Parade and a Picnic in Bushy Park

Chestnut Sunday will take place on 11 May from 12.30pm - 4.30pm. The mass picnic and parade is free and open to all and it is being held at a time when the chestnut blossom is at its very best.

The parade will take place down an impressive avenue of chestnut trees in Bushy Park. City of London Police horses; the Horse Rangers' Band; the Mayor of Richmond upon Thames; veteran and companion cycles; classic cars; motorcycles and military vehicles will all take part.

Starting at the Teddington end of the Chestnut Avenue, the parade will culminate in a picnic near the Arethusa 'Diana' Fountain and the children's playground. Other attractions include a traditional fairground carousel; music from Teddington School Jazz Band; displays about Bushy Park's wildlife and history; a selection of rides and stalls; refreshment kiosks; and displays of classic cars, motorcycles and cycles.

Media enquiries:

The Royal Parks:
Katy Murray on 020 7298 2128 or kmurray@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

• The following groups will attend Chestnut Sunday: Military Vehicle Trust Camp (reflecting Bushy Park's wartime history); the Friends of Bushy Park & Home Park; the Hampton Wick Association & the Horse Rangers Association; Richmond Park's Holly Lodge Centre and the Bushy Park Restoration project. There will also be information available about local charities; fundraising activities; education and volunteering opportunities available in Bushy Park; St. John Ambulance; and Police information and advice.
• Chestnut Avenue will be closed to through traffic from 12.15pm to 1.30pm on the day in order to allow the parade. The car parks will also be closed to entry and exit during this period.
• History of Chestnut Sunday: The avenue of chestnut trees in the park was established during the reign of William and Mary after Sir Christopher Wren conceived the idea of the mile-long Chestnut Avenue as a formal approach to Hampton Court Palace. During the Victorian era the park was open to the public who would make their own unofficial parade in horse-drawn carriages and charabancs to see the chestnut blooms. The tradition stopped during the 1st World War, but it was resurrected afterwards when buses ran special excursions. Its future looked uncertain after it stopped in the 2nd World War. In 1977, while researching a History of Hampton Wick, residents Mu and Colin Pain came across details of early Chestnut Sunday activities and they decided to revive the tradition in the year of Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee.
• The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park. For more details visit: www.royalparks.org.uk
• The Royal Parks Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.