News 2019
December - January
More about the Trees Planted
We planted about 200 trees. Most of these were planted on 9 November at our special event (see below) but several more were planted the following month - and in better weather! Layouts of the trees planted in the 3 locations are shown here. Those next to the path to the wizard are shown above. Below is a plan of the trees around the play area. By the time we recorded names, however, some of the labels had lost their details after the bad weather.
We would like to record who planted the trees for future reference. Also, if you weren’t able to plant a tree and want to adopt one or we’ve simply got the name wrong then please let us know. You can use the tree number shown on the plan if you want to tell us who is adopting that tree. You can contact us via our Facebook page @ maes y pant or by email mypag.gresford@icloud.com.
We would like to record who planted the trees for future reference. Also, if you weren’t able to plant a tree and want to adopt one or we’ve simply got the name wrong then please let us know. You can use the tree number shown on the plan if you want to tell us who is adopting that tree. You can contact us via our Facebook page @ maes y pant or by email mypag.gresford@icloud.com.
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Christmas Tree Festival
MyPAG has again entered the annual Christmas Tree Festival held at Gresford All Saints Church, which finishes on December 1st. Congratulations to Jenny Adams and Joyce Ashley for somehow producing an even more stunning tree than on previous years.
It's a great joy to see all the trees lighting up the church as an early starter for the festive season.
It's a great joy to see all the trees lighting up the church as an early starter for the festive season.
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Sense of Place Project
Well, here’s something different. In the late summer we were contacted by Maud Goldberg to tell us about the Sense of Place project. The project consists of building a series of crafted design-led objects using Braille as an artistic medium for a tactile exchange of experience.
The reason we were contacted was that Maud thought some of the clay she had found in Maes y Pant would be good to use, perhaps mixed with other clay to produce pottery to give a real ‘sense of place’ of the area where they are working on the project. Naturally we were pleased to help and Maud recently gave us an update on the Sense of Place project.
Maud reports that “The application of Braille to ceramics and wool to craft utilitarian objects has been a challenging process. Traditional and contemporary craft techniques have been put to the test. At this stage in the development of Sense of Place we are working on 6 different kinds of objects, 3 more than originally planned. 2 of which have been made, another 3 are being crafted as I write and the 6th is in development stages. The porcelain vessel/mug and examples of the stoneware vessels/mugs which will be made during the January Sharing Workshop have been made.”
Photographs of the pottery are below. All this information is thanks to Maud Goldberg Ltd, Arts Council of Wales, Raine Ceramics, Rachel Holian Ceramics, Ty Pawb
The reason we were contacted was that Maud thought some of the clay she had found in Maes y Pant would be good to use, perhaps mixed with other clay to produce pottery to give a real ‘sense of place’ of the area where they are working on the project. Naturally we were pleased to help and Maud recently gave us an update on the Sense of Place project.
Maud reports that “The application of Braille to ceramics and wool to craft utilitarian objects has been a challenging process. Traditional and contemporary craft techniques have been put to the test. At this stage in the development of Sense of Place we are working on 6 different kinds of objects, 3 more than originally planned. 2 of which have been made, another 3 are being crafted as I write and the 6th is in development stages. The porcelain vessel/mug and examples of the stoneware vessels/mugs which will be made during the January Sharing Workshop have been made.”
Photographs of the pottery are below. All this information is thanks to Maud Goldberg Ltd, Arts Council of Wales, Raine Ceramics, Rachel Holian Ceramics, Ty Pawb
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Trees For Kids Event
Friday, November 8 was a bright, sunny day and mild for the time of year. So was Sunday, November 10. Unfortunately our chosen day was in between! Just as our event started at 10am, the snow came down. This was quite exciting but it soon turned to rain and sleet. Still, we had over 100 children come to visit us and plant the saplings. All the trees we had were planted, although we are expecting some more. So the weather didn't put off the numbers of people coming and we hope they enjoyed the stalls, face painter and Jacqi Bloor, the story teller. Fortunately these last 2 were under cover. Thanks to everyone who helped on the day, and a big thank you to Matt Hennessey and the air cadets and to Gresford WI for their brilliant hot dogs and reviving cups of tea. Also thanks to retiring MP Ian Lucas and his wife, Norah, for support on the day and over the years and to Wrexham's mayor, Rob Walsh, who helped us beyond the call of duty.
