PART TWO-- THE BALSALL HEATH ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND/BIRMINGHAM.
 BRUM
THE BACKGROUND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVENTURE PLAY IN BIRMINGHAM This photograph above shows a float created by children at the Adventure Playground for the 1965 Sparkbrook Carnival. The galleon, named 'The Adventure,' won first prize in the float competition. The Sparkbrook Association's interest in child development and welfare led to the opening of a number of playgroups. Playgroups were places mothers and fathers could bring their children to play alongside others and could release them from the cramped conditions of their domestic environments. In a letter to the Birmingham Post, the Adventure Playground Sub-committee proposed that an adventure playground could supply the needs of children growing up in an environment beset by problems such as overcrowded housing and a lack of a 'sense of belonging' to the community. As well as providing a space where children could learn how to build and grow through imaginative and creative play, the playground enabled children to develop new relationships and a sense of responsibility for the place they had collectively developed. Due to a need for more space the playground reopened on Farm Road on 31st May 1968. Local children were given an hour off school to test the soundness of the equipment before the Whitsun holiday stampede - hundreds took part, shooting down slides, scaling climbing frames and swarming over the play dome. As well as providing a place for play, the new adventure playground was recognised as playing an important role in "countering racial discrimination by giving children of all ethnic backgrounds the opportunity to play together". The Sparkbrook Association's approach towards improving the living conditions for local residents and countering racist attitudes incorporated a number of creative solutions which showed the critics of Commonwealth migration that people from different backgrounds could live together and enrich each others' lives. It was a subtle but well-intentioned strategy which attempted to involve Sparkbrookians, both old and new, in the reshaping of public perceptions of the place they called home. Prior to the establishment of the Association, Dr Barrow is reported to have found children of about 2 or 3 years old unable to walk properly because their only play area in multi-occupied homes was the bed. Lack of space was recognised as having a detrimental effect upon the physical and educational growth of children and the Association succeeded in obtaining grants from the Save the Children Fund to create four play centres. The provision of welfare services by the Sparkbrook Association represent gains for social justice for people in Sparkbrook who were experiencing social and economic hardship mainly as a result of their environment. Although these gains were small and localised, they were significant. In providing space to play, overcome isolation, and promote 'family life', the Sparkbrook Association provided innovative and practical solutions which contributed to an improved quality of life for many local people. After the initial success of the sparkbrook playground other similar schemes soon followed first at Handsworth where the Handsworth Adventure Playground soon become an important part of the local community and then at Balsall Heath. I chased that childhood laughter down streets of cobbled stones where dogs were barking daily where no strangers walked alone i watched the joy at daybreak the sighs of mothers all the shouts of merriment at play the joy of childhoods call i heard the thrill of fun and games the spinning of the tops the skipper's of the rope's that spun the little Goldilocks the boys at footy games and cheers when they scored within their posts of coats ans jumpers scattered there afore they all eloped for love was born in poverty where charity was mourned when children played at kiss n chase with shoes so old n worn down dusty streets they played each day then beneath the lamp at night where moon and stars they shone so bright upon their old community so sprite were playing happily. I applied for the post of play leader for Balsall Heath Community Association in late 1969. The Balsall Heath Community Associations patron was Sir Paul Cadbury of the Cadbury/Bourneville organisation. I was interviewed for the position at the local Clifton road primary school in the late autumn of 1969 and appointed shortly thereafter. The Balsall Heath Association offices were situated in the Mount Pleasant Community Centre adjacent to the U.Ks first comprehensive school. It was where Gwen Blandford of the Balsall Heath Association worked as school counsellor. Balsall Heath. The area of Balsall Heath included neighbourhoods stretching from Moseley village including Sparkbrook. It consisted of old Balsall Heath with its old slum areas of housing bordered by mount pleasant with its new community centre and comprehensive school. Moseley road with its old municipal public baths,the churches of St Pauls,Church of christ,St Barnabus and indian picture house. The area had its own mosque at mount pleasant road and a popular market stalls parade in ladypool road. Which was a beautiful setting for such mixed cultures, here one could buy anything from indian sari cloth materials to a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Here there was also a shady side with child prostitution and roads such as Woodstock road which was a red light district. Crime was also prevalent though most of it petty, though there were car theft and house burglaries along with common assaults usually upon the Asian community. Petty crime amongst the young was seen as a cultural problem. (just like the country child scrumping apples) Where as here the kids tattied from empty houses,which was stealing copper n lead wire etc. Or they stole from the market stalls in ladypool road. There were stories of babies eaten by rats, or left abandoned in phone booths by young mums, along with stories of kids on the run from the authorities. Moseley was well known for its drug culture and student population. My first day on the job and the initial contact with the street kids of the community was on a damp cold evening. I stood where the street lamps shone outside the site. A smalI group of teenage lads were idly playing a game of dare, each trying to edge the others to smash the street lights with nearby handy pebbled stones. Whilst they ran in and out of the wasteland, as they did so, playing a sort of adhoc game of chase. I stood in the shadows watching them for a while and then when they became aware of my presence I strolled over and introduced myself. I recall telling them of my appointment and my desire to with their assistance to build an adventure playground on this wasteland. I told them that I hoped it would be a place where they could meet regularly, build camps, dens and hideouts.To build play structures of timber for climbing and swinging from. A place to light supervised campfires and cook.But most important this would be their place. The lads sported shaven heads as was the fashion (skinheads) they told me their names were Brendon,Tommy and Sam. (Mathews). I noticed that they constantly spat as they talked, perhaps an indication of their street credibility in this area of the city where kids had to live up to their reputation. In sharp contrast to them I was just a few years their senior and a country lad with long shoulder length hair. Ladypool rd school In the evenings I would visit the streets of old balsall heath with Margaret Selby the community worker, on her regular visits to meet families. Here the kids of all ages would play skip and ball games on the cobbled stoned alleys in the light of the old street lamps, between the rows of terraced corporation houses. Here there was always lots of noise of kids voices,parents arguing and dogs barking till late at night. Conker games were also very popular still. The dangers to children were a concern with the risks of falls, accidents, or the health risks of infections like impetigo, which was caused by the intense demolition dust. We danced and played the cobbled streets hard brick and stone beneath our feet our homes were terraced all in line red bricks back yard and washing line our lights were gaslight our rhymes were free we played games in our street so merrily we spun those tops and ropes of string we hopped and skipped around the ring though the dogs did bark the cats meowed when the nights were dark to play out late then was not allowed the boys played soccer ball with goal posts of caps and shirts the girls played chase though some got hurt for the streets were not so noisy then we skipped and ran we hopped and chased when we were young n knew our place. The playground was to become a place where kids could let off steam and release their energies constructively, An escape from poor housing, poverty and neglect. The playground became the place to build camps and dens. The older kids built tall wooden forts containing a brick chimney fireplace. Here they cooked meals and entertained friends. Wooden ramps were created, zigzagging across the site, for games of chase across constructed earthen play mounds. Scattered around the site children created small wooden dens, both below and above ground. Many of these were ingeniously constructed and contained hidden trap doors and underground tunnels in between all the dens. Many were built in warm days or evenings and often treasured in the cold winter months that followed. The adventure playgrounds many visitors included the Bishop of Birmingham, who christened the playgrounds leaning tower, this was made from wooden duck board pallettes, the Bishop called it "The tower of Babel”. The Bishop turned down my invitation for him to attempt to climb it. Strange characters would turn up unexpectedly. Such as a maladjusted young man who was seen as a kind of village idiot and though he would initially be mocked by the kids and yet was quickly accepted. The local clergyman the Rev Bill Loundes from St Barnabus church was now a regular visitor at the site. To many of the kids he was a sort of uncle figure, greatly respected and admired especially by the skinhead youths, due to his appearance of bovver boots, craggy looks, grey beard and black cloak. Bill Loundes would often be seen walking the streets of the community, visiting families, often late at night and in all weathers. In the snowy winter months he could be seen reading his large bible, sat in the grounds of Moseley local park and oblivious to the severe weather conditions and snow blizzards. Miss Margaret Selby the Council of churches community worker was very active in the area. (in later years Margaret was to become Dame Margaret Selby and Dean of Aston University). Both of these individuals were great encouragers and support to me and to become very good friends of mine. The Donnelly family were also of Irish descent, catholic,with roots in southern Ireland. I would often be invited to Eugene Donnelly’s homei n clifton road for supper.This was particulary refreshing after a long day at the playground and one of the many youth clubs I led. This was also the case also with many other Balsall Heath families. The local clergyman the Rev Bill Loundes from St Barnabus church was now a regular visitor at the site. To many of the kids he was a sort of uncle figure, greatly respected and admired especially by the skinhead youths, due to his appearance of bovver boots, craggy looks, grey beard and black cloak. Bill Loundes would often be seen walking the streets of the community, visiting families, often late at night and in all weathers. In the snowy winter months he could be seen reading his large bible, sat in the grounds of Moseley local park and oblivious to the severe weather conditions and snow blizzards.
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During winter months kids would make go cart and sledges used for sliding down the severe steep mount pleasant hill to the mosque below, which was the first in the UK . Snow ball fights and sledging were also popular in edward road outside the police station in old Balsall Heath. 
| I , Trips out and holidays. .
   Balsall Heath kids 1969.
A group of children from the playground went with me to Wales at the log cabin Rowntree Trust centre and others went on a trip camping by a house in the lake district. On rare occasions I took children on days out to visit the Notting Hill adventure playground in London. On such occasions it was obvious many had never seen a cow or even an electric pylon and London for them was a real experience. Doctor Who (donated by the towns student carnival committee) this was operated and lit up by a large car battery. Street gangs.
Obtaining regular supplies of building materials for the playground was a constant need and we were dependent on the good will of the Birmingham’s city corporations demolition gangs who delivered wooden beams and floorboards prior to their dismantling of the slums. Parental support for the playground and its activities was strong considering all their housing difficulties. A strong parents support group was formed which met at in a room in edward road police station with support from the police community officer. This trust and support of the local parents was instrumental in the playgrounds success, as was the help of volunteers and local traders. The Free School. I was also active in old balsall heath assisting with the formation of one of the country’s first Free school and play scheme which was run by student groups. I would spend hours talking to kids on the streets surrounded by houses being demolished and aware of the dust and horror of rats which were in abundance. Each week I would collect groups of children from their family homes and escort them to the Sunday school service at St Barnabus church, then return them all home safely later. All such trips I considered an essential part of the adventure playgrounds life.Margaret Selby the community worker who lived in sandford road Moseley and worked for the Council of Churches was aware that this role of play leader was a way of life. It was demanding, hard work and yet was extremely rewarding. The play leader’s role on the playground was not in fact to lead, despite the title, the play leader was more of an enabler, providing opportunities for children to become involved. In the evenings I would also attend play leaders meetings within other adventure playgrounds in the city and we would often work on projects town wide. As a member of the newly formed Midlands play association, the adventure playgrounds workers association and the N.P.F.A play leaders group, I was well aware of the needs and issues in playwork,the N.P.FA regional officer for the midlands at that time was Nick Bamforth.
The Firewood Service. The playgrounds wooden slat fence was easily stripped by local vandals, or those intent on breaking in to the playground at night. It was becoming a problem especially when huge gaps were appearing everywhere. Despite us replacing the wood this continued to happen. Speaking with the children it became obvious that they were not to blame as some children then told me an old lady with a pram was doing it. Yet at the time I found this explanation somewhat hard to believe.
