Latest news with #publicpark
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
The 13 things that will likely happen at your next picnic
Dog owners can often assume, very much like some mothers walking onto a plane with a screaming child, that the behaviour of their beloved is adorable, despite all evidence to the contrary. Hence, you should be wary of a dog (usually a Jack Russell) bounding over to your picnic spread and beginning to trough at the cold sausages while their owner chuckles indulgently in the middle distance. Your only recourse in a civilised world would be to issue the dog owner with an itemised bill for the comestibles consumed. In reality, however, you'll probably have to make do with simply hoping against hope that the owner returns home to find his fridge has been raided by hungry burglars and he's now entirely out of frozen ready meals and Spam. Women will wee behind a tree in pairs While men will consider a miniature banzai plant to be a perfectly satisfactory modesty concealer when it comes to urinating in a public park, women tend to set off in pairs with a view to finding a landscape redolent of the Guyanese jungle. Noting that the park's official public toilet closed down in 1998, the pair will settle on going behind a beech tree while the other keeps 'look out'. It's really not necessary; everyone can see everything. We just choose to utilise the unique, British-hewn skill of swerving our heads at the sight of a picnicker squatting down and instead showing a newly messianic level of interest in the seagull picking at a Gregg's wrapper next to the dog poo bin. A gazebo will become untethered Flimsy gazebos are all the rage at city picnics these days, though they always look strangely like the Samaritans tents at a minor festival. Glance inside however and you will not find a tearful goth who has drunk too much rosé through a straw and can't find her friends. There will instead be a posse of twentysomethings who believe that a self-assembled, prison-cell-sized cube of polycarbonate somehow lends a 'boutique VIP' vibe to their picnic. Wait around for around half an hour and you can be sure that the damn thing will become untethered if impacted with a wind velocity equal to an asthmatic chinchilla's breath exhalation. Cue a phalanx of girls in wedges chasing it across the park, last seen blowing, with gathering speed, towards an electricity substation. Someone will bring (inedible) homemade quiche in a Tupperware container One of the great myths of the picnic is that we'll be more than happy with appalling-quality food as long as we're eating it outside. Pubs with beer gardens have been using this loophole in our gastro-sanity for years. But this misconception has also infected the picnic. Using a 'picnic' as an opportunity to dole out that quiche that didn't even find any takers when you put the crust on the bird table last weekend isn't going to cut it. Pack cold pheasant, pack smoked salmon, pack truffle paté. Pack your hamper like you're visiting Henley Royal Regatta, not HMP Pentonville. Just because there are no chairs it doesn't mean you have to eat like you're back at Scout or Girl Guides camp. And speaking of which… Only one person will have brought a folding chair There needs to be a more democratic approach here. If one person brings a chair, then everyone must bring a chair. Otherwise you are faced with the socially uncomfortable (and slightly Tsarist) situation of one person sitting, throne-like, on their collapsible seat while everyone else crouches on the floor with the food, literally offering up comestibles to the 'king of the picnic' with their bare hands. The person with the chair will naturally never relinquish their exalted position, having conveniently had their bladder lining replaced with titanium at a discreet Dutch clinic before they arrived. Someone will sit on your sunglasses Save your designer shades for the Caribbean cruise. Picnics are a time to bring out the cheapest sunglasses you possess. When you or a friend invariably sit on them you can at least laugh and jovially claim 'they were only a fiver from TK Maxx', while calculating exactly what you can 'accidentally' sit on and break of an equivalent value next time you're at their house. Nobody will have brought water Thirty-degree heat plus excessive Sav Blanc means that some H2O may be appealing at some point during your picnic. But nobody ever brings water to a picnic. Instead, you will drink warm, flat tonic water or convince yourself that a can of lager and a satsuma segment will be 'good enough' for now. Two people will argue over who does a 'booze run' to Sainsbury's Local It's getting late and the combination of sun, wine and starch has given everyone a headache. Yet the more committed picnickers will be determined to stretch out the fun until the 'parkie' locks the wrought-iron gates at 9pm. Two hardy volunteers will be found to go and buy more wine. Unfortunately, they're drunk and don't know the area. They will fail to locate a Waitrose or Sainsbury's and will instead resort to a malodorous-looking newsagents for supplies. The remaining picnickers will then be presented with three blue plastic bags full of warm Mateus Rose and three bags of Nobby's Nuts as their 'dinner'. Ideally, you'll have long gone home by then, only to be regaled the following morning with the story of how Linda impaled her foot on a spike trying to leave the (locked) park and spent an entire night in an A&E waiting room. Still, at least she had the left over Wotsits to keep her strength up.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Public park opens as South Bank project continues in Leeds
