Well my goodness, if only I’d got a crystal ball for Christmas! Even if I had I would never have believed that the events of this year would come to pass.
This year has turned us all inside out and upside down. And everyone is adjusting to the ‘new-normal.’ Like groups everywhere, the Peacocks Meadow committee have had to postpone some of our plans for 2020. But, thankfully, we live in a brilliantly resourceful community here.
It may sound a strange thing to say, but the ‘lockdown’ has been a tremendous bonus for the garden. With so many families adhering to Government guidelines and taking their exercise and walks in their own neighbourhood, we have seen a surge in visitors to Peacocks Meadow. It has been one of the great delights of this strange year to see that many families have discovered ‘Littleport’s very own secret garden.’ Many of these were first-time visitors. We are also delighted to welcome those residents of the Limes care home, who take their daily walks in the garden.
And with more people visiting, more exciting developments have occurred. Visitors began to hang their own recycled art works in the garden to brighten up those daily walks. We are indebted to Joanne Coe and her ThePORT youth club artists, for installing their beautiful and inventive art pieces in the meadow. The fairies have been a great hit! Joanne has also created a ‘muddy-play’ kitchen, Ms P. the peacock sculpture, photo competitions, and so much more. On a visit to the garden you will see all manner of lovely creations in the trees.
And it is not only ‘human’ visitors that have benefitted from the meadow. One of our supporters, Becky English, has kick-started the creation of our community bug-hotel. And I have to relate a personal highlight of the summer. One morning I went to do a bit of work, clearing weeds from the newly planted trees on the ‘mound’ in Peacocks Meadow. I noticed that some of the growth had been trampled down. So I took a closer look. I spied a pair of tiny, gingery ears – and as I peered more closely, I came face-to-face with a tiny muntjac fawn! Our resident pair of muntjacs obviously felt that Peacocks Meadow was a safe and secure space in which to hide their precious baby. Of course, I beat a silent and hasty retreat. But I was so delighted that our wild creatures also regarded the garden as a special sanctuary.
We are (as ever) indebted to Andy Coe and his young team of volunteers, for mowing the garden regularly. This is helping to eradicate the brambles and nettles and keep the pathways clear. Thanks also go to Stuart Palmer of Fenland Spirit Services for keeping our mowing machines in trim.
So, it seems that (in this year of strange happenings) our community has really taken the garden to its heart. Our volunteers work very hard to maintain Peacocks Meadow as a safe and welcoming green space for all to enjoy. We ask visitors to report any issues to the committee, by messaging us via the Peacocks Meadow Facebook page.
Peacocks Meadow is Littleport’s only woodland garden. It is also the only green space managed and maintained by the community.
We need more proactive volunteers for our committee. If you would like to become involved in shaping the future of the garden, fundraising or organising community events, we’d love to hear from you! If committees aren’t your thing you can still get involved. We hold regular work parties throughout the year. All are welcome and we often have entire families getting ‘down and dirty’ with us. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and exercise, and of course, to meet new friends. You can do as little or as much as suits you. And you’ll have the satisfaction of helping to create a beautiful green space for future generations.
To find out more about how you can get involved please contact: t.c.curtis@tinternet.com. Or send a message via the Peacocks Meadow Facebook page.