Captain's Blog (10) "Suntrap"

Lovely blog David, what a beautiful place. Lets hope that something happens that it may be saved. I really feel for all those less able bodied people who have been so busy planting up their veg etc. They will miss it terribly if the worst happens.

What a super place and such a shame it may have to close, lets hope something or someone saves it from closure soon, what a lovely day out for the crew at the start of your holiday adventures lovely blog as ever Cap'n :o)

Loved this blog David..what a wonderful place....loved the wildlife Motels....

Suntrap is a wonderful facility and I also hope that it can be saved for future generations.

Thank you David for a great blog. Pat and I love volunteering when it is our Gardening Clubs turn to be on weekend duty. We were very concerned that the gale force winds and torrential rain was going to mean we would have to curtail visitors ramblings, on Health and Safety grounds, if anyone was brave enough to venture near. In my own garden we lost a large branch from a damson tree which we will need to remove tomorrow. It was too windy and dangerous to go near it today. We decided to make a cuppa as we had had no visitors by noon and I jokingly said 'they will flock in if we sit down'. Lol. The first visitors arrived just as the kettle boiled. They got in to the garden just as the heavens opened. Twenty minutes later they were able to leave the large potting shed to go round the garden in bright sunshine with hardly any wind. Then David, James and Eilidh arrived and we had a great time with them. Having missed the open day we wanted them to have a good day out. Julie one of our gardeners had brought in a bubble machine for open day and we had fun with that. They were excellent students and we hope to hear that at least some of their cuttings survived. Eilidhs school has recently been awarded their first eco flag so it is nice to see them take such an intelligent interest in what they were doing. You made our day, thank you. David left his name as a potential Member of the Friends of Suntrap and as a volunteer. We were just about to shut up and go home when another couple, also first time visitors, arrived. After looking round the garden they too left a note of where to contact them and with an offer of volunteer gardeners. We had a great day out and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone tempted to do something similar.

Worrying is that, in the morning, I thought that all I had to do was visit the Suntrap website to get directions - only to find it closed down!!!!! Very premature, I think! And, also, the Oatridge College and National Trust for Scotland are no longer "featuring" it!.

I did learn, today, however, that the highest ranking enthusiastic gardener in the UK (if not the World) knows about this! ?

This may have helped stave a date of "execution"! it's not what you know, but who you tell it to, perhaps?

Never knew that all this was happening before - inot on our doorstep-, but a mere stone's throw away. The entire Scottish Bonsai Collection is under threat, too, as this is its base!

This place is marvellous - and I merely speak as a first-time visitor with kids, who all had a wonderful time, and hoping that it survives. Wish I had known of this treasure b4 this crisis. :-((

Our postings have just "coincided", Scotsgran! LOL!!

So glad to read that other visitors came and registered an interest!

We did have a fab afternoon, Many Thanks to yourself and Pat (Thank You for her name!)

Our pics of the "bubble machine" came out blurred - Thanks for getting us to add another garden gadget toour wishlist, lol!

Good to read that, as you "locked up", you got more interested visitors. also, hope that you got home/out for dinner?

Was great to meet you, at last, and see the spectacular gardens and resource for ourselves. Thank You all, once again!! Hope you can get to that branch tomorrow! Chin up - and all that!!

XXX

I have had a brilliant day in no small part due to your visiting us at Suntrap. We had a lovely evening out thank you. It was nice not to have to worry about cooking when I got home.

Me, too - we treated ourselves to that good old-fashioned "sit in" fish'n'chip "high tea, with bread 'n' butter, and cakes, in Thornton,, lol!!! It was, truly, a day for "garden leave" rather than "shore leave"!! XXX

Is it the only chippy in Thornton? Must try it. We love fish & chips - proper ones.

Actually, for the size of the village, there are 2, but only the one, named "Toby's" has the "restaurant". Hard to find them nowadays, isn't it?

What am I like? Growing our own, promoting healthy eating to my children, and now, giving info on sit-in fish 'n'chip high teas??? But, like Cornish Cream teas, etc, a great treat - now and again - especially when we are on official hols, lol!!

lol

Wonderful blog David and love the picture armed and ready your children seemed to be enjoying it throughly, what a shame its being up for closeure can't you bid for a lottery grant , why is they can give to a link to a terrorist organisation yet not for us for our children seems they alway hit the vunrable and children, then they wonder why chidlren grow up like they do. What about applying to the prince Charles trust

The Friends of Suntrap are heading up a committee looking at ways to save the garden in the first instance and hopefully they will be able to grow from there. As volunteers all we can do is support them as well as we can. Visitors are coming to the garden attracted by the bad publicity surrounding the threatened closure and willing to offer help and support to keep it open. If the committee can harness all the goodwill being proposed then there might be a chance of rescuing the garden from permanent closure. Several other gardens owned by the NTS have come under pressure to close and have been saved by locals becoming involved. We hope we can do the same. Anyone wanting to visit between now and the end of August is more than welcome. There are plants for sale, if you have gaps in your borders and some very unusual shrubs. The planted areas are in full flower and looking great as you can see from Davids photographs. The garden was left to help educate gardeners, amateur mainly, but also the professionals, so come along and enjoy and give your suggestions.

It sounds a fantastic place, David. I wonder why its always those who most need places like this that are first hit. Makes me so mad.

I wonder if there is some prominant Scottish politician we could all individually write to, expressing our concern? Or perhaps a pop star, footballer, anyone with money who might be willing to step in and help and become a patron, helping to raise funds.

