Park manager, Richard Gentry, has circulated this communication outlining the City of London Corporation’s ongoing measures in response to COVID 19. The park will be closing each evening at 7pm. 

Dear Friends

Earlier this week we faced the prospect of Paddington Old Cemetery closure. From the end of this week all cemetery staff will be based at Carpenders Park and as a consequence POC was set to remain closed.

FOPOC has been in contact about this with Brent Council. The Council has agreed that from this weekend POC may remain open, if FOPOC open and close the gates and ensure everyone leaves by the normal gate time. We could consider offering a reduced opening timetable if public management becomes problematic, as may occur as the number of users increases. 

We need FOPOC members to help ensure that everyone adheres to Government guidance on safe distancing etc. If this guidance is not followed POC will be closed. So it’s up to all of us to help ensure the rules are followed – no close contact, no handshaking, we all need to be responsible. Brent will be hit hard as the virus infections accelerate, but for the moment we have somewhere we can exercise and relax. This will change if Brent feels it isn’t working.

We also need FOPOC members to assist in the “end of day closing” process. Who is able to offer an hour between 5:30 and 6:00 PM so we can create a rota.

Please help ensure everyone in POC stays responsible and safe!

friendsofpoc@gmail.com

We started preparing the QPARA spring newsletter just before the coronavirus emergency escalated.  Whilst we would love to have a lively QPARA newsletter popping through your letterbox in a few weeks’ time, we have decided that sadly, it does not make sense to produce one just now. The newsletter takes some time to write, design, print and distribute to your door, so we feel we it’s impossible to produce an edition with up to date content.

Please keep looking at this website for news of QPARA’s activities. We have many dedicated members who work for the good of Queen’s Park in a variety of spheres. These working groups will continue to function as best they can during this crisis.

Queen’s Park is a strong community. This is a time to make our community even stronger – and to draw on the strength that community brings.  

And look out for the next edition of the newsletter in the Autumn!

Keep safe, Editors, QPARA Newsletter (editorqpnews@gmail.com).

Lots of joggers and walkers out this morning – all observing the 2 metre rule. We are very lucky to have the park to take our daily exercise in.

Regrettably we have had to make the decision to cancel this year’s Open Gardens and Studios event which had been been planned for Sunday 14th June. We hope that it will be back again next year. 

We have had the following message from our friends in Brent Patient Voice:

“With great regret BPV is postponing the public meeting and AGM we recently announced for 30 March 2020 at Harlesden. This follows careful assessment of the rapidly developing coronavirus situation. We consider that the right course now on the 11th of March is to postpone or not attend non-essential gatherings. See our website post “Coronavirus and BPV” on www.bpv.org.uk .

“We were greatly looking forward to hearing Sir Amyas Morse, new chair of the LNWUH Trust, and Simon Crawford, Director of Strategy. They concur with us that postponement is the right course of action and hope it will be possible to restore the event when the situation allows.”

Queen’s Park Day 2020 will be held on Sunday Sept 13th and the Queen’s Park Day team are already making plans for another fantastic event. 

Stall application forms will be available from the QPARA website from April 1st and the closing date for submissions is May 17th. All applications are reviewed after the closing date and successful applicants should hear early June.  Could anyone interested in having a stall please wait until after April 1st before contacting the team. The regulations for stallholders are on the website.