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A new carving by Simon O'RourkeLocal chainsaw carver, Simon O'Rourke has produced a lovely carving of a child planting a tree for us. It can be found behind the woodland play area in the vicinity of the saplings recently planted there.
The photo below was taken when the carving was installed but the child can now be seen planting a live rowan sapling in amongst all the other saplings planted on November 9. |
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Trees for Kids
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We're having an event in Maes y Pant, on Saturday November 9 and calling it: Trees for Kids. The funding is coming from all of you who supported our cause and spent money at the Marford Co-op during 2018. We hope to make this a sociable and enjoyable day running from 10am to 3pm, so please bring along your families and friends. It's primarily aimed at families and children, who will be able to plant saplings. We are also raising awareness of the importance of woodlands and taking care of the environment. There will be a story teller during the day (I think a Gruffalo was mentioned), HACK Horse Sanctuary will be bringing along a pony, various stalls, a face painter and much more. The winners of our photographic competition for our 2020 calendar will also be announced and if all goes well, copies will be available.
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Photo Competition - Winners
The winners of the photo competition in month order on the calendar are as follows
Andrew Curry, Paul Chadwick, Tec Evans, Alison Thompson, William Emberry, Andy Richards, Steve Andrews, Emma Jones, Netty Simmonds, James Staunton, Daniel Sissons and Andy Moore
Andrew Curry, Paul Chadwick, Tec Evans, Alison Thompson, William Emberry, Andy Richards, Steve Andrews, Emma Jones, Netty Simmonds, James Staunton, Daniel Sissons and Andy Moore
Gresford Concert in the Park
Gresford Trust held a village event on their grounds on Saturday (Sept 7). It was a chance for various organisations in the village and wider community to come together and show what they were about. On top of this, there was a concert throughout the afternoon and evening. The good weather (not always a given for this event!) helped to ensure it was a very enjoyable afternoon. Thanks to Sue Kelly for getting us organised and to Rebecca Hennessey for all her work on organising activities for the children. The photos speak for themselves, with even the mayor of Wrexham helping out painting stones for the woodland trail.
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Volunteers
Another enjoyable volunteers day this Sunday (Sept 8) as 19 volunteers attended our Sunday morning volunteers session this month, including 6 new starters. The main work was to clear and prepare the ground for the Trees for Kids project which takes place this coming November. Some photos showing us all at work - mainly.
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Photo Competition
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We're running a photographic competition for a Maes y Pant calendar. No restriction on entries so get composing and snapping. The results will be announced at an event we're planning to hold in Maes Y Pant on Saturday November 9. The deadline date is 1 Oct at the email address below. The details outlined below have been extracted from our Facebook page. Good luck
P.S. If you're quick you may capture photos of our butterflies. There are several in the top field including this Painted Lady on knapweed. There seems to have been a irruption of these butterflies in this country this year. |
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Extract from Facebook
It may still be August, but today we are excited to announce our 2020 calendar competition!
We get sent some amazing pictures over all three social media platforms so know what a talented bunch you are...so we want to choose the BEST 12 pictures take by you, to make up our 2020 calendar.
It would great if we could have a variety of themes covering life across Maes-y-Pant ranging from the amazing wildlife, to the beautiful flowers, trees and plants, to shots of the carvings, fort and ponds...but anything goes really, so let your imagination run riot (within reason!)It would also be fantastic to cover the seasons - so plenty of summery/autumnal/spring and winter pics please to grace the walls at home. The plan is that the 'best' (voted by the committee) 12 pics make up the calendar and all 12 will receive complimentary copies of the calendar with a limited edition of stock going on general sale soon after.
The winners will be notified in a yet to be announced exciting event (watch this space) in November, and we need images emailed in - ideally in Jpeg format . Send in your pics to Maesypantsocial@gmail.com marked 'Photo Competition' and we would need all entries to be in by 1st of October at the latest - so plenty of time!
