Search Results

A good day one and all and welcome to the first of two blogs to be posted this week chronicling the busy life of Alex Ashworth as he continues in his quest for gardening experience. Today was Monday morning which meant the weekly visit to see Senior Park Ranger Steve Smith at The Ashton Park Pavilion base HQ. After an initial coffee kick start we were both more than ready to face the weekly onslaught of litter scattered across Ashton Park. Fortunately we had our litter pickers and at least three refuse bags to collect the debris all done in a cool, calm and diligent manner. The first port of call was to clean up the car park. Steve worked one side then I made my way to the teen shelter and tennis courts to see what the kind folk of Preston had left for us. As the morning progressed so did the events. I tidied an area where above me a tree branch could, at any minute have collapsed on top of me, as one dog walker observed. This came to Steve's attention later on and he tried to contact me via phone to help him remove it but my phone was off. Despite this Steve dealt with it and took it out of dangerous view. I'd got to a stage as I was litter picking and I had no idea where Steve was. I just kept walking and picking up the debris then, as I was near the swings and roundabouts there was Steve. Things got back on track then. I apologised for not answering my phone, we concluded our litter picking and made our way back to the Pavilion base HQ. It was here where a much needed brew and biscuit was the order of the day. We had quarter of an hour or so break during which time we had a look back at some of the photo's from The Armed Forces day at the weekend held in Preston's Harris Museum. Some of the pictures were quite comical and they captured the poignancy of what the day symbolized. After the brew break it was time for 20 minutes or so removing weeds from the community fruit garden. The plan was to utilize the bags from the litter work earlier to collect the weeds into. We both used forks to dig out the weeds and remove the excess soil then place them in the bin bags. By 12.10pm it was time to conclude the mornings proceedings. Will no doubt see Steve at some point on Wednesday during the Let's Grow Preston session. For now though, this is Alex Ashworth signing off for a peaceful, productive morning with Preston Parks and senior Park Ranger Steve Smith.

Good afternoon blog followers. Welcome to the final update this week documenting Alex Ashworth's voluntary roles throughout the Lancashire region. Today was the last Friday in the month which meant a visit to INTACT was in order. I arrived at The Intact Centre at approximately 9.15am and parked my eight year old Toyota Yaris neatly on the road. Signed in at reception and kindly asked a member of staff where Barry Mann was (tutor for my Intact sessions). They said he's not here yet so I made my way to the café and had a cheeky volunteer coffee. By 9.25am Barry entered the café as I was reaching the end of my brew and he said some of the things we'd be working on this month. He also let me know of another volunteer who would be helping us out. After a refreshing brew and a quick debriefing from Barry, I was more than ready to get on with the required work Barry had in store for me. The first task was to have a look at the latest developments in the garden with regards to what has grown and to what extent. I was quite amazed to see the growth of the onions I planted a couple of months ago. In addition the turnips were looking quite epic as well. It was great to see so much change and growth in the vegetables since I was last there and remarkably how much they'd grown in such a short time. Barry also showed me the herb area where herbs such as thyme and coriander had grown. Some had done better than others but overall it was a good established bed. He then introduced me to this morning's work. Basically it was an area at the back of the centre that had been overgrown with excessive weeds and grass. As Barry was highlighting this work the other volunteer appeared and, with a series of bags we all contributed to removing the weeds and grass from the border nearest to the fence. By 10.45am we'd just about conquered it. Whilst doing our work Barry identified a tub that had old weeds in, soil and rocks. We both shifted the tub towards the planting area and I ( with the help of a spade and trowel) bagged the soil into a bag, Barry then deposited the rocks around the compost bin. During this time the other volunteer was busy weeding a series of beds. Barry decided the bags with excess weeds and grass would sit comfortably in his car and he would remove them at his local refuse site. At 10.55am we'd concluded our mornings work and it was high time for a coffee and, because we'd all worked hard we all got a biscuit each. After 20 minutes or so drinking our brews, munching our biscuits and sharing our joys about what we love about gardening it was time for each of us to depart. The other volunteer was first to go, I followed suit and then Barry. I said my goodbyes to Barry and mentioned that I may see him at Let's Grow Preston in the coming weeks otherwise back here towards the end of July. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for a productive and therapeutic time at The Intact Centre.

