Monday 27 June 2011

East End Park: this is where we live. The blooming Glensdales.



COVEN will go on presenting aspects of our lives here in East End Park, some good, some bad, and today a ray of sunshine in one of the most talked about streets in our neighbourhood.

This is Paul, in front of his house on Glensdale Terrace. He is a keen gardener, and since the street-lined back-to-backs have no gardens, he is creating one, out there on the street.




He is making window boxes, and he grows flowers and vegetables from seed. Now, the gardening bug is spreading on the street. The neighbours like them, and they asked Paul to make window boxes for them, and now the whole street is in bloom.



Where else in Richmond Hill you can find fresh courgettes and beautiful courgette flowers, I wonder? Well, Glensdale Terrace is an unlikely place, but Paul's efforts have proven that it doesn't take too much to transform a place: a lot of imagination and a lot of hard work, but, that's about it.



And yes, he has even managed to find a new use for that piece of old guttering: now it's filled with flowers, brightening up the place.




If you take a walk on the Glensdales these days, you might be surprised by what you will see.

What Paul has done, is proof that you don't necessarily need big stale organisations to do neighbourhood management and regeneration, as it has been the case in our area for a number of years, without much success. But you will need big ideas and a lot of hard work.

12 comments:

  1. That is marvellous - would he help me put some hanging baskets up outside mine?

    Sarah C

    ReplyDelete
  2. It just goes to show what can be done with initiative, imagination and hard work.

    Perhaps Paul would be interested in getting involved with the Friends of East End Park?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good idea - we could do with a gardener

    Sarah C

    ReplyDelete
  4. hi to all at coven BIG THANK YOU FOR THE NICE RIGHT UP ON MY PATCH IF ANY ONE WANTS HELP JUST E.MAIL ME @ buttbutt46@HOTMAIL.CO.UK

    ReplyDelete
  5. I.D LIKE TO GIVE MARIA A BIG THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO DO THIS ABOUT MY PLANTS +

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey, the pleasure was all mine!! We need East End Park in Bloom!! Let's have a hanging basket competition!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We discussed Richmond Hill in Bloom last night - there is a flower initiative officer - he is going to contact us via the parks area manager.

    Paul you are an inspiration to us all.

    Sarah C

    ReplyDelete
  8. sarah c am only a male and do my best in life

    ReplyDelete
  9. if i can help any one to set any up just e.mail.me

    ReplyDelete
  10. do.s anyone no who as the land on the railway lines so we could use it to grow our own veg.s

    ReplyDelete
  11. We Asked for you - the land is slipping and its not safe to use. However we do have maps showing all available land in Richmond Hill - i will email you

    Sarah C

    ReplyDelete
  12. thank you sarah that would be so nice as am looking to grow lots of veg for eastend park residents and self

    ReplyDelete