Monday 10 May 2010

Splendid cooperation from SLDC Parks Dept

Just had a great phone call which will, I'm sure, result in both short and long term improvements to Mill Dam Park as more and more bedding plants are put in and upgrade in equipment is made possible by the locals!

5 comments:

Gladys Hobson said...

Wonderful work being done. One thing I would like to ask as regards responsibility (in this 'blame' society). Who is ultimately responsible for anything untoward happening in this delightful park? I have seen, as well as know of, a number of nasty accidents regarding play apparatus (child taken to hospital in a coma, a child's leg snapped in two places etc). Some of these no longer exist in junior play areas because of this. I thought see-saws were now 'out'. (Likewise witches hats and the like). Climbing frames and other equipment now have soft surfaces for children to fall on — or do they? High slides now have tunnels at both ends etc.

Once you have your committee operating at Mill Dam, will liability issues be on the agenda?

ps. I hope mum and child have recovered from the pain and shock - how awful. Poor kid, and I really feel for mum.

Geoff Dellow said...

My view is that we are responsible in the majority of cases.

We must accept the responsibility of making fine judgements and teaching our kids to do the same.

I'm all for an element of danger - it helps us grow up.

At the same time there are somekids , acting without adults around who egg each other on to take rediculous risks. Go to the Broughton play area a look at their bike 'adventure routes created by the kids and it makes my hair stand on end!

At present I reckon the Council have got it about right.

They were immediately concerned to here about the problem with the seesaw.
I only hope they don't just remove it - and then we would ultimately be left with nothing.

Neither do they need to put a notice up to say :

"This equipment is potentially dangerous"

That's up to us and we should be allowed to sometimes make mistakes as well as getting it right most of the time.

Similar problem - do you encourage your children to climb trees?

I do - depending on the kid who I know well.

Children I find are very good at judging their own limits when not pressured by either over-cautious parents or by dare-devil mates.

It helps us grow up, learning to make these judgments for ourselves.

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Gladys Hobson said...

I don't disagree with what you say, Geoff. When I was a kid, believe or not, I could be a bit of a dare devil. (And I was not supervised during these daft events.) I have no problem with what kids want to do (as you say, as long as not pressurised with chicken jibes etc.) I used to take my young nephew to a park a bus drive away and he went on all the old type of apparatus most of which are no longer around - some for safety reasons. But times have changed. I was just asking the legal position as regards safety issues.
You yourself said the see-saw should be lowered.

Geoff Dellow said...

I personally aren't interested in the legal situation for myself.

As a group we would have to follow the feelings of the group and would push the responsibility back on the SLDC to choose equipment appropriate to the views of society at the time this operates in.

As far as our activities are concerned we have to act as responsibly as possible and avoid creating hazards not already present.

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Gladys Hobson said...

Fair enough