Good afternoon avid readers of my blogs and welcome to yet another instalment into the on- going voluntary pursuits young Alex Ashworth is committing to. Today marked the final session with The Lancashire Wildlife group and lead Chris Taylor's 'Bees, Butterflies and Bikes'. As per usual I waited eagerly at the meeting point (outside The Anderton Arms pub in Fulwood) complete with my full gardening gear on (waterproof jacket and pants, boots and gloves). It was getting around 9.50am then all of a sudden a white van came speeding round the corner. It couldn't have been the postman because it was the wrong colour and it was also the wrong time for him to do his daily postings. As I came towards the van I gave the driver a big wave, it was of course Chris Taylor. As I got in Chris' van it soon came to my attention that it was just the two of us today. Despite the lack of numbers we went to the Guild Wheel Cycle path site and used a variety of tools. Secateurs were used to cut back the docs, spades and balsams clubs just in case we were to use them. The first task was to remove a large portion of the docs. We deposited them towards the hedge and continued with the next task. Chris noticed there was weeds covering some of the pear trees so we removed them. As we walked further on we basically had a good review of the work carried out since last November and fortunately most of it appeared positive. It was only when we went to the other cycle path when Chris noticed an area that had some excellent planting done but was only cut back with a mower. I felt sad for Chris, especially after all the hard work gone into planting around there. Resilient as ever though Chris found a more sustainable patch that looked more attractive and prosperous for the environment. He captured it on camera to document the work that had been done. We were going to examine some more of the work that took place since November 2015 but sadly the heavens opened and it was game over for now. Chris kindly took me back to my car and the initial meeting place at The Anderton Arms. He hoped to see me sometime in the future and made aware of some of the voluntary work to be scheduled several months down the line. I wished him all the best and it genuinely has been a real pleasure working for Chris every week and then every couple of weeks. I've learnt so much. It's been extremely valuable and I'll treasure this period of time in the months ahead. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for seven months with Chris Taylor's group, 'Bees, Butterflies and Bikes'. Thanks Chris.

Good afternoon blog followers and welcome to yet another insight into the voluntary pursuits young Alex Ashworth commits to throughout the Preston district. Today marked another session with the Bill's horticultural class which takes places every Wednesday between 12-3pm. I arrived at the pavilion base HQ bang on cue ( 12noon to be precise) and it was a nice welcome return to see Paul Greenwood back once again with the Let's Grow Preston team. I was also delighted to find out a new volunteer to Bill's class was a former volunteer of Chris Taylor's group of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust so it was really nice to see her after so long. The rest of team followed suit and Bill and I no doubt felt a little outnumbered at times as the crew included an all female cast ( a little like the new Ghostbusters reboot). Despite this we all diligently got on with this weeks task which, perhaps was arduous and, perhaps not we'd love to do but, it proved it was essential and the area that we worked on did look better three hours later. The work I am referring to is weeding. Myself and the new volunteer worked on the path at the community fruit garden whilst the remaining three (including Bill) worked on the fruit garden beds and careful not to uproot any bulbs and, if they did find any they put them to one side. Bill and I engineered a good depositing system which involved collecting the weeds into the wheelbarrow then off loading them, to begin with at the compost bins then Bill felt the skip was more appropriate so took the weeds there. By 1.30pm the sweat was pouring from all our brows, myself especially as per usual I was wearing my big waterproof coat. Bill called time for the end of part one so it was time for a much needed brew break followed by treats in the form of biscuits and pastries. During the break Bill outlined what the original plan was for the horticultural class which involved at some stage painting pots. He made us all aware that we are at least 6 weeks behind but he reassured us by saying it's long term project so there's plenty of time. It was here also where Paul Greenwood stipulated the history of Let's Grow Preston and how it was at one stage Preston Environmental Forum but the name wasn't infectious and how now we have the opportunity in developing Let's Grow Preston into a sustainable, educational and beneficial platform for people who want to progress into eventual paid employment. By 2pm the coffee had been drunk and the biscuits were getting dry. We had 60 minutes to conclude the area we were all individually weeding at. One particular volunteer had a great brainwave. She had some cardboard in her car and she thought it would be ideal to place them over areas where the weeding took place with a covering of soil to prevent further weeds from taking place. This was a great idea and we all took the initiative in making this happen. After that the last few barrows full of weeds were off loaded to the skip. Tools were then returned to the pavilion base HQ and a final goodbye was required before we all went our separate ways. I'll be back for Let's Grow Preston on 29th June but for now this is Alex Ashworth signing off for another fun and productive afternoon with Bill and friends.

