Following a lively and constructive meeting last night, the next phase of our Maryhill, Glasgow, UK’s community battle to save a precious piece of wild land in our area from both developers and our own city council has begun!
Save our wild land on North Kelvin Meadow/The Children’s Wood!
In this phase, we need urgently to put pressure on the Scottish Government over the next 25 days. Seehttp://thechildrenswood.com/ for details. We need your help, Friends: where you are in the world does not matter!
If you feel that wild land worldwide should if possible be preserved to nurture and safeguard children’s relationship with Nature – and all the health benefits which go with that – do take the time to write a slogan of your choice which includes “Save The Children’s Wood, Glasgow, Scotland” and post the photo on Twitter, Facebook etc.This supporter, Claire, lives in Yonkers, New York (hint, hint, you guys in the Big Apple!) She wrote: ” I love the children’s wood and it is my niece and nephew’s favourite place to play.”
Claire, Yonkers, NY
Or – go through to http://thechildrenswood.com/ and sign our latest petition. And – Share this post on Facebook. We need all the help we can get. Thanks!!
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200 words Anne Whitaker 2016
Licensed under Creative Commons – for conditions see Home Page
The descent into darkness as autumn shades to winter, always makes me aware of the frailty of us all behind our carefully constructed masks – and of the fleeting nature of our existence. Here is a beautiful, poignant poem by one of my favourite poets, Rainer Maria Rilke, which captures the slow shift from ripeness to melancholy restlessness as the leaves tumble down…
Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.
Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into the heavy wine.
Whoever has no house now, will never have one.
Whoever is alone will stay alone,
will sit, read, write long letters through the evening,
and wander along the boulevards, up and down,
restlessly, while the dry leaves are blowing.
– Rainer Maria Rilke
translated by Stephen Mitchell
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It’s been (and is) a stormy, difficult time in the life of our extended, patchwork family; my own life has not been exempt. But amongst it all I am basically well, and grateful to be so. All the more reason, then, to ‘seize the day’, enjoy what life has to offer: in our case, the welcome company of Susie and Lola these last few days.
On Sunday we re-visited Pollok Park, Glasgow, UK, introducing arty young Lola to the wonderful Burrell Collection, remembering Susie then as a little girl entranced by the leaf-strewn “Enchanted Forest” – just as Lola was on her first visit this week…history sure does repeat itself. Enjoy the photos!
Enchanted ForestAutumn Fairy with bouquetOffering?
300 words copyright Anne Whitaker 2014
Licensed under Creative Commons – for conditions see Home Page
“Wild spaces are invaluable to children, especially those growing up in towns. They stimulate the imagination and nurture the spirit. Places like the Children’s Wood within North Kelvin Meadow (Glasgow)are hard to come by in urban settings and so should be preserved at all costs.”
Scotland’s greatest living artist and writer Alasdair Graywill read, for the first time ever, to an audience of children on the 30th June, 2013. He has chosen to read from the well loved Just So Stories and some Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales.
There will be many activities for all ages to enjoy during the afternoon: food, crafts, lucky dips, second hand children’s items, window boxes, home baking, face painting, plus lots more….
“Wild spaces are invaluable to children, especially those growing up in towns. They stimulate the imagination and nurture the spirit. Places like the Children’s Wood within North Kelvin Meadow (Glasgow)are hard to come by in urban settings and so should be preserved at all costs.”
“For decades we have restricted children’s freedom to play outdoors and there’s growing evidence that this trend is damaging their physical health and emotional well-being. We now have to take positive steps to ensure that children have easy access to wild spaces like the Children’s Wood in the North Kelvin Meadow. It would be a travesty if this special place for children disappeared under concrete.”
Our local North Kelvin Meadow campaign takes an important step forward on Thursday 4th April 2013 from 11.45 am until 12.30 pm with a second protest demonstration outside the City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Do come along and join us – if you can’t make it, do send this link to ANYONE you think can contribute to saving our meadow in any way: friends, community activists, bloggers, Twitterers, Facebookers, journos……it all helps!
BACKGROUND STORY:
May 2012 saw the start ofThe Children’ Wood– an offshoot of the sterling efforts of the North Kelvin Meadow Campaign, for the last few years the latest in several local initiatives, whose objective over a long period of time now has been to save a patch of local waste ground for community green space use, as opposed to its hosting yet another set of newbuild flats – in an already built up area – if Glasgow City Council’s plan for the space goes ahead.
To give you a wonderful ‘flavour’ of what this land means to our community, DO watch this brilliant short film Dear Green Place, made recently by film maker James Urquhart.
AND – to sign our on-line petition, goHERE. Thanks!!
The Children’s Wood
(photo: Anne Whitaker)
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NOTE: Blog/Twitter followers, Facebook friends, community activists and enthusiasts, please do what you can to pass this information around your networks. Thanks!
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400 words copyright /Anne Whitaker 2013
Licensed under Creative Commons – for conditions see Home Page
