Berwick

THE GREENSES

To the north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in a natural bay you find what remains of the Greenses harbour. The sea fishermen of the Greenses and their families once lived nearby in the area known as Low Greens

Until the First World War ‘The Greenses’ were cut off from the rest of Berwick-upon Tweed by the Elizabethan Walls and formed a separate neighbourhood

Today, the identity of the area is strong and through the efforts of the Greenses Residents Committee, over the last four years, a great community spirit has been fostered.

Fund raising for local charities and the improvement of the locality has been the committee’s major interest.

Improvements to the amenities include the creating a floral feature using a small fishing boat called “The Snowdrop.”

Appropriately the boat is one of the "cobbles " that were used locally.

Close by is an interpretation board giving the history of the area, explaining, living conditions, the density of population, and indicating which buildings were once used as smoke houses by the fishing community.

An on-going development is the gardens within the area now known as ”The Haven.”
This space was once occupied by houses no 13-21 Low Greens.

A close eye is kept on what needs to be done to make the Greenses a desirable place. Improved street lighting, the provision of a post box, general maintenance of steps and pavements, are just some of the small things that the Greenses Residents Committee has effected.

	Annual events such as the “Greenses Gala” and “Santa on the Roof Top” have attracted visitors from all over Berwick. Of special local interest are seasonal functions for Burns night, Valentine’s Eve, Easter, Halloween, and St. Andrew’s Night. All are organised so that funds can be raised for local charities and at the same time something add to the quality of life in the Greenses.

Each year well over £2000 has been raised and donations from £500 to £1500 have been made to organisations that have included The Air Ambulance, The Day Hospice, the local branch of Alzheimers and The Accident and Emergency Unit of the local hospital.

A monthly Greenses News is published and placed on four notice boards and on the internet the Greenses pages on the web reaches friends around the world.

Log on to www.come.to/berwick to check out our pages on the latest happenings or drop in on the annual gala using the web cameras