One lady born and bred in St Ann’s says she can remember when the area was much better and worries it is suffering from neglect. With few shops, no pub, no chip shop and the loss of the once thriving Chase, Cynthia James - along with many others - are wondering when things will change.
Cynthia, 59, has lived in St Ann’s all her life. She used to be a barmaid at the now shut pub the Westminster Abbey and had attended school at Elliot Durham. Cynthia is member of Ganes, a resident community group for people in St Ann’s and told Nottinghamshire Live how unfair it is the area is lacking facilities.
She said: "Sneinton’s main street is thriving, Sherwood’s booming and West Bridgford is great, it’s packed with people sitting outside in restaurants. Why haven’t we got the same, we’re sat in the middle of those places and everywhere around us is thriving? St Ann’s is my home, I raised my child here, I just want to know what is being done."
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She said the area feels forgotten about. She feels the City Council could do more.
Cynthia said: “The City Council is in a mess and because of it, people are suffering. It’s not our mistake. If the City Council was in a better financial situation, more staff would take the pressure off."
Speaking about how St Ann’s has changed throughout the years, Cynthia recalled scenes that you wouldn't see now.
The mother of one continued said: “I remember the old doctors on Wells Road, I remember in those days, the doctors used to smoke. When I’d go in, the room was full of smoke and you could hardly see him!"
“Wells Road used to be filled with shops on either side. I.C.Discounts was a cinema before, I remember seeing Cliff Richard in the film Summer Holiday.”
Wells Road had many shops such as an old butchers and a second hand shop that are no longer there.
Cynthia continued: “I remember when the Old St Ann’s was being built because you could pick your own house and I chose one on Aster Road.” Aster Road is near to where the old bridge in St Ann’s once was.
Cynthia said her time as a barmaid at the Westminster Abbey pub - which is now Heron Foods - held plenty of memories. Cynthia reminisced: “ It was my second home, we were a community then. If you needed an electrician, plumber or gardener someone would know someone in the pub who could help.
“Elderly people would come in and if they didn’t want to drink, you’d make them a cup of tea. Elderly people came in to engage but we no longer have that community.”
Cynthia is a member of the Gladstone and Liberal Club where a lot of the other members are elderly. Cynthia feels that the older generation especially would love to see a pub in St Ann’s to engage with others.
Cynthia said: “People would just love to talk to someone instead of being at home, depressed. I understand why councillors got rid of pubs, to put them all in town so the police could manage towns all in one area but they forgot about the community, not everyone goes into town.
“The old St Ann’s was run down, yes, there was dampness in a lot of the houses but we were close knit. If you had a pound, you’d share it and that spirit has gone but I do believe it could come back.”
To improve St Ann's, Cynthia said: "I’d like to see the Chase sorted, years ago there was a consultation to ask people what we want to see in the Chase, we were let down badly.
“That Chase used to be thriving, there was a TSB Bank, there were shops all the way around, there was a chip shop and a Co-Op, now there’s nothing. The Chase is a mess.”
Labour Councillor representing the St Ann's Ward, Corall Jenkins has said: "Since elected in October 2021 I have held 4 consultation meetings on Councils proposals that will affect St Ann’s. Some were well attended others were not. "From those consultations proposals will need to be be put together for consideration by the wider council.
"Housing developments consultations have gone down well. Residents haven’t directly raised with me concerns about shops but I am aware that more shops are needed and this is something I am looking to develop and would welcome views on.
"In addition, the Council does have a consultation page and I would encourage as much residents as possible to go to the Councils consultation page and feed their views in. It’s such an important tool that I would encourage everyone to use.
"Many residents have spoken about a number of issues like street cleaning and bins which are and have been addressed and I do regular Ward walks and believe given the huge financial constraints we are working under at present, St Ann’s is fairing well under these constraints. But I will continue to fight for more local amenities for the area."
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