Priory Common

The Friends of Priory Common have been busy! See what they’ve achieved already on the gallery and below.

2021

International recognition! An article in a Spanish poetry journal … (and its translation courtesy of Google Translate).

2020

Three poems by Jeff Probst:

[Show slideshow]

2018

An updated website for the orchard.

Another poem, by Jeff Probst:

2016

A poem about the orchard by Jacky Jenkins:

A peaceful place in Hornsey

Come down to the garden, the garden, which one ?
The garden communal that’s for everyone
The place with no fences, no locks and no gate
Come help us to dig or just contemplate.

It’s free to roam into whenever you please
There’re lots of nice pathways and plenty of bees
It’s next to  the bus stop on Priory Road
At the corner with Redston and look here’s a load
Of compost and hay bales all to be spread
To start a new section, prepare a new bed.

The council  committee was pleased to agree
When Gemma requested for us to be free
To plant up and garden the natural way
Here where was  just wasteland behind the nursery.

This garden is special and precious to us
The people of Hornsey can come on the bus
From all of the  Borough from far, near and wide
To hoe and to harvest or just be outside.

2015

A very positive article in the Ham and High

2014: update

The lack of activity on this website is misleading – there’s been plenty in the Orchard itself and it even has its own website!

2011: Priory Common Orchard

One of their achievements in 2010 and 2011, under the guidance of Gemma Harris, was the planting of the Orchard at the West end of the Common.

• Click here for details of the plants in the Orchard, and here for the plan.

2009: Programme for 2009

A note from Joyce Rosser’s August circular to members, revised in September:

The good news – WERA has got some funding for work on Priory Common shrubs; the bad news – we need WERA members to do a lot of the work!

Bernie Rees, a qualified tree surgeon and community worker (and a really nice guy), will be running five workshops in the autumn. The dates are –

• 11am to 1 pm Sunday 27th September:  identifying and pruning the shrubs (advice and help available)
• 11am to 1 pm Sunday 11th October:       pruning
• 11am to 1 pm Sunday 25th October:        pruning
• 11am to 1 pm Sunday 15th November:     pruning plus annual bulb planting event1. Apologies that these are all on a Sunday but we have found we get the
  best turnout this day. We hope that those who go to church or have other
  commitments on Sunday might join us for part of the day.
  2. Ideally we would like about 15-20 WERA members to take part in each
  workshop. It would be great if more turned up.
  3. We recognise that people may not be available every day but this is
  not a problem – come along when you can.
  4. These workshops will be an opportunity a) to give the much neglected
  shrubs a bit of TLC and improve the appearance of the Common; b) to
  learn about plants, pruning, etc. which will be useful for our own
  gardens; c) to get to know other local residents and have an enjoyable
  time.Those of you who are keen gardeners and want to improve Priory Common, please make a note of these dates in your diaries.

They got a grant from Haringey Council to buy and erect a noticeboard, and they’ve planted thousands of bulbs each autumn.

If you’d like to help, please contact the WERA secretary, Joyce Rosser.