Ridge Hill Clean Up

Another tremendous litter pick on Sunday 31st March with an excellent turnout of 15 considering it was Mothers Day. What a mess we found as can be seen in the photos below and certainly not an area we’ve covered for at least 3 years. The team of Jan, Dawn, Dave, Ivor, Colin, Sarah, Gary, Pat, Andy, Moon, Adrian, David, Doug, Roger and newcomers Curtis. Curtis came along has a Mother’s Day present to Dawn and certainly showed that litter picking was in his genes.

Our brilliant group collected 30 of our large compactor sacks full of rubbish, loads of bits of plastic, traffic cones, at least 5 tyres, 2 mattresses, 6 plastic canisters, kids bike, seats from a sofa, etc etc.

Besides the amount of rubbish we found it was particularly disappointing the volume we found in the wood by the school. Some of this rubbish was by the small pond they’d got and what a pity they hadn’t organised picking it up.

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The Stourbridge Litter Hunt

A local resident is organising a Stourbridge area ‘rubbish hunt’ from 10am in Mary Stevens Park on Sunday 14 April. The event is being organised in conjunction with Friends of the Earth and Tidy Stourbridge and will be followed by a community event in the park.

From 12 Noon there will be a litter hunt for accompanied children and adults from Activity Centre on the park with the help of Tidy Stourbridge.

The route is 1 mile long and will take in the park, the football pitches in Stanley Road, Beech Road, Norton Road and Heath Lane before returning back into the park via the main entrance.

This will be a great form of exercise and be educational to the kids taking part. Meet the team by the big yellow Tidy Stourbridge flag from 1145am to join us.

Mornings on Broadway

Tremendous work by the team of 12 on Sunday…

Vanessa, Alison, Jan, Dawn, Dave, Ivor, Maris, Colin, Tony, Roger and newcomers Andrew & Eleanor.

The before and after photos below really show how much work we did which included – 25 of our large compactor sacks, 2 large pieces of plastic off the front of a car(s), 20 odd plastic trays, a load of plastic baskets, over 50 metres of blue plastic pipe, office chair, plastic chair, building materials, 1/2 a shopping trolley, foot spa, small axe, one needle, loads of wood, a load of metal, a large bag of cans etc etc.

Goodbye to Geoff

The date of Geoff’s funeral is Friday 22nd March at Stourbridge Crematorium 1.30pm.

The wake will follow at Harleys Smoke House, Dunsley Hall, 39a Dunsley Rd, Kinver, Stourbridge DY7 6LU, all regular Tidy Stourbridge volunteers are welcome to go along.

Dunsley Road, Fools and Horses

Another good turnout last Sunday at Dunsley Road Norton with 15 of the group present –

Tony, David, Dave, Colin, Doug, Jan, Gary, Vanessa, Sarah, Dawn, Sophie, Maris, Graham, Ivor & Roger turned up on a blustery morning.

We collected 30 bags of our large compactor sacks, a kiddies bike, a builders sign and loads of plastic. Overall the area we covered wasn’t as bad as 2 years ago but the bank that runs along side of the pathway to the Primary School was particularly poor and it was quite difficult get all the rubbish out that has been dumped there over the years.

The team also spotted a skip of books at the Primary School that looked in good condition and Maris was going to follow that up with the school, she felt it was foolish to dump perfectly good books in this way.

Meanwhile a horse took exception to Dave and nearly threw its poor rider over a barbed wire fence… luckily everyone concerned were fine.

Goodbye Geoff

We have received the very sad news that Geoff Meredith passed away on Sunday after several months of illness. We wish Rachael and her family all the very best during this sad time.

Geoff has been a legend at TS with his natural wit and sarcasm and his love of a Stella or three, he will be sorely missed by all of us.

Tidy Stourbridge will hold a 2 minute silence in remembrance of Geoff at this Sunday’s Litterpick. We will pass on any funeral arrangements as soon as we have them.

Tidy Stourbridge

Big Stourbridge Rubbish Hunt

Jana Neumeister is planning “A Big Stourbridge Rubbish Hunt” in and around Stourbridge from 10am on Sunday 14th April, which will be followed by a community event in Mary Stevens Park (name for the event and poster still to come). The event will give the opportunity for people to get involved, buy local art and craftwork, see live music, poetry and performances and discover clever ideas of how to try to use less plastic and take little steps towards a cleaner lifestyle and Stourbridge.