Then one winter’s night I hid out in a side alley close to the playground and waited. Then I saw her old lady with the pram with a hammer in her hand she was stripping the wood from the fence and placing the strips in her pram. I moved cautiously towards her and asked her what she thought she was doing. She answered "im getting some firewood". I explained to her that this was the kid’s playground fence; she seemed surprised and offered to return the wood. I took her address and assured her that I would arrange fresh supplies of firewood for her. So began the adventure playgrounds firewood services for pensioners. The playground kids would break up spare wood and sack up and then deliver to local pensioners on a regular basis during winter months. An idea that I had originally undertaken at Redditch holiday play scheme. David Colliers Double Zero Club.
Whilst attending the in service youth course with Howard Squires of Birmingham Youth Service in the evenings, which were based at Bourneville. I met up with the Revd David Collier. David operated a youth club in his church hall in Wolverhampton which was called "The Double Zero”. The church altar was made from motorbike parts, for David was a bike enthusiast, his club was attended by the local chapter of greaser lads or hells angels. I recall seeing them in their church hall swinging on the ropes and throwing buckets of water to let off steam. This chapter ran an emergency blood transfusion service for the local hospital.
Tatting lead.
One evening when I was leading the youth club at the church of Christ hall in Moseley road, I was aware that one of the youths (Billy) was a long time in the toilets. We discovered him in the process of removing the lead from the church roof. As the lad was already on probation the vicar and I made an arrangement to help him if he was agreeable. The lad (Billy) became a regular helper at the youth club and the adventure playground. Such stories were common place whilst I was in Balsall Heath. A common reminder of the mixed cultures and the need to find alternative avenues for this young people.  In the summer the army came to the site to bolt together the playgrounds fencing. However they came the worse for drink as the local clifton pub was more of an attraction. to them and we had to dismiss them.
The playground tower and UB40.
The proprietors of the Clifton Public House in Clifton road were extremely helpful in raising playground funds with raffles and collections, or donations of crisps and pop. One of their sons was to become a member of the famous pop group UB40, his name is Norman Hassan, he was one of the founder members. A cheeky little half English, half Arab kid who is still with the group, he was always at the adventure playground in those days. Stevenage adventure playground and stayed at my employer David Kershaw’s home. There was also the creativity involved; wherby individuals and teams become more imaginative and skilled with tools. Creating ladders, ramps, doors, windows, hatches, fireplaces and brick chimneys. In such ways the adventure playground became a practical learning and educational resource. It thrived with ingenuity and creativeness, it was enriched and unique. The sense of worth, self esteem felt within individuals and its members spread throughout the scheme. BIRMINGHAM DAYS. On cobbled streets the children played The ropes they spun and the hands they waved The lights were old and gas lit and the terraced houses were not fit for human use the families were large and neat often the kids had nothing on their feet but they were happy in their ways and i collected and took them to dorset for holidays they were Irish, English, Pakistani and west Indies bred they were rare kids and easy led the neighborhood was rough and uncouth but they made me welcome thats the Truth it was the sixties bill and Ben Harold lived at number ten the roads were busy and the winters cold snow was falling and the copper and lead was sold the ladypool road market was so bustling colourful and alive and the kids all knew me well as well as their fathers and their wives the skinheads were all of the rage along with ice tops and page three babes we had a 16 foot dalek on our playground site courtesy of the BBC and students rag day jamboree it was battery driven and lit up at night the vicar bill wore a goatee beard plus bovver boots and the skins all cheered thought he was cute the springtime tulip festival was a great city pride i took 300 kids there free for a ride the greasers came from rev colliers double zero club and threw the naughty skins into the parks big tub rows of dirty kids sat in the st Paul's church one Sunday and the vicar played his guitar for free. In the hot summer sunshine tiny tots came to the playground with buckets and spades to dig in the sandy play mounds or assist their elders/peers with the play dens. Many girls decorated the little wooden houses with curtains and carpets. This all added variety to the assortment of dens which were now springing up all over the site. Little Indian girls came in groups, shy and hesitant. Pretty in their colourful summer outfits, playing games of skipping, holding hands or standing close to me for protection. Through my street work I met up with many groups of lads who played adhoc football on any vacant land. Forming a local league of teams from the neighbourhood, before I managed a local Asian football team known as the hertford explorers. These lads aged from 11 to 14 years of age were extremely talented. Asian boys like Mukara Khan, Jazzbear Singh, Shar Singh, Mann Singh, Talah Mohad and Vipar Komar. They played football on the side streets or wastelands of hertford and malvern road, close to the adventure playground. Shortly after their story was made into a film called "The Fourteen". "The vibe has changed. When we started you could take eight kids out of Balsall Heath and they would have been a multiracial group of kids," he says. "If you did it now you'd have a bunch of black kids, or a bunch of white kids, or a bunch of Indian kids, or a bunch of Somalian kids. Birmingham was known for being multiracial - anyone could have a good time in Birmingham. It's very segregated now. It's the same all over Britain."Campbell.
See UB40
During the days on the site we held regular camp building contests with prizes for best built dens. During the summer months the adventure playground resounded with the sounds of children hammering and sawing right into the evenings, creating a vast number of dens and small wooden boxed miniature houses. The Matthews brothers Sam and Robert were always regular attendees from the start. In later years Robert would visit me at
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| They were hidden by local kids and occassionally slept in the adventure playgrounds hut and fed by the kids. Eventually they were discovered and following media coverage they were all adopted by a Cornish family and lived on a farm in Cornwall.
Tulip Festival Outing.
  There were many great occasions and events which occurred whilst I was leader at Balsall Heath playground. During one hot summers day I had organised an outing for all the kids to the Birmingham tulip festival at Cannon Hill Park in Sparkbrook. After a great deal of heated discussions with the local N.P.F.A dept and the support of N.P.F.A s Drummond Abernethy I was given free admittance to the event from Birmingham Corporation. This was for a large group of over 200 children and leaders.
I was privileged to escort the group through the street of balsall heath and then downhill to the park. It was a bright hot sunny day and one I will cherish, when children from the poorer areas of the city were able to enjoy the occasion of the city festival. Despite the large numbers of children we had few problems, many parents came as supervisors. The children were thrilled by the motorbike riders who rode through flaming hoops and all the tulips on display. We did lose one small boy Billy Jevons but he was found in the lost children’s booth and quickly rejoined us.
Handsworth Adventure Playground. During my time at Birmingham I also attended numerous Play meetings at the Handsworth Adventure Playground. Which was going through many difficulties with vandalism. Its leader John Huff spent many hours at my home and on the Balsall Heath Adventure playground. st pauls
Songs of Praise B.B.C TV.
One Sunday I was invited to bring the playground kids to a special televised service at St Paul’s church. I collected them from their homes, around 80 in all and escorted them to the church in moseley road. The new modern vicar welcomed us and we were led to the front of the church and the children sat on the floor in front of the aisle. Much to the embarrassment of many parishoners. Many of the kids were poorly dressed and looked a motley crew. They joined in the pop style hymn singing and were involved in the service by the vicar.
   Each year on November the fifth the playground continued to have its bonfire and fireworks event. So many parents assisted with these events many contributing refreshments and fireworks.
One autumn a local boy Billy Jevons went missing and their was a wide search and media coverage led by next door neighbour Mrs Pat Henry one of the playgrounds mums. Eventually Billy was found by a local Indian lad, riding the area on his bike Billy was found by him sleeping beneath a tree in the park at moseley. Billys family was greatly relieved. I visited them shortly after Billy was returned home and they became close friends of mine.
Y.M.C.A Party for deprived children.
 One particular Christmas time, when I was staying at the Birmingham Y.M.C.A hostel at snow hill and whilst a member of their social committee I was instrumental in organising a kids party at the Y.M.C.A and compeered the event. The party catered for 200 children from the poorer parts of the city. I brought 80 children from the playground.
Xmas appeal Daily Express.
Another project was to make use of a deserted former dentist’s surgery, as a meeting place for local youths. What to do about the problem of skinhead gangs became a big issue by the Birmingham Mail at this time.With a high profile on the problem with detatched youths. At the direction of the Rev Alan Wright the playground chairman I met up with many of these youths and persuaded the youths to assist me on a new project. The house was in Ladypool road and held lots of possibilities. This detached project was to become a major success. Initially we visited the neighbours and told them what we were doing, before digging up and tidying the back garden of the property. Rubbish was cleared from the building, services were put back on, floorboards repaired and a coal fire was lit. We carpeted the floors etc. The local police were welcomed to visit and given mugs of tea along with clergy and community leaders. A local tramp was made welcome by the youths and would often sleep overnight. The local skin head youths played darts, cards and chatted here for many hours throughout the winter. CITY BACKSTREETS. the alleys where the kids did play the rows of terraced houses the street light across the way i remember the cobbled streets the little alleyways the girls with curly hair the cold and bitter winter days i remember the tat man the coal man who would call the streets were full of laughter the bouncing bats and balls i remember the city bullring the mount pleasant hill we walked the weekend ride to malvern hills the brummys and their talk i remember the ladypool road market the indian bazaars i loved the cannon hill park the tulip festival and boats the zoo and bbc pebble mill theatre in my head i took these notes i remember the skinheads the lads who loved to play the adventure playground was full then in the summer holidays.
Children growing up in such communities had to contend with many illegal attractions and temptations. The lifestyles in such communities often encouraged petty crime as an acceptable way of life. Often these areas were a breeding grounds for delinquency. Once the child has a police record or probation they are prone to get caught up in the wider world of crime. Thus often the young offender meets up with others and criminals who are more heavily involved. If the young offender is not deterred and his circle of criminal friends is not broken away from he will most probably drift into an unhealthier lifestyle. Leading eventually to stronger sentences. Therefor the need for more positive healthy pursuits from an early age is paramount. Ways needed to be found and avenues to direct them to more constructive and positive pursuits to enhance their childhood years. The adventure playground concept was in my view one of the best means of achieving this by encouraging young people to seek constructive outlets for their vibrant energies and throughout their leisure periods. Thursday meetings at the vicarage in Woodstock road. Early each Thursday morning, I would call at the home of the Rev Bill Loudness at St Barnabus rectory in Woodstock road. Here I would attend, indulge in and participate in special large cooked breakfasts and large mugs of fresh coffee. These occasions were in the company of a variety of community leaders. These were fun occasions and would often last for hours on end. Here many local and national issues were discussed, often heated debates. Amongst other community leaders such as Canon Schiff, Margaret Selby, Rev Alan Wright, Rev Bill Loundes and Mrs Loundes.
The March of Faith. During my time at Balsall Heath I was involved in a "March of Faith" parade from Balsall Heath to the Birmingham city centre. Here we would attend a special open air service where all faiths and religious denominations joined together in prayer.
Six years of age shes turning the page daisy chains made words of a sage picture book ryhmes shes telling the time shoe shine girl in pretty blue dress
robins in nest childhood so blessed skip and a test those days were the best hopscotch and run freedom what fun hair fair in curls bracelets and pearls curtsies and twirls
sunshine and showers happiest hours ribbons and bows my how time goes
marbles and chase pretty of face trimmings and lace strawberries taste ice cream and tears wonderfull years.
By the time I had left Balsall Heath the adventure playground had its own permanent (Banbury buildings) play hut building. This buildings costs were donated by Paul Cadbury of the Cadbury Trust who was patron of B.H.A and the playground was now well established. For it now had a strong membership of regulars and an active parents group along with strong links in the community and a wealth of resources. The adventure playgrounds next leader was Robert Wheway who was well known in Birmingham as the organiser of the Sparkbrook Festival. Rob was in later years to become regional Midlands play officer for the N.P.F.A.
