GREATLY IMPRESSED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume III, Issue 346, 29 April 1935, Page 4

GREATLY IMPRESSED

WINDSOR PARK PROGRESS INSPECTION MADE BY MR. T. HORTON F.R.H.S. MAN WHO PLANNED SCHEME. Enthusiastic praise for the manner in which the formation and be;iutification work of Windsor Park on the banks of to© Patea river was being carried out wjjc expressed to The Post today by Mr. T. Norton, F.R.H.S., curator of Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, the man responsible for the planning and suggested lay-out of the new Stratford Park

Accompanied by Dr. Doris Gordon (president of the Windsor Park Society), Mr. Horton made an inspection of the work this- morning, not-' nig progress and suggesting improvements. Speaking to The Post after his inspection Mr. Horton expressed himself as very much impressed with the work already done. The scheme for the lay-out of .the park on the Cloton Road side of the river was being vve!{ carried out and was much further advanced than he expected :.t to be. He considered that there should be no difficulty in planting the whole area from the swimming baths up to Newton King's buildings with shrubs and .trees during the coining planting-season. Now that the Work had been advanced to its present slate and results were beginning to be shown Mr Horton «ii{l he was more satisfied than ever that when , L he planting was completed, paths- formed and lawns in order it wouid be a beauteous area and an asset to Stratford.

Not enough credit, he said, could t be paid to .those ladies who had

interested themselves jn the improvement. The town of Stratford could he thankful that .they had such women as Dr. Doris Gordon and others who gave their time without stint to the boautitication of the town's enviions. Reviewing the work already in part completed Mr. Horton. pointed out the areas of lawn, bounded by a low ornamental stone fence, from .the baths to the petrol station. The gras3 had come away beautifully in this area and a perfectly level area of green .'-ward now pleased the eye. At the back of the lawn a terrace of concrete drops the level of .the ground by about two feet. A path would be formed at the ba.'-e.of this wall and immediately behind the path he suggested the planting of a row of rhododendrons. The area back to the

present bush on the river bank could be filled in with native trees. Red-berry Plant on Banks. To strengthen as well as make more pleasing to the eye the banks of the road that run down to the river beside the petrol depot it was intended, said Mr. Horon, to plant a row of catoneaster marcophyiKi along the bank which would prevent it crumbling and breaking, away. As this plant was a beautiful red berrying type it would look splendid especially in .the winter months. Behind would be a row of native and flowering trees. Another area .that had already been sown in lawn was a wide portion at the rear of the petrol depot. On the terrace immediately at the rear of the depot, said Mr. Horton, would be p! mted a row of dwarf, evergreen native trees and beyond the lawn would be planted further native trees —a row of the tall-grow-ing variety at the rear to form a sky-line and shorter decorative ones in front for effect. Levelling and clearing work was also being carried out on the land between the petrol depot and Newton king Ltd.'g premises, including the end of Juliet Street, permission to beautify this portion being recently obtained from the Borough Council. An indication as to how this would be planted would not be given by Mr. Horton. At present work has been carried out only on the northern bank of the river. With the completion and planting- of that side, however, activities will be concentrated on the further banks, where there is a great scope for beautification work.