Thanks to funding from Trafford Housing Trust’s Community Panels and Trafford Council, we’re working with a Greater Manchester-based organisation called City of Trees to plant around eight new trees in Gorse Hill. The ‘New for Old’ name is because the new trees will be planted to honour some of our oldest local residents. The idea came about because we know from feedback that some of our oldest residents, especially those with mobility problems, find it hard to get involved with our planting activities. We’ve been out to interview several residents now about their memories of trees, parks and open spaces in Gorse Hill and had some really great stories. Lots about the parkies!

We have two planting dates coming up that you are all welcome to get involved with:

• Saturday 12^th November, between 10am and 1pm at Cranford Avenue Park

• Wednesday 16^th November, between 10am and 12 midday at Nansen/Topfields Park

No need to bring anything as we will provide all the tools.

Once the trees are planted we plan to inscribe some of the memories our local residents have shared with us onto wooden ‘tree charms’, and hang them in the trees.

A few months back we spent much of our meeting looking through tree nursery brochures with Beth from City of Trees to choose ones for the sites we had identified. We had some interesting discussions about native versus non-native trees. I’d originally thought that I would prefer native, but Beth explained that it’s actually a good idea to have a range of different trees to help protect against disease. Ash dieback being a good example of where one disease can wreak havoc where the species it affects is widespread.

For those of you who like to know the detail (like me), here are the trees we’ve chosen:

• Amelanchier Arborea Robin Hill https://www.barcham.co.uk/products/amelanchier-arborea-robin-hill

• Cut-leaf alder (Alnus glutinosa Imperialis) https://www.barcham.co.uk/products/alnus-glutinosa-laciniata

• A type of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus Fastigiata) https://www.barcham.co.uk/products/carpinus-betulus-fastigiata

• Purple beech (Fagus sylvatica Purpurea) https://www.barcham.co.uk/products/fagus-sylvatica-purpurea

• Black walnut (Juglans nigra) https://www.barcham.co.uk/products/juglans-nigra

• Pin oak (Quercus plaustris) https://www.barcham.co.uk/products/quercus-palustris

• Corkscrew willow (Salix matsudana Taortuosa)

We’re really excited to be nearly at the planting stage!

Tuesday 29th March 2016, 6.30 – 8.00pm sees the gorgeous Brenda Smith from Bud Garden Centre, getting Stretford’s beginner gardeners growing their own from seed!

Come along to the Gorse Hill Scout Hut on Beresford Rd, and kick off your summer of scrumptious, home-grown grub. Compost, pots and seeds are provided, but feel free to bring your own.

Places are limited, so email gorgeousgorsehill@gmail.com to book a space.

A discussion on social media had led to some pretty negative attitudes from a few local residents coming Gorgeous Gorse Hill’s way and it got me thinking about community. What is a community? Margaret Thatcher famously said, there is no such thing as society (a term closely linked to community initiatives). Was she right? There are so many initiatives at the moment that encourage communities to take ownership of what happens to them, to influence this, to drive it and increasingly to do it themselves.

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The plans have been for ages to mosaic the bollards outside Stretford Leisure Centre on Chester Road. The spanner in the works was the weather. We needed 3 dry days in a row around a weekend. So just after a rainy, end of August bank holiday weekend (yes, I was camping) we got the good news that dry weather was on the way. Everyone’s diaries had to be adjusted so we had a full day to finally get this done. I arrived, with husband, brother and 2 children just after 9am and found lots of other people getting ready to start.

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One planting night and a Dig the City planning meeting this week, Gorgeous Gorse Hillians!

Loads to do, so if you can pop out even for 10 mins, or to chuck some water on the tree pits, that’d be brilliant!

Weds 24th June, 6.30pm – Avondale/Chester Rd planters
Thurs 15th June, 7.00pm – Dig the City Planning meeting, Community Room, Stretford High Leisure Centre

We’ll be planting up a storm over the next few months and we need all the help we can get, come along to one of the days below. We provide tools and warm welcome.