So for anyone who would like to sell their homemade, recycled or environmentally friendly products, please read point no. 1. Anyone wishing to contribute with live music please read no.2. For those who want to get involved in recycled Art No.3. For spoken word, poetry and storytelling read no.4. If you would like to get involved in taking pictures no.5. For flash mobs no.6. No.7 for info tables/ charity. And if would you like to get involved in the “Big Stourbridge Rubbish Hunt” itself, please read no.8.

Hope you find your way through and get inspired! =)

1) Selling things

My idea is to support the local market in and around Stourbridge. Further I would like to encourage people to use less plastic in their daily lives and share ideas how to do so.
So do you have a local business or a little crafty moment from time to time?
Like to use natural products, try to recycle as much as possible or reduce plastic use in or around your products?

If so, it would be really nice if you can sell your goods and get more people interested in local, recycled, natural and plastic free products and even ways of living!

Organisation:
Setting up from 1pm.
Selling from 2pm-5pm,
Afterwards, please don’t leave anything behind (I guess I don’t have to actually mention it, but still, here we go.)
You need to bring your own tables and chairs, unfortunately no tents please or anything which could fly off and course damage.
The park can only be entered by foot and only if absolutely necessary by car. Mary Stevens Park workers are also happy to help carting things in and out if needed.
As their will be a “Big Rubbish Hunt” in and around Stourbridge as well as in the Park itself, the Park sees it as a payment or a giving back situation and wants to support the local people, so there will be no charge for selling things!

About the insurance situation: It would be great if you have public liability or trading insurance, but if not that’s fine too, only that the Park or I will not take any responsibility for what you sell!
So: SELLING ON ONES OWN RISK!
No sale of food or drinks please.

2) Music

To make it a nice day in the Park one always needs music – I think !
As we are looking into greener ways of living music should be acoustic and must be original material as we don’t have a licence for covers!
Best would be if the songs say something about nature, the environment or a change in attitude towards our place in the world. Pure instrumental is of course also welcome! You can play on your own or with as many people as you like.

Place: The band stand will be your stage! The stalls will be located around the bandstand and between the benches, so you have an idea how it will look.
I also would love to have a harp or some other instrumental music for a place closer to the lake, as I think the music will not always reach that far. Let’s see what we get together.

Times: The event will happen between 2pm-5pm. Your slot will be about 20min. and I will send you the exact time of your slot closer to the event.
For big heavy instruments: The park can only be entered by foot, only for very heavy items may you use a car to transport things in, though that would need to be done before 2pm. One can also store instruments in the activity centre, which is close to the lake/bandstand and not far from rear entry to the park.

So if you feel you would like to support this local event and think your music would fit, please send me an E-mail (see below) of your details and what you are going to play. (you don’t have to list all the songs – only that I get an idea).
Please get in touch no later than April 1st

Looking forward to seeing and especially hearing you!

3) Artwork

The idea is to create rather big statues (3 to 6 foot) out of recycled material, or best of all plastic rubbish. They shall be put up in the park during the day. You may put a sign next or onto it with your personal message of what inspired you, why you think it is important to reduce plastic or you simply your name (and promote yourself a bit if you like;)). It’s up to you.

Maybe you get very inspired and want to work with another artist together… whatever your idea…it’s about recycling, animals and nature which suffer from plastic, metal, clothing/ fabric or glass or anything else you can think of.

As in idea: Create a stature or giant Easter egg, or the planet Earth (maybe build a frame first, try not to buy anything extra for it!) and attach plastic bottles or littler or clothes onto it. Or if you are very creative and talented build an animal… You may also dress up and be a stature yourself…=) if you need any help with finding ideas or how to do it, just contact me and I try to help you (See E-Mail below). Please also make a sign or add to your sign “Do not touch please” to prevent damage and injuries! Please also use something recycled for it, don’t buy something extra. Make sure everything can stand well and is safe generally. We will see where to position it best, might be on grass as well…
Afterwards:
How you do it is totally up to you, you just need to take it fully apart again and recycle on that day. (If you don’t want to take it home again).
For recalling: the council is going to collect littler on that day, so one can take it apart after the event and leave it there to be taken away.

Promotion:
I would also love to use the artwork to promote the event beforehand.
I’m working on finding ways to maybe position them in town or other ways to show them for longer then only one day. So if you let me know what your ideas are, then I can see how to fit it in best and what is possible. Maybe you have a brilliant idea yourself – just let me know and we shall try to make it possible!
One of my favourite ideas is to attach a stature onto a car and drive around town with it, maybe on more than one occasion. Anyone up for it? Combining it with music … I guess the sky is the limit…

The event day:

From about 10am there will be “The Big Stourbridge Rubbish Hunt” in Stourbridge and surrounding areas…
From 1pm traders will set up their stalls.
So if you could come to the park and position your stature at about 11am that would be great.

