A recce at Daisybank

When I finally got home from my west country travels, I found that I had been asked to attend a public meeting about Daisybank as an official representative of the town council. A local resident and parent has organised the meeting at my local pub, so it won't be too much of a problem to go, as it is only two hundred yards away and serves the excellent Stroud Brewery's Budding Ale.

I decided to go on a recce to see for myself the issues that parents are concerned about, so I can get a balanced view about the park and its children's play equipment. There are many non-parents who may have their own take on how the park should be maintained, outside of the play area.

I found a group of about fifteen parents and their children all picnicking there, so I quizzed them about what they thought about the issues, and whether they would be attending the meeting. I took a few photos for the record and to share with other councillors, but I had to avoid including any children in my shots, so I was somewhat restricted in my choice of vista.

This picture is intended to show the problems with the slide in the background, but it also shows the fire damage caused recently by a late-evening fire in the waste bin, which then spread to this adjoining wooden fence and to the artificial turf set under the swings, just out of shot.

I think we will get a good result if local people can take a sense of ownership of the play area and help our staff to plan a suitable future for it as well as looking after it too. More may be revealed next Thursday.