But I am over it and I am not going to do it again. God knows what this will look like.
It was a gloomy damp day when R, Sister, Bone Doctor, Little Jo and myself took a walk in Fawkner Park. Little Jo half heartedly tried to kick through piles of leaves, but they were just too wet. Eventually we arrived at the rather good kiddies playground where Little Jo joined Harriet and Travis McNaughton-Smythe and Dinesh and Saneeta Singh on the play equipment. Even though all appeared to be about five years old, they still weren't seeing colour or class. None took notice of what each wore, Harriet and Travis in Burberry, Dinesh and Saneeta in their Target branded clothes and Little Jo in her op shop 2 for $1 garments. That Harriet and Travis lived in a very expensive two storey terrace house, Dinesh and Saneeta in a rented flat and Little Jo in the bush mattered nowt to them.
A few years ago, City of Melbourne drew up a master plan for the park and I made a bit of a contribution to the plan. Most of what I suggested was pretty obvious and I think all the work has now been completed. What I don't remember being on the plan is this area we came across in the middle of the park, some distance from the path we normally walk.
I am not sure of the purpose of this but Little Jo decided it was a stage and gave a performance.
See the bits of round metal in the boards? If you step on them, they ring a bell that sounds rather like a tram bell.
Oh, I love that they ring a bell and the kids probably love it even more. Nice park!
ReplyDeleteBIG balls, a sandpit with bells sounds ideal, something for everyone :-).
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot of fun, and there are no signs saying older little people not allowed!
ReplyDeleteOOoo, that sounds like a fab park to explore in decent weather.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, you've made the park look windswept and interesting with your photos ;)
Rubye, fortunately the bells aren't too loud.
ReplyDeleteWindsmoke, yet not so enticing as the normal play equipment.
FC, indeed we all had a turn at ringing the bells.
Thanks Jayne. It is nice park, but that day nothing looked too nice in the leaden grey skies.
Andrew I've been offering a startling confession on another blog about my days as a Housing Commission tenant, it involves fine upstanding respectable old bastards who hated kids being on the estate. It involves evil and I'm sorry to use the word. As the single parent of a pre-schooler I had a stupendous battle with old men and women of caucasian appearance who hated kids. There was no playground, even though there was plenty of space for one, anything I put out on the grass for kids to play on got complained about or damaged by these miserable old c*nts who hated me more than anything else for letting my little girl play with ethnic kids. What I'm saying is I've known some dangerous and formidable street scum but these blue-rinsed grannies with husbands in grey slacks and polished tan shoes were the most tenacious I've ever been up against.
ReplyDeleteWhat are they doing to Fawkner park?! Bells! A sandpit! What's next? A water feature? : )
ReplyDeleteI can see the possums running along the bells at night. Reckon they'd have a great ol' time! V.
Oooh, I'd be dashing up and down those boards in an effort to create 'jingle bells'!
ReplyDeleteUnderstand your frustration with the photos and the gaps - I find so often that my posts look decent in 'draft' and then appear as scattered chaos when published.
RH, I gather they weren't HC residents then? People like that can be very useful is something needs saving, but kid hating is not an admirable quality.
ReplyDeleteV, a body of water was one of my suggestions, you have just reminded me. The park is looking very fine at the moment, especially after the great possum removal in 2011. Just kidding.
Kath, mine did not even look right in draft. Why doesn't put things where you want them to go?
Kids will dream up all sorts of things, it's a wonderful characteristic. Of course a sandpit is a stage :)
ReplyDeleteWhat? We were ALL residents, but some decided they owned the place. These aren't types to save anything, the only time they got off their arses was to peep through their curtains at other tenants. For heavens sake!- did you read what I said?
ReplyDeleteDon't be fooled, the devil wears Fletcher Jones.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very pretty park Andrew, and you had a hand in making it so? Well done.
ReplyDeleteThat's very cool that you contributed to the park plans.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a great park.
I love Little Jo's imagination.
Fen, it is great to watch kids invent scenes with their imaginations.
ReplyDeleteRH, I did read what you wrote, but blue rinses, grey slacks and polished tan shoes did not fit with the stereotypical image.
River, a tiny bit I suppose. I didn't want it planted full of gum trees. It is not that sort of park.
Dina, she does seem to have a good imagination, but I lack experience with kids her age.
You're right. But these were low-rise older style flats in a pleasant setting and rather good area and some residents had lived there a long time. They felt superior, in charge, didn't like foreigners and didn't like kids. Everyone new got investigated. For orthordoxy.
ReplyDeleteOk RH, a hierarchy. SY flats had walk ups, but I think they have been closed now while something new is being built.
ReplyDeleteThe walk ups are still there, are they the ones out the back of the high rises? I'm not up with the lingo.
ReplyDeleteYes Fen, about three or four storeys, without lifts, which was a great idea for the elderly who were the main residents.
ReplyDelete