A new public park has opened as work continues to redevelop the South Bank area of 1.5-acre (6,200 sq m) Central Park forms part of the Aire Park regeneration project, which aims to deliver more than 1,350 homes and eight acres (32,374 sq m) of green space, as well as commercial and retail complete, the development will feature play areas and woodland, as well as events spaces for markets and Pryor, Leeds City Council's deputy leader, said: "We want Leeds to be a city filled with places that are perfect for work, rest and play, and Aire Park's lawns and gardens will give people plenty of opportunity for doing all of that and more." The launch of Central Park follows the opening of a new green space in front of the Tetley are under way to extend the park behind the building - converting what is currently brownfield land into four acres of green space - as well as south of Crown Point Road. Developers hope to complete the Aire Park project by 2030, with plans to include 700 new trees and more than 100 varieties of design has seen collaboration between landscaping experts including Planit Leeds, Moortown and Palmers. Phillip Porter, Planit's principal landscape architect, said: "Aire Park is a unique project in the UK. "One that provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape a vast disused industrial part of a city and leave an unparalleled gift to current and future generations."Stephen Lindley, managing director of developer Vastint UK, said the project had already welcomed its first commercial said: "As the wider development and the park continues to grow, with the addition of its event space and play area, so too will its sense of community as Aire Park becomes a go-to destination within the city to work, meet and socialise, or simple relax and enjoy nature." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Venice locals win bid to convert abandoned island into sanctuary
A small island near Venice once used as a plague pit is set to become a public park for the city's residents. Part of Poveglia, an island south of the Italian city, has been deserted and closed to visitors for decades, its dilapidated hospital buildings frozen in time, its imposing fort now abandoned and its rumored mass graves still hidden. Its grisly past covers both the countless unknown plague victims thought to have died on the island and the lobotomies reputed to have occurred there when the hospital served as a mental asylum in the 1920s. In 2014 the Italian government sold the island for £400,000 as part of an Italian government strategy to sell off unused property to address its budget crisis. But a group of Venetians launched a campaign to protect the island from commercial development, calling themselves 'Poveglia For Everyone' (PFE). Following a protracted battle, PFE won control over the island. The activist group won a six-year lease, beginning next month, beating competitors including Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro. The grassroots group asked Venetians to donate money to help preserve the island from development and turn it into an oasis for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the tourist-laden city. Patrizia Veclani, one of the founders of Poveglia for Everyone, told the Times: 'We woke up with a nest egg of €460,000 (£400,887) and a community full of high-level professional skills.' Her group will pay little more than €1,000 (£871) a year for the renewable lease. PFE says it is joining forces with the University of Verona to transform the northern part of the island 'into a lagoon urban park open to citizens and respectful of the ecosystem and the landscape elements that characterise the lagoon.' The group faces an uphill battle to regenerate the island, however, as there is currently no water or electricity, nor is there a proper pier. Earlier this year, furious Neapolitan locals attempted to crowdfund the purchasing 'back' of a tiny island in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius after it was listed for sale at over £8million. The island of Punta Pennata, which spans an area of just 70x500 metres, lays a mere 100 meters offshore the town of Bacoli in the Gulf of Naples. Despite being a favorite fishing retreat of locals for decades, the rocky peninsula was put up for sale by luxury auctioneers Sotheby's. Residents and officials from neighboring towns are not simply accepting the island's sale though, with Bacoli mayor Josi Della Rangione leading the campaign to place Punta Pennata under the stewardship of the local community. Italy as a nation has already dealt with vast levels of overtourism and a plethora of foreign tycoons buying up similarly prime real estate from under local's noses. In a bid to stop Punta Pennata from falling into the hands of another exorbitantly wealthy businessperson or celebrity, Mr Della Regione drummed up support from all over Italy in the hopes that the local community can raise enough funds to 'buy back' the island.
