Mayow Park walkabout
Mayow Park walkabout
Thought I'd pass this on for anyone interested in Mayow Park
I remember the cafe. They always had bowls of water outside for thirsty dogs. Can't remember when it closed but know it was definitely open in the 90s.
Anyone remember the aviary? Opposite the tennis courts. It is now a paved area. I think they could make that section into some kind of work out place. I see quite a few people training in the park and think it would be a good idea. Maybe some things to make it a "grown up" play area somehow! I mean the kids have got the swings and slides, what about us?!!!!!
Anyone remember the aviary? Opposite the tennis courts. It is now a paved area. I think they could make that section into some kind of work out place. I see quite a few people training in the park and think it would be a good idea. Maybe some things to make it a "grown up" play area somehow! I mean the kids have got the swings and slides, what about us?!!!!!
I was thinking about what I've seen in other parks that might work/be nice.
A work out area sounds a good idea (do people want one?), Battersea Park has a small section with about 7 different workout areas. Something like this (note not my photo)
Hither Green has a great park Manor House Gardens, there's a separate dog walking section & a nice cafe. Of course they managed to get Lottery funding but it shows how nice a park can be made.
A work out area sounds a good idea (do people want one?), Battersea Park has a small section with about 7 different workout areas. Something like this (note not my photo)
Hither Green has a great park Manor House Gardens, there's a separate dog walking section & a nice cafe. Of course they managed to get Lottery funding but it shows how nice a park can be made.
Yes, I remember it all. The best thing was the paddling pool which was sited where the burnt out train was. The park used to be packed, it was so nice. Only bad thing was you had to walk all the way across the park for an ice cream or to use the toilet. Was there something said about plans to build something on the site of the aviary? The flower gardens were always lovely, but like all parks have gone down hill.
I went there today. About 30 or so other people turned up, it was basically part of a opinion gathering exercise to create an action plan document, Lewisham council I think have commissioned this. We walked around & stopped at 5 places to talk about what was there. The Pavilion, the Fountain, the Shelter, the Play area & the bowling green.
There were two main group views represented, the Friends of Mayow park & the Bowls club. It was interesting to listen to what peoples concerns were & thoughts on what improvements were wanted. Some people seemed to get very bogged down in telling the history of what had happened there & the neglect. Some people mentioned things had been tried & vandalised repeatedly which was fairly depressing.
I couldn't stay until the end as it took nearly two hours to walk around & there lots of people interrupting. Strangely the OAP's there seemed to be the rudest & were heckling fairly regularly. One hilarious granddad shouting the reason there weren't any toilets was because of "the abominations being committed" in the old ones at the Pavilion, but hey what the bowls club get up to is their business
A couple of councillors attended (who at times were more interested in having little side meetings than listening to actual park users) & also someone from the council (or Glendale?).
There was a lot of talk about wanting the Pavilion to be a cafe again. Also people wanted a Park Keeper on site (I agree with both). It was suggested there was a play area for older children as well a possible new entrance by the tower blocks (mixed response). It was also suggested that an exercise area be put on the old Aviary site.
After a while though I overheard that there wasn't any actual money to carry out any of these ideas. Someone also said the timescale for producing this document was two years (can anyone verify this)? I eventually lost interest I'm afraid with all the bickering but saying that I hope something (eventually) positive comes of it as the Park is great asset.
If anyone was there for the end meeting perhaps they can elaborate on what was said on budget & the reported timescale?
There were two main group views represented, the Friends of Mayow park & the Bowls club. It was interesting to listen to what peoples concerns were & thoughts on what improvements were wanted. Some people seemed to get very bogged down in telling the history of what had happened there & the neglect. Some people mentioned things had been tried & vandalised repeatedly which was fairly depressing.
I couldn't stay until the end as it took nearly two hours to walk around & there lots of people interrupting. Strangely the OAP's there seemed to be the rudest & were heckling fairly regularly. One hilarious granddad shouting the reason there weren't any toilets was because of "the abominations being committed" in the old ones at the Pavilion, but hey what the bowls club get up to is their business
A couple of councillors attended (who at times were more interested in having little side meetings than listening to actual park users) & also someone from the council (or Glendale?).
