Creative Mile Weekend – Hop, Paddle, Splash! in the park
The Creative Mile team have chosen Watermans Park as a special focus for children and families this year. They have arranged for Hop, Paddle, Splash! – a walkable, interactive pop-up storybook show from Scirocco Dance Theatre! – to take place in the park, which the Friends are very happy to support.
The Thames will be brought to life for younger visitors, complete with friendly local “creatures” and obstacles to conquer along the way.
Performances run at 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:30 and 3:30 on both Saturday and Sunday.
The full Creative Mile programme can be found at: https://www.creativemile.org/
Summer Bandstands Remembered
Many thanks to our host, Edwin Addis, and all our performers, volunteers and audiences who made this year’s Summer Bandstands in July such heartwarming occasions. More than 20 performers took part - from the Speak Out choir and seasoned performers to those singing in public for the first time, alongside some wonderfully confident and ambitious young local talent. They entertained us with music, DJ sets, poetry and stories across four Saturdays and created such a wonderful community atmosphere.
I hope you enjoy this short YouTube video of the Bandstands – just click on the image below. Be assured that the performances were much more polished than my editing!
Green Flag Award 2026/27
We were very pleased that the park was awarded a Green Flag Award in July – for the fourth consecutive year. The Award is the national benchmark for well-managed parks and green spaces, recognising high standards of maintenance, environmental management, community involvement and visitor experience.
Railings replacement
The railings by the Thames Path which are nearing the end of their useful life are to be replaced. The works will commence from around 9 or 10 September and last for about two weeks. During the works the park will remain open with the contractors erecting temporary heras fencing to secure only the section of railings that they will be working on at that time. There’ll be signage in place to advise park users.
Watermans Riverside Moorings
The future of the riverside moorings remains unresolved although there is renewed interest in the site. The Friends are continuing to engage so that the future relationship between any development, the park and the Thames is properly considered.
Trees, planted beds and Gardening Club
The exceptionally hot, dry summer has been difficult for both trees and planted beds.
We are considering how the Friends’ time could best be spent in caring for the park. In particular, the herbaceous planted areas near the western entrance have been severely affected as shown in the photo below. We have requested a meeting with Greenspace 360 to discuss what can or should be done, both by Greenspace 360 and by the Friends, to create an attractive yet manageable scheme.
The next Brentford Voice Environment Group Newsletter, to be issued shortly, focuses on the impact of this year’s exceptionally hot, dry weather on trees in Brentford. There’s a section about Watermans Park, where young trees have struggled to become established, with at least 10 dead trees being removed this year, and where there are also signs of stress in mature trees. For example, one of the 6 Hornbeams by the river shown below is clearly struggling. I’ll include a link to the newsletter on the Friends website when it is published.
Please do get in touch if you would like to get involved, whether helping to organise events or care for the park. We always welcome extra helping hands.
With best wishes, Philip
Philip Jones
Chair, Friends of Watermans Park
3 September 2026