Memorial Roses

Interview with Judit Davis

Written by Rhian Grant

What is the Memorial Roses project?

It’s about remembrance, celebration, acknowledgement, connecting, and honouring the past, present, and the future. So that we don’t forget, throughout the pandemic and beyond, our history as black people, hundreds of years of enslavement and trauma. I also wanted something that was beautiful here. There’s Portland Square just up the road with roses which are protected. That area is maintained to such a high level. I can’t say there’s anywhere in St Pauls that has that same care given to it. We’ve got enough beauty and enough history that the same entitlement is for us. You can have beauty and connection happen everywhere. We’ve had a dream, and we need the community now to say what they would like it to grow into.

Where did the dream come from?

The idea came about during Covid, and there was so much grief, sadness, confusion, isolation. I was lucky enough to take up some gardening. There were so many funerals and we couldn’t go. And if I went out somebody would tell me about someone else who had passed. Some were people I knew, but I couldn’t even remember their faces because I’d not seen them for a long while. From that, and conversations I’d had with people in the community, and reading about black roses. People have connotations with black, but I don’t have those connotations. It’s a gift, from a new-born child you come through a dark womb into this beautiful world. And death, for some people it’s a passing on into the next life, it’s our ancestors. I thought if only there could be something to remember them by, and people who have gifted so much to our community. We’ve suffered a lot, in different ways. With black roses we can memorialise that, and show that things will carry on

Tell us about the Memorial Roses planting event in February?

On Saturday we planted the roses! About 15-20 people turned up and planted 13-14 rose trees along Grosvenor Road. We had help from the Bristol Rainforest. The Manure on the roses came from St Werburghs City Farm for free. It was a tremendous session of joy and connection. We’re going to plan another session for young people, it’s about the legacy as well. We also found out names for roses in different languages.

Where else will you plant memorial roses?

We’ve got roses on the Seventh Corner by Winkworth Place. I’m planning to put more roses in areas where they’ll flourish best. I want to make sure it’s safe, beautiful, and practical, and find out if the Council can support us to make the roses along Grosvenor Road protected, and to maintain them.

What are your future hopes for the rose bed on Grosvenor Road?

Every child deserves to live in a beautiful place. There’s lots of beautiful areas but everywhere should have the same standard. Why are we accepting rubbish and thinking that it’s ok? If the council doesn’t have the manpower, we as a community do. We take the fork, we take the spade and we get on with it. Each rose on Saturday was planted by a different individual. And Dr Flex said, “Each one of these trees is going to be beautiful because they’ve been planted with love.” My future plan is that it is blooming lovely. Flourishingly lovely. Better than Portland Square all the year round, and it’s in St Pauls!

To contact Judith for more information, or to donate, or help out, email Judith_v_davis@outlook.com