The end of summer is fast approaching so don’t let it slip away from you.
This is our last month of free music and our visitor van Rambling Rosie, every weekend until 21 September when our major presence in the park disappears for a few months. Both venues have attracted huge numbers over the summer and much appreciation and admiration have been expressed. Sales of Jesse’s cards featuring new scenes have been phenomenal and our new mugs, in five different colours are a huge hit.
In this issue we list the last of the summer events with places still available. We announce the head gardener for our new garden, there is police news and an update about our bird population. In fewer than 10 minutes you will be up to speed with all that’s going on this month in the park. this month. Scroll down and enjoy the read.
Join Gemma Hindi, who is a Royal Parks Help Nature Thrive Engagement Officer, on a leisurely walk through the park discovering the beautiful botany and fascinating heritage of some of our most overlooked wild species, the ‘weeds’. What place do weeds have in our urban parks, and what lessons can we learn from them?
This 2-hour session will involve a gentle walk through the park – exploring botanical identification skills, benefits and historical and cultural significance – followed by a 30-minute activity in the allotment garden.
Join a guide from Discover Medical London for a walk through the Regent’s Park, lasting approximately 2½ hours, starting at the Royal College of Physicians and concluding with a visit to their medicinal gardens.
Whilst much of the walk will be inside the Park, it will include some of the Nash Terraces as these feature blue plaques commemorating notable medical figures from the last two centuries.. Although these locations will be familiar to you, the tour will explore them in a different way, teasing out their medical and social history connections. All the content will be accessible to non-medical participants with an interest in social and cultural history, or even simply in the story of the Park and its residents. 25 places – 23 Friends, 2 guests.
Discover the choice of artists and works of Frieze Sculpture 2025. Will there be a link with some of the works chosen for Sculpture in the City and will there be more works by female artists? Join this annually anticipated tour guided by the knowledgeable and inspirational Anne-Marie Craven to find out. 25 places – 23 Friends, 2 Friends’ guests.
Opened on 10 January 1863 as part of the Metropolitan Railway, Baker Street station was home to a revolutionary idea, carrying passengers beneath Victorian London’s congested streets, cutting a 90-minute journey to just 20 minutes.
Explore closed-off parts of the station, including original platforms, disused lift shafts and corridors that are hidden in plain sight, some of which were last accessed by the public over 75 years ago in 1945. Learn about the station’s history as the Operational HQ for London Underground and hear first-hand accounts from those who worked (and played) there over the years.
COST: £45 for friends. Non-members cannot attend.The fee includes entrance to the London Transport Museum for a month.
London’s highest garden, with 3600 views across London, is on the top of the skyscraper known as the Walkie Talkie, at 20 Fenchurch Street. The Sky Garden was designed by the award-winning landscape architecture practice Gillespie’s, who created the planted terraces.
The designers used a variety of drought-resistant Mediterranean and South African plants, chosen to work in harmony with the space to flourish in full colour all year round. There are various restaurants and two bars associated with the Sky Garden, so you may wish to book a table for lunch after your visit.
COST: £5 for Friends. Non-members cannot attend.
There is a dedicated entrance on Philpot Street, on the south-west corner of 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 8AF. From the Sky Garden Entrance a dedicated lift goes up to up to the garden at level 35.
Many of you will have enjoyed Matt Steinmann’s tree walks in the spring and summer. During the winter, without their cloaks of distinctive leaves, you could be forgiven for thinking that deciduous trees can all look the same, bare and twiggy. Look a little closer, and you will find that there are key characteristics that can help you single out each species even when they have lost their leaves which give a tree its distinctive shape.
Commonly found trees like beech, oak, and birch, have distinct characteristics visible even without leaves. Join Matt, the Arboricultural Officer of The Royal Parks, in this walk when he will share his experience and show us what to look for in winter. 25 places – 23 Friends, 2 guests.
The Lakeside concerts in the Marquee next to the Bandstand were a huge success with audiences at the eight events totalling over 2000. Reviews were outstanding in particular for the Musical Theatre, The Opera, the Viennese evening (where John Suchet delighted the audience with stories about the Strauss family) and the Karl Jenkins day when the world premiere of the Brass Band version of the Armed Man was performed to a full house. Park Manager Nick Biddle expressed his delight at the festival and is keen to hear what will take place next year!
But the festival is not yet over as Bandstand concerts will continue to September 21. “Swing Sunday” on August 27 attracted a crowd of over 1,000; many of whom enjoyed the swing dance lessons from Simon Selmon who will be back on Sunday September 14.
On the four remaining weekends we have ever popular bands from York and Bournemouth as well as some talented bands on our Saturday Jazz on the Broad Walk
There are still many opportunities for members to volunteer before winter arrives. On the Bandstand we need volunteers for Sunday 7th and Saturday 20th for The Rambling Rosie. Sign up on this page.
Head Gardener Appointed to Oversee Landmark New Garden
The Royal Parks have just announced that Fiona Packe will be the new Head Gardener for its newest high-profile project, a two-acre garden in our Park to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II. The garden is set to open in spring 2026.
Commenting on her new appointment, Fiona said: “I’m thrilled to be appointed Head Gardener for this remarkable project. It’s a rare opportunity to be part of a garden from the very first plantings through to maturity. This space will be a beacon for the future of horticulture, showing that we can create stunning, climate-resilient green spaces from former brownfield sites, while inspiring and educating visitors on how to build biodiversity into their own gardens.”
Several birds have been found dead in The Regent’s Park in recent weeks amid warnings of a new wave of ‘avian flu’. The Royal Parks said “a number of birds” had been removed from the boating lake near the Inner Circle. The carcasses have been sent away for testing at the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
It comes in the week the government warned of a heightened risk of avian influenza with bird-keepers being urged to tighten biosecurity measures. The warnings are being directed particularly at coastal areas, but there are concerns that the disease may be winging its way inland.
The United Kingdom’s chief veterinary officer, Professor Christine Middlemiss, said: “We are seeing increasing outbreaks of avian influenza. “Strong biosecurity remains our best defence, and we urge all keepers to take immediate steps to strengthen their measures. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
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Friends of Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1201666)
