#2

Other: waste land

1 Like
#3

Classic park really. Had everything a young boy could ask for, swings, goal posts, loads of grass, few slides, some unsavoury types, bigger boys, empty cider bottles.

#4

“The mountains” were next to the rec when I was a kid.

“The mountains” here being a gravel BMX track.

#5

There was a BMX track at hilly fields, but we didn’t go there cause there was a stabbing there once and Harley’s brother told us it was a dogging & paedo hotspot

#7

“The Green”’ which was an open grassy area near my house. “The Big Green” was a larger version of that just up the street, followed by “The Cornfields” over the wall at the edge of the estate.

Spent most of my childhood playing in those, or watching the fires the older kids set in the Cornfield every summer. When I started drinking underage it was down by the river in town at a place called “The Lair” (hillock with rocks on it.)

#8

It was at the bottom of my garden, and I could climb through a hole in the fence to reach it.

It had two football goals on an unmarked pitch, plus a climbing frame in the shape of a spider, a slide, swings and a roundabout.

That was all we needed, really.

#9

Alright, the Poddington Peas.

2 Likes
#10

We had several in our village. (Lah-dee-dah!)

The park near our house: had a nice bit that was ideal for a game of cricket. My neighbours’ grandkids from Shrewsbury (Peter and Paul - cue much “fly away Peter…” hilarity) used to play cricket there in the summer with my friends and me.

I’ve also got a scar on my left forefinger from that park: someone had left a load of razor blades lying around in the park and being the helpful kid that I was, I tried to slide them back into their packaging. Cut my finger open; blood everywhere.

Also once got punched square in the face by a guy who later on died from solvent abuse.

The rec: was home to the local cub / scouts hut. I remember our scout leader warning us about people who used to drink meths (@meths) at night there. He said they’d go blind from drinking it. I wonder if they actually were drinking meths (@meths).

#11

Had a bit of everything.

Decent places for a kickaround, a playground with slides and all that, a river, a stream, a moat (used to be a big house there), a speedway track for racing your mates on your bike, some wooded bits, a railway line.

The river sort of split it into two - on one side was a massive open, flat area (loads of cricket pitches in summer and football in winter) where you could play footie and the other side was like the ‘adventure’ section, with the woods and playground and stream and all that.

#12

FUCKING POSHO!

#13

Lashings of ginger beer?

#14

What’s the posh bit?

The moat? The cricket pitches? The lack of druggies?

It’s in the middle of Birmingham, it’s not that posh!

#15

Post can’t be empty.

#16

Fucking hell! you hadn’t even mentioned the lack of druggies!

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#17

There was Greengate named as there was a green gate to get into the park. Just round the corner from Bumrape Alley (not named by me), not sure why it was called that?

#18

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Used to love caning it over those little humpback bridges on my bike

#19

Hark at William Wordsworth over here. Prick

#20

Park near where I grew up was great. Had swings, climbing frame, slide…etc as well as a few areas of big open space with handily planted trees which made great goal posts. Also backed on to a big wooded area for wandering in/local pervs to hang out. Right in the middle though was a massive hill which was excllent for sledding. One section was just a continues slope (we used to make a human chain of 6-7 sleds, all holding on to the legs of the guy behind you and just end up in a heap at the bottom.
The other section of the hill had a steep drop which levelled out then straight after that a second, steeper drop, get enough speed on the first drop and you get a proper decent jump on the second drop.

#21

And in terms of the play equipment: it was all in disrepair and covered in graffiti. And it’s not like I grew up in a particularly rough area; it was a village in east Dorset. The local parish council must have been full of people who hated kids.

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#22

Like every Parish Council ever?