January 2026 Bulletin

Get quacking... Find inspiration from the wildlife in the Park, like this duck having a good shake Frankie Brown: FoGP Photography Group

Calling all young poets! The Friends are inviting young people to write poems that celebrate the Park we all love.
You could write about your favourite place in Greenwich Park or your favourite memory there. Perhaps you’ll be inspired by a visit to the Queen’s Orchard or the historic Rose Garden. Have you ever spotted a parakeet in the trees? Or the iconic deer herd? To get inspired by the past and present of Greenwich Park, check out the Royal Parks and Friends of Greenwich Park websites and spend some time in the Park!
The competition will be judged by Jack Cooper, poet-in-residence of Greenwich Park, and representatives of the Friends of Greenwich Park committee.

• Entries are invited from young poets aged 5-12 and 13-18.
• You may submit one or two poems.
• You must submit your own original unpublished work.
• The deadline to submit your poems is 23:59, Saturday 28 February 2026.
• Winners will be notified in late March 2026.
• Winners in each age category will receive book tokens (1st place = £25, 2nd place = £15, 3rd place = £10), will be invited to read their poems at a Greenwich Park event, and will have their poems shared with the Greenwich Park community through social media, noticeboards, and the Friends of Greenwich Park bulletin.

Now all you have to do is get your creative hats on and start writing! 
You can post your entry here.

The first signs of Spring...

Shades of grey:  But we need the rain and signs of spring are appearing Picture: Vida Cody, FoGP Photography Group

It's been very wet for us out in the Park but after the dry summer we had this is just what we need, writes Head Gardener Tom Brown.
The dreary weather is slowly being lit up with the first signs of the spring bulbs. The snowdrop meadow around the Lake is nearly at its peak and some charming Cyclamens are still poking through and around the Rockery. A very special Anemone coronaria is also flowering out in the Park, see if you can spot it. 
We have been busy in the Dell swapping out the Dicksonia for Trachycarpus which will be much more tolerant of the drier summers, and we were very excited to plant a Wollemi pine. The next stage of the Dell works will start soon with some vegetation clearance and terracing. 
  Finally, you may have seen the new cherry tree planting scheme just to the east of the Grand Ascent. The trees are healthy and happy and will make a fantastic display in the years to come. Thank you for your patience as we finalise plans for a press release in the spring.

Volunteers planting the cherry trees late last year
Picture: Emma V Winn, FoGP Photography Group

Faith Clarke

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the death of Faith Clarke.
Faith, along with her husband Bill, was one of the founding members and a driving force behind the establishment of the Friends of Greenwich Park in 1992. 
Faith helped with everything, helping to write the constitution, serving as membership secretary where she organised a fantastic membership campaign that got the new charity off to a highly successful start, commissioning the Friends’ logo, arranging sponsorship for the publication of the Newsletter and playing a leading role in organising events, such as family days in the Park, to promote the Friends. 
She stood down from her role as membership secretary in 2002, but continued to support the Friends by making her sitting room available for the delivery by the printers of many hundreds of newsletters three times a year, where she then helped to sort them into bundles for passing on to the team of volunteers who deliver them by hand to members across the area – a role which she filled almost until her death.
Faith will be much missed and remembered. We send her family and friends our sincerest condolences.
Patron of the Friends, Stephen Howlett, said: 'The Friends of Greenwich Park and therefore the community owe her an enormous debt of gratitude for what she did from its formation through to recent times. She is a perfect example of what a difference an energetic and committed volunteer can make.'

The empty plinth

Picture: Tina Challacombe

Henry Moore's bronze 'Standing Figure: Knife Edge' has now been removed and is on its way to Kew Gardens for a major exhibition, as we forewarned members in the December bulletin. Henry Moore: Monumental Nature, will be the largest outdoor exhibition of Moore's work ever presented, featuring more than 100 pieces including 30 monumental sculptures set throughout the Gardens, alongside over 70 works on paper, models, and smaller pieces displayed in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. The bronze, which has been a familiar and much-loved feature of Greenwich Park’s landscape since 1979, will return to its plinth here at the end of the exhibition.