A good day to you all and welcome to the regular update of Alex Ashworth's voluntary pursuits he's endeavouring to do throughout the community of Preston. Today marked the penultimate time I would be volunteering with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and lead Chris Taylor's group 'Bees, Butterflies and Bikes'. The reason for it's closure is due to funding and June 22nd will be my last time with the group but it's been an excellent seven months and I've learnt so much since back in November at the end of last year ( 2015) It was just Chris and I today but, like always we played a diligent role at the Guild Wheel Cycle Path. As Himalyan Balsam keeps reoccurring every year it was vital today that we got a considerable amount of it taken out. It's a deadly weed and it doesn't do anything good for the environment. Chris and I were armed though with a mighty scythe like tool that enabled getting rid of the balsam in a blitz like fashion. We both agreed how satisfying the noise is when you stand on them and how great it feels to eliminate them from view. For CV purposes I wanted a photograph of Chris and I on site. Fortunately a walker was passing though and I asked Chris if we could ask her to take a photo of us. We both looked great after it was taken, one for the album indeed. After a period of time in one section balsam bashing Chris thought it would be good to have a brief walk to inspect some of the work we had done over the past few months then conclude with a final section of balsam busting. Once that was completed we had a good review of all the work we done since the winter. It was brilliant to see the progress of the plants we had planted , for some reason however we could not find a single flag iris. Despite our pursuit of the missing flag iris Chris noticed how well the holly trees had come on and also the campanion. The two hours was nearly complete it just needed Chris to drop me off back at my car and a penultimate goodbye on what has been a truly fantastic and educational experience. Thanks Chris. See you on June 22nd for the last session. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for yet another productive and life enriching time with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

Good afternoon and welcome to the one and only blog covering the voluntary pursuits Alex Ashworth is committed to here in the Lancashire district of Preston. It was Wednesday so that meant two things. One, it was time for another session with the Let's Grow Preston team. And two, it was also time for a another learning experience with the horticultural crew made up of five volunteers including myself. I arrived at the Pavilion base HQ at 11.45am and fashionably interrupted a meeting that was taking place. Once I'd braved through that minor ordeal I happily helped myself to a nice hot cup of coffee from the kitchen whilst waiting for the remaining four other volunteers to appear. Annie Wyn was in charge today so once everybody had arrived we got on to business. For the first 15 minutes or so ( taking us up 12.15pm) myself and quite a gregarious character planted a series of golden plum tomatoes in a raised bed in the community garden. She made the hole with the trowel and I carefully and delicately placed the golden plum tomato in the prepared hole. It was then tightly sealed with our hands to firm it in the soil. A gentle showering of water was then added for the growing to take place. By 12.15pm the three amigos turned up and it was time to complete task number two. Task number two required removing the hay from one of th e raised beds to allow the soil to breathe and the roots to develop. We all mucked in and I had the role of temporary farmer because I had a fork and a nifty wheelbarrow to dispose of the hay into the compost area. We'd diligently completed this task with much grace and skill. Some volunteers took the initiative and saw an opportunity to remove some of the grass around a series of the raised beds borders. Annie ( who is the lead of Let's Grow Preston) alerted us to the fact that she had to get going so she made us aware of the other tasks to complete by 3pm ( the end of our three hour session). The strawberries needed taking out of the community fruit garden, a portion of seeds needed sowing and an area at the community fruit garden needed some much needed TLC ( a mass of weeds needed taking out) In true delegation style two volunteers were working on the fruit garden and two volunteers were sowing the seeds whilst the final volunteer was continuing to take out excess grassy areas around the raised beds. The seeds that were sown were :- Rudbeckia or Golden Compass, Russian Tarragon and Parsley which are both herbs and Anemone which is an excellent cut flower. The parsley is also an excellent flavour and is nutritious. The Rudbeckia likes to be placed in a good, moist seed compost and to be placed in a cold frame or cool greenhouse. At this point in the afternoon it was heading towards 2.15pm and some volunteers were placing the strawberries in the greenhouse area whilst others were sowing the seeds mentioned in the previous paragraph. We also were given the chance to have our own strawberry plant to take home. Some took this chance, others declined. We'd worked for a good two hours so it was high time for that much needed coffee/tea break. We took quarter of an hour out of the three hour schedule and chatted and chilled whilst drinking our brew. The final half hour or so involved uprooting the weeds from the community fruit garden and taking out some of the rhubarb for us to enjoy at our own leisure. It was rigorous work getting the weeds out especially as there were so many nettles but we got there in the end. We also used a disused corner of the fruit garden to dispose of the weeds. As we were taking items back to the HQ base we'd remembered we needed to all sign out. Thankfully one kind volunteer had signed out for all of us. Bill the tutor of the horticultural class is back next week but for now it's been a fun and enjoyable three hours with a strong team of volunteers who were prepared to do anything and to reap the rewards as well. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for a rewarding and productive session with Let's Grow Preston.

