Coldside: Junior Journalist Jaunts!

By Mark McGreehin

All aboard the Berry Train Trail with Coldside families!

In the last blog post this community journalist was gearing up for the first batch of “Film & Play” workshops with families out-and-about in Coldside green spaces. Since then, these junior journalists (not always the same each time) and I have visited six astonishing (and astonishingly varied) places right on their doorstep. Organised by fellow Changemaker Manuela de los Rios these mini trips took us all over the area. (Note: Most of the photos and video stills featured in this post were produced by the junior journalists!)

Our first stop was The Miley Nature Reserve for an almost mile-long walk (and run) through the longest and narrowest green space in Coldside. “Friends of the Miley” Tom and Mary took us through the history and nature of the space while the children took the cameras along. 

We learned (amongst many things of interest) from Tom that “It was one of the first railway lines built in Britain.” and that bats live in one of the old tunnels; we also learned that the junior journalists sound very much like echo-locating-creatures when they careen and screech in the other tunnel. 

Mary surprised us by saying she used to use the railway as a child: “I have been on a train from Lochee station to Blairgowrie on this route… [and] every day I used to walk along the path that was up next to the wall at the top of the bank while the trains were running.” 

Our next stop was The Law (hill), Dundee’s central landmark. “Friends of Dundee Law” David, Laura, Colin and Christina took us up and filled us up with some surprising facts including David’s revelation that “Everyone thinks of The Law as a volcano but it isn't. It is volcanic rock but it didn't actually erupt; the volcano it came from, it's up there in Fife. 

Also Colin told us about how “People have been using this site for thousands of years… [and]  2000 years ago we had a hillfort up here, an Iron Age hillfort. We’re standing right on where [it] used to be.” Additionally, there was a pleasing connection to the Miley as the same railway that ran along there also used to go (literally) straight through the law; unfortunately, that old tunnel is inaccessible to the public- but one of the gardens nearby does apparently still have an access hatch!

The next trail day took us to four locations; first up was the Coldside Campus Playground. You might remember it from my first blog post which featured Dundee’s Front Lounge and their hopes for this developing green space which is attached to the Coldside Campus (multiple schools housed in the same building).

We were kindly allowed access to the space and a family from Front Lounge came along with a fresh junior journalist. Front Lounge staff member Amy and our journalist then interviewed each other about their and others’ ongoing hopes and dreams for the green space which Amy summed as “All the children really want is somewhere they can hang out.” 

The second location of the day was around the corner at Forebank Pocket Park which as the name suggests it is nestled out of the way and easy to miss. The volunteer mother-daughter team who tend it and showed us around were actually some of our community journalists from the Law trip so this time the tables were turned and we interviewed them!

The pocket park fits a lot into a small space with trees, raised beds where people can grow vegetables, herbs and flowers, curved hedges to run and play in, frequent visits from local feline friend Renton the Cat and a massive old red brick wall crying out for a mural. Like so many green spaces though it needs a lot more people to care for it if it is to meet its potential; as the mother-daughter team said “[it needs] a big team effort to like clean it up.” and “[if we could] Colour the benches and the planters [it would make it] maybe more cheerful.”

After a quick bowl of hearty soup at fellow Changemakers the Maxwell Community Centre & Garden to heat up it was off to Dudhope Park. At the skatepark there, local skater and artist Blair talked to our fresh team of teenage journalists while our junior journalists tired themselves running around in the background of the camera frame. 

Blair talked with great enthusiasm about his home-away-from-home and about how it benefits the whole community. “When skateparks get built not only is it for all the wheeled sports…  as you can see behind me people just come play in the space… it's definitely one of the most welcoming open spaces I think that you find outdoors; is any skate park really.”

While at the park we popped into another Changemakers delivery partner, Uppertunity at (the 800-year-old!) Dudhope Castle, for a heat, a drink and some of their signature cakes! Their Serendipities takeaway café is open in the castle on Tuesday to Friday and is perfect for people using the park. 

Uppertunity Co-Manager and Founder Daniëlle Du Plooy gave us a warm welcome and was happy to answer our junior journalist questions. On theme with the green principles at the heart of Changemakers, she told us: “We use ingredients that might be binned or people don't think about using and we make interesting things. And we also use ingredients that are good for the planet- or try to be good for the planet- and everyone can eat it, but the secret ingredient is love.”

For our final stop of the day, we hurried up to Fairmuir Community Garden, behind the tall hedges of the old Fairmuir bowing green. It’s only open occasionally so check with them through Facebook but they are very welcoming and it’s well worth a visit.  

On our visit “Friends of Fairmuir Park” Linda, Kathryn and Mary showed us how to plant seeds in home-made biodegradable plant pots and chatted to us about how they’ve been trying a bit of everything with the space, as Linda said “You name it we've probably tried to grow it.”

Then our junior journalists swapped the cameras and tripods for shovels and wheelbarrows to help the (mostly older) volunteers bring in their season’s supply of compost much to the delight of Linda “This’ll be a big help, we've been doing this all morning!” Her words echoed a sentiment heard across many of the green spaces we visited; there is a need for volunteers and especially young people to help keep these spaces alive and vibrant.

That was the end of our first six trips where we did and learned a wide variety of things. These trips so far have been full and fulfilling and I’ve learned and experienced easily enough to write a full post about each green space, but I will be channelling this overflow into the videos about each space for the Berry Train Trail which is coming very soon!