BLOG
Notes from the garden
Celebrating Siw Thomas, wonderful friend and colleague at Global Generation
Since hearing of Siw’s illness and passing, I have felt her everywhere; in the warming spring soil, in scraps of wood I see on the street, in enamel cups stored in a box in the kitchen ready for instant coffee. I have felt her continue to guide me to be playful in motherhood through my memories of her steadfast support and encouragement as I worked alongside her for the past 8 years.
Skipping around King’s Cross: Remembering 10 years of urban gardening.
My name is Paul Richens and I was the Global Generation’s gardens’ manager for about 10 years. My background was a lifelong family interest and practice in growing vegetables and natural history but due to mostly living in small flats I developed an interest in growing organic vegetables in containers of one shape or another.
Voices of the Water Fellows visit Raybel Charters
Last Monday I went with Silvia, and voices of the water fellows Cassie, Lucy, Ellie and Maedeh on a trip to Sittingbourne to visit Raybel Charters, an old Thames barge sitting on the water at the top of Milton Creek, where the river borne emerges out of the ground and flows into the Thames. After a winding bus ride on a rail replacement service, we arrived, slightly car sick, half an hour late and freezing cold into the Sittingbourne train station carpark.
the first generation: stories from Yvonne Riddiford, a volunteer
My last visit to London was ten years later in 2016 when I was 91. The last Skip Garden had just been created. I was given the job of sorting seeds by Paul Richens, the Gardens Manager. The site looked extraordinary. At first glance it looked like quite a mess but when I looked closer I could see what a creative mess it was...
Weaving ‘Wassail’ and ‘Finding the Mother Tree’ at the Story Garden
On January 18th, we were honoured to celebrate the tradition of Wassail at the Story Garden with new friends and members of the weekly Gardening Club. ‘Washeil’, is an Old Norse salutation meaning 'be in good health' or 'be fortunate'. The earliest mention of wassail dates back over 1000 years, to the English Middle Ages (500 to 1400–1500 AD).
After School Club Makes a big splash!
Water is a very attractive thing for children – ok maybe less so in the dead of winter. But the words ‘pond repair’ had been on our gardening to do list for some time and we were looking for a fun activity for the after-school club children to bond, have fun and stay relatively warm. Of course, let’s reinstate the old pond!
Trip down canal’s lane
I grew up always finding the power of the sea a mystery and enchanting. I remembered a trip to the seaside when I was nine years old, imagining myself standing on the wide shore of a beach (Southport) near Yorkshire, while feeling in awe of the vastness of the sea and the sand.
Planting a floating island
It was during a cold snap in December, when the gardening club assembled at the Floating Garden Barge to assemble and plant a floating island. Starting after lunch, we had a small window of winter light in which to do the planting.
Looking back on 2023
As I walk into the Story Garden, I notice that the garden has now truly gone to sleep. It seems to have taken longer than usual as the weather has stayed mild. Like the plants around me, I am feeling ready for a mid winter pause, to rest and replenish myself for the year ahead. And so in these last short days of the year, as darkness falls upon us during the winter solstice, I finally stop and take a moment to look back on the year.
The starfish, the river and the churchyard
As a contribution to the Somerstown Day Of the Dead Festival and as part of the Voices of the Water Project, on the 23rd October 2023, young people went to St Pancras Old Churchyard taking photos where once ran free and sacred the subterranean River Fleet.
Green Mentor
In June 2023, I joined the story garden in Kings Cross. Our mission is to grow food, people and community for a just world. It has been such a wonderful experience to get to know the community and to see the abundance of opportunities that Global Generation offers. So far, I have attended two trips with the garden, one to Chelsea Physics Garden, which was very fun and educational - it was lovely to see the children curious about wildlife, especially the frogs in the glasshouses.
TANIWHA THE DRAGON IN STOP START ANIMATION
The mythical story of Taniwha the Dragon has travelled with us over the past year as we have explored the history of the hidden River Fleet alongside local children, young people and adults, as part of our Voices of the Water project. Together we imagine and create and think of the possibilities of what can be done to bring Taniwha back, alongside the fish and the trees that she needs to survive.
WATER AND WELLBEING
As part of our Voices of the Water project, we have worked with people of all backgrounds and ages to explore the healing benefits of water, alongside and interconnected with the cultural stories and importance of water in our climate changed world.
WATER AND CLIMATE
How could a local community project draw awareness to the importance of water for the future of all creatures and design opportunities for its appreciation and protection? Through stillness and story sharing, weaving unwanted textiles, building with reclaimed materials, shaping clay, cooking together, and creating a garden on water, we have connected with the cycles of nature.
WATER AND STORIES
Water is central to creation myths of every indigenous culture, from Osun, Goddess of the Yoruba people of West Africa, to Tangaroa and Kiwa, deities of the Māori of Polynesia, and it is crucial in the story of Sky Woman of the Patawatomi people. Mermaids, wells, shells, fish, waves, rivers, sea dragons, teardrops, and more, become symbols in stories and tales from all over the world.
VOICES OF THE WATER: IMMERSE YOURSELF
As part of our Voices of the Water project we have come across so many amazing books, films and projects which explore and recognise the importance of water in our lives and on Earth, from which we find inspiration. Here we share some of these resources for you to explore.
CONSIDERING WATER'S CONNECTION WITH CLIMATE
Cassie is attending Uni evening classes in Environment and Sustainability, learning about human and physical geography)
In 2009, Johan Rockström gathered scientists to observe the main human factors affecting the environment, all of which came up with nine and classified them as 'planetary boundaries'.
NAVIGATING THE JOY IN MAKING
I wonder if maps are used more often than ever before? Digital, never ending maps on our tiny screens, suggested modes of transportation, how long each of them will take, the paths we should follow, the things we will see along the way. Some other entity has mapped out the routes we take. We are removed from our surroundings and our sense of adventure. You feel it most when your phone dies and you have to rely on bus stop maps, a sixth sense, is this way north?
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?!
The darker, colder months brought their usual challenges this past Winter at Albion Primary School. Malaika and I work with the children, from ages 5-11, in the forest school space where we have 5 teenage hens, plenty of space to explore and a number of growing beds where we are growing herbs, fruits, vegetables and salads.
Amongst the busy London streets lay creative activism
Maroua shares her experience as a young Global Generation Fellow who participated and supported younger children in a Voices of the Water performance as part of UCL Cultures ‘Performing Planet Activism’ Event.