International Women's Day 2010 celebrated on Albion Parade

International Women's Day installation on Albion Parade N16

The somewhat dreary little garden on Albion Parade, which is just on the edge of Newington Green Action Group's catchment area, was considerably brightened up by an installation which included a tree and park bench being covered by knitting and crochet by the Stoke Newington Women's Institute.

Shoppers and local residents were woken up to this little garden, pleased and surprised to find this happy celebration of some traditional women's skills that have been so colourfully turned into art. Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the earliest feminists, who lived and taught at a girls' school on Newington Green in the late 1780s, would be interested to see how far her then radical ideas have helped to change the lives of present day women - in many but not all countries, at least.

Perhaps this will inspire local people not only to celebrate women and their skills but also to galvanise them into finding ways to  regenerate this little garden.

Mary Wollstonecraft Memorial

The Newington Green Action Group would like to erect a memorial sculpture to Mary Wollstonecraft on Newington Green and we would welcome anyone who is interested in helping us to bring this about, to contact us here.

8 March 2010