds raised go towards the maintenance and development of facilities in the park.

Click HERE to view sponsorship and pitch prices.

 

Volunteer day to save the fish from suffocating

With temperatures nudging 33c last July, the water in the pond evaporated to alarming low levels and, since no fresh water was running into it from the filtered drainage system in East Drive and South Avenue, dead fish started appear floating on the surface.

Since refilling the pond with tap water, or, as was suggested, getting the fire brigade in, would only have created a massive algal bloom of blanket weed that would have killed off the rest of the fish and pond life.

The solution, according to our park ranger Lindsay Cattanach, is to deploy oxygenator plants and do it in such a way that the swans and geese do not eat it.

As council funding is under pressure the Friends of Queen’s Park is funding the purchase Ceratophyllum dermersum, better known as Hornwort. It is one of best native British oxygenator plants and there will be a volunteer to get the plants into the pond on Sunday, 28th May. Come to the Park Ranger’s store room in the play area at 10.30 am for a health and safety briefing and collecting equipment.

Find out what’s going to happen to the play area

As reported previously the Council has appointed a contractor, Kompan, to undertake the first phase of the play area refurbishment.

Officers from the council and the contractors will be available on the following dates to speak to members of the public about the proposed pieces of equipment and the likely timelines for the work to be completed.

Queen’s Park consultation dates and times   

Wednesday 31st May 2 – 4pm
Saturday 3rd June 10 -12pm.

Likely timings

Queen’s Park Play Area will remain partially open while the works are ongoing to ensure that local residents and visitors will still retain some play provision during the construction phase.

Construction is expected to start mid-July with the works lasting about four weeks, depending on weather. However the work is expected to be finished by winter.

Part of a larger programme

The Queen’s Park play area refurbishment is the second phase of a larger £3m programme of playground upgrades across city. This phase includes seven other playgrounds elsewhere in Brighton and Hove.

 

News

Find out what’s going to happen to the play area

May 26th, 2023

As reported previously the Council has appointed a contractor, Kompan, to undertake the first phase of the play area refurbishment.

Officers from the council and the contractors will be available on the following dates to speak to members of the public about the proposed pieces of equipment and the likely timelines for the work to be completed.

Queen’s Park consultation dates and times   

Wednesday 31st May 2 – 4pm
Saturday 3rd June 10 -12pm.

Likely timings

Queen’s Park Play Area will remain partially open while the works are ongoing to ensure that local residents and visitors will still retain some play provision during the construction phase.

Construction is expected to start mid-July with the works lasting about four weeks, depending on weather. However the work is expected to be finished by winter.

Part of a larger programme

The Queen’s Park play area refurbishment is the second phase of a larger £3m programme of playground upgrades across city. This phase includes seven other playgrounds elsewhere in Brighton and Hove.

 

Sapling tree trail is set up

September 1st, 2022

The Friends of Queen’s Park, working with Dr Simon Edwards, the developer of the innovative App TiCL, has established its first tree trail.

For the first of what it is hoped will be many trails, the Friends Group decided to create one for the saplings purchased with funds awarded following a successful bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

In March 2022 fifteen out of the 24 saplings purchased with the £14,300 awarded were planted by a team of volunteers supported City Parks’ Mark Syrett. They were placed in suitable locations around the park best suited to the species. The remaining saplings will be planted during the coming dormant season.

The additions to the park’s tree stock has kick-started the Friends of Queen’s Park engagement with local school and in July nearly 150 local school children helped to mulch the saplings.

Visitors to the park can download the TiCL App free-of-charge and look for the Friends of Queen’s Park Tree Trail.

Wherever visitors enter the park the nearest sapling will appear at the top of a list of nearby trees. An image of the tree in situ will be displayed and there will be a link providing more information about what is being looked at.

Using the App the Friends of Queen’s Park will be creating more tree trails in the future, as well as looking at others such as areas of historic interest in the park. Each will have a unique QR code.

Locations for new trees

March 13th, 2022

The first phase planting of the trees purchased with money from the Friends of Queen’s Park’s successful bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) has been completed. On-going maintenance will now become a focal point for volunteer days. This will include opportunities for local schools to get involve. Local schools were integral to the success UTCF bid.

The last 9 trees will be planted next year.

Tree planting volunteer day

February 23rd, 2022

You are invited to be part of the Friends of Queen’s Park volunteer force supporting the Cityparks team planting the first phase of trees purchased with the funds awarded to us as a result of our successful bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

Where: Open Bakery, 1 West Drive, Brighton BN2 0GD
When: 09:30 am
Until: Approximately 2:30 pm
Clothing advice: Waterproofs and hats in case of rain; Wellington or stout boots (if possible with steel toe caps)
Refreshments: The Friends of Queen’s Park will be supplying hot drinks

The planting will include a replacement for the Peace Tree cherry, which, sadly, has died. The tree forms the focal point each year for a ceremony commemorating victims of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945.

The new one will be planted close to original tree. The old plaque at the base of the old cherry tree will be re-sited at a later date.

About Queens Park

JourneyOn: travel to and from Queens Park.

Queens Park occupies a beautiful green valley facing south east towards the Channel.

In 1890 Queens Park was bought for the people of Brighton and extensively landscaped.

Queens Park is listed on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest as Grade 2.

It has a large pond, a cafe, a well equipped playground and 22 acres of of rolling lawns and quiet wooded corners.

It is half a mile from the sea, one third of a mile long and has one and a half miles of footpaths.

It rises from 70 feet above sea level at the bottom to 140 feet at the top.

Parking: Zone C and meter. Some free parking on Queens Park Road and nearby streets.