Hyson Green

Hyson Green
District	City of Nottingham
Shire county	Nottinghamshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NOTTINGHAM
Postcode district	NG7
Dialling code	0115
Police	Nottinghamshire
Fire	Nottinghamshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Nottingham East

Hyson Green is a neighbourhood in Nottingham, England. It is home to a variety of cultures with a thriving local economy. Hyson Green has the largest ethnic minority population in the city. Since 2006 Hyson Green has seen a larger rise in development and direct international investment than any other area of Nottingham. According to new research Hyson Green has the fastest GDP growth in Nottingham.

Hyson Green is spread over Berridge and Arboretum wards of Nottingham. While the local economy is improving, child poverty remains higher than average, as listed in Nottingham City Council's ward profiles.

The area is served by Radford Road tram stop and Hyson Green Market tram stop on the Nottingham Express Transit. The opening of the tram system has boosted Hyson Green's profile and helped to regenerate the area.

History

In 1875, Hyson Green was a few streets of houses mainly between the tram lines on Radford Road and the Hyson Green Works, a brass foundry, on Gregory Boulevard. There was open country between the settlement and Scotholme House in New Radford. The terraced frameknitters houses had generous gardens. In addition to the foundry there was a lace factory, an Anglican church with attached school and two Methodist Chapels. In Bedford Square and Radford Court (both demolished) were groups of back to back cottages.

By 1912, this was a area of gridiron streets with densely packed small terraced houses. The generous gardens of the previous generation had been infilled with rows of small cottages This had become a classic slum, with high infant mortality and a strong self-supportive community.

On the flats

The Hyson Green Flats were built in 1965 and demolished in 1988. They were a well-known landmark in their day and many people really enjoyed living there- due to a great deal of community spirit. There were 593 individual flats and maisonettes. They had a kitchen, separate bathroom and toilet and communal underfloor central heating.

Councillor Marcia Watson reminices:

High rise was popular then. People weren’t fussy back then. The view was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I loved it…for me, moving in and living there, it was the first home of my own.

Nottingham City Council had built these high-rise and deck access developments using major contractors, notably Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow, who built an off-the-peg schemes. There were defects of these estates and legislative and economic changes which were also afflicting disproportionately the communities which lived in council rented accommodation. There was dissatisfaction with the council as landlord in this period and their repair schedules. By 1981, renting a council house was less than aspirational.

1981 riots in Hyson Green

Further information: 1981 England riots

In 1981, there were serious riots across many major cities in England, including Nottingham on the weekend of 10th to 12th July. The main motives for the riots were related to racial tension and inner-city deprivation, together with a distrust of the police and ‘authority’ in general. The riots started on the Friday night on the Radford Road in response to a huge build up of police presence, and moved over to the flats in the early hours of Saturday morning. On the Saturday night the riots moved to the city centre when racists from outside the town had attacked blacks under the cover of the riots. The fighting began as a confrontation with the police using stones and petrol bombs, with shop windows only being broken ‘accidentally’ – but looting developed later; the rioters were always of mixed races, ages, employed and unemployed.’ Petrol bombs were made and thrown but an early attempt to torch the flats was successfully resisted by the residents. Over 100 people were arrested by the police, but only one man was charged.

Housing after the flats

The cleared area was used for an Asda superstore and low rise, lower density housing.

Geography

Adjacent to The Forest tram stop is the Forest Recreation Ground, which holds the annual Nottingham Goose Fair and frequent sport matches on the grass pitches. There is a small playground, and several astro-turf pitches. The recreation ground was a race course in Victorian times. Local facilities include a library, now situated in the Mary Potter Centre. The former library building dates from approximately 1890 and has always been a free library.

Local economy and religion

Radford Road in Hyson Green is a busy shopping road outside of the city centre. Radford Road is home to two major Asian supermarkets . dozens of ethnic eateries, supermarkets, jewellers, book shops, barbers and general stores with business owners from Poland, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Arab world, Somalia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Nigeria, Spain, Kurdish regions, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. There is also an Asda that sells Halal food.

Muslim Hands has a fundraising office here, Al Ain and Orphans in Deen have premises.

The local area has a Czech Republic Church, a Russian Orthodox Church, Nigerian Church, 2 Gurdwara, 3 Hindu temples, a Buddhist temple and 11 Mosques.

• St. Paul's Church, Hyson Green
• St. Stephen's Church, Hyson Green
• Hyson Green Youth and Community Centre

Transport

Nottingham City Transport

• 80: Nottingham - Canning Circus - Hyson Green - Basford - Bulwell.
• L12: University Campus - QMC - Hyson Green - City Hospital Island.
• L14: Nottingham - Canning Circus - Hyson Green - City Hospital - Basford - Bulwell.

Nottingham Express Transit

• Tram: Nottingham - Hyson Green - Basford - Bulwell - Hucknall.
• Tram: Nottingham - Hyson Green - Basford - Phoenix Park.

Education

The closest secondary school is the Djanogly City Academy. On the edge of the district are Scotholme Primary and Nursery School, the two Berridge Primary and Nursery Schools and in New Radford, St Mary's RC Primary School.

Famous people

• Tom Blower (1914–1955), swimmer born in Hyson Green
• Fred Geary (1868–1955), the Everton and England footballer was born in Hyson Green. He started his career with Notts County.

External links

• "Hyson Green History – www.hysongreenhistory.org: Links". hysongreenhistory.org.uk.