What I have achieved. My confidence and self-esteem have multiplied. I have learned to love and to be kind to myself. I was nervous about taking a leap into the unknown. I lacked confidence and felt I didn't have the capability to walk alone as I thought what my family and my neighbours would say when they see me outside alone.
One cold day last year, when we first went into lockdown, I decided in the early morning to go for a walk. As I walked in the green meadows, I heard the birds chirping and the flowers saying, “Please look at me”. I can only say how wonderful I felt to see the things Mother Nature had provided for me.
A selection of artwork created by young children and contributed to the Earth Stories project
Pype Hayes park is there all year round but come comes alive once a year for Bonfire Night, people come from all over Birmingham to watch the display.
Greeted by friendly stewards at the parks entrance you can smell the fire blazing with a hint of hotdogs and burgers cooking and popcorn popping! Our local park transformed into a winter wonderland with something for teenagers, families, children and more.
Acres of land decorated with lights, stalls and rides. As the sun sets a ginormous Bonfire blazes high, flickering high into the sky lays the backdrop for the stage show and DJ spinning crowd favourites before the infamous annual countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7... 3 ,2, 1 and the skies are ablaze! – My favourite time of the evening – red, yellow, and green fireworks shoot across the sky! Blues, oranges and white lights fly, audiences cheer and clap as the music and pyrotechnics tell stories in the air.
Birmingham residents talk about how our parks and greenspaces can be improved and integrated to serve the needs of people in the years to come.
