GIANT PICNIC IN THE PARK PARTY
PHOTO SPECIAL
Over a thousand people descended on Bushy Park celebrate the revival of the traditional Chestnut Sunday.
Many families brought their own picnics and small gazebos and parasols and the stunning Sunday weather guaranteed a good turn out.
Several visitors captured the old-fashioned spirit of the day by dressing up in the eye-catching Victorian costume of the day.
The photographic exhibition showcasing the brilliant works of four photographers wide range of wildlife as well as stunning scenery and sunrises and sunsets.
One of the photographers, Cathy Cooper said:
“Last year, Rebecca Harvey, Sue Lindenberg, John Strachan and myself were asked to provide a photographic exhibition for a low key revival of the famous Chestnut Sunday to be held in May 2024 in Bushy Park.
“We spent many hours meeting up to select from our vast collections of park images and it was not an easy task.
“The main objective was not just about pretty pictures, but an educational tool showing the inhabitants of the park in all the seasons and how it is a completely self contained environment providing food and shelter for all of its wildlife.
“The months of planning paid off on Sunday when over 1000 visitors turned up to have picnics and enjoy the sunshine.
“The Friends of Bushy & Home Parks who organised the event, had a stall and one of the most popular items for families were the special Chestnut Sunday 2024 Bushy Bingo sheets which inspired children to go in search of various objects and tick them off to gain a free sticker as a reward.
“The objects could be animal, bird, human, plant etc and some of the clues were in the Photography Marquee. Our photos were also incorporated into the nature walks led by volunteers so we had a steady stream of people viewing our work, reading the descriptive captions and asking lots of questions.
“The feedback was tremendous and made us feel very proud to have been selected to mount this exhibition and promote the park that we all love.”