Two of my playground assistants at balsall heath, Brian Shaw and Mike Halward, become adventure playground leaders in their own right in later years at the Triangle London and Berkshire playgrounds. I left the balsall heath adventure playground in the knowledge that the Venture had become a reality. I was destined to establish adventure playgrounds in other communities eleswhere.
 During my years at Balsall Heath I had been fortunate in developing a reputation of somehow attracting hordes of kids as if by magic. People like the B.H.A Social Administrator had said that if I was on the streets kids would suddenly arrive as if from nowhere, I was seen as a kind of pied piper. This was not magic however, but years of effort in meeting kids on the streets, building relationships and trust, in their family homes, schools and on the play projects. Getting to know the total child as an individual was essential. So that by the time I left I knew most of the kids of the neighbourhood and their parents as friends. In later years the playground at balsall heath was shown on B.B.C TVs Pebble Mills magazines showcase education programme. These programmes focused on a tempory adventure playground built by balsall heath children in the grounds of the b.b.c centre at Sparkbrook. (Pebble Mill). The programme was conducted under the professional guidance of my friend and colleague Nick Balmforth of the N.P.F.A. Children from balsall heath were actively involved in the filming. These series of programmes entitled "Jubilee Street Playgrounds" focused on the need for adventure playgrounds and play schemes nationally. A special edition of a B.B.C / N.P.F.A publication supported the programme. I visited the playground in 1974 and met up with many of the families once again. On my return visit to Balsall Heath in the mid seventies. Eugene Donnelly took me to visit another friend of his Tom who had kept the farewell letter I wrote to the youths when I left the playground three years earlier. Tom was now a local electrician and D.J. Whilst Eugene became a train driver.
Now though Balsall Heath play site it is part of a much bigger community project known as The St Paul’s Venture Project which now includes a City Farm, a Day Nursery and an After School Club. What a grand venture it had been.
BALSALL HEATH HISTORY SOCIETY
ST PAULS TRUST
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| PART FOUR--THE PIN GREEN ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND - STEVENAGE.
Stevenage was the very first of the constructed New Towns of Britain, primarily built to house post-war Londoners who had either lost their houses, or needed a boost in morale and a cleaner, safer alternative to London.The Town Centre in Stevenage was revolutionary, with the very first pedestrianized shopping centre in the country. It drew in visitors from several of the surrounding towns to do their shopping in style. Areas of housing are separated into sub-zones of which there are nearly twenty with the newest expansions of Great Ashby, Chells Manor, Bragbury Manor, Poplars, and the upcoming area 'Stevenage West'. Each of the separate areas contains a local community shopping centre, church, and community centre as well as many other unexpected facilities such as the Shephalbury Sports Academy in the area of Shephall (the original village area that existed before the town was built). Today, Stevenage is thriving with its culture and amazing leisure facilities. The Stevenage Leisure Park is a prime example of this. Just a 5 minute walk from the town centre, and right next to local bus and rail services (some of the best you'll find in any new town) it boasts more than 6 restaurants, 4 night clubs, a bowling centre with arcade and bar, and a massive 16 screen cinema. You'll find several different kinds of food from Indian and Chinese, to All-American and fast food.Another great attraction in Stevenage is the award-winning Fairlands Valley Park; a vast, picturesque space with sailing facilities, a cafe, five large lakes with loads of local wildlife, and of course, three huge playgrounds complete with paddling pools which are open in the summer and are fully supervised by a trained lifeguard.
A trip to Stevenage would not be complete without seeing a show at the Gordon Craig Theatre which boasts some of the best talent outside London's West-End. It would also be worth visiting a few of Stevenage's hidden gems, especially if you have children, which include a laser tag centre and a children's indoor play centre at the Roaring Meg Retail Park, as well as several of Stevenage's other parks which offer a wide range of activities from mini golf to tennis and badminton. If you are a golf lover, there is a huge world class golf and conference centre on the edge of the town which includes access to a driving range, and available rental of golf clubs and accessories.All in all, Stevenage is a haven for local tourists who want to discover a pretty unknown town in Britain, both for its wide range of fun things to do, and for its extensive and interesting history. Stevenage has something for everyoneT. STOP PRESS
BRAND NEW ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND OPENS IN STEVENAGE /2009.
A brand new adventure playground has officially opened in st nicholas Steevenage the first in stevenage for thirty years. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVENTURE PLAYGROUNDS
The establishment of new community adventure playgrounds, as in Stevenage new town in Hertfordshire was to become the forerunner of the play movement in the years ahead. Adventure playgrounds sprung up in Stevenage; mainly as a result of the pioneering work of individual play leaders like Donne Buck, one of its founding fathers. Stevenage was to operate a variety of such playgrounds and centres throughout the new town. All of these were neighbourhood based, at Bindley Hill, Chells, Canyon, Pin Green and at St Nicholas and all were to become outstanding examples of community adventure play areas. All of these were managed by local play associations and all came under the umbrella of and part of the Stevenage Play Association. Which in later years was to become "The Stevenage Play Council”. The Stevenage Play Association received a separate operational grant from the Stevenage Borough Council; this covered training courses, play functions and social events. The National Playing Fields Association often sent local council groups and officers to Stevenage to learn how play could be developed. I applied for the post and was later interviewed in the play hut at pin green adventure playground by members of the Pin Green Play Association including its chairman David Kershaw and Donne Buck of the Bandley Hill adventure playground. From the very first day of appointment I saw my main objective was to clear the site of rubble and weeds including nettles and brambles and to make it a safe place for children to play. The object being to project an image of safety and to be positive in a business like manner to encourage local children and their parents. I found the children were very receptive to this and eager to assist me. And so it was that within just a few days we had prepared the site for child’s play to begin. At that time the site had few facilities to offer, although there was a sound brick play building built by local labour, with an activity room, an office, a kitchen, toilets and storage space. On the actual site there was an aerial runway, a pets area, a pre school play area, a play tower and a wooden tower made of pallettes. Apart from these there were few facilites, most of the play activity stemmed from the play building. There was an active strong pre school playgroup ran by Mary Wake, which was an important integral part of the playground. There was also a local boy’s football team, called "The Adventurers”, who regularly used the building as a meeting place. The local neighbourhood policeman Peter Lynch was a member of the play committee, as was the probation officer Charles Watson. His wife June Watson operated the councils play scheme at the nearby Hampson pavillion. At the playground Andy and I worked on the construction of a children’s roundabout, which was an interesting venture. This roundabout was constructed from wood pallettes, padded out with foam and carpets and situated on a revolving wheel and palette base,it was situated upon a high earth mound in the middle of the site. Once completed this project proved to be extremely successful, with hordes of children queing up and using it constantly each day. Compared to the roundabout in the local swing park, this facility was streets ahead in popularity and with a safe surface. Many of our activities at pin green were well supported with assistance from the councils park grounds man John ,who was based at Hampson Park. John would often mark out pitches on the playing fields, or support us with loans of equipment, such as an extended water hose for the barbecues, or future bonfires. A number of our youths would go across to help him with his work, so this was a good mutual understanding between Hampson Park and the playground. The children’s dens ranged from four sided basic play houses with curtains to more elaborate carpet lined mansions of four storeys with trap doors and secret entrances. Children would drift from one group to another, swopping materials or ideas. It was a very cooperative venture and exciting to watch and be part of. The adventure playground became a very democratic sharing community of kids fully absorbed in play. In the evenings the siren of the capstone would sound loud echoing across pin green neighberhood, heralding the playgrounds closing for the day. This was the signal for the return of tools and farewells between children and staff. Soon the playground became still and quiet. We built many new tower extensions including a walkway, a slide, climbing frame, roundabout and a swing made of tyres in a pyramid design. All of these were well used, along with the ever popular aerial runway. Where in years earlier, Georgina, one of the playground regulars, had lost the tip of her thumb. Although the biggest and most popular activity on the playground was the children’s building of their dens. In the main they were constructed from wooden palettes or duckboards, these were rapidly appearing in every corner of the site. It was so encouraging to see so many parents bringing their children to the playground and many of them staying for most of the day. Whilst many also brought their children and called to collect them later in the day. This was an indication of how well the playground was becoming accepted as a safe place, with parents entrusting their children into our care. This was not necessarily an easy option for parents, considering the appearance of the play tower and the tall climbing frames, along with other untidy child orientated activities. As a result of the film and the national campaign many new adventure playgrounds started up in all major towns and cities in the u.k. I consider myself to be so fortunate to be involved in play at this buoyant time. Experiments in play nationally were in abundance with a vast variety of schemes nationwide, including full time adventure playgrounds, play centres, holiday play scheme programmes and play sculptures. Projects sprung up in towns like, Telford, Washington, Milton Keynes, Basingstoke and Redditch as well as country areas and inner cities. The pre school playgroup children were excited when I arranged regular supplies of sand to be delivered to and dumped at the playground site. They hurriedly ran out and brought their buckets and spades from their home and it was like a sunny summers day at the beach. I had initally used this concept at the Boscombe play scheme. At the playground a young lady who was training to become a nursery nurse was seconded onto the playground as part of her training and worked with the younger children in the playhut. She had a special flair and aptitude and quickly made a special impact with the toddlers and left the playground with a good reference, to eventually become a qualified nursery nurse. There were numerous day trips out with up to two double decker buses packed full of excited kids. On one hot day we visited the Hertford Show courtesy of the local N.P.F.A .offices, the children spent most of the day fishing, using nets they had bought at the show, fishing at the streams at the edge of the fields catching tiddlers. The local N.P.F.A county officer and David Kershaw were both very amused by this. Provide kids with a county show and they still prefer to play simply in water. A special permanent brick built barbecue with plank seating was constructed in a quiet corner of the site by a local dad, Colin Guest, with support from the youths and staff. I had obtained a heavy iron grid as a cooking area. Both Mr and Mrs Guest were now regular volunteers they brought their children to the playground daily and stayed all day. These playgrounds were a dual basis movement of council, development corporations and local community play associations.
Throughout this month the youths made full use of a partitioned disco area for daily pop music sessions. The disco being created by a local dad Colin Guest with help from some of the older lads, whilst his wife ran the kitchen. There were also coffee sessions each afternoon in the play hut where youths sat and chatted or cooled out. One of the lads who had become a regular, Mick McKee, with help from some of the others, built a new climbing frame on the site. Some of the younger kids were now involved in the painting of this new attraction, which was well supervised.
