The time of the meeting has been returned to 7:30 pm from 6:30 pm because it will not now begin with a discussion with Councillor Paul Convery.
The recipients of the donations for filming suggested so far are:
Cally Colour Chart is to be a lighting display under the Cally Bridge that interacts with the traffic. A colour will emerge, while the name of the colour will appear on a screen. Passing vehicles and trains will make the colour fade into the next one. There can be over 200 colours.
You can choose and name the colours at the Cally Colour Chart web site until 5 July.
Islington Council has commissioned the work with funding from Transport for London. You could recently have seen other work by the artist, Phil Coy, at the Whitechapel Gallery or the South London Gallery.
More than two years ago a large ash tree fell at the edge of Thornhill Square Gardens, destroying other trees and three metres of railings. New trees (Tulip Tree, Tibetan Cherry, Sweet Gum and Red Maple ‘Red Sunset’) were chosen and planted in the following winter, after discussions with residents; now the railings have been reinstated, using copies of the original ones (which have their own grade 2 listing from English Heritage). The reinstatement was delayed for various reasons; most recently, Metalcraft, the company that provided the railings, had to find a second foundry when its first choice went out of business.
Metalcraft was selected following the suggestion of residents (especially Patrick Firebrace), who obtained quotations for the work that kept the original design but that nonetheless were much better than those made to Islington Council.
Of course the railings elsewhere around the Gardens need restoration, but that is too much to contemplate in these straitened times.
One of the people’s plaques chosen in the vote in 2011 was for Edith Garrud (1872-1971), the suffragette and jujutsu teacher who lived at 60 Thornhill Square. Wikipedia has an account of her life.
The plaque is to be unveiled outside 60 Thornhill Square at 1:00 pm on Saturday 30 June. After the unveiling there will be a reception at St Andrew’s Church, a short walk from the house.
The house was later occupied by Lisa Pontecorvo (1944-2008), who is commemorated here.
I have been opening Barnsbury Wood as a volunteer since I came to live here. This involves offering a couple of Saturday afternoons over the summer and, on those afternoons, opening the gate and letting visitors wander about while I sit on a camping chair and read my book. After two hours I check everyone’s gone, lock up and go home – feeling better for a few moments of peace.
The note below is a friendly request for volunteers, from the Nature Conservation Service. This scheme helps Barnsbury Wood maintain its status as a public nature conservation area. Please respond to the Nature Conservation Service directly.
Barnsbury Wood Volunteers wanted, to open the wood to the public on Saturdays 2-4 pm through the summer.
Barnsbury Wood, the beautiful little nature reserve on your doorstep (Crescent Street) is only open to the public on Tuesdays 2-4 pm. For a number of years we have been able to extend this to include Saturday afternoons in the summer. This is only possible with the time and commitment of local residents who volunteer to staff the Saturday opening.
If you are interested please contact us.
Louisa Roscoe
Nature Conservation Officer
020 7527 4383
078 2509 8503
Louisa.Roscoe@islington.gov.uk
Full induction provided for new volunteers, refresher for those who have volunteered before if they wish.
