September 25, 2015, by Kirsty McKeown

Living in Lenton- a local resident’s perspective

What is your name and where do you live?

My name is Virginia and I live on Harrington Drive in Lenton. I’ve lived in Lenton for 21 years – I originally moved here as an undergraduate student at the university!

Why do you live in Lenton?

I like Lenton a lot; and after studying for my undergraduate and master’s degrees, I got a job with a local employer in the city centre, so it was an ideal location for commuting to work on my bike. My children also go to the local primary school (Edna G Olds Academy on Church Street), so we have lots of local friends here, and there is a great community feel amongst permanent residents. I like the many different things Lenton has to offer – the recreation ground, the Crocus Cafe, the Savoy Cinema, the Lenton Centre and the fact that I can walk into the city, shops or theatres in 20 minutes.

How do you feel about living amongst lots of students?

On the whole I like living amongst students – most are quite friendly. I had an incident a few years ago where I broke my leg outside my house, and luckily some medic students were there to help me out! We’ve had some lovely neighbours over the years, some have played football with my kids and even donated my children a football table when they moved out. But there are times when it is hard, for example when people forget about working people and school children as they shout outside our house at 3am on a week night. There are some students who seem to think Lenton is just for students and I’ve been told, when I’ve asked someone to turn their music down at a party, that I should ‘get out of Lenton and leave it for the students’, which I found really upsetting. However, most students I’ve found to be considerate. When we see all the students moving in around us on our road, I take round some home-baked cookies to welcome them and check they know when bin day is and other essentials.

How can students make Lenton a better place during their time here?

Smile and say hello to people! Nottingham is a friendly place and it really helps a sense of community if you don’t just look through people when you’re out and about in Lenton.

Say hi to your neighbours – long term residents are normally really pleased to get to know their new neighbours; and it helps security if you know who your neighbours are. My elderly neighbour is very good at keeping an eye on her next-door neighbour’s student property! Put your bins out on bin day (Thursday on Harrington Drive) and don’t leave overflowing rubbish bags in your garden as it soon gets untidy and smelly for everyone. Remember that Lenton is like any other residential area: a mix of people with different lifestyles, so please don’t be loud in the middle of the night!

Message from the Off Campus team-

Please remember your neighbours  if you have a gathering, or when you are in the street or your garden- noise can be a sensitive issue, once you have woken a neighbour up it can be hard for them to get back to sleep, and can affect neighbourly relations.  Remember you are our ambassadors in the city!

To help you remember when to take your bins out you can download a bin calendar from nottinghamcity.gov.uk/bins or by calling 0115 9152000. Nottingham City Council provides a free texting service exclusively to students to remind them when to put their bin out and when to return it back inside their property boundary. You can sign up easily at nottinghamcity.gov.uk/loveyourbin Keeping your bins in order keeps your neighbours happy too!

 

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