SYDENHAMS PARKS

[leenewham]

One of the great pleasures of living in Sydenham is discovering something new. Living in Fairlawn Park I was invited to the allotments last weekend and enjoyed a glass of chianti in the sun while admiring the hard work people had put into growing their own and a good chinwag about the local area.

I haven't been in Sydenham long but have already discovered the delights of Mayow park and last weekend the incredible Well Park. The childrens area is genius with the water features. Really bespoke, different, inventive and fun. The whole park is well designed, beautiful and unique. But more than that, it's a place with different areas, with things to do for everyone from young and old.

What's your favourite park? What's your least favourite?

[poppy]

There is also Alexandra Park, which is technically London Borough of Bromley, but is at the bottom of Tannsfeld Road, off the high street (just beyond the recreation ground, on Lennard Road). The playground has great equipment and is surrounded by trees, so perfect in summer for children.

Most other playgrounds have little or no shade which isn't great if you want to protect your children's skin from the sun. There is a sweet bowling club next to it too.

There are also allotments (which some of the houses on Girton road back onto, accessed from Alexandra Rec).

[charlieandpip]

and in Alexander Recreation ground there is also a great paddling pool in summer....

[floom]

I like these parks too. Gives the public somewhere really nice to gob on.

[leenewham]

Apparently Home park used to have an adventure playground and football posts. What happened, Home park is now basically a patch of grass. Do people still use the park, or play in it?

Seems like in an area and an age where it's important to have spaces for recreation and for kids to have something to do that this shoudl be reinstated.

Perhaps a basketball court and a football court. They have them in Wells Park.

[Annie]

Home Park used to have a lovely climbing area,my son used to play for Home Park football club (not sure if this still exists) but unfortunately drugs were being taken under the climbing frame and all sorts of scum started to visit there.
Also,not one to harp on about irresponsible dog owners but the amount of times my son had dog mess on his boots after footie i was glad when he left the team.

[castiron73]

Manor House Gardens is not local but it is one of Lewisham's better parks.
It has a few things that are needed in all parks

A cafe, which increases traffic and means families and the elderly use the park not just hoodies

Black railings and gates all the way round the turfed areas to stop dogs fouling the grass

A separate dog exercise area, the only place dogs are allowed off the lead

As a parent and dog owner I wish dogs were banned from roaming free in more of our parks. But the amount of parks is still great. Home Park has quite a nice playground that we use if we're going to the library

[leenewham]

So how could Home park be improved?

• Do you use it? How has it changed? Would you like to see in there?

• CCTV over the kids playground perhaps?

• What about the water features in the kids adventure playground in Wells Park?

• Do you kids use it, or would you if the park was better?

[GillM]

When my girls were young they used to play in Home Park. The adventure playground used to be extremely well run and events organised for the kids in summer. They stopped using the park when it became a haven for drug takers. The Rose garden at the front of the park used to be lovely but now it seem's the local drinkers move there in the afternoon after their morning session outside of the post office.

I agree with you that we have some fantastic parks in Sydenham and I have fond memories of taking the girls to Wells Park when they were little to splash around in the paddling pool. Also going to Mayo park to watch the Tennis and Bowls and having a ice cream in the cafe.

Home park always seems to be deserted and I think Mum's are wary to go in there on their own. Maybe the presence of a park ranger/park office would help.

I am not sure if the adventure playground is still running (I think it is) and during the day they could hold a "1 O'clock" club for Mum's and Toddlers.

[poppy]

GillM, I also think that if the library looked more welcoming it would help. You can't see inside the windows which are covered in security wire, which gives the impression that that whole area is a bit dodgy. If it was given the Forest Hill treatment, that would be a start.

It is really difficult where communal spaces are concerned because I don't know how you can stop drunks and druggies using it to congregate, it is something that concerns me a bit about these 'town squares' in the Sydenham road proposals actually. I think the council needs to look to other areas which have lots of open green spaces, where this doesn't happen, to see how they deal with it.

