Picture left: Friends’ Calendar 2025 front cover: Photograph © Tammy Marlar
Just arrived – The 2025 Richmond Park Calendar and Christmas cards
Every day enjoy beautifully produced and original images of the Park’s scenery and wildlife with our 2025 Richmond Park Calendar. New this year, there are extra photos on the first two pages! Treat yourselves and delight your family and friends whilst helping to raise funds for projects in the Park. Same price as last year: £10.
Our Christmas cards have also just arrived. Packs of eight cards by the Friends of Richmond Park, each of one design. Same price as last year: £5 per pack.
Buy online here: Shop – Friends of Richmond Park (frp.org.uk) or at the Visitor Centre by Pembroke Lodge car park Visitor Centre – Friends of Richmond Park (frp.org.uk).
Richmond Park features on Radio 4 programme Open Country
Nadeem Perera presented last week’s Radio 4 programme Open Country from Richmond Park. Nadeem is nature mad and shares his passion for birdwatching with two young professional footballers and uses nature as a tool for better sportsmanship. He visits Richmond Park, where he first discovered his love of the outdoors, and takes the young footballers on a walk around the park guided by Assistant Park Manager Pete Lawrence. Along the way he sets the boys a task of spotting as many birds as they can in order to be crowned the inaugural Open Country Man of the Match.
The programme can be heard here: Open Country – Football Falcons Rookies and Rooks – BBC Sounds
Cuckooland
Photograph: Nigel Jackman
Albeit increasingly less often, we may still be lucky to hear a cuckoo in the Park upon its spring arrival. Even more exciting though is the sight of a juvenile cuckoo after leaving its foster parents’ nest and feeding independently. One such bird was seen occupying a small wood for nearly three weeks last month. With its long tail, distinctive bar-chested appearance and almost kestrel-like short flights it spent much of its time catching caterpillars and other insects. It is one of the miracles of life that after fattening itself up it has probably already set off alone for its winter quarters in Africa south of the equator. All being well it will return to the UK next year.
Plans for Roehampton Restored reach public consultation
Artist’s impression of restored site is copyright The Royal Parks
Park News in April featured the replacement of the current café at Roehampton Gate and the redevelopment of the adjacent facilities and landscape. The Friends support this much needed upgrade to this part of the Park – this area has long needed improvement – and we have been consulted as the plans have been developed.
The Royal Parks have now applied to Richmond Council for planning permission and the application has recently been published on the Council website.
Planning detail – London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Duathlon 2024
There will be no Duathlon this year. In recent years it has been held on the first Sunday in September. The Royal Parks say that a range of factors, including significant operational challenges, have meant that the London Duathlon will not be going ahead this year. The Royal Parks say that they will work closely with potential event organisers to determine the future of the event.