Good afternoon avid readers of my daily blogs. This marks the last blog of this week covering my voluntary pursuits throughout Preston. At lunchtime today a new course started at Let's Grow Preston. It was a horticultural course that was valuable training for new and existing gardeners. I arrived at the Pavilion HQ at 11.45am complete with high visibility jacket, waterproof pants and gloves. Within seconds I was introduced to Bill who was the teacher from Lancashire College that was going to facilitate the training today. I signed in and was ready for action. Not long after 12noon volunteer number two arrived. She was nice and friendly and I soon discovered when I was working with her how much fun she was and how easy to talk to and also encouraging and kind. The tour de force was complete. Myself, volunteer number two, Bill and Paul all set for a three hour session that would teach us a new and interesting skill. Paul Greenwood provided leaflets for us both and then a relaxed tour of the new greenhouse and additional compost, storage and tap areas was kindly brought to our attention. Tutor Bill then began teaching us the work we would be doing today. The first step was to weed a specific bed. Once that was done we had to tear off strips of black bags and firmly fix them into the bed. This did mean at times the whole strip wasn't wide enough for the whole bed so an additional strip was implemented to cover the remaining space. After the first one was done with Bill's help, myself and volunteer number two diligently did a series of beds applying the same practical technique that Bill showed us. We kept going with this pattern of work till 1.30pm by which time it was brew break till 2pm. Volunteer number two was very specific with her tea, If I recall I think she requested one sugar in hers. I asked Paul for coffee with milk in no sugar as I'm on a diet. Paul, however tried to tempt me in the brew break with the chocolate digestives but I had to be strong. Also during brew break Bill noted down our personal details to enrol us on the course. He revealed that it is an eight week course and we claim a certificate at the end of it. We also chatted in great length about when we were young and where we grew up. After 30 minutes chilling out and reminiscing on our idyllic childhood the fab four were back to work and continued from 2pm till 3pm. It was nice working with volunteer number two as we became more familiar with each other as time went on and as we got used to the work we created our own formula for getting the beds protected from winds. As Paul called time at 3pm it was just enough time for a group photo, during which I said to Paul " have you got my best side Paul? " Paul replied "all of you is the best side Alex ". There we were the intrepid trio bar Paul of course because he was cameraman. It was good to learn a new skill and find out about a new and developing way to prevent weeds from overshadowing raised beds. I really enjoyed myself and I look forward to attending again in a couple of weeks. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for week one of the horticultural course at Let's Grow Preston.

