Author Archives: leafshade
Podcast tour of Tavistock Square
A new podcast tour of Tavistock Square highlighting its links with Kindergarten has been released. The Freshed educational podcast based at UCL recently published an episode about the first English-speaking Kindergarten opened in 1853 just off Tavistock Square and its links with famous figures who lived or worked nearby such as Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, […]
Signs and scents of spring
Walking through Bedford Square on the sunniest day this first week of January, the wonderful scent of early flowering viburnum bushes was unmistakeable, lifting the spirits. Winter flowering cherry is also showing its delicate pink blossoms here and there in various gardens, a winter honeysuckle hedge is flowering in Marchmont Community Garden. Bulbs are bravely […]
Treecycle after Christmas – in the right place, please!
Once you take down your tree, you can recycle it by placing it in the cage set up on the south-west side of Brunswick Square -and nowhere else, please, to avoid damage to other areas. Thank you!
Season’s greetings and snowy scenes
Season’s greetings to all viewers and visitors to the Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens website A week of icy temperatures brought snow to central London, creating pre-Christmas snow scenes that are rare in Bloomsbury. Our roving photographer was soon out and about taking shots of some of our own winter wonderland gardens.
Red Lion Sq garden volunteers – new date 10 December
December does not deter Red Lion Sq garden volunteers. They will be out in force on Saturday 10th December, 11.00 – 13.00 (postponed from their usual date of first Saturday in the month). They will be planting the bulbs donated by Taylors Bulbs via the Metropolitan and Public Gardens Association and are always happy to […]
St George’s Gardens tour of the old graves
Next Saturday, 19 November, Dr Roger Bowdler will lead a lecture walk around the graves, starting at the Chapel of Rest at 12 noon. Don’t miss it. Friends of St George’s Gardens invite you to come along and join the walk. Roger knows more than anyone about the graves in St George’s Gardens. He worked […]
New bust of Humphry Repton
A new bust of Humphry Repton was unveiled in October – not in the famous London Square he created, Bloomsbury’s own Russell Square, but on the corner of Humphry Repton Lane and Elvin Gardens, just moments away from world-famous Olympic Way in Wembley. The bust was created by professional sculptor Hannah Northam. It was donated by […]
News from Russell Square
The Friends of Russell Square have started to produce a newsletter, copies of which can usually be found in the cafe in the gardens, or can be viewed here
Breathe: Bloomsbury Festival 2022 walks and events
Bloomsbury Festival 2022 features a whole host of events, including a number of fascinating walks and talks which covering a diverse range of topics. Take a look below at some of the highlights. See Full Festival Programme Here Friends of St George’s Gardens are presenting a free event in their fascinating series on former occupants […]
Bloomsbury’s Links to Slavery: St George’s Gardens in the Bloomsbury Festival
A presentation exploring how the lives of some of the people buried in St George’s Gardens were closely linked to slavery, which brought wealth and privilege to Bloomsbury. On Saturday 22 October at 3pm, Friends of St George’s Gardens will be looking at the lives of some of the people buried in the Gardens who owned […]