Accessible Document

To complement the With Our Ears the the Ground publication we’ve added a large print text document in .pdf format of the text from the book which we hope will be useful for people who wish to use a text to speech screen reader or read onscreen.

WOETTG_Book_text_only

Final Publication

We have just received the first bound copy of our publication for With Our Ears to the Ground; a project by Proboscis commissioned by Green Heart Partnership with Hertfordshire County Council to explore peoples ideas about community. The project focused on four very different types of community in order to get a broad range of opinions across the county.

I’m really excited to see the final version and especially happy with the middle tracing paper insert of scenes and people Orlagh and I encountered during the project. The book draws together the multiple layers of ideas and experiences we found across the different communities we met in Watford, Stevenage, North Herts and  Broxbourne and it is designed to reflect the many ideas and voices we encountered. It is organised in the six themes of Transport, Movement, Listening, Community, Getting Involved and Perceptions the emerged during the project. The book contains drawings, photographs, quotes and writings. It can be read in any direction and you can interweave the pages of the three sections  as you read, to find new perspectives.

The With Our Ears to the Ground book, will go to selected libraries in Hertfordshire. The publication draws together the multiple layers of ideas and experiences we found across different communities and it is designed to reflect those ideas and voices.

We have a small number of copies please contact us if you would like to acquire one.

We have also published the main chapters as Diffusion eBooks –  books to download print and make up published using Bookleteer.  Booklets to make, carry in your pocket, browse in your own time, rather than read on screen. You can download them here.

First publications

In advance of the publication of the With Our Ears to the Ground book, which will go to selected  libraries in Hertfordshire, we have published the main chapters of the as Diffusion eBooks –  books to download print and make up published using Bookleteer.  The With Our Ears to the Ground book, will go to selected libraries in Hertfordshire, we have also published the main chapters as Diffusion eBooks –  books to download print and make up published using Bookleteer.  Booklets to make, carry in your pocket, browse in your own time, rather than read on screen.

The publication draws together the multiple layers of ideas and experiences we found across different communities and it is designed to reflect those ideas and voices.

You can download the books here:

Transport
Download A4 US Letter 2.1MB

Movement
Download A4 US Letter 2.6MB

Listening
Download A4 US Letter 2.3MB

Community
Download A4 US Letter 2.9MB

Getting Involved
Download A4 US Letter 3.5MB

Perceptions
Download A4 US Letter 3.1MB

In mid 2009 we (arts organisation Proboscis) travelled around Hertfordshire meeting over 280 people from Watford, Stevenage, North Hertfordshire and Broxbourne. We set out on an autumn day to drive up through Cheshunt, Broxbourne and Hoddesdon, over to Ware and Stevenage then Letchworth, up to Ashwell, down to Pirton, Hitchin across to Watford and back to London. It was a journey through old and new; market towns, new towns, agricultural land and urban centres. In the weeks that followed we put our ears to the ground and got to know Hertfordshire and its communities through the stories of its people. We researched urban centres, towns and villages and travelled through the county in cars, trains, by cycle and on foot, on narrow lanes and motorways.

We talked to people in groups, individually, inside, outside, in pubs, cafes, community centres, libraries, at home and at work. We gathered their opinions and experiences of their communities, what it’s like living in their neighbourhoods and what gives them a sense of belonging. These experiences, whilst locally specific, are relevant to Hertfordshire as a whole. We met people between the ages of 5 and 94, from many cultures and backgrounds, from small organisations, schools, community groups, urban centres and rural villages. We captured their views through informal conversations on the street, hosting a stall at the local market and visiting community groups. We ran a creative workshop with a youth group and collected stories through other activities and events. From this research emerged the six themes of Transport, Movement, Listening, Community, Getting Involved and Perceptions, which now form the basis for the project publications.

