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Bollocks to Reading Borough Council! Community Garden opens on schedule.

Gregor Samsa | 20.05.2007 10:04 | Culture | Ecology | Free Spaces | Oxford

Despite an injunction issued only two days before, the Common Ground Community Garden celebrated its opening on 19th May.

Stuff you, RBC, we open anyway.
Stuff you, RBC, we open anyway.

Party spirit.
Party spirit.

More party spirit
More party spirit

Yee-har! (And similar cod-hillbilly expressions)
Yee-har! (And similar cod-hillbilly expressions)


The Common Ground Community Garden in Reading's Katesgrove district had its official opening as planned. Reading Borough Council in its infinite wisdom had two days earlier served an injunction on "persons unknown" in a spectacularly unsuccessful attempt to stop the opening. Why RBC waited until the last moment when the site (a derelict former Women's Information Centre) had been squatted for months is anybody's guess.

Since January, Mr and Ms Persons Unknown, their friends, neighbours and local activists have worked hard to transform a piece of unused wasteground into a magnificant garden for all to enjoy.

The opening was a great success. Two gents in a Polish-registered vehicle (presumably employed by RBC) kept an eye on the proceedings, but didn't seem to do much - they weren't even taking photos, let alone trying to stop anyone entering the site. Despite the competition from some minor footy game, there was a steady influx of visitors throughout the day. Attractions included much beer, excellent conversation, BBQ, plenty of food, an excellent party atmosphere and some first-rate live acoustic music.

Gregor Samsa

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Well done!

20.05.2007 18:46

Ten out of Ten - well done!


Martyn


Wicked!

20.05.2007 21:43

Compliments from Nottingham!!!!!!! More of this sort of thing

reader


U R superb!

21.05.2007 05:01

Well done all - looks like a brilliant day, with a really wide range of people going along to join the celebrations. And two fingers to the sad saps at Reading Borough Council who've got nothing better to do than try to stop community events like this from happening.

Keep up the good work.

PB


thanks

21.05.2007 12:22

many thanks to all who made it happen, hard work but thoroughly enjoyed it! Lovely day, fantastic company. Great local support. This should be happening everywhere! Reclaim the planet!
love n rage

purplepixie


well done

24.05.2007 11:22

it looks like you are having fun and doing no harm.... enjoy.

clare


Brilliant!

26.05.2007 13:39

Thats garden looks beautiful, well done! The most important thing now is to developthos links with similar community resistance projects; to u Katesgrove of an example of your hard work and direct politics to form similar groups an allainces for road resistors, stallholders and residents. Build and effective dossier of the project at katesgrove which you can use to show people your abilities from now on.

If anything, thats the hard part!

Remember, if you can develop community projects and create space for autonomy in the 'new towns' like Reading, Slough Croydon an the like, you'll make it anywhere.

...whoever laid that piece of turf closest to the wall in the second picture is abviously an asset to the movement btw.

Brett Hart
- Homepage: http://www.afed.org.uk