Christmas Concert

Sunday, 7 December in the Holland Park Orangery. 7.00pm

People who come to our concert say it is different to other seasonal concerts and that ‘it is certainly better!’  We think that is because the mix of music is more varied and the programme includes readings, some of which will amuse us and make us laugh. 

We are delighted that Douglas Somers-Lee will entertain us with his Ariel Consort of London  again this year. Douglas has sung in The Friends Christmas concert for many years so he knows us well and knows just what we like for our very special end of year event. There will be many familiar faces in the choir. 

Trustee, Nigel Brockmann, is in contact with Douglas and we will update you about the delights in the programme in November. One thing we can be sure of is the joyous voices of the choir ringing out in the beautiful Orangery, lively readings and some carols for all to sing.

Whether you are a regular, if you haven’t been to this event for a while, or haven’t yet been, do please put the date in your diary. We can promise you a highly enjoyable evening. And please book your tickets early so that we can cater for all who come. 

At the end of the concert, we will be treated to a glass or two of mulled wine and some tasty seasonal treats.  Tickets, at £27, can be ordered on our website HERE.

Please note that this year’s concert starts at 7.00pm.

[September 2025]

Financial challenges for Holland Park

By Councillor Emma Will, Lead Member for Property, Parks and Leisure

You may have seen in the news that the Council is facing significant financial challenges over the next few years as a result of changes to the way the Government funds local government. This means we are having to look at alternative ways of delivering services, what we can scale back, and new ways of generating income. We have been looking at options for income generation in Holland Park that are appropriate and sensitive to the location and have the lowest impact on everyday park users while also generating sufficient income. One of the options being explored is an after-hours winter event such as a light trail and winter market. We will be tendering for an operator this autumn with events likely to begin in winter 2026 and will provide more detail once a plan has been drawn up. Alongside this we are also looking at other high-income, low-impact opportunities to support the service. I understand that events in the park may not be welcome news but I would like to reassure you that we are taking the time to plan this carefully and will work with the Friends of Holland Park throughout to make sure we get this right.

[September 2025]

Holland Ward Councillor appointed Deputy Mayor 

The RBKC ‘mayor-making’ ceremony was held in a full Council meeting at the Town Hall on 21 May. Cllr. Tom Bennett was elected as the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for the Council Year 2025/26. He made and signed the statutory declaration of acceptance and was invested with the Chain and Badge of Office. The new Mayor then appointed our own Holland ward Councillor, Aarien Areti, as Deputy Mayor. Aarien proceeded to address Full Council. The Large Hall was full, as Councillors gave speeches and guests from the wards watched the spectacle.

Photo by RBKC.

[September 2025]

News update  

As at 14 August 2025

Drinking fountain in the Café Yard

The Friends donated this fountain in 1990 and the plumbing and structure have been carefully maintained in recent years by the Parks Small Works Team aka Scott and Louis.The glazing on the ceramic bowls is now worn and the units badly need replacing. Trustee, Isabelle Beaumont, has been working with Parks Management, Scott and Louis to find the best solution. It is likely that one ceramic bowl will be replaced like for like and the other will be replaced by a stainless-steel spout suitable for filling water bottles. The stone pillar will be cleaned as part of this upgrade. The cost will be funded by The Friends.   

Arcade west of the Café Yard 

Some years ago, work was carried out to the walls and ceiling of the arcade that runs in front of the Café and continues along the west side of the Café Yard. The electric wiring was tidied up and the lighting repaired. The work was excellent but, for some reason, the plaster under the west arcade was troublesome and needed more attention. While waiting for the plaster to dry, the wall suffered minor vandalism and the replacement plaster has taken a long time to dry out again. It is unsightly and we understand it will now be painted and brought up to the standard of the rest of the Café Yard arcade. Pigeons are a problem round any outdoor café and, despite deterrent spikes being placed where the pigeons chose to nest and on places where they perched, the birds have persisted wherever there is a minute space. We hope that the additional work done to fill those spaces will finally clear pigeons, and their messy guano, from around the seating in that area.  

Holland Park toilets

Quite a few of our members have mentioned their dissatisfaction with elements of the recently relocated and upgraded toilets on the east side of the Stable Yard. Mainly this relates to the infelicitous siting of the doors into the Ladies and Gents. The view has been expressed that the interiors need a deep clean. This was one of the subjects most often raised by members at our April 2025 AGM and we recommended that those with comments should fill in the RBKC Customer Comment Card available in the Stable Yard park office. It seems that none of the people who feel strongly about the need for improvement filled in the form, so the council will be unaware of the problems. If you have a comment about the toilets, please fill in a hard copy of the comment form, or comment on the RBKC website. 

Sun Trap wall

In the summer newsletter we mentioned that the eastern part of the SunTrap Garden had been fenced off for safety reasons. Options for strengthening the wall have been discussed, the most interesting proposal being to create a supportive terraced wall. The steps of the terrace will provide seats for park visitors to relax and enjoy a view of the Sun Trap Garden. The cost is little different to a straightforward wall replacement, but has the advantage of additional seating and of not having to remove any trees for the work to  be done.

We await the result of the Section 106 funding application.

Text & photos Jennie Kettlewell

[September 2025]

Joy Puritz has stepped down as a trustee

Joy has the right name as she is joyful by nature. 

Most of you know her as she has been a member since the 1980s and a trustee for over 30 years.

Her official role was ‘editor’, which meant she edited the newsletter and wrote committee meeting minutes. She did much more than that and her contributions included collating the annual Art Exhibition catalogue, stewarding at the exhibition, filling the bird feeders in the park and sometimes led the nature walks run by The Friends. She was particularly interested in the park’s birds and she often surprised us by chirping up with an imitation of a bird’s call. She comes from a family immersed in serious music and played a big role until a couple of years ago in working with the Tallis Chamber Choir to plan our Christmas Concert. On most occasions she took part with a joyous chuckle as she read a particularly amusing piece. 

