Articles and Conversations
What makes a SMURF?
SMURF tried to consult all sorts of people from local communities to get an idea of what people want from the River. Local conservation volunteers were particularly interested and knowledgeable. One of these people is Norman Ball, from the Perry Bar community group. He explains how he got involved in local conservation work.
Well I guess I'm the most unlikely smurf you could find. A smurf is small, with bright coloured clothes, turned up shoes, etc.
I'm 6'3'', more than likely camouflaged up with big flat feet, creeping around looking for wildlife that's escaped the urban jungle.
I think I started turning into a smurf about 3 years ago, when I was walking around my local park (Perry Hall) and I noticed MAN WITH CLIPBOARD! He was noting what was to be done in the park. HA! Trees to be pruned, grass to be cut. "But what about the moat?" I said, noting it was full of debris and stinking. "WE DON'T DO WATER" he replied.
Well this made me angry as I remembered my happy days spent, as a boy, on the paddleboats, fishing. It was my holiday playground, everything wrapped up in one package. This moat is all that's left of my memories. So I ran to my house, pulled my waders from the shed, back to the moat, jumped in (it's OK, it's only 3ft deep).
Weeks and weeks of raking resulted in piles and piles of debris. Monuments to years of neglect.
With no help from the council I carried on. In the end they had to get skips to take away the rubbish. I'm sure they would have filled it in and turfed it over if they had their way, as it would be less trouble. There's been a house on that site (surrounded by the moat) since the Doomsday records. It was given to the council in the 1920s. 13 years later it was demolished. Enough said.
Then the good parts started to kick in. Local people started to come round and say how nice it looks now. They told me all their memories of the past. Then people started donating plants and fish from their ponds. Older citizens gave me money to buy plants and said, "We would be there in the water if we could."
Carp, goldfish and koi were introduced and thrived. Luke, my mate, introduced frogs, newts and toads. White crayfish have been introduced by a local who dives. We get nesting birds, including geese, swans, coots, moorhens and little grebes. We've also seen herons, kingfishers and wagtails around the moat. Local people like feeding birds and this helps in nature conservation.
However, it's not all plain sailing. Some people throw rubbish and take plants from the margins. But overall I get a great satisfaction from doing my little bit. And just recently I received a grant of £700 from SITA (you have to be careful how you pronounce that). Many thanks to Betty who took the photograph and sent it off.
So now, after three years of messing about in water I finally changed into a smurf. All thanks to the man who said "WE DON'T DO WATER".
PS. If you see a small gaily clothed man staring out onto the water, take pity, it's me!
Norman Ball, Perry Bar, Birmingham
March 2004
