A-gnome-nimous team bringing smiles near Long Eaton railway station!

The growing collection of gnomes on 'Gnome Man's Land' roundabout next to Long Eaton railway station

Erewash Sound interviews the team behind Gnome Man’s Land, Sawley

By Lily Wilson

At the Sawley Junction Micro Pub, Erewash Sound sat down with the team behind Gnome Man’s Land and we discussed how their project has come to life over the past few months. As they wish to remain a-gnome-nimous, I will be referring to them as a group!

The Gnome Man’s Land team have been adding gnomes to the island by Long Eaton Train Station since summer, when they were faced with a problem; a number of gnomes in their collection did not fit in with the rest of their garden. Not wanting to send them to landfill, and inspired by Freddy Fisher placing gnomes on doorsteps in Borrowash, they decided to brighten up the island in Sawley with their assortment.

Over many hours, they carefully decorate the figures with intricate designs, aiming to offer an area of colour and positivity for the community. Their efforts frequently earn positive messages from locals complimenting their beautiful work.

What began as their own small collection of gnomes in their garden has now expanded to include a gnome hospital facility. The Gnome Man’s Land team accepts gnome donations from those who get in contact with them through their social media page, but sometimes these gnomes arrive looking slightly worse for wear. When the team’s daughter suggested painting the toenails of one particularly faded gnome, she sparked the development of gnome rehabilitation, which offers repaints and restorations to the gnomes that come into their care.

Unfortunately, the team understands the prevalence of damaged gnomes all too well. A foundational moment in the history of Gnome Man’s Land occurred late one night when a drunk man walked over to the island and smashed the team’s carefully restored gnomes to pieces. They were at the scene when the distressing event occurred and watched the damage unfold.

Though the man was eventually arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct, the team were still faced with the task of cleaning up the remnants of their hard work.

This was not the first time gnomes have faced such an attack. In Ilkeston, the same fate befell many figures on Gnome Island, near the large Morrisons. Though these gnomes are gone, they are not forgotten—a witty billboard comments on their absence a few houses down from where the destruction took place.

While removing the damaged gnomes, the Gnome Man’s Land team faced a similar quandary; if the installation is at constant risk of destruction, what’s the point of maintaining it? However, when collecting the fragments of the gnomes, the team were reminded of what inspired their work, back when they first started out. Their ethos of spreading joy to the community and bringing people together helped them through this difficult time and inspired them to continue with their pursuit, coming back stronger from the loss. The Gnome Man’s Land team did not back down and continues to thrive.

From that event sprung a renewed commitment to the project, filling the island with more gnomes than before. Sand and concrete weigh the gnomes down, preventing them from falling over and adds some protection from further damage. The Gnome Man’s Land team are mindful of keeping them in the centre of the island, not wanting to put the gnomes too close to the road or cause any safety issues if a gnome were to fall into traffic.

Thankfully there has not been another incident of smashing, and though they do get the occasional negative comments on social media, they ignore the criticism. Negativity is the minority.

When they add a new gnome to the island or pick up one that has fallen over, concerned bystanders will shout at them, worried they are attempting to steal a gnome or damage the installation. When the onlookers realise they are the group behind the operation, they receive claps and waves. The team mentioned how heartwarming it is to hear how protective the community is over the gnomes, and the smiles their work inspires.

Gnome Man’s Land is invested in supporting the community in turn, hoping to promote local businesses. Alongside this, Gnome Man’s Land works alongside Duck Pond Island in Castle Donnington, sharing signs and ducks for each project.

Currently the Gnome Man’s Land team have approached the council to officially name the island and hope to get the process started soon. Erewash Sound is very excited to see how Gnome Man’s Land develops and I was thrilled to see the two newest gnomes be added to the collection; Dolly Parton and Tim Curry to commemorate the late stars. Frank-N-Furter’s fishnet tights are painted intricately in true Rocky Horror style!

Listen again to the team behind Gnome Man’s Land

Erewash Sound’s Paul Stacey took a trip to Sawley Junction micropub to chat to two anonymous people who aim to bring joy to local people, with their curated collection of gnomes displayed on the ‘Gnome Mans Land’ roundabout next to Long Eaton railway station.

Listen again to the interview on our website.