This tree in The Square is like a weighted blanket calming my mind as I stare up at it. Photo / Judith Lacy
This tree in The Square is like a weighted blanket calming my mind as I stare up at it. Photo / Judith Lacy
OPINION:
It's one of those facts about Palmerston North I struggle to get my head around - the main trunk railway line used to run through the centre of The Square.
Imagine the noise, the soot, the dangers, the vibrations, the lack of flora and fauna.
As early as 1920,the government resolved to divert the railway. Work on the Milson deviation began in 1926, but it wasn't until 1963 that rail traffic was entirely removed from the middle of town, City at the Centre: A History of Palmerston North records.
Now imagine The Square as a shopping mall, apartments or a stadium. Not a desirable imaging is it.
We're lucky to have this green space in the centre of the city and, while like any public space there are irritations, without The Square the city would be a square peg in a square hole.
I was going to start my jottings about The Square proper with observations about how i-Site's frontage lets people know it is open and welcomes visitors. I'd checked isite.nz and it said Te Papaioea Palmerston North i-Site Visitor Information Centre was open Sundays 9am-2pm. Alas, it isn't open Sundays as I found out when I arrived. Those jottings will have to wait.
The best and worst of words are on display in The Square this sunny Sunday. I love the Palmy proud banner but I was shocked by the obscenities on the concrete wall at the end of the bus stop. The bottle on top of the Mother of the Fallen statue at the cenotaph is just dumb.
It was great to see The Square being so well used by families, teenagers hanging with friends, and individuals just wanting a break.
When I taught English to adults, The Square was an outside classroom. We'd use chalk to draw the alphabet on the concrete, the flower beds to name the colours, and the chessboard for learning directions. One of my favourite memories is when my class came across a French backpacker and they were able to ask him some basic questions.
You do have to be alert to e-scooters in The Square. I've decided they are good for keeping your brain alert as they come from all directions and it's easier than a cryptic crossword. I wasn't sure whether to applaud the young man who was using a milk crate as a seat on an e-scooter or be appalled.
Does anyone else dream trees can talk to you, lift you up to float in the clouds, or calm you like a weighted blanket? There are some beauties in The Square, particularly those behind the basketball hoop.
Definitely, the worst thing about the centre of Palmerston North is the bird poo in the Rangitīkei and Main St West sections. I've jotted and plotted about this before. I've knotted my brow as I've trotted in disbelief that we continue to put up with the smell and unsightliness. Perhaps it's time the council held an al fresco meeting in Poo Corner.
Yes, I love trees but you have to be pragmatic. I also love sheep and roast lamb.
The stone footpaths are ghastly, though they will hopefully be replaced as the revamp of The Square continues.
Gosh, I made the clocktower lean. Photo / Judith Lacy
I love the flowers, the use of the screen above i-Site for public service announcements, and the public toilets. They and the clock tower deserve their own jottings.
The Square is a site of relaxation, protest, commemoration and most of all celebration.
Palmy's biggest party of the year, the Festival of Cultures, was cancelled this year. The white tents didn't go up, the colourful attire was not donned. As I look wistfully over the green swath, I can almost taste the pineapple and cream combo. And it won't be sprinkled with coal soot.
