Finally last week, we got some much-needed rain to help dampen down the dust and hopefully stimulate some new grass growth to green up the many areas of parched public open spaces and playing fields.

Recently these areas have of course taken a hammering from the public trying to get some much needed respite from the current Covid-19 outbreak. Many parts of the country have for over ten weeks received little or no rainfall, leaving our landscape looking a bit tired and dried out.

With less than 10mm of rain in most parts of the country May was recorded as the driest since records began.

If indeed this predicted rain does bear fruition, we will no doubt see the well-presented playing surfaces we usually expect to see at this time of the year - as seen in the picture above at Radleys College.

As for Covid -19 we are still awaiting confirmation of when some sports will resume and at what level they can operate.

As mentioned in recent articles about Robin Hood GC and Olton GC, golf has seen a successful return, albeit under limited restrictions. The knock-on effect has seen many new players wanting to join clubs as members. Which in turn means the golf course traffic will inevitably increase, putting more pressure on the greenkeeping teams to keep the course in good condition. With many still running on reduced staff numbers this will prove challenging. So I do hope that clubs recognise this hard work and ensure they have the appropriate support during these difficult times.

On the machinery front as pointed out by my colleague Steve Gibbs,editor of Service Dealer, many machinery dealers have seen a surge in business since the recent easing of lockdown  -with several local authority and golf clubs starting to invest in new machinery.

With many dealers increasing their online sales portfolio and undertaking their own made video demonstrations, I was certainly impressed with David Withers, md of Iseki, recent run of promo videos. He certainly believes and has a great understanding of the products the company are selling.

 
As for professional sports, the Premier League have announced only one positive case of coronavirus from 1,197 samples across the fifth round of testing last week. With two weeks until the top-flight season resumes, the number of positive cases have remained very low, but have climbed from the zero recorded in the fourth set of tests.

It is not yet known whether the positive test is from a player or member of staff, or which club they are from, but they will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.

The Premier League have also just approved plans for clubs to use five substitutes during matches when the season resumes. Clubs will also be allowed nine substitutes on the bench when fixtures recommence in just under two weeks time.

As for me, I am now looking at venturing out and starting to plan some visits. I’ve got a couple of golf courses to see along with a visit to Harper Adams University where I will be liaising with Mark Hall their estates manager who has agreed to test some machinery that I have had sent to me from STIHL and EGO. Having seen these products on a couple of recent press trips, I managed to persuade both companies to lend me their equipment for trial.

It always nice to have a go and test machinery in a working setting. STIHL have sent me a long pole HTA 85 battery powered pruning saw  their newest profession RMA 765V rotary mower.

 
EGO also very kindly sent me their latest STX3800 Strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head and battery back pack. 

Over the next few week Mark and I will be putting all these products through their paces and seeing how they perform in the work place. I will be using some of the equipment and will comment on the pruning saw, but most of the feedback will be coming from Mark and his staff and others I may get to use this equipment. There is no better way than to try out the equipment yourself and find what works for you.

I would like to thank both companies for sending me the equipment to try and I am looking forward to using it in the coming weeks.

As for other news I am pleased to announce that Paul Rabbits and a number of parks mangers have been instrumental in launching a new Parks Management Forum.

The Parks Management Forum has been set up to support parks practitioners, with a website dedicated to those working in public parks. It is here to share expertise, innovation, ideas as well as promote the use of public parks. Their aim is to:

• Celebrate the central role well-run parks play in our neighbourhoods for all sections of our communities and raise its value regionally and nationally;
• Recognise and endorse the roles of parks and open spaces for health and well-being
• Endorse best management practices and play a role in facilitating roll out amongst practitioners;
• Embed the effective role parks and open spaces have as green infrastructure endorsing sustainable development and protection;
• Lobby for long-term resources for ongoing maintenance, management and development;
• Play a role in finding solutions with government and relevant partner organisations – “one voice – one lobby”
• Encourage and enable community involvement and empowerment of local people and park users.

Knowing Paul as I do, this new website will help parks managers to be better able to communicate between one another and will help support the role of these parks professionals.

It has been long overdue, has many of us know, over the years we have seen several attempts to set up equivalent organisations to help promote the work of these Park professionals but to no avail.

I will surely be helping Paul to get this new organisation off the ground. Parks Officers/ Mangers definitely need a voice to help them move forward and promote the value of public parks and open spaces.

Finally, the Amenity Forum has just announced that its 2020 Conference will go ahead on October 15th at the Kettering Conference Centre.

The conference will also be made available online to registered delegates. The Forum say they will be using specialist conferencing software for those unable to attend in person. Read more about the announcement in TurfPro today, here.

For further information on the programme contact admin@amenityforum.net