BBC Radio Nottingham

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News Story :: 2006-12-10 19:01:31

BBC Radio Nottingham are revisiting studentification, stimulated by a series of letters in the Beeston Express where residents have been venting their anger about what's happening in Beeston, mostly the problems being experienced by people living in the general area of the 2,000-bed purpose build at Broadgate Park. They've been looking for some-one to do a 10-day audio diary about what it's like to live in one of our neighbourhoods, etc. They couldn't find anyone to do the job in Beeston or anywhere else.

I've got more than enough on my plate at the moment, but it seemed to I had a choice of either saying I'd do the job, or else we'd have lost an opportunity to put our (NAG) case. So, I have until around the 18/19 December to record it.
 
Naturally, the BBC's idea was that since we're coming round to the end of term (15 December) the students will be in a party mood and therefore it's the best time to try and get recordings of lots of 'noise'. I pointed out to them that this isn't quite as simple as they think and that the likelihood of being able to record 'goings on' is pretty small. So, the proposal I put to Gemma Hibbard, producer of Groundswell, was that I would record my thoughts, reactions to whatever I see in my neighbourhood and elsewhere and include some chats (about 15 minutes each) with people I know who will be able to tell me in their own words how studentification is affecting their lives and their neighbourhoods and what they think should be done to help them, etc.
 
I've got about three hours' recording time to fill and I know that a good part of it will end up on the cutting room floor. However, if this is going to work, then I very much need your help and that of anyone else you know who'd be willing to talk to me. I can visit you, or you can come round and have a cup of tea with me ... whichever. But I need to get this job done and I can't do it alone. Of course I need people from Dunkirk and Lenton. But I also want to hear from you if you're in Wollaton, Lenton Abbey, Beeston, the Park, Berrymede, etc.
 
It'll be painless and anonymous (We'll use pseudonyms of your own choosing.). So please get in touch with me asap if you or one of your friends can help and ... just talk.