A hidden oasis

Tucked away on Bilton Grange in Hermes Close is a residents' delight and wildlife haven.
An established half-acre community garden, containing a 9ft boat named HMS Hermes, graces where once stood a block of one-bedroomed flats.
Resident Stuart MacDonald (pictured) worked with estate volunteers to create the garden, after getting permission from Hull City Council and securing funding.
"Rather than let it become a wasteland, I thought why not create somewhere pleasant for local people to go," says Stuart.
The garden has an abundance of wildlife throughout the year. From tadpoles in spring, butterflies in summer, to a wide variety of colourful birds.
If you are very lucky, you could see a family of foxes, which has taken to living and playing in the area.
"They are lovely to watch," adds Stuart. " I have a security light which doesn't bother them, so I can sit and watch them play at night."
Stuart has even planted a royal connection in the garden - two crab apples, picked when he was a guest at a Buckingham Palace Royal Garden Party.

Do you have a patch of wasteland nearby, which you and local volunteers can turn into your own haven? Call 300300 for information and advice.

Blooming marvellous Spring is in the air, which means it's time to get your garden ready for Hull in Bloom 2008. The city-wide competition returns after being cancelled following last year's floods. Organised by Hull City Council, the competition encourages Hull residents and businesses to improve their local environment and community by taking pride in the way their properties look. For more information, or an application pack, visit your nearest customer service centre, call 300300, or visit www.hullcc.gov.uk Waste not, want not Its not just Bilton Grange tenants who have been hard Wincolmlee-based New George Street Residents' Association transformed, a patch of uncultivated land at the back of their maisonette block - and won Hull in Bloom's best community garden category six years running! Even if you don't want to enter the competition, but want to create a nice communal space or community garden, why not take a leaf out of Sculcoates residents' book? They cleaned up the areas surrounding Barmston Drain, Sculcoates Park and Sculcoates cemetery. Contact your local area committee or area housing office about forming your own gardening team, and who knows, maybe your community garden could win Hull in Bloom's 2009 competition!

Photography competition Thank you to everyone who entered our photography competition and to the 21 HURAT members who judged the 40 submitted entries at our March meeting. The winning shot featured the bridge over East Park lake taken by Chris Jackson, whose prize was a £50 Debenham voucher. Second prize of 50 digital prints donated by Asda, was shared by Gordon Townend, whose picture showed a bird of prey eating its dinner, and Thomas Fogel, whose picture featured deer in East Park. The winning photographs are in the next edition of HURAT News.

A day in the life

Pauline Garner finds it easy to empathise with her customers when they have their kitchens renovated - as she is having one fitted herself

Pauline is a Decent Homes customer liaison officer (CLO) working for Kingstown Works Ltd (KWL), one of Hull City Council's partnership contractors. In any one week, she could be working in more than 36 properties.
First call of the day is to Mr Rogers' home in Frome Road with surveyor Matthew Grantham.
Mr Rogers' kitchen is due to be re-fitted. Once he had chosen his new cupboards, flooring, work tops, tiles and paint colour for his walls, Matthew designed his new kitchen.
"I'm pleased with the design." says Mr Rogers. "They have managed to keep my pantry in.
"Pauline also said she will visit me again before work starts with a copy of the programme."
Pauline's next call was to Judith Melbourne, whose kitchen renovation in Ings Road is now complete, for a final check.
"I'm very happy with the kitchen," says Judith. "It was good having someone like Pauline around to talk to. I missed her when she was on holiday."
At Shirley Fuller's home, Pauline rang the office from Shirley's nearly completed kitchen and was able to confirm that workers would be there the following day to finish the remaining work.
On the way out Pauline made a note to arrange for some rubbish to be removed from the garden.
"No two days are the same," says Pauline. "I do whatever is needed by the customer and I never know what each day will bring."
After more customer visits, dropping keys off with the repair team, and arranging and delivering temporary cookers and heaters, Pauline was going home to start sorting out her own kitchen!

The £189 million Decent Homes programme aims to ensure that the city's council homes are in a reasonable state of repair with modern facilities and services by 2011.

tenant news in brief

Coffee time Acorn Residents' Association in north Hull holds two monthly coffee sessions. The School Mums' coffee morning is every second Wednesday, from 9.30am to 11.30am. The Games and Coffee Afternoon for older people is every fourth Wednesday, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. For more details, call Andrea on 859357. Tell us what's happening? Help fill this space with your tenants' and residents' association (TARA) events news, by sending it to FREEPOST NEA 11619, TARA Notice Board, Kingston upon Hull City Council: Housing, Hull, HU1 3BR. Did you know... You can report faulty streetlights to 300 300 by giving the street name, location and number of the lamp post to the operator.