Archive - General News

Spring 2022 - Planting Black Poplars

Friends of the Meadows in partnership with Chester Zoo planted four black poplar saplings on The Meadows and installed an interpretation board explaining why the Black Poplar tree needs our help has now been installed, generously funded by local councillors Razia Daniels and Neil Sullivan.
Photo shows the board with Cllr. Neil Sullivan, Cllr. Razia Daniels, Rachel Cross and Julie Savory from FoM and two representatives from the Zoo, Alex and Osian

The saplings planted should thrive as they like flood plains and as they are a mix of male and female trees will increase the genetic diversity and provide the Zoo with further saplings to plant elsewhere.
See also the article in Newsletter 228

February 2022 - ​Interpretation Boards are installed on The Meadows

Boards with information about The Meadows are now in place at the two main entrances. They highlight the environmental value of the Meadows, their history, the wildlife they contain and the debt owed to Phyllis Brown, who with her husband, Harry F Brown, purchased the land for public use.

Friends of the Meadows devised the design and undertook the initiative, with a grant of £2000 from the People’s Postcode Lottery and help from the budgets of Councillors Razia Daniels and Neil Sullivan. Officers of CWaC also gave their support, particularly the Greenspace Officer, Stephanie Hefferan.
From left to right in the photo: Stephen Savory, Julie Savory, Rachel Cross, Cllrs. Razia Daniels and Neil Sullivan. 

May 2020 - Death of Adele Edwards

In early May 2020 we had the sad news that Adele Edwards, who was one of the founders of Friends of the Meadows, sadly passed away. She died from cancer in a hospice in Wiltshire where her daughter lives. Her health had not been good for several years now.

Adele was on the first committee in 1994 as Membership Secretary and Editor of the newsletter. She took over as chairman from Richard Smart, the first chairman and continued to work for many years for Friends of the Meadows as both chairman and editor.

We extend our condolences to all her family and friends. 

5th May 2020

Read David Holmes' article for Chester Chronicle: "Guardian of Chester Meadows dies age 79" ​(published 1 June 2020) 

December 2018 - Blue Plaque on Town Hall commemorates Phyllis Brown

​A new Blue Plaque was placed on the wall of Chester Town Hall commemorating Phyllis Brown and Kate Clarke. FOM Members will know that Phyllis Brown was a resident of Curzon Park and with her husband Harry F Brown gifted The Meadows to the people of Chester. She was also the first female councillor and first female mayor in Chester. See History of the Meadows