volunteers smiles and tears
Project 18 volunteers
Walk corridors of flowers together
Here since dawn, not tired yet
Planting wild teasel, red campion,
corn and buddleia bud
here twice a week
but buddleia will be here forever
however
of that we’re not sure
not sure if next year
our garden ripped out
to let others design-plant another
however, we planted some plants
squashed some ants
won’t mention the ants in me pants
railway sleepers we’ve planted too
in keeping with Brunel theme
squeaky barra needs some oil
heavy sleepers, heavy toil
hard work yeah
hardest work is getting up in morning
after that it’s …still hard
can be, can be
we’re putting something back
against vandals
who’ve taken something out
they take out, we put back
unsure, sure we’re unsure
unsure if it’ll all be a waste of time
our garden design and hard work
even tonight, some jerk
might trash the lot
think they’re hot
volunteers smiles and tears
Project 18 volunteers
Walk corridors of flowers
Community Poet Tony Hillier (Izza Bard 200) meets and drafts Project 18 Poem 5.5.06
the Gang and Mark
were in the park
digging up some bark
I picked up a shovel
thought I was in trouble
thought people will smash it
when it’s dark
Original work by Joe, a member of BTCV Project 18 creating a Victorian Railway Garden to brighten up West Brunel Car Park.
Train tracks running
through Swindon
lead to better places than this.
Brunel would improve what we’ve got
Kill concrete, plant flowers
then people will come here
Simon Penn, BTCV Project 18 Leader
What’s going on over there?
They’re doing something
Somebody’s messing about
with Brunel West Car park Entrance
Oh Oh, looks dodgy
White van man parked up
Let’s look closer
Bags of swag alright
Mind I don’t get decked
Oh No, it’s decking
Delightful decking
Poet Izza Bard’s first reaction to Smash Garden Design Project
No
Don’t think garden
Think space
space by straight-lined concrete car park
needs wood and curves obviously
and tree, needs tree
so bare
needs creativity
we smashing teenagers
are moving on
moving on life’s journey
we start on own
on our own narrow path
which widens to include our guide
we’re teenagers
we can do anything
let’s build a Box Tunnel we said
so we did
rose arch tree-lined Box Tunnel
we’re tough enough to get through that
with a mentor as light at end
helps to have a friend
Brunel invented ways to conquer
problems he found on his way
so with us today
We’re smashing teenagers building up
building up a head of self esteem
Oh you know what I mean
No
Don’t think garden
Think space,
Our place we built
we built to share with you
Tough enough now
to see it through
Tony Izza Bard 200 starts to get to grips with concept behind collaborative garden creation between SMASH Teenage Project members and designer Geoffrey Carr, 4 May 2006
nice
nice surprise
nice surprise in these stony surroundings
man and his train garden
sticks and train tracks
lovely
it’s good
didn’t notice that
say a brace of office cleaners
off the early shift
alright
bright and breezy shouts a West Indian Man on bike
it’s that train bloke says 12 year old Darren
what do we call the town centre ? hints his dad
Oh Poundshop Alley, Darren responds
No. Brunel. Silly
It’s Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
The greatest engineer that ever lived
He turned Swindon from a normal village to
A special Railway Town
Clever with twigs
Ism’s Waistcoated ‘n all
Nice
Double nice
Decorative
Nice way they’ve presented it
On scruffy land
oh I never noticed him
pretty good
Nice
Very nice
It’s alright actually
Looks like he’s got a bad back !
probably would have from all that work
oh ‘im
we call ‘im Nobby-no-Mates
well actually, we kid our friend
that that Straw Bloke is the only friend he has
say “Hello” to your friend, we tease ..and he does
bless
train tracks, teeth tracks
never on time
remarks passer by,
out with teenager brimming with orthodontic mouth
I’ve got a new name for him
“Bert Brunel” blurts out Belinda
(real name Jane)
it’s really good
effective
recognised him straight away
surprised that Council would do that
pleasantly surprised mind
and not vandalised yet
I’m not awake yet, on way to work,
He paused
He folded his arms
He took it all in
Bugger work
I’m going to study this a moment
Then he said
I can see the hard work’s gone into this
They’ve grown a smile on my face this morning
These gardeners whoever they are
Said the 26 year old software engineer
After studying the 200 year old heavy metal engineer
It’s put a smile on my face
wonderful
great idea
just hope the vandals…..
9 a.m. 28 May 2006. Izza Bard captures remarks from passers-by to the Brunel 200 Garden near Car Park in Farnsby Street, Swindon. Garden, created by TWIGS’ members, includes an 8 foot wicker/willow/straw/cane statue of Brunel.
remember remember
ninth June so hot
I was digging a hole
Where were you?
Half naked passers-by
tried to distract us, but we dug on
planting special-grown roses
First Great Western “Oracharpam”
Two foot deep holes, in the hot sun, son
Half-baked photographers
and poets tried to distract us
but we dug on.
New garden needs water, tell Council that
Tell Thames Water to fix its leaks
We could dig holes for that
We’d be able to hose again then
Don’t look now
There goes another half naked one
So hot I’ll have to take my top off too
See my tattoo
They’re trying. Oh so trying, to distract us
but we plant on, our eyes on spade
no chance of shade, eyes on the future
Sent mate to shop for drink
Pause for a roll-up before
Digging in soil like concrete
a hole that’s round, wish it was softer ground
Dig on, dig on, dig on Oracharpam
Remember Remember
as you eye spy this Brunel rose
ninth June so hot
I was digging my future
Izza Bard 200 Poet Tony Hillier 9 June 2006
Random
Random that garden is
Office-bound all day
we work opposite we do
Nationwide mortgages and all that
Office-bound all day
Breaks, we sit outside on traffic-fume wall
With that new wooden terrace garden
picnic tables would be just the job
We work opposite we do. We see it all.
Yesterday saw multi-storey car park suicide attempt
How random is that. How bad was that poor sod’s life ?
Today we see new garden diggers
Who are they, prisoners or something?
Working on the chain gang
Yes. Yes. We’ve seen “Cool Hand Luke”
Suicide. How bad is that.
New Garden. How great is that.
Random
Random, that garden is
Izza Bard Poet, Tony Hillier speaks with Haley, Laura and …..10 June 2006 re the Brunel Garden by West Brunel Car Park, Swindon.
Dashing to work
No time to stop
Glance across
“What the……”
“Who on earth…”
Made from his opposite
This man of straw
Was anything but
Was man of steel
Dashing from work
No time to stop
Glance across
“What the…”
“Who one earth…”
Bloody hell
It’s Brunel
Actually passers by were treated, by members of TWIGS*, to a willow sculpture of Isambard Kingdom Brunel as part of the re-claim urban space Brunel 200 Garden Project Spring 2006. * TWIGS - a gardening group for mental health service users.
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