PERRY COMMON Summer 2015 MATTERS
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PERRY COMMON Summer 2015 MATTERS STOP PRESS!!! SPRING INTO SUMMER SAT 18TH JULY We will be Springing Into Summer with lots of fun activities for all the family including: n Bouncy Castle n Mega-Slide n Gladiator Duel n Music n Refreshments n ‘Perry Common and Me’ Heritage Project and lots of other exciting activities. Keep checking our website www.wittonlodge.org.uk and social media pages for more details. Hello and All activities take place around The Ring, Witton Lodge Road, B23 5JD. Welcome Bringing History To Life With There’s certainly no excuse for staying indoors in Perry Common this summer! There are lots of activities for all the family, to make the most of the good weather, get fit and Perry Common & Me healthy and enjoy yourself. So far, Witton Lodge Community Association (WLCA) Why not join the ‘Red Hot Chilli Steppers’ walking January saw the launch of has had a fantastic response from people, both locally group, who meet every Monday for their friendly the ‘Perry Common and Me’ and further afield – with an impressive assortment of and healthy walk around Witton Lakes and interesting memories and material being contributed, Brookvale Park. Then there’s this year’s Spring heritage project, which will from historic newspapers and vintage photos to archive Into Summer Festival, celebrating all things footage and countless memories. summer, with a bouncy castle, mega slide, music, record the history of Perry The project has been made possible with funding from refreshments, interesting stalls and much more; the Heritage Lottery Fund who were keen to support the an Activity Day at Enderby Park and the ever Common and preserve this interesting and so-far unreported history of this area. popular Perry Fun children’s activity sessions for future generations. at Perry Common Community Hall. Continued on page 2 For those of you that are green fingered, you won’t be bored. With the ‘50 Shades Of Green’ gardening club, not to mention the exciting events that will be taking place at our very own community orchard in Witton Lakes – being at one with nature, won’t be an issue. This edition of Perry Common Matters is bursting Come along and Join in the FUN! with information about the exciting projects taking place at the moment, including: the ‘Perry Common and Me’ heritage project, Bike Hub at Witton Lakes, employment advice with Jobshop and much, much more. So sit back, have a read and have a great summer. Resident Directors Teresa Compton, Mary Harvey & Isadora Darrell Family Fun! Music IN THIS ISSUE Food Bike and Perry the Owl A GreenierRefreshments and Whats On available Rides is a Big Hoot Healthier Perry This Summer Page 3 Common On the Page 8 PagesHealth 4/5 RING! Employment and and Skills Wellbeing and Tel: 0121 382 1930 | Email: [email protected] Produced by Witton Lodge Community Association MORE! FUN Gardening Inflatables Perry Activities Common and ME Heritage Saturday Project 18th July 12noon-4pm For more information call Paul Tse on 382 1930 Perry Common Community Hall 87 Witton Lodge Rd B23 5JD Bringing History To Life With ‘Perry Common & Me’ Continued PERRY FUN IS A Building work started on the Perry Common estate in Though cheaper to build, these ‘Boot Houses’ did It’s been non-stop fun and laughter for young children 1924, on land that was formally Witton Lodge Farm. not stand the test of time and by the early 1980s, were at Perry Common Community Hall. It’s fair to say that The farmhouse stood roughly where ‘The Ring’ is today. suffering from severe structural problems, ranging from the Perry Fun children’s activity sessions have been a The majority of homes on the estate were built from a subsidence, cracks in concrete, dampness and rusting huge success. new concept by property developer Henry Boot, and were of the steel frames. HUGE SUccess The sessions are a great opportunity for the children built using concrete panels supported by a steel frame. The In 1989 the decision was made by Birmingham City to learn whilst having fun with lots of exciting activities; only brick built houses were around the edge of the estate, Council to demolish all 908 of the Boot Houses – leaving including creative arts, play, sports, pond-dipping, spine roads and corner plots. only the brick built houses standing. With the help of creative dance and much more. Birmingham City Council, WLCA and very enthusiastic residents – who did not want to be moved to the ‘four The first sessions were run last year during the Summer corners of the city’; Perry Common was rebuilt in different Holidays and October Half-Term. These proved so phases – with the final phase of rebuilding