She has always been, and still is, a busy person with lots of friends and hobbies and somehow found time to write, or co-write three biographies, still on sale via Amazon. This fitted into her career working for an independent bookshop specialising in foreign language books, where her fluency in German came in handy. She has a lovely voice, put to good use in the church choir. 

This May, Joy decided that she had done her bit and thought it time to retire as a trustee, particularly as she had recently broken her foot and was unable to charge about on her trusty bicycle as she was accustomed to doing. That didn’t stop her hobbling into the AGM this April with a look of determination on her face. Fortunately, she is now fit enough to re-join her friends on rambles in the country.

We owe Joy heartfelt thanks for her many, many years of loyal service to The Friends and I am sure you would want to join the trustees in thanking her for her impressive contribution. 

She is of course still a member and is a regular at our events, which she joins with her customary enthusiasm and mischievous sense of humour. When you see her, please remember to say how much we all appreciate the ways she has helped The Friends over three decades.  

Jennie Kettlewell

[September 2025]

Snakes and Ladders game now only £12

Snakes and Ladders is a traditional game, but this version is based on Holland Park, with illustrations of familiar places, such as the Ilchester Gate, Sibirica Fountain and the Tonda sculpture.

The roll-up ‘board’ is wipeable and comes in a handy sleeve for storage. Inside the pack is a pouch containing four counters in different colours, a dice and instructions how to play. Suitable for two to four players.

This would make a great Christmas present for a family and it has been reduced to £12, due to a generous donation from Daisy Green towards the production cost. It is available from the Holland Park Office in the Stable Yard. Order online HERE.

Photo by Jennie Kettlewell

[September 2025]

NEW! Sets of post cards showing the garden party paintings

The beautiful marouflages paintings depict a garden party in Holland Park in the 1890s and are to be found under the arcade that links the Café Yard to the Orangery. The Friends commissioned artist, Mao Wen Biao, to paint the 11 scenes, which were installed in 1994/95.  The paintings are oil on canvas and fixed to the walls, which means they are marouflages and not murals, which are paintings direct onto a wall.

Mao has recently retouched the surface of the paintings but more was needed for the two most easterly canvases to survive. Alvar Mailan from Richard Rogers Conservation meticulously peeled those two paintings off the wall and has carried out conservation on the back before mounting the canvas on a slim frame awaiting re-installation. They are currently in storage, where they will remain, until the Council repairs the roof of the arcade to prevent water ingress. We have been waiting a long time for that.

To celebrate these paintings, we have produced sets of 11 post cards, each showing one of the marouflage subjects. 

We are grateful to Gilead Limor, designer of our newsletter, who took the photos and then ‘improved’ them so they look stunning on the cards.  He donated his work without charge. We are also grateful to The Wheeler Hill Foundation who kindly agreed that their generous donation of £1,000 could be used towards the cost of artwork and print. These donations allow us to offer each pack of 11 cards for only £6. You can buy on our website HERE and from the park office in the Stable Yard.  

[September 2025]    

Andrew Lee studying to become a doctor

In 2020, during the Covid pandemic, a 17-year-old pupil of Westminster School spent his summer holiday litter-picking in Holland Park. Andrew Lee planned to study medicine and was scheduled to do a placement with St. Thomas’ Hospital, but that couldn’t happen because of the pandemic. Instead, he chose to raise money for St Thomas’ by visiting the park for 30 days to help clear the litter left by increased crowds of people who visited the park while working from home. He exceeded his target, largely because of his well-written letters to councillors, council officers, The Friends and others, but also because he was organised and diligent. He took an interest in the park’s trees, talked to visitors and wrote a blog about the park. The Friends were asked to support his application to medical school with a letter describing what he had achieved.  

We were delighted when he got back in touch with The Friends this summer and told us that he was awarded the first stage of his medical degree after three years of non-clinical study at Cambridge. He has finished the first of his three years of clinical study to complete his degree. He is enthusiastic and rightly proud of his chosen career and we look forward to hearing from him again when we can address him as Dr Lee. 

[September 2025]

Blue Badge Guided Tour for Open Age 

On the 25th of June, a group from Open Age enjoyed a step-free tour in Holland Park to hear Blue Badge tour leader, Rowan Freeland, share stories of Holland House and its estate during World War ll and how it survived. One of the group fascinated us as she could remember the times and events covered. Feedback from the group showed appreciation and included:

“Interesting hearing of Lord Ilchester’s time at the House during and end of the war and of the association with Rosalin Cubitt, the mother of Queen Camilla.”
“The measured pace, with regular stops for us to sit down.”
“Great tour, very well presented and very interesting and informative.”
“Regular ‘seating stops’ made the talk even more enjoyable in the warmth of the afternoon sun.” 
“An interesting and humorous tour through the old life style and more recent events within the grand house and grounds.” 

‘Holland House – The Great Survivor’ was a new subject and may become one of the tours open to the public in 2026. 

[September 2025]

Dutch Garden bedding

The summer bedding in the Dutch Garden has, quite rightly, received many compliments. Not only were the plants well chosen, but head gardener, Martin Moore, made sure the tips of all plants were pinched out. The result is robust and bushy plants with great flowers.

Winter bedding will be planted in October. By its very nature, winter planting looks less colourful than the summer equivalent, but that doesn’t mean it is less interesting. 

Way back in our Winter 2023 issue, we wrote that the Dutch Garden box hedges that border the beds had been ravaged by the box tree caterpillar and were to be removed in favour of trials of a number of different species. The trial has gone well and most species have flourished. All except for the Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly), which likes a lot of water. The result is that the Ilex crenata will be dug up and replaced with species that have proved more resilient.

Text & photo Jennie Kettlewell

[September 2025] 

Green guide to Holland Park updated 

We have reprinted the small green guide to Holland Park, both because we had sold out and because various facts and telephone numbers needed to be updated, as did the map and the photos.

