Events - 2012

Wassail - January 2012
FEHG and the St. Lawrence Players revived the old custom of Wassail. Both the Old Orchard and the Jubilee Orchard were wished a good fruiting year.

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Jubilee Picnic - June 2nd 2012
To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the FEHG held a Jubilee Picnic, complete with Classic cars, a tug of war, a fat fire demonstration by the Fire Service, stalls and entertainments. Our MP, Nick Hurd, was on hand to present the prizes.

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The 1st Vintage Tea Garden - June 10th 2012 
The Friends of Eastcote House gardens in conjunction with Vintage Tea 2 You launched the first Vintage Tea Garden. The Mayor Of Hillingdon Cllr Mike Markham and the Mayoress Mrs. Rosemary Markham, attended, and the Mayor presented the prizes to the winners of the poster competition.

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Archaeological Dig - June 2012
A team of archaeologists from AOC Archaeology Group, led by Les Capon, organised a group of volunteers on a test dig of three trial trenches to uncover the outlines of Eastcote House.

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Jubilee Gates - June 28th 2012
The official opening of the Jubilee Gates to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee took place 28th June 2012. The opening was conducted by the Mayor Of Hillingdon Cllr. Mike Markham and the Leader of the Council Cllr. Ray Puddifoot. The Leader very kindly asked Lesley Crowcroft Chairman of the Friends of Eastcote House Gardens to cut the ribbon. The event was attended by members of the Friends and the fabricating team.

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Bat Hunting - July 9th 2012
It’s getting dark at Eastcote House Gardens and we’re going in search of bats. Shouldn’t be too difficult to find some, as apparently there are five different species in the stables alone. We have bat squeak detectors (not their real name) and have listened to a tape recording of various bat squeaks picked up by this machine and translated into electronic bursts. Some have a great sense of rhythm, others sound like the noise my grandfather used to make with his finger in his mouth. We walk along Long Meadow in the gathering gloom, just a few of us as most of the day it has been pouring with rain and only the brave or foolhardy are ready to get soaked again in search of bats. Batty indeed.

Not a beep from the bat detectors, as we walk across the wet grass, just lots of static. Cars on the Eastcote High Road contribute to that apparently. We cross Cheney Street, then suddenly a bat! It swoops above our heads accompanied by bursts of beeps from the bat detector. No, they don’t get entangled in your hair. Just an old wives’ tale, apparently found throughout the world and repeated by old wives concerned about their hairdo, or does the fear have some deeper symbolic psychological meaning? Either way the bat has gone. We continue around the edge of the woods. We pick up two bursts of bat laughter. “Fools, do you think we are coming out to entertain you?” We walk back up Long Meadow. Two more bursts of bat- cackles but no sign of the little furry things. We’ll walk round to the entrance to the car-park. Half the group lagging behind us have cut back across the bridge over the River Pinn. 

Reaching the outside of the walled garden we realise we’ve been fooled. They’ve been waiting for us all this time. Not the other bat-hunters, just bat after bat! Our machines echo their beeps in stereo as they flit across the sky, only visible above the shadow of the trees, swooping, diving, catching invisible insects. Apparently the beeps are those of the common pipistrelle. Not common to us. Quite uncommon and very welcome, for what’s a bat walk without bats?

Roger Pinkerton

Tree Dressing - December 1st 2012
The 2nd Tree Dressing to take place at Eastcote House Gardens was a very exciting event. The Mayor and Mayoress of Hillingdon Cllr. Mike Markham and Mrs Rosemary Markham attended. Three local schools, Field End Infants, Coteford Infants and Warrender School started the Advent season with a medley of songs and carols. The Mayor was the first up the ladder to start the Dressing. As well as starting the Advent season the Tree Dressing was also part of National Tree Week.

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