Lenton Flats

LENTON FLATS: THEIR STORY Nottinghamshire Local History Association has been supporting a film project to record the ‘Life of Lenton Flats’. Rubber Goat Films (Director Sam Derby-Cooper) is a co-operative of young people who make films about social and cultural events and themes. The film they are making is in association with the Lenton Partnership Forum. NLHA made a donation to the project so that the original building plans for the flats (1960s) deposited at Nottinghamshire Archives could be copied and displayed locally, at the Crocus Café, near the flats. The exhibition at the Crocus Café was on the 10th April and was attended by a constant stream of visitors, many with vivid memories of living in the flats but also local historians, students, community workers and some of the demolition team who have co-operated with the filmmakers. A ‘taster’ of the film was run on a screen as part of the exhibition and a vertical artwork comprising concrete and other materials stood as testimony to the process of demolition and renewal.

Lenton Flats Leaflet

The 5 blocks of flats are being replaced by a low-rise development. In addition to the film ‘Rubber Goat’ has compiled ‘Life of Lenton Flats’, a book that contains information about the history of the flats and the area, and which has a variety of memories and comments. The book will be deposited at Nottinghamshire Archives to provide a long-term legacy for both the project and the history of the flats. Sam Derby-Cooper and some of the ‘team’ will be presenting their thoughts on their project and Lenton flats and showing extracts form the film at the Youth Heritage Conference at Wollaton Hall on 15th July.

The exhibition at the Crocus Café is open from 10th to 30th April – Monday to Saturday between 11am and 3pm

Chris Weir