We decided to keep the price low, at £2, because we wanted everyone who visits the park to have a copy and to have the correct information. You can get your copy from the park office in the Stable Yard and from the website HERE.  

Many of you have told us that you give this guide to visitors when they come to stay with you. Make sure you have a copy!

[September 2025]

New discount offers for The Friends!  

Pizza Express, Notting Hill.

This bright and airy branch of Pizza Express serves updated Italian classics, with an impressive choice of pizzas made specially for you in the open kitchen. There are salads, a children’s menu, deserts, or you can just drop in for a coffee.  

Experience proves that the food is consistently good, but the best thing about this restaurant is the friendly and welcoming staff, who have worked together as a team for many years. They greet customers with a smile and remember where regulars prefer to sit and what they like to eat.

Open all day, the restaurant is a great place for families of all ages and there are tables outside on the pavement. In the evening, soft music and low lighting change the atmosphere. On the walls are old photos of Notting Hill.  There is a small room for private parties.

Offer:   20% discount on all meals and drink in the restaurant. Not valid with any other offer. Groups of 6 or more should contact the restaurant to make arrangements, with one membership card valid for up to 10 people.

137 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LB

www.pizzaexpress.com/London-Notting-Hill-Gate

tel. 020 7229 6000.

Bursting Buds flowers

A great local florist, where you can treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of flowers, or order flowers to be delivered for a special occasion or last-minute gift. Same-day hand delivery ensures that arrangements arrive fresh and the choice of flowers includes blooms that are seen less often.
They offer a floral design service for weddings and special events, whether personal or corporate. Have a look at their website, or drop into the shop to discuss options.

 Offer: 
10% discount on floral arrangements and plants bought on-line or in the shop, using code BB-TFOHP. Show your membership card in person or as a scan if buying on-line. Not valid on non floral items or in conjunction with any other promotional offer. As a special for your first on-line order of £50+, delivery is free and the 10% discount will only apply to subsequent orders. 

8 Clarendon Road, London W11 3AA
www.burstingbuds.com
tel.+44 7383 625003

[September 2025]

News update.  As at 8 May 2025

The clock in the Stable Yard tower

The Friends have received a number of emails saying that the Stable Yard clock had stopped, which it does every so often.  Parks Management had been contacting specialists and getting quotes to do a repair when the park’s Small Works Team, aka Scott and Louis, said they might be able to help. They delved into the mechanism and got it working in no time. Then they let on that they had looked after it for a couple of decades and knew it pretty well. 

Geranium maderensis in the Mediterranean Bed.

Some years ago, idverde’s plant nursery technician, John Becker, was heard to say that he would like to see a Geranium maderensis in the Mediterranean Bed. Well he’s achieved that and it’s no mean feat. It’s a tender plant from Madeira and might be expected to survive in the gentle climate of the glass house, but it’s quite another thing for it to survive outside. Survive it has and it has surpassed itself this spring with a gorgeous floral display.  Well done John.

Bug hunt success

Some children taking part in bug hunting in the Wildlife Enclosure of the park one April morning found a Scarce Fungus Weevil. It is relatively uncommon in London, so a great record for the park! It’s a pretty odd looking creature and hard to spot because it does look a bit like a bird dropping. The children were excited and proud and so was the Ecology team. 

The Dipelta’s departed
The Dipelta Enclosure was so named because within it there was a Dipelta yunnanensis shrub, which is a relatively uncommon plant. The species was introduced to the UK from China by George Forrester in 1920. Our Dipelta used to flower lustily in May and June, its flowers being creamy white with orange and purple markings. It was one of those plants which are not looked after as part of the formal gardens, nor was it under the care of our tree officers. So it declined over recent years and was strangled by nettles and other rampant growth around its base. We have lost too many of our uncommon plants because they are on no-one’s to do list. We would like to see another Dipelta yunnanensis bought and cared for.  

Sun Trap wall
The eastern part of the Sun Trap Garden is still fenced off for safety reasons. Work is due shortly to strengthen the wall, possibly by terracing. At the same time, improvements will be carried out to the sloping path that runs down past the Sun Trap lawn to the park gate. This is needed to correct the water flow during heavy rainfall which doesn’t work well at present.

Outdoor gym
The outdoor gym has been completely refurbished. You can find this facility at the far south west of the sports field. This gym has a range of fitness equipment, based on what respondents to the consultation said they would like, all set in the leafy greenery of the park. It is proving popular, with one user even claiming to have given up his gym membership because the outdoor gym provided what he wants – and it’s free. 

Text & photos Jennie Kettlewell

[June 2025]

Isabelle Beaumont – new trustee

We are delighted that Isabelle Beaumont has agreed to become a trustee of The Friends.

I first met Isabelle some years ago when we were both taking part in the RBKC Tuesday walk. She must have sensed my interest in her involvement with The Friends because she told me that her time was committed to her work projects but that would not always be the case. After many enjoyable conversations Isabelle was co-opted as a trustee on 4 March 2025 and was voted as a trustee by members at the AGM on 9 April. 

Isabelle’s role with The Friends is ‘Projects’.  We have been working together on the conservation of the Old Dairy for the past year, and her experience of the architecture of historic buildings has been of great benefit, as has her ability to manage complex projects. She was a chartered architect who ran her own business which specialised in a multi-disciplinary approach to work. This included projects for both private and public sector clients, one of which was English Heritage. Having ‘retired’ from her consultancy business, she had been looking for an organisation she could enjoy working with and which shared her values. It is good news for us that she felt The Friends fitted what she wanted.

She is leading the Old Dairy project for The Friends, working with RBKC’s head of parks projects, Sarah Brion. She has also taken on responsibility for managing promotion and bookings for our Blue Badge tours.

Welcome Isabelle and we look forward to working with you as a trustee.