Happy afternoon blog followers and allow me to reveal a brand new week as Alex Ashworth perseveres with his voluntary pursuits. Today was Monday which meant another trip to Preston Parks and with the capable, reassuring and encouraging hands of senior park ranger Mr. Steve Smith. On arrival he gave a small package of seeds for me to plant or to pass on to other voluntary groups I am associated with. There were four varieties in total :- pakchoi, lettuce, spring onions and cress. It was a nice little treat for a Monday morning and I intend to put them to good use. Once we'd dealt with the formalities ( how are you? how was your weekend?) We were off out doing what we do best on a humid if not a little chilly Monday morning. The weekly litter clearance and general inspection of the park. Early into our travels we met some familiar faces that we have become acquainted with since we've been doing this work together, a man and his dog who is really good fun and likes to have a chat with us, he's also genuinely appreciative of the work we do on the park and believes it wouldn't get clean if it wasn't for our diligent efforts. As Steve was dealing with several difficult phonecalls I made my way round the play area and did a good clean up round there only to be stopped in my tracks by Steve who alerted me to the fact that there was a much dire area of rubbish that needed our collaborative work to remove it. I ceased my current litter clearance and made my way towards Steve, we were both horrified by the state of what several individuals had created over a series of beers, a barbecue and other substances which is better not to mention. We both agreed that it was sad and pathetic that people are inclined to neglect their environment and be ignorant to ethical standards of cleanliness. We cleaned up the mess and Steve's decision to have a brew after was wise and I was in full agreement. We had a ten minute coffee break which took us to approximately 11.45am. The final morning's task was to remove some carpet tiles from outside the pavilion base and into the football pavilion. We took a wheelbarrow each and deposited our share of the carpet tiles into the football pavilion. At 12noon it was time to bid farewell once again. I took all my belongings and said to Steve I'll see you briefly on Wednesday as I'll be back in for Let's Grow Preston. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for another productive morning with Preston Parks and the kind wisdom of work colleague Steve Smith.

Good afternoon one and all and welcome to the last blog of this week documenting the many voluntary roles young Alex Ashworth is maintaining in and around the community of Lancashire. It's been a fortnight since I volunteered for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust as part of the Bees, Butterflies and Bikes group so it was high time to make another visit to this eco-friendly group. Yesterday I arrived at the allocated location spot ( outside The Anderton Arms pub in Fulwood ) promptly as ever at 9.45am. It was slightly cooler and raining a little so I decided to put on my waterproof mac. I waited anxiously for lead Chris Taylor to come sailing past in his van. 9.59am and he arrived right on cue. I sat in his van for a while until the second and final volunteer arrived at approximately 10.05am. We made our way to the Guild Wheel Cycle Path and after a brief demonstration we all planted, in total 600 Yellow Rattle Plugs. Chris explained to us both that they are very useful in Wildflower Meadows as it is a parasite of grass and therefore hopefully stops the grass taking over. Work was well and truly under way for the intrepid trio. One volunteer on the far left of the path of grass, me in the middle and Chris on the far right. All it took to plant them was a small scoop of soil from the trowel place the Yellow Rattle Plug in the hole then firmly seal with your fingers. It wasn't a race but if it was I'd get bronze, Chris silver and the final volunteer gold as she completed planting them in the shortest time. Patch number one :- complete. It was time to make our way to the second patch of grasslands to plant the next batch of Yellow Rattles. As we were walking there we recognised other elements of nature and how plants were blossoming in spring and enjoying the solitude of the countryside. Once the second batch was complete we had one final collection of Yellow Rattles to plant then our time was up for another session. Initially, Chris had it mind to place some canes round some trees but with the excess number of Yellow Rattles to store into the ground there was little time for extra gardening activities. As we were working on the final batch we had the pleasure of seeing a series of dogs investigating our handiwork and barking at us as we endured. I think they were more interested to see if we had any doggie treats, much to their disappointment, we did not. The clock struck 12noon and our fellow volunteer had called it time, I was getting tired too actually. She departed but Chris and I continued for another quarter of an hour, then, we were done. My last conversation with Chris before I said goodbye for another fortnight was to identify the plant we planted, which he did. I'll be back with LWT On Wednesday May 25th. This is Alex Ashworth signing off for yesterdays excellent session with LWT.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to day two in an exciting and fresh new week into the work of Alex Ashworth who undergoing a series of voluntary jobs throughout the Lancashire district. Yesterday Barry Mann from INTACT text me to let me know he'd be away today for my fortnightly session at INTACT. He made me aware of the things that needs doing and encouraged me to ring him if I needed any extra advice/help. I did ring him and he let me know a final task to complete at the end of my two hour shift. So there I was 9.29 and thirty seconds and I made it to the INTACT centre without a second to loose. The people at reception had been informed of Barry's absence and they knew I'd be asking for a key on arrival. I did ask for a key but when I got to the store cupboard I realised I needed another key to unlock the lower lock. I retraced my steps back to reception and a kind lady came with several keys to check and confirm which was the second one. I let her know I'd be popping in around 10.30am for coffee and that I would return the keys at the end of my shift. Phew. That sounded more complicated than it actually was. Once that had cleared up I became immersed in the first task which was to weed the are where I planted several onions a few weeks back. I wanted to be extra diligent and make sure I left my area tidy once complete. It took in total an hour to do by which time it was coffee break so I had a five minute break drinking my brew and admiring the view, said Wordsworth on a walk he was on. The second task written down on my to do list was to cut back the daffodils close to the school rail, at least an inch above the ground at the stem area with the secateurs This was quite a lengthy process but enjoyable too. This took me till 11am. I went back to where I started cutting the daffodils and collected the old stems and the dead leaves and deposited them into the bag that I used for the weeds earlier on. It was now 11.15am and I had fifteen minutes left to water the tomatoes in the grow bag placed in the greenhouse. Barry reminded me the previous day to use the tap in the far left hand corner as the tap close to the shed is still damaged from the vandals several weeks ago. This was a nice therapeutic conclusion to a good two hours work in the garden at INTACT. It was 11.25am and time to hand over the keys back to reception, sign out and be on my way for another fortnight. I'll be back at INTACT on Tuesday 24th May. Until then this is Alex Ashworth signing off for my fortnight venture at INTACT.