The children’s dens ranged from four sided basic play houses with curtains to more elaborate carpet lined mansions of four storeys with trap doors and secret entrances. Children would drift from one group to another, swopping materials or ideas. It was a very cooperative venture and exciting to watch and be part of. The adventure playground became a very democratic sharing community of kids fully absorbed in play. In the evenings the siren of the capstone would sound loud echoing across pin green neighberhood, heralding the playgrounds closing for the day. This was the signal for the return of tools and farewells between children and staff. Soon the playground became still and quiet. . The National Playing Fields Association arranged filming of the Stevenage playgrounds with funding sponsorship from W.D and H.O Wills the tobacco company. The films summary was by the Revd Trevor Huddleston who was the Bishop of Stepney, although initially Chris Nichol leader of the Canyon adventure playground was involved. The film was on super 8 film and was called "Children Waiting". The film was shown on national TV and used by N.P.F.A and "Fair Play For Children." This was as part of a national campaign led by the Revd Trevor Huddleston, the Bishop of Stepney, following his letter to the Times newspaper highlighting a boy who had tragically drowned in the Regents canal. At one time there was trouble from children entering the playground when closed at night and this was overcome by the council planting special tall and wide bushes with protruding prickles around the perimeter of the playgrounds vertical concrete slat fencing. We had now obtained a noisy capstone siren from somewhere and used this as a signal to open, or close the playground. The gates would then be unlocked and pushed wide open to ensure safe access for the rush, or stampede of kids. Many children headed straight to their individual den, or project, whilst others went into the play hut. A few would look into the offices to see what was on the play programme, or for details of the week ahead. As play leaders we floated between the activities in the hut and on the site. Ensuring that all was going well. Breaking up an occasional dispute, or manning the barbecue, or the play structures. Such was our role until the late evening, only broken by visits to the kitchen for refreshments, or to the office, to answer a phone call, or attend to first aid. Children would leave for tea and return later refreshed. There was now a nucleus of regulars and playground helpers amongst the older kids like Kevin and Sue Riley who attended the playground daily and Kevin’s dad who was a film director videoed the adventure playground on film. One of the new attractions to the playground was our gerbil which was housed in the new garage near the pet’s area; the pet’s area now also contained rabbits and guinea pigs.
As a result of the film and the national campaign many new adventure playgrounds started up in all major towns and cities in the u.k. I consider myself to be so fortunate to be involved in play at this buoyant time. Experiments in play nationally were in abundance with a vast variety of schemes nationwide, including full time adventure playgrounds, play centres, holiday play scheme programmes and play sculptures. Projects sprung up in towns like, Telford, Washington, Milton Keynes, Basingstoke and Redditch as well as country areas and inner cities.
Often I would visit Dr Ron Faulkner his wife Shirley and their children in the Stevenage old town. Often taking Sue and Kevin Riley with me for a day out. When I came to Stevenage I first lodged with Dorothy the playgrounds secretaries home and then for a while with June Watson playleader at Hampson scheme, before eventually moving to live in a guest house in Stevenage old town, run by Ray Guest and his wife. They later moved to live in sunny Bournemouth to manage a hotel by the sea. I loved the Stevenage old town with its low beamed tea shop cafe and its famous Cromwell pub. I would often take Sue Riley for a coffee in the tea shop cafe, or arrange to meet my girlfriend Joy there. The film "Here we go round the mulberry bush" was shot in the area of the Cromwell pub and Stevenage was also the location for the famous film "Billy Liar". |
| The Play Carnival.
I organised a play carnival for pin green with floats and events to raise funds for the U.N.A Project and Dr Faulkner’s new " Opportunity toy library ", which was to be based at Bowes Lyons House in Stevenage town centre. Our carnival procession with 7 floats paraded throughout the neighberhood. The Chief of police sealed off the roads from traffic and I had to sign a form stating I was totally responsible for the event. Betty Pickersgill from the Canyon Adventure Playground committee worked on the project with me. Her husband Jack Pickersgill was both a county councillor and local councillor for Stevenage. Later I was invited by Ron and Shirley Faulkner to attend their opening party at Bowes Lyons House which was a town community centre which had originally been opened by the Queen mother. (Lady Bowes Lyon) It was at the party that I was officially thanked by him. The U.N.A Handi Camp/ Social Integation of the Handicapped Project. . The U.N.A Handi camp work party would be involved in creating pathways around the site, for use by handicapped children for access to all the play facilities. It was hoped that the handicapped student’s involvement would act as a spur to other handicapped people to use the playground. The committee had approved the idea and I had approached the U.N.A earlier in the year and had met up with Andrew, their U.N.A national organiser. In earlier years I had known Godfrey Leak when he was secretary of the U.N.A and had visited him in his grand offices in the United Nations building on the embankment in London, with its grand spectacular view overlooking the River Thames. The twelve U.N.A foreign students would stay in the play building at pin green for around a month whilst working on the project. We had found it difficult to find other local accommodation for this and had approached the W.R.V.S and social services and with their help it was resolved. The main difficulty being that the work party should not be split up, as this would defeat the object of the U.N.A project. The students all arrived in late July and stayed until mid August. The local Webb Rise Special School for handicapped children were already using the playground on a regular basis, along with other groups, such as Dr Ron Faulkerers " Opportunity Classes ”. By September the evenings were beginning to draw in and this created a homely atmosphere and special feel about the playground, especially around the bonfires and the barbecues. A coach load of play staff and members of Stevenage Play Association visited Sheffield’s Councils adventure playgrounds and attended a candlelit dinner in the evening in the great hall in the council building, courtesy of the Sheffield city council. I led the entourage of mums and toddlers with Peter Heseltine with the singing of a chant "We want nursery education”. Also around that time 1973 I gave a BBC broadcasted talk at Devonshire House in London on the need for social integration of the handicapped in society. At the national conference for, " the social integration of the handicapped ", which was organised by Kith and Kids. On the platform was Sir Keith Joseph, who was the Minister for Health and Social Security, he gave a talk on the disability welfare benefits system and the welfare state. I recall that he was given a pretty rough ride at the time by a hall full of young mums who had handicapped children. Later in the year I attended the national play conference in London, regarding the formation of the new play body "The Institute of Playleadership". A meeting in which hundreds of play people attended from across the UK. The Stevenage Play Association had the contract to sell the refreshments at the official day opening of the new fairlands valley park, all of the profits to go to the Stevenage Play Associations funds. I was proud to see that so many of our parents from the newly formed pin green parents group were prominent in this venture. On the day they were exceptional, both in numbers and in the work. All in all this was a great day out for all involved and gave us all a chance to mix socially with members of the various play associations in the town. The Playground Firewood Service. It was around this time that Andy left the playground and Les Lewis who was a parent volunteer was appointed as play assistant and by now had taken it upon himself for the responsibity of the daily cooking at the barbecue area. The adventure playground had now become a vibrant and exciting community of children of all ages and abilities. We now had fresh new members who joined the youth section petition. These older youths were motorbike enthusiasts or "greasers”. Young men who were very willing to take on responsibility for construction work, or as voluntary play assistants. They had become very popular with the pre school children who used the playground, who clung to them and respected and trusted them. I would often go to town with them on the back of their big motorbikes for shopping expeditions. In the evenings they would stay on at the playground to help me clear up after a busy day on the playground and drive me home. It was these lads who were most impressed with the handicapped students courage and determination, despite their physical disabilities. The greaser lads were especially impressed by Mike one of the students who was born with just stumps of arms and legs yet threw himself eagerly into the physical work, amazing many of the playgrounds youth members. Some of the students were in wheelchairs and others were able bodied. The Youth Section was now officially approved by the county and a part time worker Peter Johnson was appointed. It was to be open for two evenings a week initially, Sundays and Tuesdays. It would have its own management committee consisting of youth section members and Les Atkins would be its chairman. It was known as Hampson Youth Club and its age range was from fourteen to eighteen. A new garage storehouse was to be built in September by local labour and used for storage of pre school play equipment and as a workshop. All of the playground regulars were involved in the construction, including the Youths, local dads, John the park grounds man and David Kershaw. Mr Riley Kevin Riley stepdad did the electrical work. We were now making arrangements for our first organised community bonfire at the playground. This was scheduled for November the 5th and we hoped to involve all groups locally, including scouts, guides and children from local handicapped schools. It was envisaged that local dads would take responsibility for the fireworks display and mums took responsibility for sales of refreshments. Whilst the play staff would supervise the event and the bonfire. We were now escorting the smaller children home when the playground closed in the evenings. Knebworth house and gardens. In the autumn there was a successful Halloween event held in the play hut. The teenage girls wore long black dresses and later took to the streets of the neighbourhood, calling on local households, or to visit the cemetery for a scare. Two youth members made a chess table and the playground had its first coffee morning with good as new clothes on display along with children’s toys and a local steel band for entertainment. Welcoming the promise of another new play day, All waiting at the adventure gates on break of day, A figure approaches down the grassy long track, Miniature bells they do jingle soft upon the breeze, From flared trousered bottoms and silk cotton sleeves, Small children all around him holding hands. Here he comes at last they shout and cheer, With the jingled notes of keys on ears, They all run to greet him with no fear, Amongst all children gathered here. Followed by others from down the way, All children so very keen to enter the gates within, The adventure gates now opening. Of the iron gates, In time by clock, Pushed back and opened wide, By hordes of children with eager anticipated eyes, And into the adventure playgrounds jungled fayre. Leading as he does by just being there, Patrolling playground site for wear and tear, On rope swing tyres, Aerial runways or tower structures great boards of strength, Whilst the leader stands by just at arms length. Assisting advising when asked to dare, Construction work of playgrounds varied lairs, With kids dressed up in hats and lace, So many activities in abandonment of time and space, In childhood's playtimes of hectic pace. He closes the site for another day, And walks home through, Sounds of children contented and waving all their goodbyes, With his hands held tight, By two small fry,Escorting him on his merry way, Parents were now visiting regularly and chatting with the staff. At one time alone there were close on twenty children’s dens on the site, all at various stages of development, this was a sure sign of success. In October I had written in the newsletter, " That when local people talk of the adventure playground and the pre school play group they often see them as separate departments”, ” Were as, in fact they are not”. ” The pre school play group is in fact the vitally important part of the adventure playground, its future”. ” Play being an educational and socialising process. That continues throughout the child’s life.” Richard, Chris and Jeff took it upon themselves daily for handing out the tools and for nails distribution and collecting them in later. They took this role and duty seriously by building their own especially constructed tool shop on the site. The community bonfire and fireworks display on the playground in November attracted in excess of 500 people. All the local community were involved including Hill top school and Webb Rise . I had enjoyed my time at pin green and seen it develop from a small project to a big scheme. I had decided now was the best time to leave the playground to Les Lewis and David Kerrell to develop further. Adventure playgrounds needed to be continually growing with new ideas and new leadership. Now it was time for me to face new challenges eleswhere. Of course I was to miss the pin green adventure playground, its vibrant healthy kids, challenging youths and supportative parents. A playground where I had actually experienced that which Abraham Maslow the social psychologist described as "the peak experience". Adventure playgrounds like pin green were rare jewels,they grow out of good seeds planted in the minds of children and adults.They are nurtured and thrive on committment,adventure and the flair of good play staff and the committment of local communities. And so it was that adventure play happened at pin green adventure playground and it made its mark on many. Pin Green Adventure Playground had by then appointed new play staff and had a new solid play tower on the site. I was to pay another visit again in the late seventies joining Kevin Riley and the older youths at a disco at Sishes Y.W.C.A and visiting Colin Guest.
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| PART FIVE-CHILDS PLAY IN SKELMERSDALE Following the great success at Pin Green in Stevenage. I returned to work at the Carey schools camp at Wareham in Dorset, after spending some months in London, working for Kensington and Chelsea Play Association. Whilst at Carey I applied for a new advertised post in Skelmersdale Lancashire.The project was a dual scheme between the Skelmersdale Development Corporation and Barnardos North West Region office in Liverpool. The growth of the new towns in the U.K provided a much needed and fresh impetus to the play movement. Opportunities to develop imaginative schemes and the development corporations worked closely with councilsThe Delphs.
At an earlier time in its history the proposed site was a natural play area for childrens play in the heart of the rural countryside. It was here that children had played hide n seek, bird nesting, built dens etc. However in recent times it was used for more illicit pastimes such as glue sniffing, drugs and truanting. The Delphs was also famous for the scene of a tragic accident. A child was drowned playing there in the old quarry. As a result the quarry was filled in and the site was earmarked for future development of a childs adventure playground.
