UPDATE: After 6 days the stricken and weakening Barn Hill heron is still awaiting rescue

 

 

Photo Credit: Amanda Rose

I could not make it to Barn Hill pond today to check on the heron that has its beak constricted by material,  as I am social isolating with Covid.

 

So far despite calls to various agencies, no official rescue operation has been undertaken to help the heron and it is inadvisable for the public to try – the heron’s beak could produce a very nasty wound.

 

 Local professional photographer Amanda Rose has been taking a keen interest in the heron's light and produced some stunning images of the heron’s plight. (Please respect her copyright).

 

Many thanks to Amanda for this update:

 

 Photo credit: Amanda Rose

 

I spent an hour and a half with the heron this afternoon, at times there were three other people who have all contacted various authorities over the past week to try and get help. We were relieved to see it today as there were no sightings yesterday.

 

The heron let us all approach closer than ever before, presumably too weak to fly, conserving its energy, or too hungry to care. Most surprisingly, it didn't flinch while a dog was running around the water’s edge, thankfully the owner kept the dog out the water.

 

 Photo credit: Amanda Rose

The heron caught a small fish and a newt but dropped both back into the pond and wasn't able to eat either. Someone produced a bag of scrap fish for the heron, and drove to the top of Barn Rise to give it to me, but by the time I'd walked to the roadside to collect it and walked back to the pond, the heron had flown away.

Bear hunters spotted on Olympic Way and Chalkhill allotment

 

I could not resist posting these photographs of what is developing into an annual event from community group Daniel's Den. The pictures by professional photographer Amanda Rose capture the joy and fun of the event.  Michael Rosen, author of the picture book Going on a Bear Hunt was so impressed that he retweeted them.

Frogs galore in Barn Hill pond as Spring bursts into life

 

 Frogs on Barn Hill pond ©AmandaRose

Local photographer Amanda Rose caught these frogs in noisy action yesterday in Barn Hill pond, Wembley.

Recent restoration work on the pond seems to have worked its magic and there is frogspawn at both ends. According to Amanda the frogs were happily singing, unaware of the heron that held them in its beady gaze.

More photographs and a video  of what Amanda called 'an army of European brown frogs' are available on the Alamy site HERE

 

LBOC 2020 - Will we be allowed to see the Bobby Moore Bridge tile murals next year?

The east side of the subway, with new illuminated panels and one mural scene displayed, 5 Nov. 2019.

Guest post by Philip Grant

I have written a number of guest blogs about the Bobby Moore Bridge tile murals in the past year, including one saying ‘now you see them, soon you won’t.’ LINK  For those who are interested, I am trying to get Quintain and the Council to let you see at least some of the murals for a few months during Brent’s year as London Borough of Culture 2020.

Last weekend, I wrote to Quintain’s recently appointed Cultural Director for Wembley Park Arts, Josh McNorton LINK , setting out my suggestions for how the murals (or full size images of them) could be put on display. To make this happen would involve working with the Council, so I have now sent a pdf copy of my letter to Brent’s Chief Executive, Carolyn Downs, with copies to the Lead Member for Culture, the Artistic Director for LBOC 2020 and other officers and councillors who should be interested. This is my letter to Josh McNorton:

(I believe that the photograph of the east wall murals, on page 3 of my letter, is the work of local photographer Amanda Rose.)

In my email to Ms Downs I have said:

‘As you are aware, from previous discussions with representatives of Wembley History Society, the murals are a Council-owned public work of art, specially commissioned for the subway between Wembley Park Station and Olympic Way in 1993. They colourfully celebrate a wide range of sports and entertainment events held at the stadium and arena. They are a heritage asset, reflecting the cultural history of Wembley Park, which deserves to be seen again by residents and visitors during our year as London Borough of Culture.

I hope that you will forward this email and attachment to the officers and councillors who need to be involved, and encourage them to work with Wembley Park Arts / Quintain to ensure that the murals are displayed during 2020, and that the Council and LBOC 2020 actively publicise when they will be on display, so that as many people as possible can enjoy seeing them.’

The mural scene showing footballers and the old ”twin towers” stadium is now back on display, after six years of being covered-up. That will be of interest to thousands of fans coming to the stadium for Euro 2020 matches and other games, but there is far more to Wembley Park’s sports and entertainment heritage than just football.


I know that there are a number of Brent councillors who would like to see all, or at least as many as possible, of the tile murals displayed next year. I hope that they will use their best efforts to ensure that this happens. But whether we will see the tile murals again for a time during 2020 remains an open question