We are not to be the host of the cargo bike from OurBike. I feel we were misled as we didn’t realise we were competing with at least one other group. That had not come up when Douglas came down to explain the scheme. We thought we just had to agree the scheme. Well we did, with some reservations. Our main responsibility was to keep the battery charged. And then out of the blue, we were told Giovanna’s, the restaurant on Woodgrange, had got the hosting. From what I can gather, the Council made the choice. Maybe Giovanna’s was more enthusiastic and made a better case. Perhaps they’ll use it for delivering pizzas. Maybe it was felt the high street was better placed for making the bike visible for hiring and where it was less liable to be vandalised. Though, I can’t help feeling that we would have been better for the scheme, being a democratic organisation and being used to organising events in the community.
But we didn’t get to be the host, and that is that.
Though, it takes the heat off us. Although not responsible for the bike beyond charging the battery, it would have been difficult, seeing it every day, to not feel some responsibility. But we can still use it if we wish. It will be parked less than 100 yards away. And we can watch and see how Giovanna’s gets on with hosting the scheme.
We have had just one lot of frog spawn this year, which is surprising. I haven’t seen any adult frogs in the pond at all. There must have been at least a couple to get the spawn we now have, but in previous years we have seen upto 12, with maybe three females and the males competing for them. But this year just one spawning. This was a couple of weeks ago and a few tadpoles are being hatched all ready. The spawn is difficult to see, though, as it is almost lost in a tangle of iris roots. With only one spawn, it must mean that most of the adult frogs haven’t survived. This could be due to drought, predators or disease.
One thought I had was that females especially were finding it difficult to climb to the pond, being heavy and bloated with eggs. So I have put a bowl of water out. Much easier to get into. It has been out for six days and has attracted no frogs. So poor survival is the most likely cause for our paucity. We could still get more spawn, but if we don’t it will be least amount I recall in the ten years the garden has been open.
Yesterday, I led a walk for people with dementia and their carers, beginning at the garden. I didn’t know how this would go, as I haven’t done such a walk before. The walk would only be about two miles, but the first part would be along streets until we got to West Ham Park. How could I make that part interesting?
There were thirteen of us on the walk. I pointed out the plane trees on Earlham Grove, planted when the houses were erected, in the 1890s. Before the houses were built, the area had been farmland owned by the Gurney family who owned half of Forest Gate, and had sold their Upton estate to the London Corporation, becoming West Ham park, our goal.
Down St Margery Park Road, there was a magnificent magnolia, with a great dome of white blooms. And then into the park, along the avenue of planes and horse chestnut trees, to the ornamental garden with its show of daffodils and other spring flowers. We went round the Fothergill exhibition, with explanation and pictures attached to the pergola.
The walk was slow, and I stopped from time to time to let everyone catch up. On the way back, we went via the Spotted Dog, the oldest non ecclesiastical building in the borough, said to be Henry VIII’s hunting lodge. And then down the alley by Clapton CFC ground, where I pointed out the plaque to Walter Tully, the black footballer who played for Clapton, and then Spurs. He died as a soldier in the first world war.
Back at the garden, we had tea and biscuits. The weather was chilly but no rain. The group enjoyed the walk, as much for the company as for the walk itself.