Jennie Kettlewell
Photo from Isabelle Beaumont

(June 2025)

Report on the 2025 AGM 

More than 65 loyal members turned up for the 2025 AGM in The Orangery, to hear an update on park matters and keen to ask questions.

All votes were carried:
• Minutes of the 2024 AGM were approved.
• Accounts for 2024 were approved and have since been filed with the Charity Commission.
• All trustees were re-elected: Jennie Kettlewell (Chairman), Silvi Spassov (Treasurer), Rhoddy Wood (Secretary), Nigel Brockmann (governance), Graham Franklin (member database), Sandra French (art exhibition), Nicholas Hopkins (website), Joy Puritz (editor). Two new trustees, Phillip Hou and Isabelle Beaumont were elected.
• Roger Foreman was re-elected as independent examiner.

Nicholas Hopkins reported on achievements in 2024: scoping for the Old Dairy conservation, funding of hedging whips for woodland enclosures, continuation of the proactive tree healthcare programme and funding of wildlife talks organised by the Ecology Service. Some 25 events were carried out by The Friends during 2024, the largest being the Art Exhibition.

Rhoddy Wood reported that 140 members had joined in 2024, compared to 120 in 2023, but the net gain was only 20, due to members moving or failing to renew. Rhoddy thanked Margaret Rhodes and her team of newsletter deliverers, who save around £5,000 each year in postage. She also thanked members who helped by telling us when they changed their address, filled in forms correctly and on time.

Chairman, Jennie Kettlewell, explained the progress made so far this year and plans for improvement in the park: low fence with two openings to be erected around the Walking Man area in April 2026, Natural Flood Management work to start shortly to control excess water during torrential rainfall, peafowl will return to Holland Park this spring with their survival dependent on not being fed by the public. Planning and Listed Building consent had been obtained for the Old Dairy conservation. Isabelle Beaumont is leading the project for The Friends working with Senior Parks Project Manager, Sarah Brion.

A busy calendar of events for 2025 includes Blue Badge tours, pop-up events in the Café Yard, bird walks, tree identification walks, the summer party and Christmas Concert.

Thanks were given to the French family for another highly successful art exhibition, to the trustees for their dedication to running the charity, to president Eric Ellul for his support, and to the members for their loyalty.

Photo by Jennie Kettlewell

(June 2025)

Spotted in the park

Water-damaged roof over paintings.

We are very disappointed to see that, after many years of asking, the Council has still not made the roof over our wonderful ‘marouflages’ paintings secure from water ingress. Repairing these canvases is costly and we do not want to risk further damp. 

Scarred tree east of the sports field. 

It is hard to know who or what had an argument with this tree. Generally, park visitors enjoy our glorious trees and are respectful towards them. Most of the tree damage in the park is caused by grey squirrels, but it would be one great big squirrel to cause this amount of damage. They strip the bark, and missing bark patches result in a tree being more susceptible to infection, which can result in tree loss.

Photos by Jennie Kettlewell

[June 2025]

New! Snakes and Ladders game

Ask a helpful gardener for directions and zip up a ladder. Get fascinated by the Kyoto Garden which makes you late, so you slide down a snake. The Friends have produced a classic Snakes & Ladders game with a twist. It’s based on Holland Park, with illustrations of familiar places, such as the Ilchester Gate, Sibirica Fountain and the Tonda sculpture. 

The roll-up ‘board’ is wipeable and comes in a handy sleeve for storage. Inside the pack is a pouch containing four counters in different colours, a dice and instructions how to play. Suitable for two to four players.

Buy this for yourself or as a gift. It’s Available at a cost of £15, from the Holland Park Office in the Stable Yard or from The Friends’ popup desk in the Café Yard on 27 May and 24 June.

This is our very own game, but Snakes & Ladders originated in ancient India and was brought to the UK in the 1890s. The historic version had its roots in morality lessons, on which a player’s progression up the board represented a life journey complicated by virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes). But you can play this one just for fun!

Text & photo by Jennie Kettlewell

[June 2025]

New discount offers for The Friends! 

Baguette Deli
Located at 1A Hollywood Road in the heart of Chelsea, The Baguette Deli brings authentic French flavours to one of London’s most stylish neighbourhoods. From freshly baked baguettes and gourmet sandwiches to delicate pastries and rich coffee, they offer a true taste of France. Whether you're stopping by for a quick bite or a leisurely meal, the menu will have something to offer. The Café/Deli was the idea of Milan Akani, whose aim is to provide great quality food, with products from France at a great price. Do visit this deli and enjoy its French cuisine. They also cater for events. www.the-baguette-deli.co.uk.  Tel: 07932 605 178. 
Offer: 15% discount on all purchases from the menu, on presentation of your membership discount card.

Photo by Baguette Deli

Kensington Glam
New owners have taken over what used to be Threads at 256 Kensington High Street. Kensington Glam offers a wide range of beauty services, including facials, massages, nail care, brow and eye treatments, waxing and make up for special events. Please note that their offer is for hair colour treatments only. To book an appointment ring 020 8278 5705.  www.kensingtonglam.co.uk
Offer: 
15% discount on all hair colour treatments, on presentation of your membership discount card.

[June 2025]

Holland House Old Dairy

Within Holland Park is a hidden gem. The Friends are helping to bring it into public view.
Holland House had its own dairy, a beautifully ornate and unique small space amongst the working outbuildings that supported the house, and the extensive entertaining that took place in the house.

Over the past 18 months The Friends of Holland Park have funded and assembled a dream team of professionals to work on the conservation (not restoration) of the dairy.  Given the ownership of the asset and the complexity of working with multiple heritage building trades, the project is being led by RBKC’s Parks Team, specifically Sarah Brion, their Senior Project Manager. Sarah is supported by Allies and Morrison (conservation architecture), BDP (heritage lighting) Richard Rogers Conservation (conservation of decorative works), and us, The Friends.

