You Are Invited to Ramble & Babble

You can find where to meet on the map, here.

For more information, or to confirm that you would like to attend, please email jenni.colesharris@gmail.com

Witton Half Term Trail

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Witton Trail this half term, I have collected the trails and will announce the winner soon.

Lots of jam jars full of Witton and River Tame wildlife (including Witton's industrial wildlife, like cars, bikes, cogs and engines) were placed round the streets over half term. Those that took part in the trail followed the clues on their sheets and could discover what the area used to be like, some hidden places in the present, and produce some ideas for what they would like to see happening in the area in the future.

A map was provided with the trail to help people find their way round.





















A little more information about parts of the trail.

Why is there a horse in Witton?

Well, horses used to pull carts, you can see some pictures of horses pulling the milk carts in Tame Road here. But, as well as the carts, horses used to pull the canal boats along the canal, as you can see below; the trail took you the part of the canal in the photo, along the Deykin Avenue cul-de-sac, and the house on the right is still there. It used to be the house for the toll keeper, who collected money from those using the canal.

There was also a cow along the trail, where Witton Farm used to be; now this is part of DANA. Near to DANA those on the trail found out where children, who are now in their 90s, used to pick blackberries in the autumn, and the noises that all the metal manufactories used to make.


PRESENT WITTON


 

Around Electric Avenue and Tame Road there were lots of clues about all of Witton's industry; WILD makes parts which can be found in most people's cars, plus bikes, engines and all sorts of other things are still made in the area. Many of Witton's items travel all across the country and to the rest of the world, like Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Brazil, China and many other places.

FUTURE WITTON

There were some great drawings produced for how Witton could be added to, and how some of the empty buildings and spaces could be used.

I will add these to some separate posts as they were so good.

Drop-in Art Workshop

On 11th October, during the drop-in session with the Environment Agency, Tamed held an art workshop at the Community Centre. First the year four children came over from Deykin Avenue Junior's, and then, after school, the workshop was open to anyone else who wanted to attend.

On the floor we laid down paper and painted a large image of the River Tame. The children could make animals that either live on the river now, or we would like to see living on the river in the future. They then built a habitat (house) for their animals along the river.

A colourful butterfly.

An otter and his habitat. It would be lovely to see otters along the river!

A bank vole in a warm, cosy hole in the river bank.

Rabbits can often be spotted along the river in Witton.


















After school a lot more animals and habitats were made.

Some children who live locally made a park.

The river was filled with fish.

Tissue and shiny paper makes great water!

The vole lives under the tree, whilst the buzzard looks down from below. Be careful little vole!

The rabbit lives in a burrow underground.

Parents helped to make the habitats.

The river needs lots of trees for animals to make their homes.

Lots of trees!

This tree was put in the park that was made.

This nest was for a heron.

All over, and Witton and the River Tame have some great habitats for lots of different kinds of animals.

The Mobile Drawing Studio Comes To Witton

You might have noticed some watery blue figures popping up over Witton last week, and filling the streets around Deykin Avenue School and along the River Tame. Well, the Mobile Drawing Studio was in town from Alabama in America and working with the pupils of Mr. Downes's class making river spirits.

We started off taking a walk down the river, taking a look along the way till it got greener and greener, and we could sit on the river bank.

Each of the children explored the river from the perspective of one of three animals, each of which is returning to rivers across the UK,including other parts of the Tame, and that we would like to see in our own urban rivers; the osprey, the bank vole and the speckled trout. The ospreys soared above the river looking for food, the voles liked to snuggle in their warm holes and come out to look for berries, and the fish swam through the cool water. We found that the animals didn't like the litter in the river, and wanted people to keep the water clean for them.


After the walk the class drew around each other and thought about what kind of message they would like to tell people about the river. The children put the messages on their pictures and produced some wonderful work, as can be seen below.

The Mobile Drawing Studio produced cardboard cut-outs from the children's drawings, painted them blue, and it was those that could be spotted all around the area last week.

Look out for more activities in Witton!









Thank you to the Mobile Drawing Studio and to Deykin Avenue School for a great day.

Summer Holiday Art Activity

It's 'back to school' time, but during the last week of the summer holiday tamed and lots of Witton residents came together for an afternoon of print making. There were three different kinds of printing, all with the idea to make a picture of the river or the wildlife of the river; there was potato printing, mono printing and poly-printing, and plenty of wet-wipes for multi-coloured fingers afterwards. It was a great afternoon, and the children who came were wonderful and produced some lovely pictures; here are just a few.

We chatted about the River Tame too, and found out about what activities are in the area for children- which are very few. Parents were really pleased to have an activity as there are no local play areas. There will be another activity in the second week of October, and we will keep you posted about exactly when and what that will be.

This was a free activity funded by the tamed project. The artists attending were Jenni Coles-Harris, Rob Colbourne and Nita Newman.