And who agreed to have that awful brown building, with little or no windows, built next to the libary?

[lbere]

Hi, When I was a child I used to live one side of the park and now I live on the other side of the park. When I was younger we used to go to Home Park alot. The playground was fenced in and we had a lady as a 'playground ranger' who you can still see doing her shopping in SE26. The adventure playground was great and as Gillm said the rose garden was fab. When the council let it be used as a football pitch, it signed its death warrent. The park was never a great park, but just a park. Mayow Park was always the 'nicer' park. I do not feel safe in Home Park and do not take my boys to it, we go to Mayow Park.
Mayow Park used to have a big paddling pool, cafe, bird avery and toilets (not that great but they did!!!) I think that the bowling section have just won a grant to build a new 'house'??? So all that Mayow Park needs now to be great again is toilets and a cafe.

[Tim Lund]

Ibere

I can't remember the details, but you're likely to be disappointed by the grant won by the Mayow Park Bowls Club. If you want to learn more about what's going on in Mayow Park, you could do worse than join the guided tour of the trees in the park, 9.30 Sat May 31. But a word of warning - express your views too well, and someone will try to persuade to you to join the Friends of Mayow Park, next meeting Wed June 18.

[Pat Trembath]

Home park always seems to be deserted and I think Mum's are wary to go in there on their own. Maybe the presence of a park ranger/park office would help

I think it would be a very good idea if the council/Glendale had a look at Home Park to see if it could be improved. There are many mum's and children living around the park and it should be a welcoming, not a threatening, space for local people to enjoy.

Sydenham Wells and Mayow Parks both have "friends" or "users" groups where, on a quarterly basis, local park users can meet with Glendale and council officers to discuss problems and seek solutions. Perhaps a "friends" group could be set up for Home Park?

[Pat Trembath]

It surprised to me to learn today that Home Park is in Bellingham Ward which, on the face of it, complicates matters for improving this park for local residents of Sydenham Ward.

But with some lateral thinking there should be a solution. Currently giving it some thought......

[leenewham]

Brilliant ideas Pat. Touch base soon on this, I will raise it at the Fairlawn Park meeting on Saturday. Hopefully we can get some more people behind it.

[BingBong]

I notice no one's volunteered Baxter Fields at the end of Charlecote Grove as a favourite.
It's known locally as Dog Poo Park. For obvious reasons.

[castiron73]

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NewsAndEvent ... yAreas.htm

Apparently Lewisham has been given £1m to spend on 20-25 playgrounds over three years - exisiting ones or new ones. That's about £50k each. Get your bids ready now!

To submit an interest in developing an area, we need to know the following information:
Name and address of the proposed site.
Whether there has been any consultation with the community and children and young people about what they want.
Who would lead on this.
Who would be the beneficiaries.
What will make this area exciting to children and young people.
How it will ensure access to children of all abilities.
How boys and girls will use this area.
Your name and address.
Lewisham’s Play Partnership board is responsible for improving play facilities and will decide which bids are successful.

Please forward your views and ideas by Friday 20 June 2008, to: Chris Bull, Children's Centres, Childcare and Play, 3rd Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, SE6 4RU. E-mail: chris.Bull@lewisham.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8314 3685

Doesn't give you much time

[leenewham]

I've requested funds for Home Park.

Lets see what happens.

[Chris Best]

You might like to know that Lewisham has funds to refurbish the Adventure Playground in Home Park - faces Winchfield Road. There is a planning application being considered to construct a single storey modular building to be used as a classroom. I know some residents in Fairlawn Park have concerns with the proximity and hope we can work together to sort this out.

I will be supporting bids to spend on local playareas.

Chris

[Tim Lund]

Would another quick plug for the Mayow Park / Dacres Wood Reserve Tree Walk, this Saturday, 9.30 outside the Bowls Pavilion count as abuse of this thread? Hope to see lots of people there.



It's bit leafier than this now, but still beautiful. The forecast is good too.