Christmas Comes Early to Southern Rec.

An excited crowd has been gathered around Southern Recreation Ground since the official unwrapping of the new children’s playground in Southern Road recreation Ground. Though most of the older generations limited their enthusiasm to comments to “A bit chilly isn’t it?”, or “Weren’t the council clever thinking of a way to make the kids exercise outdoors in December?” and, yawn, “Is there anywhere to sit?”


The early Christmas present to the town is packed between Cuttlebrook nature reserve, the Scout hut and the foundations of the new Guide Headquarters. Orange barrier fencing still lies around like shredded wrapping paper in a vain attempt to protect the more sensitive parts of the site from the trampling of hoards of little feet that are turning the freshly laid turf into a battle field.


The distinctive techno style equipment is manufactured by Proludic http://www.proludic.co.uk/index.php?ID_page=31&ref=J45308 and is swarmed by swinging, spinning, climbing, sliding, and see-sawing children. The innovative equipment includes an inclusive basket swing, a sort of a zip wire thing and an outdoor gym (I would love to hear of anyone who is able to reach the top of the ‘Altemeter! http://www.proludic.co.uk/index.php?ID_page=31&ref=J3503 ). There is something to challenge every age from the cage for those terrifying toddlers to the teen shelter for those who too old for exertion.


However the contemporary design does not mean that Thame has a cutting edge playground. ‘Natural Play’ or going back to nature is the buzz word being promoted by Play England. Their research has produced the theory that Children prefer a natural environment of play rather than the restricted formal play equipment that is intended to function in only one or two ways. “Encourage imagination, allow risk taking, provide a bit of privacy and independence,” play designers are being told. There is more ‘play value’ in a tree over hanging Cuttlebrook where an old fashioned rope swing could be slung over a branch then going to build a secret den than bouncing off sterile rubber ‘safer’ surfacing. Big people already know that, because we had far more fun running the risk of getting told off for getting filthy after falling into a river.
Play England http://www.playengland.org.uk/Page.asp are running the Pathfinder http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2008_0035 scheme, of which Oxfordshire is a participating authority, to promote the development of this new, or rather back to basics, play provision outline in Design for Play http://www.playengland.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_2757hp_70994779705616h30y_2008630728a . But it looks like South Oxfordshire District Council missed a trick by following the traditional approach of sending a tender to several playground manufacturers telling them to design and build an off-the-peg playground for £xxxxx.xx ; whereupon the contractor cuts an pastes some images from their catalogue onto an image board rather than creating a unique, landscaped, place .


If the natural play theory is valid then the children will spend more time playing with the wrapping and packing that is Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve than the present that came with it, but then big people will recognise this seasonal hazard.


All said and done, new playground is a vast improvement on the tired and dilapidated kit that it replaced.