Arno Open Day 2026

 Saturday 1st August 2026.

This year's Open day was planned for the first Saturday in August, hoping that the weather would stay dry.  The day did begin with a little light rain as the volunteers gathered at 9am to start setting up gazebos, tables and chairs, bunting and stands.  Inside the shed, preparation for serving refreshments began with a wonderful selection of  freshly, home baked cakes laid out which was to be organised by Sian and Carole.  Sian had also created lovely small jars of cut flowers from her garden to put on each table.  For a £3 donation per person, you sat down and were served a cup of tea and a cake of your choice. Huge thanks to the busy volunteers who were rushing around taking orders and serving refreshments.  Water bowls and treats were also provided for our four legged friends.

Tables all set up.

Carole and Sian meeting the mayor and her friend.

This year we added to the usual plant stall to add more interest for children and adults alike. We displayed a great selection of good condition second hand books at only £1 each. What a bargain!  

In this photo you can see we our plant stall, offering a smaller selection  than the secret gardens of course.  We were also selling small bunches of freshly cut lavender from the rose garden which sold out fairly quickly because they had such a wonderful aroma.

Plant stall.

We also invited The Owl Man to set up his display this year, which was a huge hit. People loved being able to see these birds close up and give them a stroke.  He also brought along his pet skunk, much to everyone's surprise. He was very knowledgeable and people could make a donation to help with the work he does.

Another stand, which was new this year, was The Honey Man.  He brought along local jars of honey to sell and people were fascinated to chat with him about beekeeping.

During the morning we were delighted to have the Mayor and her escort join us to ceremoniously raise our Green Flag. This is the sixteenth consecutive year that the Arno Rose garden and Quarry has been awarded the Green Flag which is a testament to the ongoing hard work of our volunteers, together with the Council gardening team. Liberal democrat Councillor  for Oxton, Allan Brame also joined us to show his support.

Our Membership secretary John Lee  led two guided tours during the day, for those people who had never visited before, or who enjoyed learning more about what our Friends group does and some of the history behind the park. 

After a cloudy early start at 10.30am, the soon soon came out and it was a wonderful day.  We were very happy to meet so many people in the local community who had come out to support us and hope they enjoyed themselves.  It was a hectic day and by 3pm all our volunteers were ready for a well earned rest.  

What a fantastic day it was!  With the generosity of you, our supporters, we raised the grand total of £791.28 so a huge thank you to everyone who came along on Saturday. All the funds raised go into projects in the Rose garden and Oxton Fields.