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We moved into Bramcote Hills in 1976, but I did not take an
interest in the Community Association until 1991. There were probably several
reasons for this: I was working full time, our children had passed the age when
they might enjoy the Christmas Party of the Summer Play scheme, neither my wife
nor I are keen dancers. Whenever I inwardly complain about other people's apathy,
I remind myself of my own long period of passivity.
At the beginning of 1991, I must have decided to join the Committee, and I remember
going to the AGM in February and being impressed by the smooth and efficient
way it was chaired by Richard Willan and by the number of affiliated sections
presenting their reports. In due course I took over the organisation of the
guided summer walks and, in 1996, the editorship of the newsletter. I remember
relatively little of these years, except for an enjoyable Christmas treasure
hunt and party at the Willans and a barbecue at the Wilsons.
It was not till I became Chairman in 1998 that the affairs
of the Association and thoughts about its nature began to occupy my mind. Here
are just a few memories from my first year:
- an extraordinary committee meeting
(an unusual occurrence, I believe) to discuss with a planning officer trom
Broxtowe Borough Council a possible residential development opposite the Oaklands
estate (fortunately rejected later by the Council);
- the written position papers
occasioned by this matter and by the question whether Bramcote should have
a Parish Council;
- the mixed response to our questionnaire,
indicating a generally favourable attitude to the Association, but little
inclination to be involved, and giving the highest approval rating to Neighbourhood
Watch;
- some heart-warming occasions,
such as the presentation of the Mayor's Award to Wilf Wheeler and the Duke
of Edinburgh awards to BRAMCADE candidates, and the large number of mothers
helping with the Children's Summer Play scheme;
- my walk through the Bramcote
Moor estate to distribute thank you Christmas cards to newsletter distributors
and subscription collectors, when I realised for the first time the size of
this area, which has been an integral part of our Association territory since
1978, but which, as a resident of Bramcote Hills, I barely knew, and finally
- the AGM where six 'pioneers' spoke vividly and
entertainingly about life in Bramcote Hills in the early days and about the
founding of the Association.
From my half completed second year of chairmanship, 1999,
I retain the following impressions:
- the invigorating mix of new
and old committee members;
- the satisfaction of having filled
a need by organising a coach trip to Greenwich, taken up mainly by older residents;
- a similar feeling when driving
elderly ladies to and from coffee mornings under the auspices of the Care
Group;
- the companionable and well supported
summer pub ramble ftom Epperstone to Thurgarton;
- the friendly co-operation between
residents on both sides of the A52 in the Millennium Committee
the initiative by Lesley and Karl Watts, our youngest committee members, to
organise a new event, a Rounders Evening, which attracted 30 players, old
and young, and
above all, the spirit of co-operation and involvement of those who have joined
the 'Friends of Bramcote Ridge', manifested both in the monthly meetings in
the Rose Grower and in the action mornings on the ridge.
The role of the Association is more difficult than it was
in the early days. It serves a settled population and a wider area, without
a distinct geographical identity or central community building. Some people
may retreat into the isolation of their home with their television or video;
others can meet friends or spend their leisure time outside the district through
the much greater availability of the car.
Yet in essence this role remains the same, and the Association
still fulfils it. By organising varied social events for different age groups
and providing care, service and information, it fosters a spirit of community
and extended neighbourliness, and through its active support it encourages smaller
groups to flourish. In the absence of a Parish Council, it can represent residents,
as a group or individuals, in any dialogue with the local authority.
On a personal level, since becoming involved, I have made
a number of new and friendly contacts, and have felt more part of the community. |
