Olive talks visiting the park over 40 years, with her children for walks and picnics and the playgrounds... her kids enjoyed the 'formal garden' and wooded area, which is still a favourite area today. She talks about the flooding in recent times - near the bowling green. The cafe and the great coffee. The lack of toilets when the cafe isnt open.
She is also a member of the choir - but struggles getting into the park in the darker evenings with her walking stick, and lack of lighting.
The devoted nature of the volunteers at the park and wishes she could help more, but has managed to fundraise with the choir!
Transcript
right. Thanks. Thanks for coming and having a chat with me today. Um, So how long have you been visiting Long Park? Or I would say, a long, long time? At least 40 years
So what sort of thing did you go to the park for the park? For taking the Children on the and, you know, walking around, You know it. Sure gather exercise and things like that, you know, and to look at all the look, the truth and plants Explain about things. You know, gardening wise
They used to love gardening, So, yeah. Did you ever visit the hall? Um, only once. Funnily enough, it was It's very strange
That isn't a function there. Did you Did you ever go there? No, I We did have dancing at the function I went to because it was a wedding. Oh, right
And have you got any memories of what it was like? Oh, beautiful. Really, really nice. Yeah, it's very, very nice
Yeah. Sorry. Didn't visit it more
You know, the vacation didn't arise. Really? Yeah. And did you ever go in all of the greenhouses? You know, that used to used to see the greenhouses and explain to the Children about the flowers and things
You know, Take my friend Children as well with me. You know, many times when we've been to the bath, we used to come and have a little walk around afterwards. You know you have a picnic
Well, yes, we have lot of wooded area. That's nice. Your Children like that used to call it Strawberry Gardens for some reason or other
I don't know why. And do you remember when we had the water running through it? But at the time when your Children were little there was there a park keeper who sort of came and said, Don't go on the grass was a park, But we never sort of got involved with anything. We we talk to him, obviously say hello, but he never wanted to tell us
I'm sure the person gets to you. So in the more recent years, you've started to come to the park again. I've been bowling
And then, of course, I came with my grandchildren, you know, up to about, like, 10, 12 years ago. You know they love the playground here. Yeah, they did
And they like to walk around. I love to go to the wooded area at the back. I really enjoyed that
Trying to escape from me, I think for a bit, you know, you know, so you can't find me. There's lots of places to hang out. And do you have a favourite area of the park? I like them
I think it's really nice that and of course, the bowling green, of course, of the bone. And these are bowling greens are lovely because they've got lovely surroundings. They have, You know, the trees are beautiful
The only thing I'm concerned about is the flooding that occurs just outside the bowling green area. Um that nothing used to happen. So I don't know
We know what's on. Whether we're having more rainfall or or it's the ground is not, you know, taking it, taking it up like it used to do soaking it up. I don't know you
Yeah. So, um, is that the main problem area or do you know, are there any other issues? The other issue is the car park at right bank road. Absolutely terrible, and we're driving in there, and there's potholes that live very deep and when they're filled with water you know, you sort of how deep they are when you're driving
Um, and it's it's a concern for me walking stick, but it's a concern for me walking to get into the park because of the, um, you know, it's very badly deterioration. I'm surprised a lot, really. And, um, do you feel that's a barrier for people coming to visit the park? I think it does
I mean, I know it's always busy, you know, whenever we came during the lockdown, we came every day for a walk for 20 minutes, half an hour, and, um sometimes I couldn't get in the car park. So we leave our car outside on right bank road and just walk through then. But I did find it concerning over an older person like myself walking
So you just mentioned the lockdown. Did you use the park a lot more than every day, every day. I mean, when it was obviously when it was really bad weather, no, But every day we tried to go for a walk, at least for half an hour
You have it on the doorstep to do that and look at the pets corner as well. I think That's lovely. You know, I think that's really nice
Good. And if you enjoyed the flowers, the flowers have been beautiful. Yeah, they are good
Really nice. Yeah. And now, of course, when we branched out, um, three of us went for a walk and we branched out to different parts of the park, which we've not seen before
You know, like the pond. And it's lovely, you know, really nice. So I was very impressed with that
And so, from the path and the flooding, if there was money available to improve the park, have you got any ideas apart from those two? Any other suggestions that you'd like to make? No. Really. I mean, because I think we try and advertise it as much as we can
I mean, I do that with my family. They come anyway. So I mean, you know, it's they wouldn't sort of, you know, said there was any improvement needed
Really, They enjoy the trees. They think that would be lovely, you know? And all the flowers in the garden, they liked it. And also the musicians that we get every swap which you just sort of strike off with
It It's so nice to listen to them, you know, as a play. That's right as well. Which was nice, you know? I mean, that's just sort of something, you know, different or something
Do you Do you use the cafe? Uh, I've only been in three times. Yeah, just three times for a coffee. You see, um, and a cake with the kids, you know, ice cream as well
So you use the toilets in the cafe? Yeah. Yeah, everything Very well. And you use another area of the park as well, but it's an indoor area, so you you use the far end as well, don't you? You know, I suppose although it's an indoor activity that you do on a Friday night, it's still within the park, isn't it? So, what do you What do you do on a Friday night? Do you want to explain what you do on a Friday in the evening? Yeah, um, we go to the Longford, um, community choir
And I got to know about this through the building, through Jean. You know, um and she gave me a leaflet, and after I've had two bereavements, I just felt I needed to get out and do something, you know, different. And I've always, um, done singing from a young young age
But I've not done it in latter years because of my husband's ill health. Really? So to get back to that, that was just a bonus. That was just wonderful
I really love that. That gives me a great lift. Super very good
So you use you use behind the library, You know, the community, um, that you could do with a bit of a bit of lighting. Um, when we're coming out of choir, uh, to get to your car, even though it's only a very short distance from the, um, place. It's, uh it's difficult to have to take a torch now to steam away, you know, And you know, when you you're in the dark and you're older and you've got a walking stick
Very difficult. So a light, you know, light would be absolutely wonderful. Yeah, they have done a few of the potholes going into it, but they've not done the one further on
You know, it is a rather rough terrain. Is there anything else you'd like to say about the park? No, I just think that it's kept wonderfully well. And the, you know, all the volunteers are absolutely amazing, and they very devoted
I mean, they're wonderful. You know, if I was more able, I would, um, come and help more, you know? But I'm very limited in in in the things I can do now because of the arthritis. Yes, but you have, um, as a member of the you fund raise, haven't you? You know, you doing what you can come with that
Thank you for talking to me..