Little work has been done to stabilise the dairy since it was built circa 1852. Years of being unused, its location, and more recently being used as a café store, have contributed to its damaged and dilapidated condition. Once conserved, it will bring the sumptuous decorations back to life and help reduce further deterioration. 

The unique thing about this project is that, for the first time in its history, the dairy will be visible to the public. A viewing window is being created to see into the small and fragile space, with lighting to enhance the rich tilework within. 

The project has gone from an idea in 2020 to receiving Planning and Listed Building consent in March 2025. Construction tender drawings are ready. Once the last of the funding is in place it is anticipated the on-site works will commence in the autumn and be concluded by January 2026.

The Friends funded £20,000 towards the project in 2024. The trustees have approved another £20,000 towards the project in 2025. Other funds, in the range of £40,000-£55,000, are being sought to cover the cost of the project. The Friends have put in a NCIL (Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy) fund application, as it seems a fitting grant to apply for. At the time of writing, we await the outcome.

More research is being undertaken by The Friends to gain an understanding of how the dairy might have been used, what it contained: cool milk, butter and cheese?  Being adjacent to the Ice House, I like to imagine elaborate ice creams and sorbets too!

Text & photos by Isabelle Beaumont

[June 2025]

Blue Badge tours in Holland Park

Holland Park has an interesting history, starting with Holland House, built in 1607. Other estate buildings, such as the Ice House, summer ballroom, orangery, walkways and the dairy followed. Successive owners of the estate decorated these historic assets with carvings, tiles and stone ornaments and then acquired sculptures and statues to adorn their grounds. The grounds had areas to produce food, such as fish ponds, orchards and a kitchen garden. Any house of note must have formal gardens and tree-lined walks. Holland House had it all and you can hear about it on one of The Friends’ tours led by Blue Badge guides, who entertain as well as inform. See the tour dates under the heading of EVENTS above.

[June 2025]

New head gardener

We welcome Martin Moore as Holland Park’s head gardener. He started his horticultural career as an apprentice with Royal Parks at Regent’s Park and stayed there for many years because he loved it. Over that time, he gained his qualifications, but learned as much from practical experience where he enjoyed experimenting with different approaches and designs.

On occasions his employers (for part of the time his employer was idverde) loaned him to other sites where his experience could help solve problems. One of those visits just happened to be to Holland Park and he told me he thought at the time ‘This is a nice place. I wouldn’t mind being head gardener here one day’.  But he wasn’t looking to move and it was only recently, when he noticed the Holland Park head gardener’s role was vacant, that he decided this was what he wanted to do.

It is encouraging that Martin wants to take his time to get to know the park, its history, its quirks and of course to get to know his team before coming up with ideas. He does look forward to designing planting schemes, though the summer bedding plants for the formal gardens were chosen some time ago, and his turn won’t come until winter bedding. He is interested to know the horticultural history of each of the areas so he can be true to the concept while adding his own ideas. We hope he will start with the Mediterranean Bed which is long overdue for completion.

He has discovered a few large plants languishing in the Nursery Yard and he feels they should be liberated and planted out in the park for all to see.  We look forward to seeing the Camellia sinensis (tea bush) back in the Camellia Bed where it was planted some years ago, after The Friends bought the shrub from the Tregothnan tea estate in Cornwall. 

He is quite clearly enthusiastic about plants and he is just the person to ensure Holland Park remains a very special place. 

Text & photo by Jennie Kettlewell

[June 2025]

New trees.  At last!

After a very long time planning, at last trees are being planted in Holland Park.

We agree with the approach taken and that is to start with identifying spaces where there is appropriate room for a tree. Only when there is a specific space in mind do we start to think about what tree might thrive there. The Friends have long had a ‘wish list’ of trees, so some species get chosen from that, but not all the trees we would like to have are available to buy. 

Buying uncommon trees is very frustrating. Being uncommon, not many people buy them and, because there is little demand, nurseries don’t grow them. So those who do want to buy them, can’t and are caught in a vicious circle. Monica Castelino, RBKC Parks Manager, has developed a spreadsheet system of tree spaces, trees we want for those spaces, trees available to buy and trees not yet available but we will continue searching for.

The good news is that four trees have been planted so far. Two Exochorda serratifolia ‘Snow White’ have been planted in the grass margin of the D Garden in place of two failed silver birches. This small tree is free-flowering with pure white petals. 

A Chitalpa tashkentensis ‘Summer Bells’ has been planted just west of the Tots’ Playground in place of a failed mulberry. We will be able to enjoy its pale pink flowers from summer to autumn. And a Juglens nigra (Black Walnut0 has been planted in place of the huge Bolle’s poplar just inside the Ilchester Gate.

Not such good news is that tree pests and diseases continue to be rampant throughout the UK, and Holland Park is not immune. The large lime next to the Mimosa at the back of The Belvedere Restaurant had a fatal fungal growth and has just been felled. The remaining tree in the grass margin to the west of the Kyoto Garden is marked for felling. A beautiful beech by the outdoor gym also had a fungal growth and is no more. But then, over the long life of the Holland House grounds, trees have come and gone. When we lose trees, that does provide an opportunity for planting new, and possibly less usual species from our wish list. The outlook is now promising and we hope the next tree to be planted will be an Aralia elata (Japanese Angelica tree) in place of the miserable Cork Oak which was never the right tree for the Daffodil Lawn.

Jennie Kettlewell

[June 2025]

Events in Holland Park

As we approach the summer, requests for events are increasing, this is alongside our own full and varied programme. If you are thinking about holding an event in the park, please remember that you must request permission from us first and that we may not always say yes. This is in order to maintain the balance and make sure there are quiet spaces available as much as we can. Event enquiries should be sent to specialevents@rbkc.gov.uk.    

RBKC Parks Management

[June 2025]

We need your help to protect our wildlife

We have written in several recent issues of this magazine about helping to care for the wildlife in Holland Park by not feeding birds, animals or fish. It is not good for them, nor is it good for the park.

