MEMBERS of Headless Cross Community Orchard have helped celebrate Redditch by writing lines for a new poem about the town, as part of a project supported by Redditch Borough Council, due to be completed in the next few weeks.
Orchard volunteers Gabby Hemming and Alistair Waugh joined dozens of other residents and community groups to pen lines for the poem.
And this week they performed their poetry in front of the camera, for a video that’s set to be shared before the end of the year.
Community nurse Gabby said: “We’ve really enjoyed being part of this project, writing the lines and filming the video.
“It was about getting back to basics with how we feel about being from Redditch.
“The town obviously gets its name from the clay soil here, so as fans of fruit trees we just had to include the Doddin, Redditch’s very own apple variety.
“It’s such an iconic thing, our very own apple, grown here for generations – it lends itself to poetry.”
Alistair added: “It’s not just fruit trees – as a kid I was fascinated by the palm trees in the Kingfisher Centre and the fact that Redditch was the setting for TV comedy character Kevin Turvey.
“So they needed a poetic mention too. And as a music fan, I’ve always felt proud to be inspired by local musicians John Bonham and Dodgy’s Nigel Clark.”
The video is being produced by film maker Maz Salmou, a Syrian refugee now living in Bromsgrove who recently won a BBC award for his volunteering during lockdown, delivering medicines and supplies on his bike to people in quarantine.
Alongside the borough council and various community groups in Redditch who have contributed lines, this project is supported by Arts in Redditch and Bromsgrove and Redditch Welcome Refugees.
