New signs

My earlier post suggested that new signs with park rules for the Waterworks could be on their way, have to point out that in fact the new signs which I spotted yesterday at the Cavehill/Westland Fire Service entrance are in fact a map of the park. I would say this signage will be extremely useful for wheelchair users, indicating where the steep slopes run.
I'm pretty sure ties into health and safety legislation and new laws that require public spaces and businesses have appropriate disabled access points and information.
I'm still wondering if those signs designed by local school children will indeed be erected, they too would be another asset to the park.

Kids rule

A story in the North Belfast News recently with Claire Kelly indicated that a list of park rules designed by kids from local primary schools could be erected permanently if council officials agree, and it looks like they have.

Shiny new posts have been put up at several entrances ready for some sign or another, so we'll just have to wait and see what goes on them.

Diggers ahoy

I spotted a digger doing its stuff opposite the Cavehill Road entrance to the park last week, sitting in the small stream and pulling out truckloads of muck. There must be some scientific reason for it I'm sure, but all I do know is that it's got the water moving again.

The stream which starts from the Westland Fire Brigade boundary had been pretty stagnant for several months and now it's running down the weir again and looking much healthier!

Cygnet joy not spotted

As far as I know the baby swan that everyone's been waiting on has hatched. Probably about 2 weeks ago I'm thinking, but I haven't seen the cygnet yet.

I have seen the other family of swans however that are hanging around in the top pond beside the spit, they're so cute!

But back to the best beside the Cliftonville Road entrance. I know that there were four eggs in the nest originally, but in the end fishermen tell me only one survived.

This is the same batch of eggs which were tampered with earlier in the year and quite clearly this must have had an effect. 

Both humans and mother nature haven't been kind to this beleaguered swan. Fingers crossed next time round she'll build a nest and incubate her eggs  far from the madding crowd.

Biking it

There's a part of water in the Waterworks that always looks as if it needs a good clean out. It's the bit at the bottom of the waterfall where the water then takes a bend and goes under the bridge close to the Antrim Road.

North Belfast News photographer Thomas McMullan took this snap last week of a bike lying on its side, and for me and I'm sure many others it's not the first time we've seen bikes and trolleys, bottles of alcopops and beers floating around in this stretch of the water.

Littering is an offence in the park as everyone knows, it's just a mystery why things like this and many others go unnoticed. 

There's no doubt that the person who did this would think twice about dumping goods in the water if they were slapped with a heavy fine.

Enforcement issues are hotly debated amongst park users and it's astounding that park rangers do not have the capacity to issue fines for litter louts. Only Litter Wardens can do this. 

And then there's underage drinking. If a minor has booze its the job of the police to confiscate it, but if a person is over 18 it's the job of the council. But the booze has to be opened for it to be an offence is what I'm told. Even then it would be extremely intimidating for a member of the hard-working parks staff to approach and remove the alcohol if a gang was hanging around.

The council's Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator Laura Hamill said they and the police are working together much more effectively towards tackling these issues. Changes aimed at making our parks safer places such as this are long overdue.

Belfast Council launches probe into swan decline

Following on from an earlier post of mine at the start of June it turns that Belfast City Council are indeed worried about the decline of swans in the Waterworks and they have now launched their own investigations.

The park normally has around 120 to 150 swans in its waters but over the past year that number has dwindled to around 30.

Terry Goldsmith of the North Down Ringing Group who first alerted me to the problem said he was extremely worried and that research into the drop should be a top priority for the council.

The council have indicated that they are carrying out some "initial internal investigations" and are working with Terry and his colleagues to establish the extent of the problem, its cause and what can be done about it.

Let's hope the answers are found sooner rather than later.

11,000 reasons to bring Children's Festival back to Park

The Children's Festival at the weekend in the Waterworks was a huge success and our appreciation has to go to each and every single person who helped make that happen.

At a lengthy meeting of the Friends of the Waterworks last night in Belfast Castle Claire Kelly from Young At Art revealed that 11,000 people happily spent time in the park over the May 31/ June 1 weekend enjoying the fabulous events in the glorious sunshine.

I walked round the park three times on Saturday and it was clear that all parts of the park were being utilised to its fullest.

There was a marquee at the lower part of the park, the viking story boat was elegantly gliding its way through the water in the lower pond, which was made bright blue specially for the event while up in the top end of the park fishermen and their fly fishing techniques had kids swarming for a look. The EHS stall was pretty busy, not sure whether it was down to the free bags they were handing out or not, while a jazz band, under the shade of a tree, filled the air with relaxing rhythms. 

The outdoor cinema in the Westland part of the park was crammed all day long. According to Claire there were kids wearing NI footie tops, and Celtic and Rangers jerseys sitting side by side and not a bother on them they were so engrossed in the wonders of Finding Nemo, James and the Giant Peach, the Wizard of Oz and Charlotte's Web.

And the white windmills planted close to houses in the Westland estate, designed by artist Tomas Finnegan and the wind tunnels by Clare Lawlor at the Antrim Road entrance were just fabulous.

There was tons of security in the park I noticed, city council staff and PSNI vehicles. And from what I understand they were able to stamp out any ugly incidents that arose, of which there was a few.

But, all in all, the festival organisers, which includes local group New Lodge Arts,  performed a magic job and I sincerely hope they bring it back next year. 

Funding supplied from the Arts Council and North Belfast's Community Empowerment Partnerships must also be acknowledged.

It's clear to see people love this park and they will flock to it's pathways if any organisation makes an effort to stage family orientated events.  

That's why the people like Claire and New Lodge Arts, Friends of the Waterworks and the Families at the Waterworks fishing group continue to volunteer their time and spent hours devoted towards making this park a better place. 

They do it, quite simply, because it's North Belfast's jewel in the crown.

Call for probe into swan numbers drop

At the Friends of the Waterworks meeting this week Terry Goldsmith of the North Down Ringing Group which promotes the well-being of geese and the swans in the Waterworks Park called on Belfast City Council to launch an immediate probe into falling swan numbers.

The Waterworks normally has around 120 to 150 swans in its waters but in recent days that number has dropped to around 30 he claimed.

An wildlife investigation is needed into both the Waterworks and Victoria Park in East Belfast.

Traditionally the lower pond represents a haven for non-breeding swans, who flock to the water to escape the wrath of the alpha male, who mates up in the top pond. He's killed three rival swans already this year the meeting was told.

Terry explained that despite this breeding trend, numbers were drastically down. Ricky Rice and Helen Hurrell of Belfast's park committee were both at that meeting. 

It will be interesting to see if they do anything about this possibly worrying development.

Local Belfast actor Paddy Scully getting into character for the Children's Festival along with organisers Joanna Black, Gavin O'Connor and Ali FitzGibbon.