People often say that they are using food that is appropriate and not harmful, but that is not the real problem. The problem is that it is not wise to let wild birds and animals interact closely with humans. The danger is that peafowl, for example, get used to being fed by humans and, on several occasions, have approached a person with a dog. Even if the dog is on a lead, that dog is going to react as a dog does. Peafowl that get over confident about being on the ground can get taken by a fox. Both the peafowl and the foxes are wild. Many of our members ask about the dwindling peafowl in the park. We are glad to report that we will get new peacocks and peahens in late spring, but they will only survive if people stop feeding them.

Squirrels may be cute, but they can find plenty of food in the park and should not be fed. There have been quite a few incidents recently of squirrels biting park visitors who try to feed them. And the high numbers of squirrels encouraged by feeding, damage and kill trees.

Many London parks have signs saying Don’t Feed the Wildlife and the posters shown here will shortly be displayed in all RBKC’s parks. People who continue to disregard the posters will be fined. 

Jennie Kettlewell

[February 2025]

Those we miss

Barrie Maclaurin

Barrie joined RBKC as Parks Manager in 2004 and his role doubled overnight when RBKC merged services with Hammersmith and Fulham. He retired in March 2014, and moved to Wales with his partner, Jeff. He is remembered for many good reasons, not least his sense of humour and clever way of getting round bureaucracy. The sculpture Tonda was easily approved as ‘a replacement garden ornament’ rather than an art installation! 

A passionate interest in Japanese gardens worked to our advantage. Barrie visited some of the great gardens of Japan and learned from master gardener Yasuo Kitayama.  This resulted in great care and attention to accuracy in our own Kyoto Garden when it was refurbished in 2011. When the Emperor and Empress of Japan visited in 2012, it was Barrie who showed them round the Kyoto and Fukushima Gardens.

When he retired, he joined The Friends as a member and kept in close touch, making his final visit to Holland Park with Jeff in March 2024. I last saw them in October 2024 in their Cardiff home, a happy occasion although Barrie was evidently not well. Sadly, he died on 2 December. 

It is hard to sum up the very great contribution Barrie made to Holland Park. In a tribute to Barrie’s skill and diplomacy, he was voted the most Inspirational Leader of the Year in the 2013 RBKC staff awards. And, in 2017, he received the prestigious Japanese Sato Award, which is presented to individuals and organisations for outstanding achievement in fostering exchange between Japan and other countries on the subject of parks and green spaces. 

We miss Barrie’s friendship and helpful advice on Japanese gardens, though that has been given from a distance for over 10 years. 

Jennie Kettlewell

Mary Spain 

We regret to report the death of Mary Spain on 17 November 2024. Mary joined The Friends in the early 1980s, but I first became fully aware of her in 1996. She then offered to join the team of newsletter deliverers which I was forming. Unlike others, she would not come to my flat to collect newsletters. Instead she said that, if I would bring them to her, she would stuff the envelopes and deliver and give me tea. She did this for every newsletter except two from then to Covid. Once was when she cracked her skull (leaving her with permanent tinnitus), and once was to recover from a breast cancer operation.

Mary was involved with many other local organisations and was willing to share news about The Friends with them. Whenever the Campden Hill Society produced a newsletter she asked me what she should say about the Friends’ doings. She also gleaned news about us from her membership over some years on the Holland Park Liaison Committee.  She was a real help in spreading the word about The Friends.

During Covid our regular meetings had to stop, but Mary went on delivering newsletters brought to her door, and this continued when Margaret Rhodes took over managing the deliverers.  When in June of last year, Mary announced her retirement, it must have been part of her final settlement of her affairs. She worked for the Friends for 28 years, one of the longest of any.  Rest in peace, a good and faithful servant. 

Rhoddy Wood

[February 2025] 

Wildlife and nature events 

Once again the Ecology Service will run a full programme of wildlife walks in Holland Park, sponsored by The Friends. These events are very popular, and rightly so. Some dates are listed at the back of this newsletter, but watch out for the dawn chorus, bat walk, dragonfly walk and herbal medicine dates which will be advertised on Eventbrite. The Friends will continue with the bird walks led by expert ornithologist, Bill Haines, and the tree identification walks with Dr Alan Harrington. 

[February 2025]

Guided walks in Holland Park

Every Thursday we meet at 10.30 am in the Holland Park Café and embark on a short, but not strenuous walk around the park. The walk, which embraces the woodlands, flower walks and Kyoto Garden, is led by two volunteers and lasts around 45 minutes. Afterwards we have tea and coffee and wide-ranging conversation in the café which has been generous in accommodating us.

It is a group of around 15 or so, generally over 60s, all abilities and all friendly. Everyone is welcome and, barring drinks, participation is free and above all enjoyable and informative, as we observe the park's changing seasons in the course of each year.

At 3pm every Thursday there is a group meeting to do a Nordic walk around the park. This is instructor-led and Nordic walking poles are provided. Nordic walking is beneficial for heart, lungs and posture, without being too exhausting. In fact you should emerge refreshed and energised. It is excellent exercise for all ages and especially for over 60s, as it improves general fitness, and it has also proved beneficial as rehabilitation. 

Simon Grantham, Volunteer walk leader.  

[February2025]

We need a volunteer to run events

As you will know, The Friends run many events in the park each year and we are looking for someone to help organize some of these events. If you enjoy working as part of a team, have an eye for detail and would like to volunteer to run events, please get in touch with Jennie Kettlewell on 020 7243 0804, or jennie.kettlewell@thefriendsofhollandpark.org

[November 2024]

Please don’t feed the wildlife!

Visitors to the park have been asked not to feed the wildlife.  It is not good for the wildlife and not good for the park either. Many people feed squirrels and birds because they think it is kind, but it is not. Thousands of visitors offering food does more harm than good, so we need your help to protect the wonderful wildlife we enjoy in our park. 

