Parklife - The Hole Story!

Celebrating the park and the people of Llay!

The Hole Story   Painting and Planting Day
Artists in Residence   The Christmas Quiz
The Rangers  

Time Capsule

Memories   Bringing Back the Light
What the Children think...   The Opening Celebration
The Autumn Amble    
Image of the Adfwyio logoThis project has been part funded by Adfywio, a Welsh Assembly Government grant scheme, managed by the Countryside Council for Wales and the Wales Tourist Board.

The Hole Story

Image of a board with paint brushes and shovelsOnce upon a time there was a park. The park lay in a hollow of the land, a hollow made by people. The people had come with their machinery, their diggers, hollowing out the sand and gravel, taking it away to build their roads and houses.

They found sand and gravel, but sandwiched between the layers they found tiny animals and plants, crushed into stone.and bigger animals too, remains of great beings that had once roamed the earth, a mammoth's tusk was unearthed. The fossils were labelled, packed up and sent away to museums far and wide - even as far as Liverpool!

At last the sand and the gravel were gone. The people packed up their machines and left, leaving nothing but a hole. A hole full of memories.

Image of the Countryside Service buying the parkBut someone wanted that hole. The Countryside Service bought the whole hole for one pound.

Beneath the ground memories stirred. Seeds unfurled and began to send their shoots upwards. The flowers and grass began to grow. The trees came back. The birds and animals returned and the park blossomed.

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The People

Fiona Collins and Amy Douglas - Artists in Residence

We are storytellers and love the joy of a tale well told. As storytellers we are also listeners and we want to hear the story of Llay. Throughout the winter and into the spring we will be out and about, listening, talking, creating and celebrating the park, Llay and its people.

Image of Fiona Image of Amy

The Llay side of Alyn Waters Country Park has led an interesting life. It is remembered as farm land, as a quarry and as the park it is now. We are collecting those memories, memories of: walking to church on the path through the farm; the Wellington Bomber crashing into the land; listening to sky larks and flying kites. We want to take and treasure those memories. We will use them to inspire music, poetry, drama, dance, art and fun!

We look forward to talking to you soon!

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Alyn Waters Country Park Rangers

The three rangers responsible for Alyn Waters Park are Alasdair, Tamsin and John.

Image of Alasdair, Tamsin and John, Alyn Waters Country Park Rangers

The rangers care for the park. They look after the wildlife of the park while keeping it tidy, open and free for all to walk and play within the park.

They maintain the paths through the park, empty the dog bins, pick up litter (they shouldn't have to do this!) as well as teaching groups of all ages about the wildlife and ecology of the park.

They celebrate the park and everything in it through all kinds of activities and workshops - from puppet and instrument making to conducting surveys of varieties of orchids present, from dawn chorus walks to bat-box building.

The three rangers are often to be found out and about - they don't bite, are pleased to answer questions and talk about the park. They respond extremely well to smiles, friendliness and chocolate!

 

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