2 Employing bodies.
A former teacher and youth worker Julian Finch was also interviewed and eventually we were both employed to operate the adventure playground. We both shared an office within the new social development department building.I would also attend the social development team meetings there. I would also sit on the Barnardos north west team meetings of social workers in Liverpool each month. This arrangement was quite unique.
Detatched Work.
Attending meetings,writing reports and memos were essential requirements of the work. Once we were appointed and commenced work we both chose to work in detatched roles on the estate and in the Delphs woodlands area. Getting to know the kids and youths of the area and build up community contacts. For many months we involved the youths of the neighberhood in a number of projects to build up their trust. The most successfull being the very first community bonfire and fireworks event to be held in the area. Julian Finch and I worked closely with the local schools and involved the R.O.S.L.A pupils from the St Richards Comprehensive school, these were pupils who now had to stay on that extra year untill they were 16 years of age. These pupils stayed with us on the playground site in the Delphs for the whole of the school days during term time. Another project was the dismantling of the farm building from an estate site geared for housing development. These huge barns had formerly been in use for chicken houses or pig sties. These buildings were transported from the farm to the Assistant Social Development Officers country farm for storage, as play material for the adventure playground structures etc, before being brought to the Delphs. Both school pupils and kids from the streets Skelelmersdale were involved in this enterprise. On the bonfire and fireworks event all of these youths were actively involved in various activities. We paid visits to the local council play officer gaining his support and he provided a large supply of fireworks for the display. Many young people and local parents assisted with building the bonfre and also building a barbecue on site. Others taking responsibility on the night for refreshments sales and supervision. Many contacts were built between us and groups such as Birch Green play schemes, youth clubs and the Ecumunical church centre. Julian and I spent many hours working in the Birch Green and the Tan House neighberhoods developing new community initiatives such as play schemes, youth clubs and disco clubs. In these ways we were able to build sound relationships with young people and community leaders. We built sound contacts with local community associations, residents groups and schools and involved them in our projects. At that time the National Playing Fields Association were actively supportive of the adventure playground. Tony Chilton the N.P.F.A Regional Officer had been involved as a member on the steering body from its conception. Tony was originally the leader of the highly successfull Blacon Adventure Playground at Chester. In later years Tony was to become Play Officer for Wales. Blacon adventure playground is still functioning today. Julian and I found ourselves attending numerous meetings in the various meeting rooms scattered around the town. Meeting new resident and community groups were an essential part of the job. Within the social development team we quickly built up a good understanding and friendship with Keith Cranwell a member of the team who was involved in forming and assisting new community groups in the town. When I first came to live in Skelmersdale I spent a few weeks at a farm house. This was situated on the outskirts of the town.It was the home of the assistant social development officer who was away on leave. I lived here with Keith Cranwell who was eventually to become the Tutor of the playwork Diploma course at Thurrock University. Here on the farm house we took responsibilty for the care of the billy goat, who would often get himself tangled up in the brambles and his metal chain. In our spare time I would join Keith for soccer in one of the indoor sports centres, or visit the new creche in the shopping precinct.
STUDY/PLAY IN SKELMESDALE.
Whilst employed in the social development team I undertook a Study into Childs play in the new town. My findings were very informative. The town was badly designed in many ways with lots of concrete slabs and although there was grassed areas these were often not used due to the problem with the clay especially after rainfall. The skelmersdale children had numerous hobbies some were traditional such as being pigeon fanciers associated with their original rural village life. During the bird nesting sesion in the spring local kids still went bird nesting which was still illegal and used catapults in the Delphs woodlands. 
 Others loved to go tracking in the Delph woodlands or were members of the scouts or guides. Other children made hastily built imprompto go karts often from discarded shopping trolleys, or bread trays from the concourse supermarket. Many played soccer often under the florescent lights of the subways way into the nights. Whilst many children roller skated around and about the subways and concrete footpaths of the new town. Mountain bikes were very popular during this time and most kids rode one. The councils play schemes which operated throughout the school holidays were well used. These were ran by a variety of bodies including the lancashire council,the many community groups in the town and the development corporation. These included discos, youth clubs, leisure centre and a variety of play schemes projects held in the various meeting rooms of the new town. Ian one of our volunteers often took on lots of responsibility at the various clubs Julian and I ran. He became the local treasurer of one of the groups in the meeting room. Often the youth members would drop in at my home to share their fish and chips. Even on my birthday they all arrived totally unexpected along with Bill one of the volunteers from the Birch Green community. We had a great evening with guitar playing and singing till late at night. I recall the rendition of "in my liverpool home" which was very popular at the time. The majority of families in Skelmersdale had their roots in Liverpool.
Stockport Play course.
Each week Julian and I attended the N.P.F.A playworkers course at Stockport Technical College. Here we mixed with playleaders from the north west and visited lots of adventure playgrounds in the area, including Stoke and at Moss Side in Manchester. The course had the highest academic standard and ability of students in the technical college. I recall the dean of the college visiting our group and discovering the academic level. Tony Chilton the N.P.F.A Regional officer who was also our tutor at the time asked all students to declare their academic acheivements and Tony wrote these impressive lists on the blackboard. The playleadership course sylabus included, child development, social studies, psychology, welfare rights and play philosophy. The Stockport course gained much from the experienced playleaders involved and the work of N.P.F.A.
Maria Colewell Campaign.
At the time there was great concern over the issue of the tragic death of the child Maria Colwell and I was approached by the students on the courses to write to Frank Allaun the local member of parliament on our behalf with signatures and newspaper cuttings. Suggesting that there should be a childrens Ombudsman to overlook such cases on behalf of all children. Frank took up the issue in parliament through his private members bill,which was approved and implemented in parliament in 1976. Whilst on the course we visited Tonys former adventure playground at Chester for area play association meetings, after we had worked with and helped him to establish the North West Region Play Association. I was extremelly impressed with the Blacon adventure playgrounds atmosphere and its team of playleaders in many ways it reminded me of pin green. We also attended a Training Day at Blackpool for a drama workshop.
Wild West Show.
 Many community groups in the area of skelmersdale were invited by us to take part in a Wild West Show in the Delphs on the playground site. The show included crackling guns, lassos demonstrations and bangers, it was very realistic. We laid on a barbecue and refreshments on the day which was a great success. I discussed this with Julian Finch and after lots of feedback I made the decision to apply for the Redditch post. For the skelmersdale adventure playground was now a reality and I felt Julian had the capability to make it a great success. Plus he had a strong parent body and loyal volunteers along with many playground regulars. .A few years later when I was adventure playground leader in Bournemouth Julian Finch visited me with his wife and family and we spent sometime together. At Redditch I was initially responsible for the town wide play programme. These consisted of ten play schemes manned by 120 play staff to operate in meeting rooms,schools and play barns in all the towns neighbourhoods and to operate throughout the school holidays. There were four schools courtesy of the education service,six meeting rooms courtesy of the development corporation, one play barn and one private house in Dudley. The councils original plans to develop the new adventure playground never materialised, due to council budget cuts. Shortly after, I left Redditch, to return to live in Dorset. |
| PART SEVEN--THE FERNHEATH ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND/BOURNEMOUTH.
Organised Childs play in Dorset was slow to develop, despite it being the home of The Scout Movement, Homer Lanes- Little Commonwealth at Shaftesbury and that Lord Shaftsbury was the children’s reformer. Dorset was also the birthplace and home of the great William Barnes (Dorchester) the visionary and advocate of children’s play. The county was also where Robert Louis Stevenson got his inspiration for Treasure Island whilst staying in Westbourne and overlooking Poole quay. Enid Blyton who lived in Swanage, used Dorset as her inspiration for all her children’s adventure books, Corfe Castle in the Purbecks being the castle of adventure. It was at Wareham where the county education department established one of the very first children’s school camps in the mid nineteen sixties at Carey. Here it was where I spent two full seasons working with 120 children per week in the nineteen sixties and early seventies, as an assistant to the warden Carey Camp.
It was however whilst at Stevenage managing Pin Green adventure playground, that I was to attend a play conference down south in 1973 at Canford Heath Middle School in Poole and had first met up with Sylvia Nash Play Therapist at Poole hospital and Roger Browne Recreation Officer of Bournemouth Council. Roger an old friend had previously employed me at Walpole road Boscombe Bournemouth a few years previously. When I managed the new holiday playscheme there with support of his wife Jan, for Bournemouth borough council parks deoartment. When I met up with Roger and Sylvia they told me then that they had plans for me to develop an adventure playground in Bournemouth at sometime in the future.
Fernheath in the late seventies.
It was in the autumn of 1975 whilst I was busy managing the Y.M.C.A Crusader youth centre at Bovington Camp near Wareham with Rob Whitty, operating a full programme of activities for local young people. That I was first contacted by Mrs Paddy Williamson Secretary of the Fernheath Play Association. The Fernheath Play Association had a close relationship with the local authority and the local communi
Throughout the winter months Rob and I met up with other community leaders, built up contacts and resources and continued to meet local kids informally on the estate. In the spring the association advertised for and interviewed prospective additional staf for the play scheme and playground during the Easter holidays. Two were appointed Jeff Meddle and Dave.
 The easter holiday play scheme was a great success attracting a large number of children. With lots of functions, trips out and activities throughout with longer opening times due to extra staff cover. Local parents joined in lots of activities and trips to Hengistbury head, Maiden castle and camping at Carey camp in Wareham. We held sports activities on the co op playing fields with marked out cricket pitches, football, rounders and also games of netball within the hard surface games area. There were also many team games and kids games like oranges and lemons, stuck in the mud and action games I had learnt at Carey. The proposed adventure playground area was also used for ad hoc games and barbeques. Though no actual den building took place as yet. We were still in the process of building a network for materials such as wooden pallette duckboards etc from Wallisdown industrial estate. Following meetings with social services at Hyde road area offices the scheme attracted regular visits by social workers and councillors like Mrs Clifton and George Spicer. George was a great friend to me in later years.The play association held regular monthly meetings at the Henry Brown centre as well as frequent meetings of staff at Paddy’s home and occassionally at the flat the play staff had moved into at Talbot Woods. The local probation officer Alan Marsh attended our meetings and was a great supporter. A trainee probation officer Graham Meadows was seconded to the scheme. Later during the busy summer period a local Dad Nigel Jones was to join us as a full time volunteer. Whilst another man was seconded to us under a community service order.
The Playground Fence Project.
One of the first playground projects was to be the construction of the playground fence. This was a a wooden bark panelled fence. The actual work was undertaken by the local Oakmead school sixth form pupils supervised by Ted Taylor the detached youth worker.
pic of pupils at Oakmead School 1975.
The proposed date of the official opening of the adventure playground I chose to link in with the national play day of The Fair Play For Children Campaign 76 which was June the 19th. I contacted the London offices of the N.P.F.A and Fair Play For Children on a regular basis, obtaining a mass of publicity material for the national campaign.
I knew Ted from my work in Walpole road playsheme at Boscombe a few years earlier whilst Ted was leader at the nearby school youth club. In recent years Ted was to become councillor and Mayor of Bournemouth. Once the fence was built we began to utilise the enclosed area, spending more of our time on the site. Work began on building dens involving staff, children and parents, with the parents often on site all day with their children. On such a warm summers evening Nigel Jones was to involve himself in construction work with his children Wanda and Jai and was to become an active committee member and of the play team.
