Janice talks about living near the park when her children were young, setting up the community choir - the events and more!

Hello, Janice. Um, thanks for agreeing to see me today, and I I'd just like to know about how you use your Longford park, how long you've been using it. And what's the sort of thing that you do in Longford Park? I probably started using Longford Park when I was a child, and my mom used to bring us across the Monkey bridge from Balmoral Avenue. And I think one of my earliest memories is going over the monkey bridge and along I think it's Longford Road and into the park

Um, so I've been going since I was a child, which is over 50 years ago, uh and then I've moved around, uh, out of the area, but still managed to come to the park quite often. And then I might have finally moved on to Cromwell Road. So the park was in my back garden, which was partially why I bought the place in the first place

Because having the park in the back garden when I had young boys was just ideal. So the boys used to go off and play in it as well. Um, however, I've kind of moved slightly away from the park and I now live on edge lane, but I still have access

So it takes me maybe two minutes longer to actually get to the park. And I do try and get round at least once a week. Uh, and every time I go, it looks totally different

So the trees might be a different colour. There's different people, loads of different activities and things going on. So, yeah, I absolutely love it

It's a lovely place to be. Yeah. So you walk around on a regular basis? I do? Yeah

During lockdown, I think I went a different route. I used to walk around the paths, but during lockdown, I found a longer route right around the outside edges of the park just to make it a bit more substantial. And that's the route I do now

I quite like that route because it kind of gets you off the path and a little bit closer into the woods and things like that in the bank. Yeah. And how often when you would you do that? Walk during the lockdown? Uh, during lockdown

Every day, every day, every day. So that changed or you did. It increased a lot a lot

Yeah, if not the park and be around the meadows. But you'd have to cross through the park to get to the meadows anyway. So probably every day

Yes. And, um, apart from walking around, uh, do you use the park for any other reasons? Yes. Well, um I started a community choir, uh, in 2013, and, um, we use First Community Centre, which is based at the quadrant end of the park

Um, the parking isn't ideal. We could do with maybe better parking and lighting facilities and stuff. However, it's it is quite a a smashing little community centre for people to be involved in

Um, so we've been there every week practically since 2013. Um, we also have had many things on the fields. There's been the Armed Forces Day hasn't there, and lots of other events that the choir has been involved in, which we probably wouldn't have done had we not been around in the park

Um, I think there was an event for friends of Longford Park as well that the G n s society I also belong to was involved in. I think we did an old time music Hall for the 100th anniversary, even 2012 2012. So that was really enjoyable

So, yeah, we should have more of that. I know it's very difficult to organise, but I think these events that go on in the park are really popular. Um, we have the theatre company come, don't we? Once they've been really, really nice to sit out in the gardens and watch a show with a picnic is fabulous

Um, and with the pets pets corner also put on some events and the bowling people and the a lot of people. So we have We've got a lot going on and more of that. It's fantastic

And, um, do you have you ever volunteered in the park? A couple of times? My problem is time. I I tend to be quite busy, so I can we do health walks? Um, which I did volunteer way back, back a few years now. 15, 16, 17 years

Something like that. When Jean suggest it, um which was just to encourage people to use the park more who maybe didn't want to come in on their own so that they could use the paths around and actually turned into a really, really nice thing to do on Sunday, a month We got to know quite a few of the local people and people who may be not quite as able bodied would come. So we've got a nice ring of paths now, Um, there's proposals, I think, for future ones, which would be which would be great

So, yes, I really enjoy doing that once. Once a month. Is is for a couple of hours on a Sunday is a fabulous thing to do

Yeah, so my mother enjoys it. She My mother's 90 now, so she still wanders around. Very good

Yeah. And have you got a favourite bit of the park? That's a very good question, isn't it? Um, before lockdown, I would have said the gardens because I do love the gardens with, um they change throughout the year. We have beautiful magnolias in the spring, and, uh, in the autumn, all the aces change colours, don't they? So they've got beautiful autumn colours, but probably since lockdown

I do enjoy going around the outside edge down Cromwell road side up to the edge lane exit because it's like a little wooded path is a nice little walk. And also the bank end, which I hadn't really ventured into before lockdown and all across those grounds, there's a bit of a tented area going on up there. Um, so it's a difficult one, that difficult one

I do like the open space of the the big field, so yeah. Yeah. So So you like most of it? Most of it