The park can only be entered by foot…only if absolutely necessary can one drive in with a car (very slowly driving, with hazards on and someone in front walking with high vis. vest…)
So please try to find a way to maybe take the statue apart before and carry it in separately or get a wheel barrow or something. Find the way that’s easiest for you; get friends to help you etc. The park also offers help to carry things in. But try to find a simple way…and take that into consideration when making it!

If you like the idea of making whatever kind of basic form first and attaching items onto it afterword, then maybe bring the items in separately and fix them in the park- so people can also see the process… Why not ?? Just make sure no one can get hurt! And maybe use some kind of barrier to secure the area if you feel more confident with that. Though don’t bring any heavy duty tools into the park, like power tools, saws or knives!!

Great! So if you have any questions or are interested and have other ideas just write me an E-mail and I see if it’s all safe (always this health and safety thing sorry! But I have to make sure about this as we’ll be in the park)

And then I am very much looking forward to hearing and seeing your ideas! Please submit ideas no later than April 1st.

4) Poetry and storytelling, little puppet shows.

If you feel inspired to write or have already written a poem, short story or fairy tale for adults or children, then just send me an E-mail with your idea and I will work out a program for the “storytelling/ poetry” comer.
Theme: of course nature, pollution, animals…anything for children and adults to think about nature and how we deal with our environment. But also encouraging stories or poems, where people or animals managed to do something which almost seemed impossible to do. Whatever you like and feel is suitable.
Send me an E-mail with your story or poem and your details and I’ll see if it will work and create a timetable and let you know about it closer to the event.
If you have a nice story or poem, but don’t like to read or speak it out loud, you can also send it to me and I see if anyone would like to do that for you or you find someone yourself. OR you are also very welcome to write something on the park! Get yourself some chalk and write it on the tarmac, add illustrations or get someone to draw you a picture to go with your work…
Looking very much forward to read and hear your ideas, poems and stories!
Please submit ideas no later than April 1st

5) Photography

I’m looking for people who want to take pictures and take part in the event with their cameras.
If you would like to capture moments of meetings, artwork and places we tidy up (before and after pictures), take macro pictures and show the dirt and rubbish up close in detail or the beauty after the tidying up, or you just want to show wild life and nature. Perhaps you even have an underwater camera and like to experiment?
Only make sure to always ask people if it’s ok to take pictures of them and respect their wishes, judgment free. I will ask you to share your pictures with me and I might use them on websites and social media.
If you are interested, just write me an E-mail and I will let you know where people are going rubbish hunting on that day.

6) Living statue / flash mob:

I would like to write a big message with people on the grass. That means people would lay down in such a way that it creates either a sign or a written message. What exactly it will be is still undecided (I`m happy for ideas) !

We would lay down for about 5 min. and then do it in 2 o 3 different places again in the park. Photos will be taken of it but no one will be seen personally.
What you need: just turn up on the event, due to weather conditions you might like a rain cover or something if the grass is wet.

Exact times will be given closer to the event.
If you are interested or have an idea just write me an E-mail ( see below) and I`m very much looking forward what we get together.

7) Info table:

If you represent a charity organisation for nature, animals or water…or you might be a photographer who likes to chapter wild life, nature or the pollution of it…you have good information about how to use less plastic or like to promote similar ideas …anything… you may wish to have a table or noticeboard displaying your work and information.

If so, please come along. You will, however, need to bring your own table and chair.
The park can only be entered by foot, only for very heavy items and if really needed you may use a car to transport things in.
Please just write me an E-mail with your ideas and I would love to find a place for you in the park.

8) “The Big Stourbridge Rubbish Hunt”
You may join our local litter pick groups, to pick up or “hunt” rubbish in and around Stourbridge. We are going to announce the places where a litter pick is most needed, closer to the event so you may drop me an E-mail to get updated. Grabbers and bags will be provided and the litter is going to be collected by the council afterwards.
Start 10 am on Sunday morning. So you have enough time to have lunch in the park or at home and join in for the event in the park staring at 2 pm afterwards.

IMPROTAINT: As not every local litter picking group has insurance and the event itself is not going to cover it = THE LITTER PICKING IS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Contact: Jana
E-Mail: jana.neumeister1992@web.de