To celebrate National Poetry Day 2018 we are delighted to launch this poem, written by Bridie Squires and Georgina Wilding following a series of workshops with the people of Nottingham...
Over the past couple of months, LeftLion Editor Bridie Squires and Nottingham’s Young Poet Laureate Georgina Wilding have been writing poems with loads of people in the city. They created a series of workshops, which took place in Bestwood, Bulwell, the city centre, Hyson Green, Lenton and Sneinton. The aim of these was to celebrate Nottingham, with the aim of bringing different communities together.
After playing around with poetry skills and techniques with attendees, and exploring what everyone loves about our city, Georgina and Bridie created a poem inspired by words written in the workshops. A Nottingham version of The Sound of Music song, My Favourite Things. No less.
Nottingham City Council’s initiative Nottingham Together have been supporting the project, and LeftLion videographer Georgianna Scurfield has whacked together a video that sees local faces belting out the collaborative poem good and proper. There’s a celebratory event for the project at Antenna on National Poetry Day (Thursday 4 October) where you can learn more about the making of the poem, and check out the anthology and video. But, for now, here’s a little taster...
Our Nottingham Things
St Ann's Allotments and Bromley House Library
Market Square lions, the Pride bus through Highbury
Owls on shoulders and Little John dings
These are a few of our Nottingham things
Ice cream van jingles and skateboards in Sneinton
George the Gorilla, and Garvey in Lenton
Fish and chip dinners, we’re eating like kings
These are a few of our Nottingham things
Goose Fair in Autumn and shopping in Hockley
Curries, jerk chicken, all cooked good and prop'ly
Peacocks in Newstead and coots on the Leen
These are a few of our Nottingham things
When the goose bites
and there's no pudding
or the brew’s too sweet
We simply remember our Nottingham things
And together we feel... Alright, duck
Ayups in Radford and Colwick Park swimming
Monkeys in Broadmarsh who never stop spinning
Poetry pub nights, the Arb in the spring
These are a few of our Nottingham things
Our city's got good films and local bands playing;
think This is England and Sleaford Mods’ slaying
Bless up Jah Digga and Nina Smith too
These are a few of our Nottingham crew
Robins in Sherwood and horses in Clifton
Bulwell Bogs paddlin’ and carnival visions
Castle Rock Brewery, and Forest Rec swings
These are a few of our Nottingham things
When the beer's froff'd
our chips are freezing
or we can't find a seat
We simply remember our Nottingham things
And together we feel... Alright, duck
Nottingham Together presents Our Nottingham Things at Antenna, on Thursday 4 October, from 5pm.
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