June Bulletin

Pictures: Pip O'Byrne

It seemed like the world was waiting for the Rose Garden to reopen, and on 31st May, at a low-key ceremony, it was unveiled to a chorus of oohs, aahs and general delight.
Head Gardener Tom Brown, who has designed and masterminded this stunning project, said: 'I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone involved, it has been a pleasure to work with you all.' He said the Rose Garden is intended to be 'a peaceful spot within such a busy park'. Certainly visitors appear to be relishing the tranquility of the space.

Pictures: Vida Cody, FoGP Photography Group

Tom pointed out that there are still many plants in their ‘establishment period’ but it won’t be long before everything reaches its full glory. He said: 'I hope you all enjoy the borders that were planted last year to give you a sample of what we are trying to do with the Rose Garden.'
He explained that the formal layout also has mixed modern planting and some traditional rose beds. He added: 'We have a wildflower meadow which will help us manage pests and diseases and added in an accessible path leading towards the two new pergolas.'
Tom added: 'I have handed the reigns of the Rose Garden over to our fantastic new gardener Carlotta but I’m sure you’ll see me poking around in there from time to time. If you do, please come and have a chat, it would be my pleasure to talk roses with you.'
Friends vice-chair Clare Hatcher said: 'The new Rose Garden is a triumph. The formal beds overflow with roses and perennials and contrast perfectly with the informal wild flower meadow.'
The Friends have sponsored the northerly of the two Corten steel pergolas designed by Heather Burrell. The pergolas have been planted with Rosa ‘Malvern Hills’, a pastel yellow repeat flowering rambler, which will be woven with purple clematis.

Pictures: The Royal Parks

Look who's hiding in the deer enclosure

New life: The fawn, half concealed in the undergrowth
Picture: The Royal Parks

Meet the newest inhabitant of the deer enclosure. Park staff spotted the brand-new fawn snug in the undergrowth last week.
The herd of eight fallow deer has been settling into the renovated and extended paddock, south of the Flower Garden, for the past few weeks.
The deer have been difficult to spot since their introduction. Tom Stanier, Park Officer, told the BBC: 'The deer are shy, anxious creatures. They like privacy. They like their little safe spaces.'
He added: 'It's wonderful. It's such a pleasure to be able to walk through a paddock. It's reinvigorating, it's a magical experience.'

Midsummer Jazz - be prepared

Our renowned Midsummer Jazz concert is now sold out, apologies if you missed getting tickets.
But for those coming to the concert in the Royal Observatory Garden next Sunday, June 22, as well as a stonking set from the South London Jazz Orchestra, we're offering a bumper package of raffle prizes. Top spot goes to a Bowl & Dine package for six at Vintners Lanes Bowling Alley, Greenwich.

There is also:

A case of wine (12 bottles): Davy’s Wine Shop, Greenwich
Dinner for two and a bottle of wine: Princess of Wales, Blackheath
Lunch or dinner and a drink for two: Banana Tree Restaurant, Greenwich
Afternoon tea for two: Clarendon Hotel, Blackheath
Voucher for £30: Passion Flower, Old Dover Road
Two cinema tickets: Picturehouse, Greenwich
Voucher for £20: Pavilion Café, Greenwich Park

We do have payment machines but wifi coverage in the Observatory Garden is patchy and it will speed up proceedings if those who want raffle tickets could bring cash. The afternoon runs from 12.30pm to 3pm.

Thank you for the music...