Children, in particular, love to feed squirrels, so this is an opportunity to teach them that these charming little mammals have plenty of natural food to support them. Be kind, and let them stay wild. And remember that squirrels can bite!

The council has a page on its website, explaining the important reasons not to feed the animals, birds, or fish. You can find the information on: www.rbkc.gov.uk/parks-leisure-and-culture.
 
We notice that some park visitors arrive with large bags of peanuts to feed the squirrels. Please remember that some people are allergic to nuts and could suffer a serious reaction if they come into contact with nuts left on the ground in the park.

Many of London’s parks have signs saying Don’t Feed the Wildlife, so why haven’t we? Royal Parks are running a campaign: ‘Help us keep wildlife wild’ and encouraging all to help nature thrive by appreciating and observing wildlife in its natural habitat rather than seeking an up-close, personal experience. That includes choosing not to feed wildlife, because it causes harm to them and the environment. An information campaign in Holland Park is long overdue, but still expected, with posters advising people to help nature and not to feed the wildlife.

You may wonder why we have two bird feeders in the park when we are asking for your help with not feeding wildlife. The feeders are managed by the Ecology Service and are targeted at smaller songbirds whilst (hopefully) excluding squirrels. Being situated up in a tree, there is no encouragement for birds to come into direct human contact. The birds visit the feeders just like they would go to feed from berries on a tree.

Photo by Jennie Kettlewell

[November 2024]

Managing floods from torrential rain

The Council is currently working on a project to introduce Natural Flood Management (NFM) interventions within the northern woodland area of Holland Park to reduce the rate and volume of runoff leaving the park. 

Natural Flood Management means working with natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding. This includes diverting water to where it is needed or can drain naturally, and this can help increase habitat diversity and provide wider climate resilience. While there are existing hard interventions within the park through Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which help capture surface water and filter it back into the ground rather than the sewers, these are not able to deal with the fast flow of water from increasingly frequent heavy rainfall down the woodland paths and rainwater still ends up in places where we do not want or need it. 

The hard solutions used on the formal pathways in the park (soakaway drains and bound paths) are not appropriate for the woodland areas and a more natural solution is being sought. The challenges being looked at are: 
• Surface water runoff frequently leaves the woodland area
• Woodland footpaths frequently become preferential flow paths during heavy rainfall, bypassing the absorption of the woodland floor and eroding the tracks.  
• The existing pond within the Wildlife Enclosure receives very little water due to bypassing down the footpaths and therefore requires supplementary top-ups during summer months.  

Solutions are currently going through a design process, and these designs will be ready to share shortly but the interventions may include:
• Earth banks and scraped channels along the woodland paths, with wood or natural stone, to direct surface water flow into the woodland margins and the Wildlife Enclosure pond
• Renewed leaky barriers within the drainage ditch
• Some narrowing of the path on Chestnut and Lime Tree Walks.
• Enhanced woodland margins with additional woodland plants to reduce the footpath catchment and provide additional water infiltration

The woodland paths will remain as an unbound surface. Any earth banks introduced will be staggered and direct water to woodland margins where it can discharge into the soil. 
This project is being supported through funding from the Council and the Environment Agency. It is expected that the work will be carried out in winter 2024 and be complete in Spring 2025. Some pathways may be closed during works for safety reasons, but the interventions proposed work with the natural landscape so any disruption should be minimal. 

Monica Castelino, RBKC Parks Manager

Photos by Jennie Kettlewell

Chairman, of The Friends, Jennie Kettlewell adds that The Friends have been involved in this initiative from the start and wrote to support the bid for external funding (which was successful). While we agree this work is very necessary to retain rainwater in the park, where it is needed, and not let it run off to where it can’t be used, we emphasized that the solution must look natural and retain the integrity of the woodlands. We also asked that it improve the marginal water-dependent habitats. It is pleasing to see the proposed use of earth banks and scraped channels, rather than concrete gulleys. We have asked to be kept informed as the project progresses. 

[September 2024]

Our Parks Police

The work of the Parks Police team is much appreciated and their familiar faces reassure us as they patrol the paths, fields, enclosures and buildings of Holland Park. Two of the most well-known police constables retired this August and we shall miss them. Pc Phil Crowther spent 15 years with the force and pc Dave Pullan worked in the team for 12 years. The Friends have wished them well in their retirement.

Fortunately, three new police constables have joined the team. Pc Warren Cummings arrived in April this year, while pc David Lane and pc Jeff Cresswell are more recent arrivals. The Parks Police work in two teams, one headed up by Sergeant Helen Tilbury and the other by Sergeant Arron Haynes. One or other of the two teams is on duty during daylight hours, with some late evening patrols, 365 days of the year. In a three-shift day, they enforce bye-laws, Dog Control Orders, deal with traffic issues, respond to accidents in the park, find missing people and deal with more cases of anti-social behaviour than you might imagine. 

Though based in Holland Park, the Parks Police cover around 40 parks and four cemeteries in the Borough, so they are obviously extremely busy. The reason you might not be aware of all this activity is that they take a preventative approach and aim to solve each problem before it escalates. They strongly believe that a problem-solving approach is the most effective way of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, so they work with local communities and park users to identify concerns and find solutions. In addition, they can be called to help out with events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, cycle coding, Remembrance parades and to provide assistance to the emergency services during major incidents. 

The Parks Police are dedicated to ensuring that the Borough’s parks are safe and welcoming places for everyone, but they cannot be everywhere in the park at once, so they urge that we call the Parks Police number (see below) when their assistance is needed. In my experience, they are quick to act and do so firmly but with tact. They can only help us if we help them to do so.

Jennie Kettlewell

Photo: RBKC

Parks Police 
Holland Park is generally a safe place, but we should never be complacent. If you see any antisocial behaviour, such as vandalism, please contact the Parks Police on:
 0300 3655 101
 Remember three key points:
 • Keep yourself out of danger
 • Take a description of the person, location and exactly what         they are doing
 • Contact the Parks Police and report the facts.

