Ongoing research; last updated 8 February 2012
19th February 2008 - Selly Oak Liberal Democrats Website
Money for Selly Oak Park Play Area
Local Lib Dem Councillor Alistair Dow has welcomed new money for Selly Oak Park. £20,000 has been agreed to replace the current unsafe surface and some of the equipment in the play area.
Alistair Dow said: "The Friends of Selly Oak Park group have been working hard to find the money to start this work. I am delighted that the Council is supporting our park and the Friends group by providing new play equipment."
The £20,000 for the Selly Oak Park play area has been allocated from the Selly Oak Ward Community Chest after consultation with representatives of local groups and residents.
2 May 2008 - Birmingham Mail (Graham Young)
2 May 2008 - Birmingham Mail (Graham Young)
A Walk In The Park: Blossoming at break of day
Regular readers of this column will know that it's been running since October, 2005.
And, since then, I've been to a different park almost every week.
How wonderful it has been to showcase the green side of Brum that so few people from outside of the region know exists. Especially in a city that is so widely and wrongly perceived to be a 'concrete jungle'.
As well as constantly reporting on the 'new', two other things interest me.
One is seeing the more noteable places in either different seasons or times of day to build up the bigger picture of what Birmingham's parks are all about.
The other is to redress the balance when necessary.
My first visit to Selly Oak Park didn't quite go to plan.
From the weather forecast at the time, I was expecting the sun to break through ready to offer some high-contrast daylight.
But, by the time I got there, the weather had simply deteriorated to flat, grey light and it was hard to do it justice in my column of April 14, 2006.
The guaranteed promise of a fantastic sunrise recently had me heading back to make amends to the locals. And the experience this time was quite breathtaking.
The combination of new buds, blue skies, golden sunshine and a sharp ground frost was a magical combination which proved again how the right weather can make all the difference wherever you are.
Lots of people were using the park to enjoy a brisk walk on the way to work.
Even though it's in a comparatively open position compared to most, the playground sadly had a 'closed' sign on the gate thanks to the antics of local vandals. And there still wasn't much evidence of spring flowers across the park in general.
But the view of the new QE hospital was truly striking - not least because of the extraordinary contrast with an ugly tower block in the middle ground and the park's open green spaces in the foreground.
The chance to see this new addition to Birmingham's unique range of visual attractions would be worth anyone making a dawn journey at this time of year.
For more information about Birmingham's Parks, visit www.birmingham.gov.uk or call 0121 303 2004.
Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/what-is-on-in-birmingham/birmingham-days-out/2008/05/02/a-walk-in-the-park-blossoming-at-break-of-day-97319-20853029/#ixzz1lArhSvWF
9 May 2008 - Birmingham Mail (Graham Young)
(Short extract from a much longer article)
Chamberlain Gardens, Ladywood
Sometimes a park is of interest not just because of what lies within, but from what you can see beyond its boundaries, too.
Last week's featured Selly Oak Park, for example, has a grand view of the new QE Hospital.
21 June 2008 – Birmingham Mail
Carl Chinn presented Martin Robson Riley’s appeal for information about Weoley Park Farm:-
Photograph of the article as it appeared in the Birmingham Mail
(See Mrs Beatrice Painter's memories in the 1931-1940 History;
and Martin Robson Riley's memories in the 1961-1970 History)
27 June 2008 – Birmingham Mail
Have Your Say
Weoley's war
I was fascinated to see the photograph of Weoley Park Farm in Saturday's Mail and to read Carl Chinn's interesting article on the history of Selly Oak.
I live near Selly Oak park, so know the site of Weoley Park Farm well.
About 15 years ago I met a lady who lived in one of the roads nearby, who told me that during the war the farmhouse was used as a hostel for the Irish bus conductresses who had come over to assist in the war effort. It would only have been a five minute walk through the park to Selly Oak bus garage in Harborne Lane.
Until the mid-1960s the park was surrounded by fences and hedges and the gates were locked at sunset, but the footpath was fenced separately and so remained accessible.
Hilary Taylor,
Selly Oak
28 - 29th June 2008 - The Filipino Association of Birmingham
The Filipino Association of Birmingham held its 1st Birmingham Barrio Fiesta in Selly Oak Park – there are various internet postings covering this event - e.g. http://www.filipinouk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/9027-1st-Birmingham-Barrio-Fiesta
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The Friends of Selly Oak Park
The following text was taken from the Friends website in 2008. (This website went into abeyance early in 2009. The Group continued without a website until October 2010 (see later) when it was reinstated with a new design.)
The following text was taken from the Friends website in 2008. (This website went into abeyance early in 2009. The Group continued without a website until October 2010 (see later) when it was reinstated with a new design.)
Friends of Selly Oak Park was set up as a community group in 2006, following a well attended local meeting. The local councillor, Alistair Dow, and the council parks officer for the area, Simon Cooper, hosted the first meeting of more than 50 local residents, who had come along on a dull and wet Sunday afternoon to find out what was proposed.
A few people volunteered to form a committee, and so the Friends group was born. Following our first year a number of local residents joined our ranks which has now allowed us to evolve our group aims.
Our Aim
Our aim is to preserve and enhance the green environment of Selly Oak Park, so that it is a clean, safe and pleasant area that will be enjoyed responsibly by the whole community.
Achievements
The group made an excellent start in our first year. We have involved a number of other organisations and services to enhance the green and open space which is our park. This has included liaising with the police to ensure an increased presence, especially in the summer months, of both Police Officers and Community Support Officers. We have worked with the park services to ensure an increase in dog bins and seating; there has also been the introduction of ‘no motorcycle signs’ to discourage this scourge of illegal activity.
The group made an excellent start in our first year. We have involved a number of other organisations and services to enhance the green and open space which is our park. This has included liaising with the police to ensure an increased presence, especially in the summer months, of both Police Officers and Community Support Officers. We have worked with the park services to ensure an increase in dog bins and seating; there has also been the introduction of ‘no motorcycle signs’ to discourage this scourge of illegal activity.
We have lobbied to have the play park re-opened and are pleased to announce that within the coming months the park will be resurfaced and a number of older park items will be replaced.
In April 2008 the Friends held their first event involving the erection of several bird boxes within the Park. Following this in June 2008 our Summer event was sponsored by Robert Wilkinson's funfair. We promoted our aims in this family event and welcomed a number of local groups including the Lapal Canal Trust who are planning for the reconstruction of the canal: which would skirt the edge of the park.
The Future
From the initial survey, supplemented by their own knowledge and experience of the area, the committee have recently discussed the options for our future aims. This will be fully published in due course and will include:
· Facilities for older children, such as upgrading a number of ‘tired’ items and considering a separate ‘Multi Use Games Area’,
· Arranging a low level fence down the length of Gibbins Road,
· Developing car parking facilities for the park (possibly involving CCTV security),
· Protection of the wildlife and plant life in the park
· Deal with problem behaviour in the park including large groups of youths, further discouraging illegal motor cyclists, litter and graffiti and neglect.
· Working with Sainsbury's and the council to ensure a connection to the new development and a pedestrian/ cyclist route to the City Centre, University and Selly Oak Station.