There was a lot of talk about wanting the Pavilion to be a cafe again. Also people wanted a Park Keeper on site (I agree with both). It was suggested there was a play area for older children as well a possible new entrance by the tower blocks (mixed response). It was also suggested that an exercise area be put on the old Aviary site.
After a while though I overheard that there wasn't any actual money to carry out any of these ideas. Someone also said the timescale for producing this document was two years (can anyone verify this)? I eventually lost interest I'm afraid with all the bickering but saying that I hope something (eventually) positive comes of it as the Park is great asset.
If anyone was there for the end meeting perhaps they can elaborate on what was said on budget & the reported timescale?
I went on the walkabout and found some of it interesting. I didn't realise how long it was going to be though and also had to leave before the very end. I'm the one who suggested the workout place where the aviary was! I did contribute quite a lot of stuff (some positive I hasten to add!) and hope I didn't come across as too overbearing.
It was really hard not to butt in at times but I was one of the ones who raised my hand and waited patiently to be asked to contribute! I completely agree about the hecklers!!!!!
I didn't quite understand the criticism made at the start of the meeting towards the bowls club about the green not being used and the club not inviting people in etc. Having lived here for 14 years now I have seen the green used throughout the summer - I think some people didn't realise it was a summer sport. In terms of inviting people in I think sometimes people have to make some effort themselves to find out about things. Historically bowls clubs have ALWAYS been more of an older generation thing, rightly or wrongly. Also, how the club involves members is up to them really I would have thought and not really relevant to the park as a whole. Perhaps I am wrong in considering the Bowls Club as a group who just uses the park and not as a park responsibility. Not sure I'm making sense there.
It was good to see so many people taking part though. With hindsight I think it might have been best to split the group in 2 and run 2 tours as it was quite hard for some people to keep up with the walking and also in large groups not everybody feels comfortable contributing. Plus there were people who couldn't hear what people were saying etc.
I think there was quite a lot of negativity towards teenagers but then when I read through the Friends of Mayow Park sheet I saw what I suspected in a way and that is that teenagers have ALWAYS been considered a problem! I think we all need to try and remember that a bit! AND try and remember what we and our peers were like as teenagers. It really isn't ALL teenagers who are anti-social but there certainly are some. In the picture on the Friends of Mayow park sheet there were benches surrounding some of the trees - this looks like a nice thing to do.
I hope that something positive will come out of the meeting as it would be such a shame and a waste of people's time if it didn't.
It was really hard not to butt in at times but I was one of the ones who raised my hand and waited patiently to be asked to contribute! I completely agree about the hecklers!!!!!
I didn't quite understand the criticism made at the start of the meeting towards the bowls club about the green not being used and the club not inviting people in etc. Having lived here for 14 years now I have seen the green used throughout the summer - I think some people didn't realise it was a summer sport. In terms of inviting people in I think sometimes people have to make some effort themselves to find out about things. Historically bowls clubs have ALWAYS been more of an older generation thing, rightly or wrongly. Also, how the club involves members is up to them really I would have thought and not really relevant to the park as a whole. Perhaps I am wrong in considering the Bowls Club as a group who just uses the park and not as a park responsibility. Not sure I'm making sense there.
It was good to see so many people taking part though. With hindsight I think it might have been best to split the group in 2 and run 2 tours as it was quite hard for some people to keep up with the walking and also in large groups not everybody feels comfortable contributing. Plus there were people who couldn't hear what people were saying etc.
I think there was quite a lot of negativity towards teenagers but then when I read through the Friends of Mayow Park sheet I saw what I suspected in a way and that is that teenagers have ALWAYS been considered a problem! I think we all need to try and remember that a bit! AND try and remember what we and our peers were like as teenagers. It really isn't ALL teenagers who are anti-social but there certainly are some. In the picture on the Friends of Mayow park sheet there were benches surrounding some of the trees - this looks like a nice thing to do.