I also took on the voluntary role of Southern Regional Officer for the National Play Day, passing on information to local and area play associations, such as Poole Play Council and Walpole road play association. I approached the local press and media as well as making contact with an old friend and colleague Jack Lambert the Author of "Adventure Playgrounds" a Penguins publication. Jack was now Play Organiser at Basingstoke and he agreed to be involved in our official opening coming along with his own Play Bus. The parents from the play association were now still actively operating the charity shop at Wallisdown and this along with their other fund raising schemes helped to cover a lot of the play expenses. The Bournemouth council parks department provided a one off grant for holiday staff and the N.P.F.A also provided a one off setting up grant. Paddy made contact with the local MP Sir John Eden and he had become our patron. I sent him regular playground newsletters along with progress reports. We put together our own newsletter which the children delivered by hand to local residents, Sir John agreed to open our adventure playground on June 19th as patron of the adventure playground.
Scrounging of stuff.
On a visit to Woolworth’s in Bournemouth town square, Rob and I persuaded their manager to donate a large pretty boxed doll to the play day raffle. The scrounging of materials for playgrounds from companies and industrial units etc has always been an important aspect of the job. A visit to W.H Smiths in Bournemouth resulted in us using a section of their shop for a display of children’s poems and pictures on Childs play. Whilst Zebra Caterers at Wallisdown donated a large bottle of champagne for our playground raffle. The local pub on the estate "The Smugglers Arms" kindly donated boxes of crisps for the day and the local Kinson bakery where Pat May worked provided cakes. So much good will was out there in the community it was so obvious that people and organisations liked to contribute. When the day of the official opening of the adventure playground finally arrived it was a sunny morning. The activities on the site began with a make up and fancy dress session competition, followed by the arrival of Jack Lamberts Play bus decorated with banners and balloons. Then there was a carnival parade around the streets of West Howe estate, this consisted of five floats, play bus and children and adults in fancy dress. I was dressed in a jesters outfit, over 80 children took an active part in this event. Despite the poorer weather in the afternoon the event attracted a few hundred people and was a great success. These included..Social Services, Recreation and Parks Department, South Kinson Sports, Dorset County Library, Henry Brown Centre, Pre School Play Association, Road Safety Association, St Johns Ambulance Brigade, Dorset County Youth Association, Basingstoke Council, Dorset County Youth Service, Fair Play For Children, National Playing Fields Association,The Smugglers Arms, Oakmead School and Fernheath Play Association. "Using waste materials" by Mary Crabtree of Poole Play Council, "First Aid" by Brenda White of St Johns Ambulance Brigade and "The Future of play in Bournemouth" by Roger Browne Recreation Officer of Bournemouth Borough Council. There were many group discussions and topics including:"Involving the local community", "Teenagers on adventure playgrounds, "Contacts in the community" and "The holiday programme". My days spent working on the playground were very similiar in many aspects to those I had on other adventure playgrounds I had been involved with. There were a variety of chores, functions to arrange. From scrounging play materials, planning programmes, organising meetings, phoning contacts and resources, organising days out, checking play equipment for safety as well as ordering new play equipment. Eric McConkey. The pupils involved in the project included Frank Barnfield, Carl Ewane, Lee Bessant, Andy Ferrant, Steve Chick, Kevin Hockey, John Pearson, Terry Stevens and John Wills. In 1983/4 when I co coordinated the Holicare play programmes at Kingsleigh School with the support of Win the community social worker at slades farm centre, I brought groups of children from the Holicare scheme to visit and use the fernheath adventure playground. Ten years later the playground was still operating successfully. A Christmas party was held with food prepared by Helen and Michelle with games a quiz and a disco. Helen the playleader took the children on a trip to see alladins lamp. During the mid nineties I undertook practical training in management and youth work, at Poole Borough Council and Bournemouth and Poole College. The research I completed was detailed within a document, aimed specifically at the preparation and establishment of a new child’s day nursery, to be based at Parkstone in Poole. I was placed within the Borough of Poole’s Personal and Training Department. Where I was able to successfully complete the document in time for the opening of the new Flippers day nursery. The name of Flipper, I chose myself, due to the towns' historical dolphin emblem. Apparently in the towns' distant past when it was a major natural port, schools of dolphins were always to be seen swimming through its waters and sea estuary. Here we were involved in preparing for the opening of the pavilion Community centre at cunningham crescent west howe. Here my responsibilities included the supervision of children’s evening clubs on the estate. I was involved in organising numerous children’s activities, including organising football matches, along with children’s art and with supervising the actual painting and decorating of the centre itself. Around this time I produced a ‘Preparation and Information Pack’ whilst at college for use by after school clubs. This was to some extent based on the local ‘After School Clubs Network’, which was facilitated and organised by Dorset Community Council. The college project also included visits to other local youth clubs, centres and facilities. At that time I visited the fernheath adventure playground on a number of occassions. I had some regular discussions with the leader at the time Alan Marsh. Alan was having difficulties with staffing and meeting the new government standards of child care regulations which was now required. However the success of the adventure playground continued with the help of funds from the local authority and various charities like "The lottery fund". These days I often visit the co op playing fields at West Howe close to the adventure playground, for a game of soccer and often reflect on those hot summer days of 1975, 76 and 77. Although the bubbly attractive Julie Warren, has successfully managed a variety of successfull children’s groups and holiday playschemes at local schools in Canford Heath/Tower Park in recent years, including her Magpies and yet in 2004 even she wasnt aware of the former existance of the play council. Holicare kids party.
Around this time I was to act as regional officer for the national campaign "Safety on Playgrounds" and was involved in press interviews and forming support groups. Although I continued to be involved in children’s activities in the area, at one time as Parent Governor at East Howe Kingsleigh First and Middle schools,organising a " Royal Wedding Party" in celebration of Prince Charles and Lady Diane’s royal wedding. This event was the first for the newly formed Kingsleigh school Parents Teachers Association (Friends of Kingsleigh).
pic Dean and Eve Wills winners of the Kingsleigh schools fancy dress. As long john silver and gypsy rose lee.
Whilst acting as its chairman. I also organised local Community bonfires and fireworks displays in the East Howe area on vacant land, which was attended by my friend and the future Mayor of Bournemouth Peter Brushett who judged the guy competition. In 1980 whilst I was living at East Stoke near Wareham, I organised the communitys first community bonfire which has operated ever since. This venture was supported by the education departments kitchen facilities. By the 1990s the West Howe baptist church in Bournemouth was used by social services for holiday play schemes and in 2003 I was assisting the baptist church members operating its own play schemes there. The Fernheath Adventure Playground served a wide catchment area, which was now well known to agencies as an area of multi-socio and economic deprivation. In 1986 it was chosen for a Crime Prevention project by N.A.C.R.O, and in 1998 it was designated as a Public Health Action Area by the Dorset Health Authority and by the year 2000 the Government had funded the Sure Start centre at the Playground.
In the late 1990s Age Concern Bournemouth operated a swingboats rides event for children in the Bournemouth pleasure gardens and for one season I assisted on these rides, welcoming hundreds of children to the town. The event was mentioned by its record numbers in the Guinness Book of Records. It was noticeable that by 2005 the pleasure gardens which was Bournemouths central showpiece and tourist attraction, was operating regular supervised children’s games on the grassed areas for small children, throughout the summer season.
More recently in March of 2005 at a council meeting Paddy Williamson Secretary of the Fernheath Play Association stated that the facility had been registered as a charity by parents at West Howe years previously, with the aim to improve local play provision locally. The facility was still managed by a local voluntary committee and the playground was open throughout the year to school age children during out of school in day light hours, at half terms and school holidays. It also opened every weekend and after school from March to November. There was also a toddler group two days a week during term time. In March of 2005 the aims of the Ferheath Play Association included: - Preventing children coming into care in times of stress, promoting health by encouraging activity, fostering personal and social growth and development. Combating the isolation of children, preventing juvenile crime and vandalism by providing alternatives and contributing positive steps towards the 5 outcomes identified in the Government Paper ‘Every Child Matters’. Today in 2009 it is no longer an adventure playground but has expanded its use and facilities.
 Click on the boy
FERNHEATH PLAY ASSOCIATION
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| PART EIGHT- CHILDS PLAY IN TOWNS AND CITIES.- (LONDON)
   Play facilities in the cities are in many aspects quite different in character from those based within more rural surroundings. Adventure playgrounds in the city can differ in character from others even just a short distance away .City based adventure playgrounds are of course, usually more sparse with less in the way of natural country surroundings of trees, bushes, undergrowth and grassy mounds. Such inner city adventure playgrounds are usually set within multi racial communities; thereby attracting a wide variety of ethnic children from numerous social cultures and origins.Thus providing immense opportunities for creative play and for children to grow in social awareness and acceptance of others. Their richness in variety of dress, customs, colour, and speech, provides a most interesting and fascinating environment, for child’s play to flourish. With an atmosphere of its own that provides immense opportunities for creative play to flourish and in which they can all grow in self-awareness. The cities were to be the testing grounds for the adventure play ideals of those like Lady Allen of Hurtwood. For here child’s play was limited to a great extent by the harsh surroundings of urbanisation, busy streets and limited space. However there were certain advantages, like the availability of waste materials from the demolition of the bombed sites and vacant properties, along with cash grants from community development projects and the National Playing Fields Association itself. The King George Jubilee Trust report entitled ‘Citizens of Tomorrow’ stated that "children commit more offences on the streets than in any other place and everything possible should be done to provide alternative places, where children can play safely, freely and adventurously". "As a short term policy for meeting the needs of the present generation, it was worth considering whether, more of the bombed sites in the cities, could not be roughly fenced, lighted and provided with a lock up hut containing a variety of tools. So that children could have space and equipment to play games of their own invention".
It was therefore mainly thanks to the efforts of people like Lady Allen and Lord Luke of the N.P.F.A. that cities like London and Liverpool were chosen as the main cities in which to encourage such ventures.There have been many adventure playgrounds in other cities over the years, including Liverpool, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth, Glasgow, and Birmingham. Although London was to become the key player in the adventure play movement generally, and it was the inner cities that were to be the original environments of the movement in the U.K. The very first officially recorded adventure playground in the U.K was Camberwell Adventure Playground (London). Which operated from 1948-1951. This adventure playground was originally known as ‘Luke’s’ although another site was at Morden in an earlier decade and was not known of until later years. Just a few miles away from Camberwell, the Clydesdale adventure playground opened a year later in 1952, totally unaware of the existence of another similar playground called the ‘Rosemary Adventure Playground’ just a short distance away. For in its first playground report, the Clydesdale playground wrote, "that although junk playgrounds have existed in this country, there appears to be none which can be seen in action".
   In Kensington (London) the Ifield adventure playground opened in 1953 and was financed by the local authority.Yet the playground was not recognised by the N.P.F.A. as being an adventure playground in the true sense of the word; as it did not provide any of the facilities required for an adventure playgrounds social development. This was despite it being created whilst both the Rosemary adventure playground and the Clydesdale adventure playgrounds sites were fully operational. The N.P.F.A had in 1953 defined adventure playgrounds as: Those of a creative or junk nature, chiefly bombed sites with bricks, timber and various materials, giving children a creative outlet for building walls and forts, and exercise their own imaginations. Natural adventure playgrounds either a rough undulating site, probably an overgrown quarry, or a site that had not been cleared and levelled, yet had natural features, the children playing games over fallen trees, up and down miniature hills and hollows. The site's criteria requirement was of a playing area of one and a half to three acres with suitable play material for constructive play. Along with other N.P.F.A. requirements of suitable, intelligent leadership and supervision, along with good separate toilets, drinking water, lock up hut for tools and undulating ground. The N.P.F.A had by then become involved in both playleadership facilites and adventure playgrounds. They had sent a letter to all the local authorities concerned, pointing out that the playgrounds should offer 7 minimum requirements to operate.
