The Richmond Park Calendar 2023
Calendar cover photo © Dolores Mateo
Our wonderful 2023 calendar has 39 beautiful photos of the Park’s wildlife and scenery, taken by talented local photographers. Treat yourselves and delight your family and friends whilst helping to raise funds for our work in the Park. £10.00 each. Buy now at the Visitor Centre or order online. Shop 2022 – Friends of Richmond Park.
Richmond Park Christmas Cards
High quality cards with six beautiful images of the Park’s scenery and wildlife, produced by the Friends of Richmond Park.
Christmas Card images top left clockwise: © Diana Loch, James Kliffen, Cath Gothard, Paula Redmond, Mitchell Lewis, Paula Redmond.
Packs of eight cards, each with one of these six new designs. £5.00 per pack. Buy at the Visitor Centre or order online. Shop 2022 – Friends of Richmond Park
Question Time with Richmond Park’s Manager, Paul Richards, on Zoom
We are delighted that Paul Richards, who has been Richmond Park’s Manager since April this year, has kindly agreed to answer questions from Friends’ members in a live Zoom session at 6pm on Thursday 10 November. This follows popular sessions held with Paul’s predecessor, Simon Richards. The Friends Chairman, Roger Hillyer, will chair the Q&A which we expect will cover a wide range of subjects related to Richmond Park. This event is only available to members. For details email events@frp.org.uk.
Richmond Park Shire horses take floral tributes for HM Queen Elizabeth II on final journey
Two Richmond Park Shire horses began work on Monday 26 September to remove the many thousands of beautiful floral tributes left by the public to honour The Queen at Green Park and Hyde Park. Heath and Nobby, both senior greys aged 17 and 14 years respectively and standing at 18.3 hands, have pulled flatbed drays – a traditional open cart usually used in conservation work across the Royal Parks. Heath and Nobby also appeared at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May this year.
Ten shire horses are based in Richmond Park and they are often seen carrying out conservation work, such as managing the wildflower meadows, by ploughing the land.
For more information, click here Shire horses to take floral tributes on final journey – The Royal Parks
Adam Curtis
Adam Curtis, the Assistant Park Manager, has recently left The Royal Parks and Richmond Park to start a new life in Norfolk where he has recently bought a house. Adam was one of the three people managing Richmond Park, along with Simon Richards, the Park Manager, and Jo Scrivener, the other Assistant Park Manager. Adam had the prime responsibility for day-to-day operations. Readers of this bulletin will be familiar with the Richmond Park Diary which he has produced for the last 17 years. Adam worked closely with the Friends, especially supporting our conservation volunteers and the litter picking team, and we will all miss his generous help and guidance.
The Friends stall at the London Duathlon
The London Duathlon has become a regular annual event in Richmond Park. This year – a first for us – the Friends had a stand in the Event Village. We had a good view of the start and finish, and got a lot of through traffic, from both spectators and competitors, helped by the Discoverers’ activities for children.
We raised awareness of the Friends and the work that we do, signed up new members and sold Friends merchandise. It was a fun and successful day which wouldn’t have been achieved without the support of our fantastic volunteers across the Events, Visitor Centre and Discoverers volunteer teams.
If you would like to join the team and volunteer at any Events in 2023, please complete an application form Volunteering – Friends of Richmond Park noting your interest in Events. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other members and volunteers, have some fun and make an impact in our community.
Visitor Centre
Wood turned items
Wood turned items made from storm damaged wood that has been seasoned at Holly Lodge. These unique items include apples, pears, acorns and spinning tops. Prices start at £5
Jigsaws
There are two designs of 500 piece Jigsaw puzzles – Isabella plantation (left) and Deer in Beverley Brook (centre). £12 each. There is also a 30 piece jigsaw of little owls (right) suitable for children (price £8). All are packaged in cotton bags.
Opening hours
The Visitor Centre is open every day (subject to volunteer availability). There is free parking at the Pembroke Lodge car park – at the weekend accessible by motor vehicles only from Richmond Gate, Ham Gate and Kingston Gate. The Visitor Centre is currently open every day from 10am to 4pm (moving on 30 October to its winter opening hours of Monday to Thursday 11am to 3pm and Friday to Sunday 10am to 3pm).
The Holly Lodge Centre Quiz Night
The Holly Lodge Centre’s ever-popular Annual Quiz Night is coming soon. Adrian Mills, the Radio and TV presenter and a patron of the Holly Lodge Centre, will be the Quizmaster. It’s on Friday evening 21st October at The Avenue Halls, Kew. Tickets include a light supper. To book register via Eventbrite: The Holly Lodge Centre’s Charity Quiz Night Tickets, Fri 21 Oct 2022 at 19:00 | Eventbrite