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Nate's first impressions of the Green Backyard - Jan 2012:

I’d never been to The Green Backyard before. I pass it at least twice a day on the way into work, and always wondered what was on the other side of the fence. My brother, Dan, is quite involved and helps out a fair bit there, but I’d never tagged along. I’d been to some of their fundraisers and events in town, but, still, never bothered to wander down there.

So, with the event of their third birthday last week, I thought I’d finally take the opportunity to do something worthwhile with my day and go and have a look!

Needless to say, I was pretty amazed, on a number of levels.

The place is huge (I didn’t really know just how big 2.3 acres was) and the amount stuff inside the Backyard is inspiring. Especially considering it has all come from donations and volunteer work.

A frog pond, a row of buildings and rooms, chicken pens (although, the chickens do seem to strut about as if they own the place, almost as if to taunt the presence of KFC next door), masses of plants, greenery and such. Greenery and plants, in January?  I know, it was brilliant!

And it doesn’t stop there. While there, and wandering about talking to Renny about the place, I noticed that they’d had some visitors from a specialist school or college, who’d come down to get involved with some work. Art groups, music groups, bands, even tai chi, go on there.

And, if that wasn’t enough, their events and fundraisers have always been a favourite of mine. They’re almost like a complete alternative to night out in Peterborough. A total, happy contrast, to the usual ear-bashing that you’d receive in the city’s bars and clubs. Thoroughly refreshing!

And, all this, from two people with passion and a vision to make some change, with a growing group of friends and supporters.

However, the Green Backyard isn’t without its woes. Some unhappy news broke over Christmas, that high power energy cables would need to be laid across some of the site, meaning that all of the buildings would have to be relocated, and there was a question raised over the site continuing. Mind you, it almost seems that this bad news has had a positive effect on the project. You could almost feel peoples’ support for Renny and Sophie last week. And it wasn’t with sandwich boards and banners, just people being really happy to be involved in something that’s really striving for some positive change in the city.

Everyone there was drawn by the work of Renny, Sophie and all their friends and co-workers, as well as by the need to encourage this sort of thing in a society that is supposed to be encouraging these sorts of works.

But, the thing that got me the most was something a little different from the sheer volume of achievements and support, or even the cocky chickens!

What got me the most was the overwhelming sense of community I found there. There were so many different kinds of people there, on my first visit, and everyone was welcome. At no point did I spot a questioning glance at anyone that was there (something I pick up on, as I get a lot of them)

There are few places in Peterborough that I’ve ever found where I can wander into, alone, without getting looked-up-and-down at, in a not so pleasant way. Just a friendly smile and hello, and the offer of a cup of tea, and general appreciation of my being there. That, I rarely see, in this city, or anywhere I’ve ever been, and it was nothing short of lovely.

And to me, that is the magic of The Green Backyard.

The warmth, the welcome and the heart.

By Nathan Kerr, January 2011

 

 

Mugs for mugs!:

MUG AMNESTY!!!

Donate your unwanted mugs to the Green Backyard for us to serve our beautiful volunteers and guests tea and coffee in! We will be very grateful and give you a free hot drink for your trouble (in your own mug if you like!).

September 2010:

Our Autumn got off to an amazing start thanks to Overground, a live arts jam organised by Blok Collective, which saw over 40 artists descend on the Green Backyard to create new artworks and run free workshops. The day featured live poetry and drama from performers including Keely Mills and the current Peterborough Poet Laureate MC Mixy. Members of the public were also treated to food freshly picked from the gardens and washed down with drinks from a mobile bar provided by Charters.

A hue amount of work went into making the event a success so massive thanks go to John, Shane and Brett for all the site prep, to Andy and Paul for their late night cookery skills, and to Pei, Sue, Pippa, Joe, Suzanne, Dom, Rosemary, Liz/Mum, Lisa and Luke for all their picking, chopping, carrying, driving, cooking, serving, pouring and generally smiling activities, you guys were amazing! Thanks also go to Stuart Payn and Alex Airey, the guys behind Blok Collective. Same time next year?