[September 2024]_

Holland House conservation listed for award

The conservation work on Holland House was carried out over 2021/22 and involved Allies & Morrison, architects with special expertise in conservation, and Boras Construction who implemented the work. Allies & Morrison have already been accorded a Civic Trust Regional Finalist award for their work on Holland House and have now been shortlisted for a further recognition by New London Awards, under the conservation category. There is strong competition, but you can do your bit by voting for the People’s Choice Award. Go to the website: nla.london/awards/new-london-awards and cast your vote, but please do so under your own name and not as The Friends of Holland Park.

Photo by  Ståle Eriksen

[September 2024]

Thank you from the Parks Manager

I asked Jennie Kettlewell, your chairman, if I could have a small piece in this edition of the newsletter. This is my thank you to every member of The Friends for the support you provide. My role exists to care for the parks and make them as good as they can be for everyone. This is the core function of my job, but it takes a small army of people from all across the Council and community to truly make this happen.

I don’t take for granted the effort, commitment and support that you all give to the park and its visitors and how lucky we are to have such dedicated friends. 

With your help and support we are making this park more accessible, allowing members of our community who could previously never use the park to visit and feel safe and provided for. We are caring for our trees and giving them the best chance to thrive with a programme of proactive tree health works. And thanks to you the Ecology Centre are able to make their adult education programme free to all. 

So thank you all from me and the team.

Monica Castelino, RBKC Parks Manager

Response from Jennie Kettlewell

I was very pleased when Monica Castelino told me she wanted to write a piece for the newsletter. She is always so busy, yet remembered and found the time. 

We are fortunate to have a great team of Council officers to run our park – Parks Management, the Ecology Service, the Project Management team and the Parks Police. They all work closely together and with contractors idverde. Most visitors comment on how wonderful the park is, and it is wonderful, but they are rarely aware of the sheer quantity of very hard work that goes into making it so. The Friends appreciate being included in all matters related to the park and it is for that reason we can enjoy making a positive contribution.

[May 2024]

Please don’t feed the wildlife!

By Dr Alice Laughton, Ecology Service Manager

We need your help to protect the wildlife in Kensington and Chelsea. We understand that, for many people, feeding the animals is an important part of your visit, and something that children particularly enjoy. Unfortunately, with so many visitors to our parks, the overall result of thousands of visitors feeding wildlife is causing more harm than good.

Our parks are managed to provide enough food to sustain the wildlife that lives here, whether through planting of nectar-rich flowers, hedges and trees that bear berries for birds, or well-managed soils that maintain a wealth of worms and other invertebrates that birds and small mammals feed on. It’s vital that we maintain this balance to support biodiversity in our parks and green spaces.

Here are some of the reasons why it’s important to stop feeding the animals:
• The parks contain enough food to support the wildlife that lives here. When opportunities come up, our teams plant trees, hedges and shrubs that provide the berries, nuts and seeds that animals love. 
• Feeding encourages overcrowding of bird populations. Large numbers of crows and magpies that arrive bully the smaller song birds in the park, reducing the numbers that successfully breed here. 
• Processed ‘human’ food is not good for wildlife. They haven’t evolved to eat the same foods as us, and so these foods can cause harm. Bread doesn’t contain much nutritional value but fills up the birds’ stomachs so that they don’t forage for foods they would normally eat, which can lead to malnutrition.
• Animals that are used to being fed by humans now behave unnaturally around people, putting themselves and visitors at risk. For example, squirrels that have become too confident are more at risk of attack by a dog.
• Food such as bread or rice left on the ground attracts rats and other vermin, which is not good for other wildlife, or local residents and businesses.
• Uneaten food thrown into ponds or on banks which has been left to rot leads to a decline in water quality. This in turn results in more algae growing on the water, more disease and pests, and causes animals and plants to become sick and die.
• Encouraging large groups of birds to gather creates an excessive amount of bird droppings, which is detrimental to the health of the soil, and increases the need to clean park benches and other features.
• The high numbers of squirrels encouraged by feeding damage and kill trees.
• Throwing food for birds encourages them to group together, which can increase the spread of diseases, like bird flu.

[February 2024]

Award for Holland House Conservation

The Friends are delighted, but not surprised, that Allies & Morrison have been accorded a Civic Trust Regional Finalist award for their conservation work on Holland House. The work was carried out over 2021/22, and the award will appear in the Civic Trust 2024 Commemorative Brochure of Winners. 

[February 2024]

The Friends pop-up in the park 

The Friends like to get out and meet people in the park and so hold a pop-up desk several times a year. It allows us to engage with park visitors, tell them a about the park and The Friends and of course encourage those who are not already a Friend to join. We also sell plants grown in the plant nursery by Holland Park gardeners from idverde. Many who know us well also take the opportunity to drop by and say hello. 

Keep an eye on The Friends Café Yard notice board for future pop-up dates. Plants won’t be on sale during the winter, but we will have Christmas cards for sale at our October pop-up and we will organise a special Festive Pop-up event on Sat. 2 December. 

Text and photo by Jennie Kettlewell

[September 2023]

Defibrillators in Holland Park

We have been asked to let our members know about the availability of defibrillators in Holland Park. All Parks Police vehicles are equipped with a defibrillator and there is also one in the Holland Park Police Office in the Stable Yard. If you find someone in Holland Park in need of a defibrillator (not breathing or appears to be suffering a heart attack), please call 999. This will alert the London Ambulance Service. Any call made to the London Ambulance Service concerning someone in our parks and open spaces, is automatically forwarded to the Parks Police duty phone. This is to ensure the fastest possible response until an ambulance arrives.

[June 2023]

Parks Police

The Friends would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Parks Police for working even harder than usual to help keep park visitors safe during the challenge of the pandemic. You are appreciated.

Should you need or wish to contact the Parks Police for any reason concerning Holland Park, please call them on 0300 365 5101.