The job of restoring the Park's beautiful bandstand is nearing completion, and a short re-opening ceremony will be held on July 6 at 3pm, immediately before the first bandstand concert of the season.
Do come along for the celebration before enjoying the Gordon Webber Soul Band. This high-energy seven-piece band play soul and disco, plus dance floor favourites. They are one of our most popular bands.
The Friends’ bandstand concerts are held every Sunday from July 6 until August 31, and on Bank Holiday Monday, August 25. All concerts, which are free, start at 3pm and end at 5pm.
The other bands in July are:

July 13 Andy Smythe Band: Five-piece band playing a selection of classic foot-tapping Americana/bluegrass/folk.
July 20 KiX Jazz Orchestra: Eighteen-piece outfit playing a wide range of big band numbers from swing to modern fusion.
July 27 Tequila Brass: Seven local musicians performing music inspired by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

Learn about the Park's trees

Discover the trees in the Park and learn about tree identification with nature guide Monika Dunkel.
There are two more free walks for Friends on Sunday July 13 at 11am and 1pm. The walks are restricted to adult members and children over 10 years. They take place largely in the Flower Garden so apologies, but no dogs. Booking will open here at 10am on June 30 and each walk will have a waiting list.

Flutter by at a wildlife day out

Insects were on the agenda during a half-term event in the Learning Centre.
The Friends' Wildlife Group took part in a Play Event run jointly with The Royal Parks and London Play. More than 460 people came through the doors. The sun shone and picnics were held on the grass outside the Learning Centre.
The Friends' butterfly and moth cabinet was a star attraction. The children enjoyed making butterfly and bee masks and colouring butterfly templates. Outside, the more adventurous moulded clay into insect shapes and created striking insect outfits.

As You Like It, as you've never seen it

The East London Shakespeare Festival is bringing a joyful, family-friendly outdoor production of As You Like It to the Royal Observatory Gardens in Greenwich for the very first time. Performances take place on July 26 and 27. For more details click here.

If you're pushed to find a bin for your recycling or rubbish, this is the map for you. There are 22 to choose from! Bins in the Park are currently under review, so watch this space for more information.

Join our bird walk

Julia Holland will lead the next Bird Walk next Sunday, June 22. Meet at the Blackheath Gate at 8.30am. There is no need to book, but bring binoculars if you have them. The walks last approximately two hours.

Friends, lend us your ears...

For our 2025 community dig we returned to the landscape around the Roman temple, writes community archaeologist Andrew Mayfield.
As in previous years, the excavation was open to volunteers, local schools and first year students from UCL's Institute of Archaeology. This led to more than 80 people taking part in activities on some days! But what did we find?
UCL were investigating a backfilled channel on the south side of the temple mound, that research had suggested was pre-Roman. By the end of the three weeks, they had reached the bottom of the channel. There was no 'clean' Roman layer at the base, but there was a mix of Roman material in all the layers. Comprehensive 20th century levelling had clearly caused quite a bit of recent disturbance.
In the volunteers' trench on the edge of the temple site we identified a mortared surface, cut by at least four post holes (with 2nd century AD pot in the backfills). A possible wall footing had been dug through everything ... all sealed by a levelling deposit in the late Roman period. This again supports the theory that at the end of the Roman period, the location has been comprehensively flattened, perhaps to create a levelled area to meet and trade on.
In the third trench on the north side of the site, we investigated a second possible Roman channel, filled in with silts and gravels full of Roman pot and tile.
In conclusion, it looks like the site in its prime had channels flanking both sides, which would have accentuated the positioning of the temple on its artificial mound. Outside in the 'precinct' area they have clearly remodelled the site several times, which may tally with the remodelling/rebuilding phases on the temple itself.
There's clearly a lot more to learn from the site!

Amazing Roman finds: (from the left) a paw print, a hobnail shoe print on a roof tile and painted plaster from the temple
Pictures courtesy of Andrew Mayfield

FREE yoga sessions

are starting in the Park from today, June 15. Just turn up at the Bandstand Field at 9.30am for an hour, no need to book. Run by the charity Park Yoga, the community sessions will take place every Sunday morning until September. Everyone is welcome – regardless of age, background or ability. For more details click here.

Family summer celebrations

Two days of free summer celebrations take place in the Park on July 12 and 13. The family-friendly festival - in conjunction with the Arts Trust - blends live music, circus feats, immersive theatre and hands-on creativity. Spread out a blanket on the grass, bring a picnic or grab bites from local food stalls featuring everything from ice cream to gourmet street food. For full details click here.