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Abandoned island in Venice to become a haven for locals seeking escape from tourism
Venetian activists will transform part of an abandoned island into a public park, where locals can escape the millions of tourists that visit the city each year. The grassroots group, named Poveglia per Tutti (Poveglia for Everyone), said it had received permission from the Italian government to transform the island of Poveglia into a public lagoon park from 1 August. Residents and supporters across Italy have campaigned for more than a decade to save the historically significant but decaying island from neglect and privatisation. Campaigners say the project aims to create a 'public lagoon park open to all,' managed collectively through 'practices of subsidiarity and active participation.' Patrizia Veclani, one of the founders of the group, has told local outlet Altreconomia earlier this year that Poveglia per Tutti would prioritise building an 'accessible and safe landing place' and creating 'a way to reach the island without overtaking it with tourism'. They hope this model could serve as an alternative vision for Venice, where locals say they are struggling to cope with overtourism. The city has recently introduced measures like entry fees to curb tourist pressure, while residents warn of losing public space and a strain on local infrastructure. Cruise ships have been banned from entering the Venice lagoon and main Giudecca Canal since August 2021 – a move welcomed by Unesco after repeated warnings that the large vessels were damaging the iconic city. But after a brief trial last year, Venice also recently reintroduced its day-tripper tax, charging tourists not staying on the islands €5 to visit. From April this year, tourists are now charged €10 for that privilege unless they book at least four days in advance. Poveglia was once used as a quarantine site for people with plague and other infectious diseases. It was later converted into a mental hospital. The hospital shut its doors in 1968, and the island has remained abandoned ever since. Poveglia per Tutti has set aside around €300,000 for the first phase of the project and plans to seek further funding. It has also partnered with the University of Verona to study the social impact of redevelopment, aiming to create a blueprint for community-led management of public assets. The group said in a statement that the success of the project is due to 'thousands of members, supporters, associations and organisations' who backed the vision, even from afar.' They urged people to volunteer, spread the word and help turn Poveglia into what they call 'a symbol of a new idea of managing community assets.' Venice's historic centre had more than 170,000 residents in 1954, according to city authorities. Last year, they were down to just over 49,000. Around 30 million tourists visit Venice in a typical year, with about seven out of 10 (or 21 million) staying only for the day.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Venice locals win bid to convert abandoned island into sanctuary from millions of tourists who clog famed city
A small island near Venice once used as a plague pit is set to become a public park for the city's residents. Part of Poveglia, an island south of the Italian city, has been deserted and closed to visitors for decades, its dilapidated hospital buildings frozen in time, its imposing fort now abandoned and its rumoured mass graves still hidden. Its grisly past covers both the countless unknown plague victims thought to have died on the island and the lobotomies reputed to have occurred there when the hospital served as a mental asylum in the 1920s. In 2014 the Italian government sold the island for £400,000 as part of an Italian government strategy to sell off unused property to address its budget crisis. But a group of Venetians launched a campaign to protect the island from commercial development, calling themselves 'Poveglia For Everyone' (PFE). Following a protracted battle, PFE won control over the island. The activist group won a six-year lease, beginning next month, beating competitors including Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro. The grassroots group asked Venetians to donate money to help preserve the island from development and turn it into an oasis for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the tourist-laden city. Patrizia Veclani, one of the founders of Poveglia for Everyone, told the Times: 'We woke up with a nest egg of €460,000 (£400,887) and a community full of high-level professional skills.' Her group will pay little more than €1,000 (£871) a year for the renewable lease. PFE says it is joining forces with the University of Verona to transform the northern part of the island 'into a lagoon urban park open to citizens and respectful of the ecosystem and the landscape elements that characterise the lagoon.' The group faces an uphill battle to regenerate the island, however, as there is currently no water or electricity, nor is there a proper pier. Earlier this year, furious Neapolitan locals attempted to crowdfund the purchasing 'back' of a tiny island in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius after it was listed for sale at over £8million. The island of Punta Pennata, which spans an area of just 70x500 metres, lays a mere 100 metres offshore the town of Bacoli in the Gulf of Naples. Despite being a favourite fishing retreat of locals for decades, the rocky peninsula was put up for sale by luxury auctioneers Sotheby's. Residents and officials from neighbouring towns are not simply accepting the island's sale though, with Bacoli mayor Josi Della Rangione leading the campaign to place Punta Pennata under the stewardship of the local community. Italy as a nation has already dealt with vast levels of overtourism and a plethora of foreign tycoons buying up similarly prime real estate from under local's noses. In a bid to stop Punta Pennata from falling into the hands of another exorbitantly wealthy businessperson or celebrity, Mr Della Regione drumme up support from all over Italy in the hopes that the local community can raise enough funds to 'buy back' the island.
