Dear Editor,
With a nod to our Victorian forebears who gave us the picturesque Bedford Park Lake, and the generations of gardeners who have looked after it for a hundred years and more, some guerilla gardening has been quietly going on.
Lakeside paths are being cleared of the tangle of thorn that made them quite impassable in places. In addition, as much litter and as many fallen branches as could be reached from the bank were removed from the water.
The reason for this clandestine activity is to keep public access to lakeside paths open – also to demonstrate that local people really do care about this special feature of our town, and that we expect it to be properly looked after.
Not just the water of the lake itself, which resembles a thick toxic soup, but the lakeside paths, parts of which were overgrown and had become a dumping-ground for rubbish.
As custodians of the lake, Bedford Borough Council might be expected to be doing this work. But they have left the paths untouched for the past two years, and were on course to continue the same pattern of neglect this year too.
If they won’t step up to the mark, locals like me – without power tools and other resources the Council have at their disposal – will just have to do the best we can instead.
It’s hard to understand why things have been allowed to get into such a state. We all know money is short, and that savings need to be made. But to neglect basic maintenance is a false economy.
Roots of ivy and thorn damage the crumbling stonework along the banks. If not kept in check, expensive restoration will be needed soon enough. Much cheaper in the long run to do some simple gardening and repair on a regular basis.
Perhaps the intention was to let half of the lake get overgrown and become a swamp, in order to create some sort of wildlife zone. But existing wildlife is not harmed by keeping the lakeside paths clear for people to use, as befits a public park.
The lake was sensibly designed with three islands for exclusive use of wildlife, to ensure a good people-nature balance.
We need to care for this beautiful lake with its lovely curving lines and three wildlife islands, and ensure it is there to be enjoyed by future generations.
Yours truly,
A guerilla gardener
(name and address supplied)
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