These were:
1) A play area of between 1 and a half to 3 acreas in size. 2 ) Suitable material for constructional play. 3) Intelligent leadership and supervision. 4) Good and separate toilet conveniences. 5) Drinking water. 6) A lock up hut for tools. And
7) Undulating ground.
However, it was the definition from the Clydesdale adventure playground itself, which was readily accepted by the N.P.F.A in 1954 as being most appropriate. That the term adventure playground should describe a ground where tools and materials only are used, as distinguished from a ground provided with imaginative features, natural, which could have a distinctive title. That same year, Mary Nicholson of N.P.F.A published her notes on adventure playgrounds. The notes contained the following definition of adventure playground as "an adventure playground is one where most of the site can be used by the children for games of their own imaginations. Where a variety of tools and materials are provided and where the children can rely on the backing of a capable and friendly Adult". The N.P.F.A. offered grants towards the running costs and capital costs and salaries for a two-year period, at two experimental adventure playgrounds, at Rathbone Street (London) and the other at Liverpool. The Lollard Street adventure playground (London) opened in that same year (1954) with Pat (HS) Turner as its leader. With a grant from the N.P.F.A., London County Council offered the site for the playground. The site consisted of an adventure play area, hard surface area for ball games, and an area for moving equipment and a toddlers play area with an assistant. There was a play hut for use during wet and cold weather. Pat Turner when commenting on the playground said that "the intensity of these little ones is a joy to watch, their affections like their movements are direct and spontaneous. A hand slips into mine and slips out again, some purpose has been served, some other purpose now demands attention". London adventure playgrounds have been influenced to a great extent by the success of those, such as Notting Hill Adventure Playground and Angel Town Adventure Playground.
The Notting Hill playground at Ladbrook Grove was first officially opened in 1959, with a grant from the London County Council and its first leaders were Pat Smythe and Francis McLennon (in later years Francis led Angel Town adventure playground). Kensington and Chelsea Play Association employed them. Pat came from an employment background in the British army. Within a decade both the Notting Hill and the Angel Town adventure playgrounds had acquired national reputations as superb examples of working adventure playgrounds. Meanwhile at Chelsea (LONDON) in 1960, Lady Allen had established the very first adventure playground specifically for disabled children. This playground was established by the newly formed Handicapped Adventure Play Association, which was later changed to Hurtwood Adventure Play Association in memory of Lady Marjorie Allen. Its first leader was the enthusiastic and attractive Dorothy Whittaker. Within a decade both the Notting Hill and the Angel Town playgrounds had acquired national reputations. However, despite these developments, by 1962 there were still only 4 full time adventure playgrounds operating in the city of London. Yet by 1965, others like the Ampton Street Adventure Playground in Holborn (London) was thriving, with even coverage by professional publications such as Town and Country Planning. Here the children had built special wooden towers under their play leaders supervision, made a small garden and had rigged up a cable across the site. Children of all ages joined in their many activities. Whilst at Shoreditch a variety of play clubs were provided by the "Save the Children Fund". These were specifically set up for children from five to fourteen years of age and operated for four evenings per week. Initially it was the cities that were to be the testing grounds for the adventure play ideals of those early advocates of play like Lady Allen. Here child's play was itself often limited to a great extent by the harsh surroundings of urbanisation, busy streets and limited space. However there were certain advantages, like the availability of waste materials from the demolition of the bombed sites and vacant properties, along with cash grants available from community development projects and the N.P.F.A. itself. It was therefore mainly thanks to the efforts of people like Lady Allen and Lord Luke of the N.P.F.A. that cities like London and Liverpool were chosen as the main springboards for adventure playgrounds, cities in which to encourage such ventures. As a result of theIr success there have been many adventure playgrounds established in other cities over the years, including those at Liverpool, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth, Glasgow, Coventry, Leeds, Bradford, Cardiff, Glasgow and Birmingham. Although it was undoubtedly London that was to become the key player in the adventure play movement generally, and it was the inner cities themselves that were to be the original environments of the movement in the U.K. The growth of such exciting playground's, like the Mint Street Adventure Playground site in Southwark (London) with its Dickensian workhouse site were dominant, particularly in London, during these formative years of play work. At that time there was up to 61 adventure playgrounds operating in London alone. I have been fortunate to have worked on a few of these or visited the sites regularly over the years. Including those based at Inter Actions Open Space at Camden, the Kimber road Adventure Playground in Wandsworth and the tiny sited Fulham Road Adventure Playground situated opposite to the new children's hospital.I also worker on Hammersmith playgrounds, Islington playgrounds and the Triangle Adventure Playground at Kensington's Oval. So called due to its triangular shape. At the Triangle I assisted my friend Brian Shaw whilst taking a break from the Balsall Heath Adventure Playground site at Birmingham. It was here that I sat and watched the cricket match from the playground tower top, whilst my sister Diane played with the playground kids below. Other playgrounds like Angel town, Notting Hill and the like continued to develop successfully over the years. Then unfortunately difficulties appeared to become prominent. Despite the establishment of the successful London Adventure Playground Association, local play associations like those at Southwark, Islington and Westminster, along with the support of the N.P.F.A. Despite the national picture, there was a period during the early 1970's when even the N.P.F.A. were hard pressed to find a group of good London adventure playgrounds, to use for their film entitled `Children Waiting' as a basis for the Trevor Huddleston campaign, "Fair Play For Children". Therefore the N.P.F.A. had to travel to the new town of Stevenage with its four successful neighbourhood adventure playgrounds for the filming. Although by 1974 Islington Play Association had themselves established 14 successful adventure playgrounds, which were all fully staffed and operational. The following are my personal accounts and memories of adventure playgrounds in the city of London that I have known during my career in childs play.
HOLLAND PARK/PLAY PARK.
Although I also visited the beautiful
PART NINE- AT NOTTING HILL ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND.
The London adventure playground movement was to be greatly dominated by the success of the Notting Hill Adventure Playground. The Notting Hill Adventure Playground based at Ladbrook Grove was first officially opened in 1959, with a grant of £!,700 from the London County Council which was approved by their education committee. This grant covered the cost of salaries for a leader and an assistant leader and capital costs. The adventure playgrounds first leaders were Pat Smythe and Francis McLennon (who in later years led Angel Town adventure playground). Pat came from a background in the army. Within a decade the adventure playground had gained a national reputation as a fine example of a good playground,staffed by competent and professional playleaders.
  There were towers straddled with ropes, commando nets, and rubber car tyres. There were both black and white bare footed children everywhere, all were mixing freely, playing happily together all their run and chase games across the tops of towers, or involved in a variety of delicate balancing acts in between the tall wooden telegraph poles. Throughout the site there were a large variety of (well-constructed) wooden, miniature playhouses, along with numerous forts and camps. All created, or else being built by staff and children all in various stages of construction. There was the constant noise of children's raised voices of laughter and chattering, along with their hammering, and with an occasional swear word, when a child missed a nail, or hit a finger (his own or another child's) with a hammer. In the far corner of the site there was a pet's area with a nanny goat and the rabbit's hutches with bunnies all tenderly cared for in their solid built hutches. Nearby there was a well-tendered small garden area, containing pretty flowers and a variety of salads and vegetables. Later in the evenings there was always the unmistakable musical sounds coming from out of the long galvanised tin shed, situated in the far corner of the site of the local Caribbean group. Playing distinctive sounds from their hammered out, man made steel drums, practising for the Notting Hill Carnival. The site itself was brim full of events and activities daily.
In the brick play hut the children were involved in painting sessions, and numerous active indoor games, along with action rhymes, such as pond and bank. Here at the playground, toddlers to youths congregated freely, whilst a large blackboard outside the office displayed in hand written chalk the days main programmes of activities. The play staff and volunteers were often crammed into the small office within the play building for meetings, discussing local issues and ordering play materials by phone. The local police arrived in their panda cards and took the kids who had queued up for hours, for free rides around the neighbourhood. In 1968, Pat Smythe himself remarked, after nine full years as leader at the playground. "The atmosphere is homely to the boy, returning from a spell in Borstal, to the old age pensioners coming to their own club". "To the unmarried mum bringing up her baby, to the nursery groups that she herself attended not so long ago and homely to the West Indian youth fresh off the boat". "Homely to the thousands of children who had come in off the streets".
On a visit to the playground by Arvid Bengtsson with the N.P.F.A. in that same year, Arvid commented in later years that, "I do not think that I have met anything since my first visit to Emdrupt in 1946 that has made me so thrilled". "It has just the spirit and atmosphere I have always been looking for in my playgrounds, but I did not find our how it was achieved".
Holland Park at Chelsea, with its exciting Play Park and its Greater London Councils One O Clock Club for infants. At the one o clock club I attended a toddler's birthday party and played finger action rhymes and sang with all of the tiny kids present. I was introduced as being one of Drummond Abernethys lads. PART TEN - EAST DULWICH ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND.
I returned to London in 1977 after operating the Bournemouth based Fernheath Adventure Playground, to set up and establish a new adventure playground in East Dulwich for the East Dulwich Play Association. The site chosen had previously been a former garden nursery and in earlier times the area was used by the landed gentry for the training of their hounds. Hence the name of dog kennel hill.
History of adventure playgrounds link.
 London PlayThe proposed adventure playground site was a large, undulating grassy woodland site, ideal for child's play. It was situated on the west edge of the extremely steep and busy Dog Kennel Hill. This was just above the King George playing fields, opposite to the large G.L.C housing estate and it backed onto a private members club, a gypsy site and tennis courts. I was appointed with Stuart Russell an experienced play leader from Norwich, who had recently completed the Thurrock Diploma in Play Work course under the direction of Colin Mayne its tutor. The playground management committee consisted of local people and a BBC TV producer of children's programmes. Grant aid for the project came from Southwark Council and the N.P.F.A. The licence for the site was initially granted to the trustees of the play association by Southwark Borough Council for an initial period of 15 years and the application was made via the play association through Des Palmer their co-ordinator, who was an employee of the Social Services.
Detatched Work.
Once appointed Stuart and I worked initially in detached roles, visiting local schools, clubs, on the streets of the estate, talking to groups or individual children, or with local residents and church groups. In this way building up a network of relationships with children and community leaders. We made regular visits to the local primary school where we talked to classes of pupils and ran picture and poem competitions to advertise the adventure playground and publicise its future opening. The play site itself was full of dangerous items, which had obviously been dumped or left from its earlier nursery days. With heavy brick rubble, glass, galvanised sheets of tin, huge oblong blocks of stone up to five feet in length, which were extremely heavy. All of which needed to be taken from the site before we could consider using the site for child's play. We therefore decided to have this as a project in which all of the local community could be actively involved. Involving local school groups, residents groups, play management committee, local police and children.In clearing the site of such dangerous materials.
Gypies.
We approached the local gypsy camp and they were more than willing to help with removal of the heavier rubble providing a crane and a chain, other groups helped with the collection of rubbish, bottles and other rubbish and it was proven to be a very successful activity. With children, parents, schools, clubs and local groups all involved. Other projects involved the local school kids in poetry, art, competition, with the adventure playground being the theme. This was another way in which we could publicise the adventure playgrounds future establishment and existence.