A good day to you all and welcome to a fresh new week into the lively activity work Alex Ashworth commits to within the voluntary sector and in the subject of gardening. This morning I attended a two hour session with Steve Smith ( senior park ranger) for my weekly visit to Preston Parks. It was a smoking hot morning so I came prepared like last Wednesday and wore my high visibility vest complete with waterproof pants and gloves for the unlikely event that it may rain. I walked up towards the pavilion base preparing my mind for what was in store. A kind member for another organisation suggested that I carry a bottle of water as Steve and I went round our weekly jaunt of the park. He was concerned that I could dehydrate, I politely said no thank you as I was a saving my drinking palate for the coffee break later on. So off Steve and I went on our travels to successfully complete a clean and tidy park. On our journey we met some dog walkers, a man on a tractor lawnmower and a couple of people playing tennis. It was brill walking round the park in the heat and cool breeze and yes, I am glad I wore my high visibility vest. We arrived back at the Pavilion base at 11.20am and it was definitely time for a brew. During brew time a member from another organisation dropped by, soon Steve was sharing stories about popular television dramas and gave a good review of several ones too. It was nice chilling out over coffee and feeling laidback enough for conversations to flow freely and talk in great length about contemporary cult television shows. Work resumed at 11.35am and the plan was to revisit the community fruit garden where myself and several other volunteers planted some crocuses back in November last year. Since then the area has become slightly overgrown with weeds so Steve and I took fork to ground and dug out the excess weeds and placed them in the wheelbarrow. We left a portion of weeds round the crocus bed for a fellow volunteer to remove on Wednesday ( May 11th ). Steve and I had a relaxed chat during this time and I expressed my desire to work and my first paid job commences Friday 3rd June. He was delighted and said if there is anything you need help with , please don't hesitate to contact me. 11.59am soon became 12noon and it was time to leave Steve to it for another session. I'll be back with Steve next Monday ( May 16th ). This is Alex Ashworth signing off for another rewarding and productive morning with Preston Parks and Steve Smith.

St Barnabas Place (off St Pauls Road, near Meadow Street) are gearing up for a new season. They have already started some planting veg and are putting plans together for regular activity sessions. If you would like to get involved with this group let us know and we will put you intouch with them!