Chicken and Daal with Watford Muslim Womens Group

Arriving at the Watford Multi Cultural Community Centre, I was amazed at the large number of Muslim ladies taking part in the exercise class. There were at least 20 ladies there. The playfulness and the camaraderie were immediately apparent. This was a place which felt friendly, safe and fun. It was apparent that it was a place where people came to meet and chat freely and easily with each other. Everyone who popped in was welcome to join the group.
After the session, they sat down to eat and generously invited me to join the group for food. We had chicken, daal and salad – it was delicious. I watched carefully how the others behaved and ate before I dared eat – not wanting to appear like the outsider.
After lunch, the ladies all helped to clear up and Sharifa, the chair, invited those that were interested in the project to join me at another table. I was so pleased to see that nearly all the ladies came to join me. We talked about their community, why they enjoy the Muslim Women’s Group, how funding has helped them, their sense of belonging, how they are perceived by others. Their willingness and openness to share and talk to me was amazing. These were educated, articulate ladies, who are not always perceived that way in the outside world. They talked about how if a muslim does something wrong, they tend to all be clumped together as ‘muslims’,  when really there are good and bad in all societies. They mentioned the various inter-faith activities they take part in, their fundraising activities and their wish to continue with the group and how it helps the whole community. It was a real privelege to have met these strong, passionate and articulate ladies who continue to do good in the community not only for themselves but for others too.

Meeting Polish Ladies

On a cold winters evening, I headed to Hatfield to meet Michal and some of the Polish community. Arriving there it was really busy – everyone was heading to the park for the fireworks and bonfire night. When I arrived at the Fire Station where the group were meeting, the meeting was in mid flow – moving from Polish to English, it was amazing to listen to the beautiful language.
After their meeting, I spoke to three ladies who stayed behind to talk to me. One of them has been in the UK for over 20 years and the other 2 only a few years. It was really interesting to hear how the area has changed – 20 years ago, Eastern Europeans were seen as a novelty, now they are at times perceived more of as a problem. We talked about what it’s like for them living here, the language barriers, both in terms of actual language but also the subtleties of language and intonation that only a local can sometimes understand, how they are perceived, the frustrations of being over qualified for the jobs they are doing, how they fit in with the wider community, their cultural differences and many more. They all spoke of their desire to be doing things that were not only for the Polish community but were also part of the wider community. Their frankness and honesty were greatly appreciated.

Drawing along the way

In between conversations I’ve been trying to draw a bit of Hertfordshire and its people, here are two I drew with the Brushes application on the iphone; – inspired by David Hockney who has mastered this simple digital paintbox with his customary brilliance. Its nice to use because people don’t see you drawing there is a bit of privacy which I like  – and its fast.

Herts Memories

Thought people might be interested in seeing information on this website- a community archive. There’s lots of information from all over Hertfordshire, from a wide range of people. It’s another dimension to the info which we are capturing through With Our Ears to the Ground. http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk

Commuting

We spent this evening at Broxbourne Station stopping commuters to ask them about communities and commuting. Its an odd thing to stand outside the station for 2 hours during the evening rush; there are long periods of almost complete stillness intterupted by very sudden gushes of people pouring out of the station so fast that you only need blink and they’d be gone. So we had to work fast to stop a few and persuade them to speak to us after their long days work. Many people told us they had a strong sense of community and links to their community despite working away from the area; people valued the fresh air and someone explained that Broxbourne feels like the beginning of the countryside, like the beginning of what is outside London.

Young Mums

I was lucky to meet a group of very inspiring young mums at the Bowes Lyon Centre who were working hard to be make good lives for their youngsters. They had keen insight and offered glimpses of Stevenage that I’d not seen before.  I think that some of them found peoples attitudes towards them difficult, and it struck me that 50 years ago it wouldn’t have been considered that odd to be a mum at 19 – perhaps unmarried but most of these ladies have partners. How many people in their 30s are single mums and they are not singled out for criticism.

I’m nineteen, its not as if I’m walking home in my school uniform pushing my son.  They dont even know his dad works and looks after him, yet they obviously assume “teenage mum, got to come from rough background,” they just assume (and don’t) want to take the time to get to know us.

Walking to Pirton

I walked to Pirton from Hitchin Station; heading out of town and the along the Hambridge Way foot path – or at least I think that’s the way I think I went, at any rate I looked at a map and thought I could walk so followed what I thought was a good route. I did have my kick scooter with me to help me get across Hitchin and I expect some people thought I was an odd site on a child’s scooter heading up a farm track. It was a gorgeous morning and I realised that being able to walk from one town to another on country paths without every seeing a road must be rare. It really brought home the diversity of Hertfordshire. So I arrived in Pirton feeling very relaxed to meet 4 ladies,  one of whom, born in Pirton, remembered walking and cycling everywhere for miles around.  We spoke about communities old an new,  farming life in the past, how small developments of housing in a village can in fact double the size of a community and how change can be isloating for some and an exciting part of life for others.