Page 15 - link magazine

15
OFFBEAT

CHECKING OUT PLAY AREAS
New Link investigator Jools Dowling looks at play facilities with friends
They stole from the houses and Then the springboards, like Three of the roofed structures Shaw's famous five set off to-
sat on the bench in front of Plattes odd mushrooms on stilts. . . as were connected by a plank (Cap- wards the dying sun. What would
Close: legs dangling, teeth bared Lizzie sailed through the air from tain Pugwash style) and a plank they feel like if someone took
in aggression. . . the air was hot, one to the other they chimed like bridge ('like a rope bridge but these three playgrounds from
sticky and oppressive. It was 4.15 cow-bells: 'Dung. . . Dung. made of planks'). them?
on a July afternoon. They looked Dung.. Westlea was 'fun' but Westlea Vicki: "There'd be more balls
like they were ready for trouble, Suddenly, a cool breeze and... was 'old and dangerous'. through windows".
they looked mean. . . they were Justin, as though from the set Pornographic graffiti on the Charlotte: "I would not be
• . . THE PLAYGROUND of 'Grease' - open-necked tur- swings reminded Lizzie of "a happy".
INVESTIGATION SQUAD. quoise shirt and shorts (not open- split lolly" . . . I wished it Lizzie: "I'd be sad, I wouldn't
"What are you doing here?" necked or turquoise). "It's brilli- reminded me of the same. have anything to play on any-
"It's near to the houses and ant. I use it every night probably "Too close to the stream,": more".
away from the roads", spat Vicki, • . . the adventure parts, the big Vicki Heather: "hee!"
tall, dark and troubled. bits. Most of my mates come up "Too much writing,": Charlotte
"I meet most of my mates here. I like the rope bit where "Some climbs are too high,":
here," hissed Charlotte, smaller, you climb up and the thing goes Lizzie One last look at the waste ground
but like a tornado in a sandpit. round and round. . "Hee hee.. .": Heather. in front of Plattes Close.
"This is the only park there Heather began to tire, but no- "There's no football pitch,
is," crooned Lizzie, small, angel- one would leave the swings. though," said Vicki, "there's no
faced, but ever-dangerous. "Someone's nicked one here, open space. .
"Hee hee hee," hee-heed too". The melted back into the
Heather, small but tiny. We carried on swinging. houses.
Andy strolled up, nonchalantly,
like Vicki he seemd old for this ***
sort of thing.
"Well . . . there isn't much
place to play around the street,
as there's cars parked around, so JADAM PATIOS
you come here just to sit on the
bench or the swing, as there isn't Do you want a patio laid? Or just a few slabs laid?
much to do. Sometimes they tell Then contact Adam Pool on SWINDON 813705
me . . . keep an eye on those For a professional, friendly service
two," and he cast an eye wistfully and a competitive quote.
towards Lizzie. Light building work also undertaken.
Lizzie, turned, a slight smile
playing around her mouth: 0
"This slide's all. . . all slippery!" Give your home
"When it's hot the rubber tyre The Accomplices from to back: Lizzie
swings burn your bum!" the final Huggins, Heater. Vicky and Charlotte Box a
words from the tornado, as they A strange two-seater carousel,
turned towards. . . Ridge Green. a huge crucifix with straps and
*** rubber discs for seat suspended facelift
from each end of the cross-piece;
At Ridge Green I felt the heat of like the spar of a long gone ship.
the juvenile jungle as they pushed After a mixture of threats and
me towards the assault course. pleadings, I spliced the main-
The first task was to rescue brace and wound it up and sent
Heather, who had wandered on Charlotte and Lizzie whirling,
to it, like a lost sheep in a mine- screaming and shouting through
field. She was coaxed down, and the air.
left to find her domain • . a We did eight dips on the 'push-
smaller enclosed area, where the up' bars and moved on, leaving [01
slides were topped with gleaming the solitary cement-mixer, a sign —A,
red roofs. There was a 'slidey' of the times.
slide and a slow pimpled one "There are bark clippings, iiè aluminium
which didn't slow Charlotte right, 'cos if it's hard ground wilh
down: "Someone's nicked a somebody might fall or some-
swing," she proclaimed and sped think, and they might hurt their- or UPYC windows & patio doors
off. self,": Lizzie. . . we nodded and
Back at the assault course Vicki picked up Heather. WE can't change the
Charlotte, Vicki and Lizzie *** view, but we can give
stormed the bridge and swarmed it a brighter frame.
on to the slide at the other end. Westlea (Mead Park) had Replace those old
Charlotte dangled dangerously stone chippings, a slide, a load of windows and give
on ropes, Lizzie slid smoothly to sort of ladder things', a telegraph your home a facelift.
the base. . . and Vicki crunched pole to climb and roofs again, on
in to the bark chippings below. everything.
At the monkey swing "That's what children like these
Charlotte tried to climb like a days," Vicki explained patiently:
monkey. . . Lizzie didn't have to "the big ones used them as climb-
try too hard, and Vicki knelt ing frames, the little ones as OKUS ROAD, SWINDON. TEL. 615262
nursing her knee. houses to play in".

AL