I hope that something positive will come out of the meeting as it would be such a shame and a waste of people's time if it didn't.
Mayow Park walkabout
First of all let me 'fess up to being one of those responsible for this
On the subject of involving teenagers - and younger kids as well - some of you may have noticed me sloping off and talking to the footballers. This is because I knew them from having made contact with them earlier in the year, and told them about various possible developments, and that they needed to make contact with councillors, organisations such as FOMP. No surprise that they did not - after all running some training with a groups of kids demanding your attention will generally seem more important than a possible boring meeting where you can't understand why two lots of OAPs are getting irritated with each other. So I went up to the footballers and told them that this was their opportunity to make contact with some of the people who matter - from which developed another side meeting - and what might prove a very productive one, I am told.
So, Sophie, Ronski and anyone else there - don't be put off. As an active FOMP member, the reason I wasn't saying much apart from at the start was because I've heard all the long held points of view already, and people have heard mine, and I'd prefer to leave space in this sort of exercise for the new ideas, the ones people like you said yesterday, or wrote down. That's probably the reasoning behind why councillors weren't in the thick of it either - they and local activists like myself find plenty of opportunities to say what we think.
It's possible we'll end up disappointed by what emerges - that's always a risk - but actually I think there is a bright future for Mayow Park. If you do want to stay in touch with what is going on, try to find time to get involved with groups such as FOMP and the Sydenham Society.
Tim
It was also I who irritated the woman conducting the consultation exercise at the start by distributing leaflets about the Friends of Mayow Park - even though I only wrote the back of them asking people to make contact with us. I and other FOMP members felt that this had to be an opportunity to tell people about this established park users' group - but I make no claims to FOMP being a perfect vehicle for getting views heard. In some of those side meetings that is what I was saying to councillors - that I understand very well why a consultation process such as was being carried out was worth doing, that you couldn't just rely on FOMP. I also said the same to the consultants at the end. I was even managing to have a conciliatory conversation with some of the bowls club members, pointing out to them that some of us were managing to find a compromise to address their concerns. I'd also like to say thank you to Glendale for doing the photocopying of the leaflets for us.A couple of councillors attended (who at times were more interested in having little side meetings than listening to actual park users) & also someone from the council (or Glendale?).
On the subject of involving teenagers - and younger kids as well - some of you may have noticed me sloping off and talking to the footballers. This is because I knew them from having made contact with them earlier in the year, and told them about various possible developments, and that they needed to make contact with councillors, organisations such as FOMP. No surprise that they did not - after all running some training with a groups of kids demanding your attention will generally seem more important than a possible boring meeting where you can't understand why two lots of OAPs are getting irritated with each other. So I went up to the footballers and told them that this was their opportunity to make contact with some of the people who matter - from which developed another side meeting - and what might prove a very productive one, I am told.
So, Sophie, Ronski and anyone else there - don't be put off. As an active FOMP member, the reason I wasn't saying much apart from at the start was because I've heard all the long held points of view already, and people have heard mine, and I'd prefer to leave space in this sort of exercise for the new ideas, the ones people like you said yesterday, or wrote down. That's probably the reasoning behind why councillors weren't in the thick of it either - they and local activists like myself find plenty of opportunities to say what we think.
It's possible we'll end up disappointed by what emerges - that's always a risk - but actually I think there is a bright future for Mayow Park. If you do want to stay in touch with what is going on, try to find time to get involved with groups such as FOMP and the Sydenham Society.
Tim
Ibere:
It was mentioned on another thread, but that's no reason to apologise!
This is the link
http://www.london.gov.uk/parksvote/region/southeast/ to vote on it. Let's give it all the publicity we can!
It was mentioned on another thread, but that's no reason to apologise!
This is the link
http://www.london.gov.uk/parksvote/region/southeast/ to vote on it. Let's give it all the publicity we can!