On Thursday, 30th June, we had a walk in Carrington with members of Carrington Tenants and Residents Association (CTARA). It is indeed incredible to see how many different people and activities exist in this neighbourhood. Residents are really proud of being part of it!
The tour started at Selkirk Way Underpass, a busy pedestrian passage that connects inner neighbourhood with Mansfield Road. The Underpass is a point of civic activity and memory: it was painted in 2005 by an artist who engaged Carrington Primary School children. Children's drawings were incorporated in design for the mural. A bench with mosaic tiles was installed at the same time.
This part of Carrington is very active, with different youth groups gathering here. However, it seems that its potential is not entirely articulated, which we are keen to investigate. CTARA suggested a few improvements such as fixing the light in the passage and painting the Co-op shutters.
Besides the mosaic bench is a very small but important piece of land. CTARA has planted one part of it, and has plans to continue with this initiative in order to make the passage nicer and safer. The next planting phase will start in autumn 2016, hopefully together with Carrington Primary School.
Just by the Underpass, on the Mansfield Road side, is Carrington notice board which is regularly updated by CTARA members.
One of the recent actions that raised a lot of interest in the local community was the problem of sick and overgrown trees in St John's Church yard.
After the trees were cut, the grass in the middle of the courtyard started growing again. However, the question of church yard maintenance is one of the challenges that the community is dealing with.
The best known place in Carrignton is probably the Pirate Park (just by the church), where a local potter, Guy Routledge, has made an incredible wall installation together with the community. These hand prints are one of the most loved pieces of Carrington.
Guy Routledge has done many things to improve the neighbourhood, including the board-map in the Community Garden. However, we discovered that it has one small mistake, known only to the ones who know the neighbourhood very well. Can you see what it is?
Community Garden is something that CTARA is working on at the moment. It is an incredible space with a lot of potential, but it needs some action to become alive again - definitely a food for thought. The Garden will finally get some signposting soon, since only a few residents are involved in its maintenance, and many don't know where it is.
The organisation Instar has recently put some Swift nesting boxes on houses in Church Drive, as part of the Wild Nottingham project. We still didn't have the chance to meet with them, but we have spotted many swifts around.
Finally, it is important to mention Acorn House Care Home and local pub The Gladstone as two important buildings on the main walking road (Loscoe Rd).
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