Wythall Park

Do you remember the big, plain metal climbing frame that stood between the swings and children's play area? Well, it's gone. And so have the swings. In place of them is a large basket-ball court, complete with seats for a few people to sit round the edge. I'm all for change, and think this is a marvellous development - I just hope it doesn't affect the building of the annual Wythall Park bonfire.

The there's 'The Hill' or 'mound' as it was sometimes known. It was been flattened down a bit, turfed and smothered in a veritable paradise of playground equipment. The old slide has gone and has been replaced by a beautiful, modern version. There's a spider-web climbing net made from thick rope; a cord-slide thing; a tyre swing. It's amazing. A great development for the children of Wythall and beyond.

I'll miss the way it was though. We didn't need any of that stuff. All we had in my day was a hill covered with tracks, trails and hidey holes perfect for ackie; the biggest slide in the world,perfect for trains of children to sail down, piling on the unforntute first in the queue; an old concrete tunnel (responsible for chipping of many a Wythallian child's tooth); and an old tree trunk, which afforded us endless hours of fun just by climbing all over it.The tree trunk actually, is still there, but lies quietly, watching the children play on its new neighbours.

If they were going to get rid of anything why didn't they shift that horrible sand-pit? I'd always fall out of it, or scrape my elbows or knees on the stone wall, or someone would kick sand at me, or I'd get it in my eyes or mouth.Stupid sand pit. Glad they've kept the pukey machine though. Many an hour of my life has been wiled away, hurtling round on that weird, red contraption with the black wheel in the middle. It always amazed me, that the velocity of the thing as we whirled round did not lift it off the ground and send all of us into outer space.

It's still a great place to play. Okay, it is technically a better place to play, and I would have been so excited if these developments occurred during my childhood.. but in my mind there's nothing like the way it was. Being shoved from the summit of what seemed like the biggest hill in England on a de-stablisisered bike to teach me to ride it was an experience I will never forget. Sailing down the almost vertical dirt track, to shouts of "pedal!", flying across the football pitch and landing in a pile next to the (what was at the time brand new) shelter.

Maybe it's just another sign that I'm getting old. All this new stuff is grand, but it's just not like it used to be.