Friends Of Whittleford Park Home Page

17/09/2026

Going through my images from over a year ago now that I can see better, I came across photos from the last time helped with litter picking alongside my children. Most of the area we cover is around the park and football pitch near the Ford Community Centre. Because the park is so large, each ward council should take responsibility for the part of it in their ward. I’ve heard there are plans to use the football pitch at Whittleford Park more often, possibly making it the main venue for matches. I’ve tried for years to speak to the council about blocking off the pitch from the park, as it would make it safer for both people and wildlife. If it were gated, only keyholders could enter, making them responsible for removing their own litter and preventing fly-tipping. Right now, the park is full of rubbish and would need litter picking at least twice a day. The football pitch itself is unsafe, poorly managed, and littered with rubbish, dog mess, and potholes, some caused by fires. Something needs to be done about this in the future.

27/08/2026

Folks often ask me about the dark elderberries showing up along the fences this time of year. They’re a fantastic plant. They grow like weeds, ask for absolutely no coddling, and yield a brilliant harvest for winter syrups and jams. But there is one very strict rule you must follow before putting a single berry in your mouth, and a part of the shrub you should never even bring into the kitchen. I've been gardening for thirty-odd years and I still see eager foragers getting this completely wrong. Once you know how to handle them (and the easiest trick for getting them off the stems without making a mess), they're an absolute joy. Just don't learn the hard way.

27/08/2026

You might think winter gardening means expensive heating pads and fancy polytunnels, but it doesn't. Back when folks relied on their gardens year-round, they used something much simpler to keep vegetables growing straight through the frost. It's essentially a layered heat engine you can build from things lying around the garden. I built mine out of some old bricks, chicken manure, and a spare windowpane, and it works a treat. No electricity, just biology doing its thing. You might even find yourself eating fresh lettuce in January without plugging a single thing in. Curious how it works?

27/08/2026

27/08/2026

Dolly Parton once entered a dolly parton lookalike contest… and lost. 😂💅

The twist? She was actually there in disguise.

Dolly Parton reportedly once showed up at a gay bar in Los Angeles and secretly entered a Dolly Parton lookalike contest. She went all out with the hair, makeup and iconic Dolly style, only to lose the competition to a drag queen.

Dolly later joked about the experience, saying the drag queen had completely out-Dolly’d her.

-AV

27/08/2026

27/08/2026

With one of the hotest Summers that we have had for a while in 2026.

I have not visited the park this year, yet the litter picking warriors have been out helping to keep the park safe.

One of the main worries with it beeting so hot and dry was the risk of wild fires. This is some thing that we are use to hearing about in places like the USA but never really in the UK.

So keeping place tidy and free of litter was a great help to prevent this from happening.

One of the main things that people drop in the park that I have seen when helping to littler pick in the past have been,

Broken glass bottles
Cans
Food packets
Smoking and va**ng
Electronical eqipment
Abandoned bike and car parks
Fridges and frezzers.

13/07/2026

https://www.britishflora.co.uk/a-z-of-all-plants/

The A to Z list of all the native British wildflower and aquatic plants we can contract grow for you in our purpose-built nursery.

30/06/2026

I have posted up some information about what is like to happen before January 2027, with regards to children's online safety.

Personal I think that at this moment in time "it is going to be like trying to close the stable door once then horse as already bolted."

I think that everyone will be effected by this and local awareness in education and the community needs to be on board with supporting families with this transition

My oldest is nearly 13 and if the age changes to 16 when how do I help to support him into employment?

When he can illegal work in the UK for the age of 13; especially now since being on line as become the major back bone of society for everything?

Also how will it effect families that home school their children?

How this this effect supporting them with home work and studying?

1. When will the UK social media ban start, and which apps will be affected? - BBC News
2. UK under-16s social media ban: which apps will be blocked and how will it work? | Social media ban | The Guardian
3. 14 Social Media Sites Parents Must Know | BroadbandSearch
4. Social media bans for teens – everything parents need to know - BBC Bitesize Social media and children in the UK - statistics & facts | Statista
5. Social media bans for teens – everything parents need to know - BBC Bitesize
6. Fact sheet: New rules to protect children online - GOV.UK
7. Social media | NSPCC
8. Social media bans for children by country | Live tracker 2026 - Wired Parents

will all social media accounts that are owned by under 16 years old just instantly be closed down in 2027

The UK government's plan to ban social media accounts for under-16s will noto result in the instant closure of all accounts. Instead, the ban will be enforced through regulations that require age verification.

Platforms will need to use "highly effective" age assurance systems
to block and remove children under 16 from their platforms.

This means that while accounts will be deactivated or suspended pending
further checks, many long-standing accounts may still be accessible.

The government is also considering measures to limit infinite scrolling and
overnight curfews for minors, indicating a broader
approach to online safety.

13/04/2026

In a world-first observation, scientists have witnessed evolution in action with the Australian three-toed skink (Saiphos equalis).

This unique lizard species is "bimodally reproductive," meaning some populations lay eggs while others give birth to live young.

Remarkably, researchers documented a single female laying three eggs and then giving birth to a live baby from the same pregnancy.

This rare versatility suggests the species may be in the middle of an evolutionary transition between different birthing methods.

Being able to switch could allow these lizards to better survive changing environmental conditions.