Tolly Talk: Join us for ‘Tales from the Trees’, 2pm June 16
Coming up really soon, please join us for the next event in our Tolly Talks sessions. This talk is all about the trees, featuring noted plant and tree expert and author, Bob Gilbert.
He will take us on a walk through the park and tell us about all the trees the park contains. The talk takes place Sunday June 16, from 2pm. Gather at the Yvonne Connelly garden.
Trees tell stories…
Bob will take us for a walk around Wray Crescent Park looking at its trees, ‘weeds’, and wildflowers; he will explain how they come to be here, how they get their names and the uses – magical, medical and edible – they have been put to. He’ll tell us the stories of the trees.
“We will also be sharing the secret stories of some of the most familiar trees in and around the park; the connection between the lime and love, the protective powers of the ash, why the poplar is always trembling -and how conkers won the First World War,” he said.
Bob’s latest book, ‘The Missing Musk; a Casebook of Mysteries from the Natural World’’ is available now. He’s a radio presenter and his career includes stints as a stand-up comedian, community worker and lecturer in Further Education. You can read a (now quite old) interview with him here.
A deep connection to Wray Crescent
But Bob’s connection with Islington (and Wray Crescent) goes a long way back. Not only does he live nearby, but he served as a Director in the Council’s Environment Department. During that time, he was responsible for Islington’s parks and open spaces, including the provision of, what was then, a brand new playground for Wray Crescent.
Bob is a long-standing campaigner for inner city conservation, for the protection and improvement of urban open spaces and is patron of ‘The Garden Classroom’, a charity that promotes environmental education in north London.
Bob’s books include ‘The Kings Cross Cut’, ‘The Green London Way’, (1991 and 2012) and ‘Ghost Trees’ (2018). He has written extensively for newspapers and magazines and his column on urban wildlife in the Ham and Hi ran for over 25 years. His work on TV and radio has included ‘The Sussuration of Trees’, ‘The Passion in Plants’, editions of The Natural World and The Food Programme and work as a presenter on Carlton Country.
When the talk takes place
The talk takes place Sunday June 16, from 2pm. Gather at the Yvonne Connelly garden.
Please join us for the talk, we’ll learn so much about the precious, beautiful trees, plants and other life that makes up our park. This seems particularly relevant as local campaigners are now fighting to save the trees beside the condemned sports building in Wray Crescent, which the council currently plans to kill. Please sign their petition to save these trees.