What a wonderful place,Scotsgran,and unbelievable that it should be so at risk for closure.It was so nice for you and David,along with his lovely children to meet up.like Pansypotter and I,and quite a few more GoYers.I think Gee's idea is a good one.It would be great if we could voice our opinions to someone who would take notice..there are a lot of us,..as individuals of course.who might be interested in doing this....Anything that may help to keep this vital place open,is worth a try...

looks a lovely place David

what a lovely place to visit david and such a shame its going to close, the children looked like they had a great day to, lovely pics, baz liked the VW,,doesnt like gardening but as its a car he liked it lol

David,

Thank you so much for taking your children to Suntrap, I am so glad you enjoyed your visit, the garden is such a sanctuary from the hurly burly of City life.

I am desperate that it should be kept open, it is difficult for us having been 'away' for 12 years in exile in England, we were unaware of what was going on until we came back. Having spent 9 years doing the catering for open days etc and serving as vice chairman, with my husband as secretary we hold the garden in a great deal of affection.

We need visitors, volunteers and money........There are so many good ideas going round, I just hope that the powers that be take note.

I am doing my bit out here in East Lothian.....my quilting group got a lecture on Suntrap last Wednesday, out of 25 people only two of us knew of the existance of Suntrap. I put leaflets in the local library today, one of the librarians knew of the garden and was horrified when I told her we were under threat of closure. In the past it has been sadly under publicised, we have to spend money on bringing the garden to the notice of the people of Edinburgh and the Lothians...like the post office its a case of use it or lose it!!!

Any of you who read this blog please do your best to spread the word, it would be criminal to see the garden disappear under concrete.

WOW and i think that car is fantastic wot a great way to recycle gud luk to them hope they get there funding

You could do as I did, and contact Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning at the Scottish Parliament. You can leave messages online at the following webpage:-

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/memberspages/michael_russell/contact.htm

What a wonderful place, and so sad that it might close. I hope it will somehow be saved. I loved the 'wildlife motels' :o)

I have just emailed a message to Michael Russell, David, thanks for the contact. If enough people bring it to his attention, perhaps something will be done to save it.

Me too David hope he takes note ;o)

Thank You so Much, both of you! Have just sent another nessage, myself! As a mere matter of interest, Gee, he was actually born in Bromley!!!!!

Many Thanks, Csarina! You must be so very annoyed, right now!

I must admit to being someone who only became aware of this "treasure" due to the "bad" publicity - of course, there is no such thing!!!!!!

It feels rather daunting that the official website is disbanded so soon, and that the College and NTS sites have decided,already,, to exclude Suntrap from their links. I would have thought that keeping the garden here might have attracted someinterest via general "Googling" for places to visit in the neighbourhood

This makes me wonder whether there are ulterior motives at work here?????

Csarina - I could not see how the gardens could disappear under concrete, being terrraced as they are. We also noted - and used, for convenience - the sidepaths created for use by the disabled (fantastic)!

Lack of publicity in the past, may well not have been seen as an issue, as the facility has been known and used by many, and I do not think that this has a bearing on its current position. but the publicity generated now can only help. I also think that the admission charge - children free, and a mere £1 for adults - is too low, considering that gardens open under the "Yellow Book" scheme charge at least 3 times more and have only an hour or so's interest, and no special activities laid on, neither.

Have never got on a "soapbox" b4, but here I stand, now! :-))

This is a link to a site showing that in 2007 the City of Edinburgh commissioned a survey of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. This is the report on Suntrap. It is shown to be a truly wonderful horticultural and educational resource. http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Attachments/Internet/Environment/Planning_and_buildings/Planning_hidden/Planning_consultations/Suntrap_Garden.pdf

Since my experience with Davids children and seeing how much they enjoyed their impromptu lesson I have approached The Friends to see if this could be put on a proper basis. Because of the need for CRB checks etc this will be investigated before we can offer formal classes. I think year round and in the school holidays, childrens clubs or better still adult and child classes (granny or Grandad could bring the children if parents were not available) could be to everyones benefit.

Here is a link for those of you who are interested in the value of gardening as a therapeutic activity and explains John Smiths attitude to people.
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6001240

A great and interesting and productive place. It will be a crying shame if it is lost. Keeping everything crossed for you all up there.

Looks like the kids had a great afternoon as well.......that line include you David:o))

A very worthwhile soapbox David more power to your elbow and best wishes to Scotsgran and Csarina and all involved with Suntrap too :o)

Many Thanks for those links, Scotsgran, I have read both now. The TES article with John Smith is excellent. Glad, too, that you have gained some inspiration from our visit. Disclosures are a necessary piece of "red tape", of course, and, I think, cost in the region of £28.00 ? Am wondering if there is any grant available to cover the cost of these?

Must say, Dan, that your lines do include myself. I would have made fatal errors preparing a couple of cuttings if Scotsgran hadn't noticed. :-))

Thank ye kindly, Bo'sun. :-D)

The Save our Suntrap Steering Committee has set up a website to inform people about what is happening at Suntrap. Many of the negociations have to be kept private at this stage but the Committee feel the need to communcate the sense of urgency and the need for input from as many people as possible. The volunteers are determined to keep it going if possible. The link is
http://sos2010.btck.co.uk
The site only went on line yesterday so do not expect miracles yet. David kindly agreed to the use of his photographs and I think it is nice to see James as the face of Suntrap world wide.