The Competition is.... OPEN!
Friends of Maes y Pant Annual Meeting
Our next Friends of Maes y Pant meeting will take at 7.30pm on Tuesday 2 April at Church House, The Green, Gresford.
We will report back on current issues and developments and take Friends' views on actions that we should be taking. Simon O'Rourke will be the guest speaker. Simon has completed a number of carvings for us on site and has an international reputation as a chain saw carver.
No doubt he will bring along some samples of his work.
We will report back on current issues and developments and take Friends' views on actions that we should be taking. Simon O'Rourke will be the guest speaker. Simon has completed a number of carvings for us on site and has an international reputation as a chain saw carver.
No doubt he will bring along some samples of his work.
Our New Carvings
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We have a new carving near the children's play area. It's been carved by Nathan Hughes not only as another feature for visitors to our site but also as a reminder of the importance of bees to our environment. It's carved from the trunk of a Corsican Pine which was left after we took down a number of trees in this area to allow growth of broad leafed trees. Nathan also carved a ladybird seat for the play area. Furthermore, Simon O'Rourke has fitted a new hand to the Quarryman at the main entrance, so he's back to full fitness, although he still looks too weary to ever get up again!
Oak Tree Donated by Manchester Airport
Wrexham’s AM and MP joined us in a special tree planting ceremony as part of Manchester Airport’s 80th birthday celebrations. To commemorate their landmark anniversary, Manchester Airport are planting 80 oak trees across their catchment area, with the tree in Maes y Pant woodland being the only one located in North Wales.
Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths and MP, Ian Lucas visited us on January 18 2019 with Ian Atkinson, Wrexham councillor, community councillors and members of MyPAG, along with Manchester Airport’s Public Affairs Manager, Samantha Atherton .
Geraint Morris, headmaster of the Rofft School attended, along with pupils from the Rofft who also attend TEMPS, the Out of School club. MyPAG directors Rebecca and Mike hold fortnightly sessions in MyPAG with the children there. The children buried a special time capsule alongside the tree. I wonder how many years it will be before we open the capsule to reveal the secrets inside?
Thanks to Mr Morris for his support and to Manchester Airport for choosing us as a suitable site. Of course, thanks also to Ian Lucas and Lesley Griffiths for their time, again willingly given. Last but not least, thanks to all for turning up in very, very wet weather. Mums and Dads, sorry about the children's shoes!
Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths and MP, Ian Lucas visited us on January 18 2019 with Ian Atkinson, Wrexham councillor, community councillors and members of MyPAG, along with Manchester Airport’s Public Affairs Manager, Samantha Atherton .
Geraint Morris, headmaster of the Rofft School attended, along with pupils from the Rofft who also attend TEMPS, the Out of School club. MyPAG directors Rebecca and Mike hold fortnightly sessions in MyPAG with the children there. The children buried a special time capsule alongside the tree. I wonder how many years it will be before we open the capsule to reveal the secrets inside?
Thanks to Mr Morris for his support and to Manchester Airport for choosing us as a suitable site. Of course, thanks also to Ian Lucas and Lesley Griffiths for their time, again willingly given. Last but not least, thanks to all for turning up in very, very wet weather. Mums and Dads, sorry about the children's shoes!
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Volunteers at Maes y Pant
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Volunteers meet every month on the 2nd Sunday to undertake routine tasks and maintenance. it's an enjoyable and friendly gathering. We meet up at 10am at the main entrance and the session lasts as long as you want it to, but no more than 3 hours because before then we've stopped for coffee and cake.
Thanks to Sue Britton for providing both. A sample of volunteers can be seen in the attached photo, so come along and join us if you want to do a bit of light exercise in attractive surroundings. |
Mini Beasts
Local historian, Brian Formstone, has been visiting Maes y Pant for years and has accumulated many records for the site. His passion is for mini beasts - insects - and he has collected much information and many samples in this time. Some of his photos can be found elsewhere on the website. To celebrate the diversity on site we are commissioning a totem pole and seat near the children's play area which will have insects carved into the wood. We're planning for this at the beginning of February 2019.