And the lake, Because we get a nice lake every now and again. That was the thing that was going to ask. Did you think there are any problems in the park to be resolved? So now you've brought up the lake Lake? What do you mean by the lake, then? Well, when we get heavy rain, there does tend to appear at this fantastic lake lake, um, near the big Children's play area, which the birds do tend to enjoy

But it does offer quite a few problems. I'm sure the people at the other end of Cromwell Road I walk around yesterday, actually, and it was really quite marshy again. So it is quite a problem for them

It shouldn't be there. It's the underground. I mean, they came and sorted it out We had diggers for quite some time, and I thought you were talking about the other lake

The the one in because there are all the lakes, Some of the one, you know, there's one in the park in the gardens. And that's a very interesting lake. That appears also

Yes, we have escorted several people out of the flood water in the long time with our willy bobs on. Um And there was another new lake, actually. Wasn't there? Down at the bottom of the trees near lane

That was a new one. What are those in America? Yes. So it does get flooded a lot

Yes. And if there is quite a water shortage in the Northwest, you think that that would be something that they would be able to address the water to where it should be going? Yeah. So, apart from the flooding, would you think there's any other if there was money to improve the park? What do you think needs to be done to improve it? I'd like to see something going on at the stables area, and I know there is maybe the possibility of something happening at the stables area whether that would be a courtyard, a community hub of some description

Um, that would be very nice. The cafe is really good. The cafe

The only problem with the cafe, personally, I think, is that they're a little bit highbrow. We get posh coffee and stuff, but it does take quite a while to make posh coffee, and then it's a little bit cold when you get it. So I think the model may be that Vicky Park have got where you can get a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea

You know, make less pot. However, it's nice. It's It's, um, and the ice cream ladies as well

Um, I forgot the question, and it was just, you know, if there was ever any funding available, Do you think there's anything that needs? You know, you mentioned the flooding problem? Is there anything else that you think needs addressing, you know, to make it a better experience for for you and for other people. I think the gardens could be improved, Um, that they we've got one bed of flowers, I think, or a couple of beds of flowers now, Whereas I remember when I was a kid, that the gardens were fabulous. We did have the water feature, and Oh, it did? Yes

And yes, we'd have a little waterfall, and it was fabulous. As a child, you you play sticks with the bridge or things like that. It was It was really, really good

So I'd like to do that restored, if possible. And, um, there was a little cafe. Wasn't there a fabulous old cafe down by where the acting area is? That would be quite nice to restore the 19 thirties in that toilet block

Is that what you think? I vaguely remember it. I remember the building. I don't remember being open, but I remember it being there

Um, but they have done a nice job with with that area with the mosaics and things. You know, they they've made the best of that of of of the area. I think, apart from the flooding, of course, um, otherwise maybe a bit more money on the pets corner, because that's a fabulous area as well

Maybe a bit more substantial, um, out houses for the animals. And I feel a bit sorry for the weather out in the cold. I don't I don't know much about animals but that everybody loves going around and looking at the chickens and the goats

And I used to love the Woo. They got rid of the because the Woodies were such fun. We've got parakeets in the park, I suppose

In the wild. Yeah, yeah. Was there anything else that you wanted to talk about? You know, any of your views or anything that you wanted to share on the park? I just think everybody should go

I think it is a real asset to Stratford. It's the biggest park in Trafford, I think, isn't it? And, um, there's probably not as much funding spent on it as there ought to be. Um, it does attract a lot of people, especially if the master plan is going to go ahead and Stratfor is going to be regenerated

Longford Park should be on that path. I think whether there's a circular route around Stratford where you can go and visit all the parks and then have a nice little coffee in the in a new area, I don't know, But, um, I think it should be It should be a real asset and and marketed as a real asset to Stratford. It is

I know it's kind of on the border between Strech, so it's kind of a bit more Manchester way, isn't it? So maybe people in Trafford don't appreciate it as much as they ought to. I think a bit more publicity about the park. More visitors walks, more walks, you know, more things in the park

More going on the fairy trails. Brilliant. The little fairy doors, lots of little Children going around

We had used to have the lantern parade and things like, You know, there are a lot more activities we need to go on and a bit more Carol singing this year. Yes. Oh, thank you

Anyway. See if I can turn this off now. I take it just because the phone shuts down, it takes a while to turn off the

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