A Year of Spotting Birds in the Park

Cheering us up: A lovely robin from Frankie Brown, FoGP Photography Group

Save the dates of our popular Bird Walks throughout the year. The Friends offer the walks, led by Julia Holland, for free, usually on the last Sunday of each month.
The dates for 2026 are: January 25;  February 22; March 29; May 31; June 21;  July 26; August 30; September 27; October, 25; November 29 and December 27.  There is no walk in April because of the London Marathon.
Meet at Blackheath Gate at 8:30 am. Binoculars and cameras recommended if you have them. The bird walk lasts for approximately two hours. You don’t have to be a Friend of Greenwich Park to attend the walk, but we always welcome new members and there are many benefits of being a Friend. Please note that all walks are subject to weather conditions and may be cancelled by the Park in high winds. 

A REMINDER

To parents (and grandparents) that the children's playground by the boating pond is closed for a few weeks for essential repairs and will reopen in the Spring. The work includes the replacement of decking across the playground, the resurfacing of some paths and new play huts. The space will also benefit from more wildlife-friendly planting and some new seating.

Artist Leah at work in the Lodge

London-based artist Leah Clements has begun work as Artist in Residence at Greenwich Park, taking up a studio in the newly restored St Mary’s Lodge. Her appointment follows a public open call that attracted more than 200 proposals.
The Artist in Residence programme forms part of the legacy of Greenwich Park Revealed and will run for six months, culminating in one or more creative outputs to be shared with visitors this summer.

Leah said: 'I’m very excited to begin my residency at Greenwich Park, particularly about thinking collectively with other disabled people about how we might encounter, explore, and enjoy this special place.'
The residency aims to help The Royal Parks develop a deeper understanding of communities’ experiences, needs, and connections to Greenwich Park, supporting ongoing efforts to ensure the Park is welcoming and accessible to everyone.
Christine Bevan, our former secretary, recalls earlier voluntary artist residencies: 'We had artists in residence in 2005 - Frances Treanor; in 2006, photographer Edward Hill; and in 2007, sculptor Pat Rae. There were workshops and exhibitions, and Pat Rae left a wood sculpture in the woodland area - a gentle giant, if I remember correctly.
'Elaine Warrell secured sponsorship for a debate on photography, followed by an exhibition in Peyton Place. She also led Paint the Park, providing paper, paints and crayons so children of various ages could take part.'
We look forward to seeing Leah’s work develop and to sharing it with visitors next summer.

Sun and shade: A wonderful avenue of trees in the Park
Picture: Vida Cody, FoGP Photography Group

Join our Tree Walk

Booking is now open for the next guided Tree Walk in the Park on March 1.
The Friends' offer the free Tree Walks to members and there are two more walks on Sunday March 1. Nature guide Monika Dunkel will explain how to identify trees with bark, leaves, flowers and fruit. The walks are at 11am and 1pm. They are restricted to adult members and there will be a limited number of places. The walks take place largely in the Flower Garden so apologies, but dogs are not allowed. Each walk will have a waiting list. Book your place here.

New chair for The Royal Parks 
Dr Linda Yueh CBE has been appointed Chair of the Royal Parks charity, stepping into Sir Loyd Grossman’s shoes after his four- year tenure.
Dr Yueh is a Taiwanese-born British American economist, lawyer, broadcaster and author who you may have heard on Radio 4’s Analysis and the Today programme. She is Fellow in Economics at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, and Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School. She was appointed CBE for services to economics. She is a member of the English Law Promotion Panel and the UK Soft Power Council, chairs a London Stock Exchange-listed investment company, and serves as a non-executive director of FTSE 100 companies. She is also a trustee of UK and international charitable foundations.
Dr Yueh was previously Executive Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society and a board member of London & Partners, London’s growth agency, including during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She was appointed CBE for her Services to Economics in The King’s New Year’s Honours List 2023.
Following her appointment, she said: 'I am delighted to be joining The Royal Parks at such a dynamic moment for the organisation. The parks represent a vital public good: exceptional, historic, freely accessible spaces, open year-round to Londoners and visitors alike. I look forward to working with the trustees and the dedicated team to build on this strong foundation, strengthen long-term stewardship, and ensure the charity’s continued success in serving both its communities and its environmental mission.'