Cereal Drama in St John's Wood

A park in St John's Wood is undergoing a dramatic change, with the sowing of winter wheat and barley. As part of Westminster Council's move to brighten up its parks and open spaces, parks manager John Tweddle has looked back at his days managing farmland in East Anglia. "After they tempted me away from managing 1,000 acres, I kept the image of lovely, rolling fields rippling with their crops," said Mr Tweddle. "Daft though it sounds, one of Westminster's managers from the north of the borough has picked up on my memories and he's going to surprise everyone." The manager in question is Barry Haynes, manager of St John's Church Park in Wellington Place. "It's wonderful to be asked to come up with new ideas," said Mr Haynes. "The world of plants can offer far more than the catalogues tell you. I thought we could try some actual farming crops to remind townspeople there is another world far out of town. "Winter wheat and barley - just like the crops in East Anglian farmlands - are my bright idea, and I'm planting the seeds shortly. When the wheat and the barley have sprouted and grown and are waving in the wind, they should look very fine. A slice of old country ways you could say."