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Report transcript in: Mash talks to Alan about his experiences of the park
Please Report the Errrors?
Hello, Paul. Um,
yeah, I guess you've lived around Longford Park quite a long time.
Am I right?
OK, so, uh, you've seen different sides of it and enjoyed different things in it,
I presume. Tell me a little bit about
what you like about the park, particularly
love trees. And
now I mean to be truthful. Um,
I came quite late to this government park. I mean,
apart from playing football,
which was, um, regular Sunday morning activity. But,
um,
went all
through the seventies and the eighties until I got a little bit too old and
do that. So, you know, I didn't really appreciate it.
It was just a football pitch to me for
many years.
Then,
you know, being involved in the community a lot and just opening
my eyes a bit more. Just really.
You know,
I still
do remember when
there was the building
and the
conversation of the hall
thinking,
This is brilliant.
If you want to encourage kids to come and vandalise it,
you put notices up saying dangerous building to keep out.
And that could have could have been a resource,
that
sort
of real
real opportunity wasted. And we know we now know that we
wouldn't do that these days.
You actually see it as something worth a
bit like Victoria
basing in Russia
stroke Victoria Park. We're just worth
worth keeping,
you know. Yeah. So the whole to me was a bit of a tragedy. Big, big
mistake.
I don't
simply
put any blame. Of course it's traffic,
so
yeah.
Yeah. Um,
so
you obviously are involved in the community allotment,
and you've said some of the things that you particularly like about it.
Do you think there are things that could be improved about the park?
And what do you think those are really?
Well, nothing can't be improved. Um,
and the park is well used,
and I like the fact the sports ground in the park, because that
brings younger people.
I
think cycling
seems to me when a more person does include quite a lot of disabled
young people, which I think is great because the bike, the variety of bikes, not just
days, but anything that can
encourage, you know, some more participation, more diversity, you know? I mean,
look at
us as a community lot. We're all
you know, much of a muchness. Really
we can't help it, but we should be thinking
a little bit more about how we can include our Wilson.
OK, there's an opportunity now with this
ground work that might bring in some kids might
bring in some people who who who might better
use it or
contribute to it. Or
so I'm very keen on
that sort of initiative. And and and others
I still feel
this place is so beautiful that we know the community a lot
can be very therapeutic.
You need to bring
more people you gain, and we might need to
be trained
how to
just one or 21 or two sessions a week.
Do you do you think having
you know,
I'm thinking about the historic lottery bids that we that we're hoping to go in for?
Uh, I think one of the suggestions was having a community,
uh, having a paid role,
um, to develop, volunteering
more?
Would that be helpful?
Yes,
I
I
have a friend when he's just died. But a friend of mine was involved in the community
and they have
a part
time.
It will just, you know, make sure the things ticks over. Plus,
you know, be the reference point for,
you know, the local GP surgeries,
etcetera. Want to prescribe, you know, like gardening or to have someone to talk to,
And that works well. You can't really do that with the way we're set up as a committee.
Um,
you would need one person to to do it. And it's probably two owners as
a
part time paid or or
as a as a as something that
someone who might have wider
responsibilities about making the park more attractive,
absolutely
inclusive, whatever
names and just
goes and
thinks about it.
There are other things there are. There are groups that would
benefit.
Not
just
this. It is the the play group. It is the cafe. It is the sports ground. It is the
It is
the
dog walkers place.
Yes.
So it it's
a
you know, it's many, many things to many different people.
I
mean,
yes.
So
yeah,
but it would probably be helpful. You're saying to have
to have the input of of that?
Yeah,
Yeah, yeah,
yeah,
that's good.
Anything else you want to particularly say about
the park itself?
Um,
it is drop
dead gorgeous in terms of trees at the moment. It's just
just a pleasure, you know?
That's it, really?
On a
cold
Monday afternoon in November?
Yeah,
that's great. Thanks very much.
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