Craft Fair.
The Play Association itself organised a very successful craft fair event, which was held in the Dulwich village St Barnabus church hall. With over 47 stalls and the music was provided by the East Dulwich Heber Road School steel band. Stuart and I assisted on the day with sales of programmes on the doors and over 200 people attended on a sunny summer's day. The event raised hundreds of pounds as well as free publicity for the playground with the programmes and posters. A further event was planned for the following year.
Playground Fence The fencing of the adventure playground site remained of great concern with the playground site being so close to the steep and dangerous dog kennel hill road and directly opposite to the estate where the majority of local children lived. Children who were to use the adventure playground would have to cross the steep hill, with no crossing or patrol to enter the site. Initially the creation and construction of the fence itself became a big manual exercise, which took up a great deal of our time with members of the committees' assistance. Joining large sections of galvanised tins together and constructing around the perimeter of the site, was a strenuous exercise in the hot weather.
Planning layout of the site.
Stuart and I set to the designing of a plan of the proposed adventure playground site layout, including the position of the play hut, its services, access including entrances and exits for children and vehicles. The play structures area and others were planned including hard surface games areas, barbecue areas and children's den building areas. For the actual barbecue area construction we made good use of the 8 large heavy 6ftx2ft stones slabs which were already present on the site, these were ideal for the seating in a circular area.
Temporary hut.
The initial, temporary hut was a tin shed, which was to be used for the storage of tools and play materials. There were plans afoot for a play hut building which were approved at a cost to the region of £25,000 when fully equipped, with the monies to be provided through an urban aid grant. The fencing was now constructed around the site, although I saw this as unsuitable and as a temporary measure, considering the public access problems, the narrow footpath between the playground fence and the steep dog kennel hill road. All of the various necessary projects were therefore undertaken prior to the actual day of the playgrounds opening, including the creation of soil steps cut out of the rise at the rear of site exit. Inner city adventure playgrounds were usually established as a direct result or response to local public pressure. Here space was limited, unlike some of the new towns or housing development areas. Often the only choices for towns such as London, for development of adventure play sites was the old sparse bombed sites, demolition areas, railway sidings or areas not required or considered as being suitable for building of housing or commercial use. Thus so often the only sites offered for play was unfortunately not ideal, often like East Dulwich play site situated next to busy roads or else with limited space and sparse with no trees or grass. However at this particular site sparsely of trees or grass was not the issue. For in many ways the actual size and environment was ideal, with its woodland, bushes and undulating grassy banks, it was in fact beautiful in many aspects with a natural layout compared to so many others sites I have encountered. Of all of the adventure playgrounds of which I have known, this site still remains my favourite with immense possibilities for all of the child's play needs to be met within one setting.
Safety.
My concerns over the issue of children's safety took me into direct conflicts of interest with members of the play association. I was anxious that the site had a strong concrete horizontal fence, as recommended by the N.P.F.A. This was particularly relevant with the dangers of the close proximity to the steep hazardous hill road and the children having no crossing from the nearby estate to the site and with no patrol or crossing of any description. Other people just wanted the site to be opened and operational for the school holidays. I felt it necessary to approach the local authority's safety officer who fully supported my concerns though was not in a position to go against his superiors. I had to therefore make a decision on principle and therefore gave in my notice, as I was not prepared to accept responsibility for any child being seriously injured, as a direct result of no correct fencing or safety patrol. I was to hear later of a child being tragically killed crossing that Dog Kennel Hill .The steepest road in the city. The East Dulwich Adventure Playground continued to operate with Stuart as Leader with assistance from volunteers. They ran holiday play schemes on the site until its official opening in I978. The playground still operates till this day.
PART ELEVEN - KIMBER ROAD ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND - WANDSWORTH. It was through my discussion with Andy Scott that he suggested that I might be interested in working for him at his adventure playground sites in Wandsworth, where he was employed by the local authority as their play organiser. I was interested and accepted his kind offer and worked as a casual adventure playground worker on two sites, during the summer of 1978. The main adventure playground was based at Kimber road, sited within a park, close to a large G.L.C housing estate and just walking distance away from the main shopping centre. I was part of a team of play leaders who rebuilt the adventure playground and decorated the play hut, along with the play structures. The site had suffered over the years from drug-related problems, vandalism and poor leadership. The lady leader and our team of play staff, had successfully built a new go-kart track around the site, created a barbecue area, along with slides and rope Tarzan swings.
PART TWELVE- CAMDEN -TALACRE OPEN SPACE. In 1979, I was interested in applying for a post of Sports, Play and Youth Co-ordinator for a Camden Council of Social Service funded project. Based at the Talacre Open Space recreation area in Camden, (London). With the backing of Drummond Abernethy as reference, I applied to Talacre Action Group and was interviewed and appointed. With a mandate to co ordinate and develop sports, play and youth facilities in the neighbourhood. Talacre Action Group was a local voluntary body supported by Camden Council of Social Services. The previous co-ordinator had left the job after only a brief time and they were keen to see the scheme operate successfully.
Unfortunately the scheme itself was full of internal problems as I soon discovered, with low staff morale, poor organisation and the loss of expensive play equipment, which was uncounted for.I soon was to discover that I had inherited a time bomb, although for a time I attempted to pull the team of play and sports staff together and to give some direction I found it all quite impossible. For I was unable to trace much of the sports and play equipment which was listed and certain members of staff were not prepared to co operate. I compiled an advertisement that was used in Time Out magazine, of a picture of a girl holding a banner escorting a mobile play bus. An advertisement for summer play staff. I had some discussion on the employment position I was in with the social worker from Camden Council of Social Services,we met on a park bench on Parliament Hill the place where its said Guy Fawkes clan met up to watch parliament blownup. Then after working in the local meeting rooms with the youth clubs and encouraging the local children's involvement on the open space, I decided that the co-ordinators role was for me quite impossible. It didn't actually help sleeping on the office floor, as there were difficulties in finding accommodation in the area and along with this I had developed a heavy cold or flu like symptoms. Looking back now it seems that the problems were always there, the reason for me being the only person interviewed, along with the lengthily process of application. The fact that the Manager of Inter Action Trust had himself forewarned me earlier of the difficulties of the post. This was to be my final London adventure. One which I didn't want to repeat again.
PART THIRTEEN- PLAY IN DEPTFORD.
Whilst at East Dulwich Adventure Playground I commuted daily to the playground from the Sandford housing co op near New Cross, Deptford, where I lived with other professionals including Stuart Russell leader of the adventure playground. Here I was active as a member of the committee of management for the housing co operative, under the umbrella of the Society for Co operative Dwellings. The co-op was close to cold blow lane where the Millwall football team played.
Community Bonfire.
Here at New Cross and Deptford I would come into daily contact with kids on the streets either from Deptford itself or the nearby large woodpecker housing estate. Particularly around October and November when they were out collecting monies for their Guy Fawkes. I came up with the suggestion that the housing co-op should have its own community bonfire and involve all members as well as children from the locality. I had come into contact with the many local kids as they were collecting monies for the traditional penny for the guy. I approached them and encouraged them to get involved with our community bonfire preparations. Bringing all of these penny for the guy groups together under the umbrella of the sanford committee. Thus the scene was set for a community bonfire and fireworks display to be held on the car park area at cold blow lane by the bridge. It was financed through the co op committee with fireworks donated through a contact of Andy Scott's at Fair Play for Children, who I had approached. The students and teachers volunteered for the evening with British Rail donating old railway line sleepers which we used for the base of the bonfire. The co op students and teachers helped with the event as volunteers. The committee members all made cakes for the refreshments whilst all local shops donated crisps, soft drinks and prizes for the Guy Fawkes competition. The local kids who I had befriended arrived with all their home made Guys and were active in preparing the bonfire with cardboard paper and rubbish, whilst local dads delivered wood. The entire street at sanford walk turned out in the evening, potatoes were roasted, sweets and cakes were readily eaten and soft drinks handed out with crisps along with prizes for best Guy in our guy fawkes competition. Over 80 children attended with local police and fire service all notified and the area was roped off and safety checked. The Adults present took responsibility for the fireworks displays and safety measures, with buckets of sand and water handy. The actual bonfire was extremely large, its heat lasted through the night and the embers were still there in the morning light. It was a real community bonfire the first in the area.
kids party.
At Christmas I organised a children's party, many of the local children were invited free, this was held in the woodpecker community centre with a great many children present. The was also well supported and sponsored by the local social services,with many of their children attending. I provided hundreds of balloons which the volunteers blew up and later released from a net. This was an exciting event. Nationally the play movement itself was expanding with a wealth of play bodies, locally, regionally and nationally. Numerous locally based voluntary play associations as well as local authorities were setting up full time schemes, with the support of national play bodies like the N.P.F.A. A vast number of cities were developing a wide range and variety of play projects, from holiday schemes to full time adventure playgrounds and play centres. Portsmouth established a site within a new housing complex and at Hillfields in Coventry the education department set up a purpose built play centre. Whilst in Manchester numerous sites were established including those at Moss side and Hume and it was a similar scenario elsewhere at cities such as Liverpool, Birmingham, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Stoke, Cardiff, Bradford, Bristol, Glasgow and Leeds. As a consequence of these developments and to the unstinting work of the N.P.F.A., regional play associations were to be established during the years ahead in areas like the North West ( Tony Chilton and the Midlands, (Nick Balmforth) which were extremely successful. Although the London play scene was varied and a mixture of the best and worst, it was the memories of adventure playgrounds which hummed with spontaneous activity which I will always treasure from Notting Hill to Wandsworth. Such playgrounds are a hallmark of the best of British. Inventive, creative, adventurous, charming and energetic to the end. Just like children eager to play and discover more and more about themselves and the world around them. Adventure playgrounds in cities like London continue to operate very successfully at the time of writing London has 80 adventure playgrounds scattered amongst 17 of its boroughs.
ADVICE AND INFORMATION ON STARTING TO DEVELOP A NEW ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND With new monies available both through the national lottery and the Government,community groups and local councils are looking afresh at developing new adventure playgrounds.There is an abundance of material around on this topic including the following item from London Play, Put together by the child play experts based on years of valid experience establishing new adventure playgrounds.
London Adventure playground websites LOG CABIN
ELHAP
GLAMIS
HORNIMONS
SLADE SOMERFORD GROVE
SOMERVILLE
Other Adventure playground addresses
Barnard Park Adventure Playground Copenhagen Street, London N1 020 7837 1512
Cape Play and Youth Project Hillrise Road, London N19 020 7272 4243
Cornwallis Adventure Playground Cornwallis Road, London N19 020 7281 0094
Crumbles Castle Adventure Playground Bingfield Street, London N1 020 7278 8640
Hayward Adventure Playground (for disabled children and their families) Market Road, London N7 020 7607 0033
Kings Henry’s Walk Adventure Playground King Henry’s Walk, London N1 020 7254 4783
Lumpy Hill Adventure Playground Market Road, London N7 020 7607 3586
Martin Luther King Young People’s Partnership Sherringham Road, London N7 020 7607 0845
Three Corners Northampton Square, London EC1 020 7833 0795
Timbuktu Adventure Playground Grenville Road, London N7 020 7272 2183
Toffee Park Adventure Playground Ironmonger Row, London EC1 020 7251 0190
Waterside Play and Youth Project Baldwin Terrace, London N1
islington play
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