taking place popular and had such positive feedback from both right now. children and adults, that Witton Lodge Community Association started hosting regular sessions on many Saturdays since February – and look to continue these Stephen Hughes, Head Teacher at Wilson Stuart School, Patrice Johnson, who is co-ordinating the ‘Perry Common on Saturdays and some Wednesdays throughout the who grew up in the area and shared his memories at the and Me’ project comments “We will be presenting events summer holiday. launch event says: “It was a great experience growing up that will bring people together, sharing memories and telling in Perry Common and great to still be working in the area stories about life in Perry Common – for instance, a Tea Join us on the following dates today. This area really has seen tremendous change and Dance, a Perry Common Tour and a visit to the Electric n Wednesday 29th July it will be wonderful to be able to collect the memories Cinema; the oldest working cinema in the UK. We have had n Saturday 8th August and material, including my own memories, for future some fantastic material donated and lots of memories. It n Wednesday 12th August generations”. really is looking to be an exciting project!” n Saturday 22nd August n Wednesday 26th August Tickets are £2:00 per child (accompanying adults go FREE). This ticket price includes refreshments, NEws OF A snacks and fruit. C HistORI KIND For more information and to book your place, please contact Haleema on 0121 382 1930 or email [email protected]. There are times when newspapers Since then, the historic volumes have been kept in Nicky’s really can make the news! safe hands, but after hearing about the ‘Perry Common and Me’ project and a planned move to Ireland; Nicky’s This is the case with three large, bound volumes of the first thought was to donate these historic items to the Birmingham Evening Dispatch newspaper, dating from heritage project. 1914 to 1946, donated to the ‘Perry Common and Me’ heritage project. “I had been wondering what to do with them for years,” comments Nicky. “I wanted them to be stored safely and to They were donated by community artist Nicky Dowd, stay in their home city.” The newspapers are an excellent who found the historic volumes in a skip outside the addition to the heritage project and when shown to Birmingham Central Library back in the late 1980s. local people, have already sparked many memories and “There were about 50 bound volumes of the newspaper lying interesting stories. there” says Nicky. “I asked the librarians if I could take them and they agreed – the newspapers had all been put on To see the newspapers or to find out more, please contact microfiche and were no longer needed. They were extremely Patrice on 0121 382 1930 or email Patrice.Johnson@ heavy so I only managed to rescue three.” wittonlodge.org.uk. ‘PerrY Chocobow SWANET’ TEH Owl IS A BIG HOOT! ‘Perry’ the owl has been funded by Birmingham City Who said heritage Council and New River Retail. He is on display in Erdington’s Central Square Shopping Centre for 10 weeks can’t be a hoot! over the summer – so please go and say hello to him. PERRY TEA DANCE A groundbreaking project is bringing heritage to life in Perry Common and will raise much needed funds He is one of many owls placed around the city as part of for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. the ‘Big Hoot’. These larger owls are also joined by over 120 smaller owls, painted by local schools. They form a As part of the this summer’s ‘The Big Hoot’, Birmingham trail all around the city, showcasing the ideas and designs based artist Lawrence ‘Log’ Roper has worked with of the many different neighbourhoods and communities enthusiastic and artistic local people to decorate a large that make up modern day Birmingham. owl with designs inspired by the ‘Perry Common and Me’ heritage project. At the end of the 10 weeks, Perry and his friends will be You are warmly invited to the ‘Perry Tea Dance’, to Local Resident Flo auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Birmingham celebrate the launch of the ‘Perry Common & Me’ The ‘Big Hoot Project’, in partnership with Wild In Art, Children’s Hospital. Heritage Project. Passes Away Age 112 has seen a large 165cm / five and a half feet tall fibreglass owl named ‘Perry Chocobow Swanet’ –named by local Perry Chocobow Swanet is currently on display at the Come along and share your memories of Perry Since the last edition of Perry Common Matters was young people from the Urban Devotion Youth Group- Central Square Shopping Centre in Erdington. Please Common and the surrounding area and bring published, we heard the sad news that Perry Common’s decorated with creative artwork.