On the Flats

Members of the On the Flats team

The Flats shortly before they were demolished

A local history project in Hyson Green, Nottingham

By Helen Bates

The Hyson Green History Project ‘On the Flats’ is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and run by the Radford-based charity the Partnership Council.

The project is focusing on the life and times of the former Hyson Green Flats, which were built in 1965 and demolished in 1988, as a way of exploring what life was like in Hyson Green during the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

The Flats stood where Asda does now and were, in many ways, a symbol of inner city society and culture – not just for Nottingham but for Britain as a whole.

The Flats lived through, and were a part of, many fascinating and often seminal moments in history including the Nottingham Riots of 1981.

But they were also home to a huge variety of people from all walks of life, featuring many diverse ethnicities and cultures.

One of the key things that we’ve already discovered via this project is that the Flats were famed for their amazing community spirit.

In fact, the project has helped to revive this community spirit to a large extent, as it’s being run by many ex-residents who we’re training to become Community Historians.

You only have to look at our thriving Facebook page to see what the Flats meant to people and the wonderful memories that were born there.

You can also find out more by visiting our website at www.hysongreenhistory.org or by calling us on 0115 970 8200 or by emailing helen@hysongreenhistory.org

We are currently putting together an exhibition and booklet for On the Flats, which will tell the untold stories of people who lived at, or remember, the Flats – together with reminiscences from the local area from the '60s, '70s and '80s.