Sue's first experience as a volunteer:

It was a cold day in January 2009 when I first visited the green back yard. I had heard about it through facebook but had yet to have a look. The open day was the ideal occasion to see for myself what it was all about. My first impressions (other than how cold I was despite 6 layers!) were that it was bigger than I expected and a little intimidating with the graffiti, me being a 40 something year old woman and not understanding such things!

 

The whole plot was covered in planting areas and raised beds with the hugest vegetables I have ever seen seen! However it was far to cold to linger outside! I headed for a group of wooden buildings, outside which, was a man turning wood with a foot-powered mechanism. This turned out to be one of the owners; local craftsman and gardener Renny Antonelli. After a hearty welcome I was directed to a green wooden house reminiscent of an Austrian holiday chalet. 

 

Inside was cosy and warm and teeming with people. I felt immediately at home in this cosy cluttered haven .There were wooden benches made from rustic twisted branches, piled high with cushions, woven willow stars hanging from the ceiling, dried chillies and gourds around the fire and everywhere a hive of industry. In the centre of the room was a wood burner that heated both the room and the water for essential cups of tea. Behind that there were two women performing combined reiki and head massage which were very powerful and invigorating. In another corner were women teaching knitting and people sculpting in clay. There was soup bubbling on a tabletop stove and copious cups of tea. 

 

Everyone I met that day was friendly and full of enthusiasm, The project is run in a sustainable manner so that the water supply was through taps but from a water container (presumably rainwater I guess) and the dirty water then recycled. The toilet I used was a straw compost toilet, which didn’t smell bad at all, and all compostable materials such as teabags were collected to be composted in the large composting containers in the allotment.

 

I have since been back to the green back yard quite a few times to volunteer, which is 11 until 4pm every Wednesday and Sunday. I have done some willow weaving, a little bog oak carving and learnt how to make seed pots from newspaper. I have met lots of new and interesting people and learnt a few things about gardening on the way. Renny and his daughter Sophie who set up the green back yard are very enthusiastic people, generous of their time and knowledge and their enthusiasm is catching. Every time I go there I do not what to expect, for instance I have helped dig a dragon from a giant mound of earth, fed chickweed to chickens and gone home with giant beetroots! My wellies have never been muddier or myself happier.

 

It is amazing what has been achieved here in the space of just a year; the green backyard was an un-used piece of land, which used to be allotments. I have looked through the facebook pictures and am amazed that there was nothing there a year ago. It was a totally blank canvas, which has taken a great vision and hard work to become all it is today. Many plans and ideas are still flowing and there are classes in various arts and crafts such as Willow weaving, rustic furniture making so you too can have a green back yard style chair, bog oak carving, cookery and drumming sessions once a month. I can’t wait to see what happens next at the green backyard. Oh and close up the graffiti is quite spectacular!

 

 

By Sue Hawkins, volunteer extraordinaire 

 

August 2010:

Over the last few months John and the team have been working steadily on our classroom and this month things have really leapt forward. The floor has been laid using reclaimed slabs from Cathedral Square (so most people in Peterborough will have walked on our floor at some stage!), and the walls are finally in. The space has been used as dry storage ever since the roof went up so well done to everyone involved for working around shifting the mass of items which always managed to be in the exactly the wrong place at the wrong time!

In the polytunnel things have really flourished and the tomatoes are doing brilliantly. We’ve had a few problems with splitting due to irregular watering during hot weather, but things have settled down now and the plants have shot up. Favourites so far are definitely the yellow Tumbling Toms and the bright orange Sungolds which are absolutely delicious.

On Saturday 22nd we took part in the brilliant Randall Rootz Festival - an annual free music festival which takes place in memory of local musician Mark Randall and raises money for Sue Ryder Care. We spent an intense 8 hours entertaining children (and a fair few adults) with craft workshops using natural and recycled materials, along with the obligatory face painting. It was a brilliant day and we met heaps of lovely new people, thanks to the wonderful organisers for inviting us - see you next year!