Milnshaw Park
 

Laid out in 1879, Milnshaw Park occupies the site of an even earlier park, Victoria Gardens. A place set aside from the hard bitter grind of working in the mills and collieries. A place filled with light and beauty, with ornamental gardens filled with flowers and play areas for children. There was a paddling pool for the toddlers, greenhouses bowling greens and later there were tennis courts.

Today, well the bowling greens are still there, and so are the trees, there is also a collection of vandalised modern play equipment too. But sadly that is all there is. The rest is neglect, damage and decay. Gone are the flowers, the fine walks and ornamental flowerbeds. Too dangerous now are the play areas and the paddling pool was long ago filled in. The walls are crumbling and so are the paths. The tennis courts are ruined and overgrown.

Why do I bother to take up your time with this sad and sorry tale? Because I spent a large part of that endless summer called childhood in this park. I have fond memories of it. I know all it's nooks and crannies almost as well as I know the back of my own hand.
And it makes my blood boil to hear half-wits of the stripe of Peter Britcliffe claim that money is being spent on the upkeep of our parks when, in the case of Milnshaw, this is demonstrably not the case. Take a look at the attached photographs and you will get some idea of what I mean. The actuality is much much worse than appears in the pictures.

Not exactly the sort of place you would want tourists to find, is it Peter?

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I noticed a wall with Graffitti on it, is now called art in Accrington?

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I know the park well, i walk around there 3 times a day with my dogs. I have to agree that it is in bad need of a makeover. The council workers who i know are only in there to clean up and empty poo bins twice a week. They have to tend to a few parks.No doubt due to not much money being in the pot.

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Wasn't it great to be a child in the days when you could paddle in the park? How come it was safe to do so in those days but damgerous now?

Looking back on the photos of older Accrington I don't think we've made progress at all.

The tennis courts at Bullough Park look even worse.

Oak Hill Park, which is supposedly our finest doesn't have half what it once had.

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What a disgrace.....HBC should be forced to walk there every day. As you did A-Bob...so did I, all my mates from Hyndburn Park School, played footy, cricket, paddles in the long pond.......

Death of a society..........................

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You should see it Darby. It is in a dreadful state. The paths have not been cleared of leaves for so long that the leaves have decayed where they lay and turned into thick muddy compost. A delight to have to walk through!

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I used to play tennis on those courts as a kid, it's hard to believe from looking at the pictures that they are the same courts. HBC should be ashamed.:(

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Aparently, there used to be NINE tennis courts there.

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Here are some pics of Milnshaw in happier days.

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When you consider the comparative low level of prosperity at the time of those photographs being taken, it is nothing less than a scandal that what we now see at Milnshaw Park resembles a morning after scene from Bagdad or Falujah. Hyndburn will never attract inward investment while the level of public squalor is exceeded only by civic incompetence.

Is there any possibility, A-B, of seeing Piccys from the same angle(above) as of today?

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All three areas in the antique pictures are covered in the initial set of photographs, though not from the same position.

It may be a couple of days before I have the opportunity to get out and about. but it is something that I will put high on my list of things to do.

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I totally agree with Tealeaf that it's scandalous to have let our parks fall into such a state when the earlier pictures from a less prosperous age show what they could be like and should be like.

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i was brought up around milnshaw park,havent been up there for years now, the last time i was there was about 5 years ago, the park was over run with weeds and long grass, not as i remember it as a child, i remember when my grandad used to take me and my sister and brother down the park and we would sit in the huts overlooking the bowling green,he would always take some sandwiches and a flask of coffee,we would sit there for hours......ah the memories.....now can you see why i disagree with that whistling singing thing in burnley willow?? that money could of been put to good use elsewhere,milnshaw park for instance :)

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I always get Milnshaw park and Gatty park mixed up. Which park had the little golf course that my aunties and uncles spent hours on while I played on the park?

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that was gatty park yee.....it was 'puttin' they used to play, i liked that park too :)

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Cheers chuck. I guess they don't play puttin there anymore?

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dont know i havent been there in years either :(....we'll have to have a drive down one day :D;)

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I also used to play tennis on those courts, i remember about 6 of them. It went to the dogs down there when you stopped paying to play. I remember there used to be an old fella who gave you a ticket, and you paid by the hour. they were never vandalised because it was someones job to maintain them. It was the same for the tennis courts at the coppice. Its so so sad to see the park in such a state. I have very fond memories of that park, playing football down there, playing hide and seek, using the swings, and walking back up that hill (which felt like i was scaling K2). Summer holidays when i was a kid, happy days. Damn shame, shame. :(

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If you love the park, get a group together, march up there and do a little clean-up.

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i doubt that would make a difference, it would look exactly the same a few days later :(

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used to love the park as a lad and up to recently used to walk the dog around it, funny you should bring this up A.B.but the reason i rarely go in it now= it depresses me! i know its been bad now for years but it just got to me. only time i go in now is when theres a bowls match on,and thats cos i,m a nosey git and fancy a natter. :(

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Oh, my goodness A-B, my mum and dad would turn in their graves.:mad: :mad:

I, like you, spent lots of days at Milnshaw Park. My parents were avid bowlers and as you say, gave them many a happy hour away from the grind of the work in the mills. From a very early age, they taught me how to bowl a mean round peg.. have photos of me mum winning the Cocker Cup, etc., and I also spent time on the tennis courts, in the paddling pool and dodging around the trees.

Just can't believe the change .. I am genuinly shocked, as haven't been that way for years .. summat gotta' be done .. will take a look during the hols.

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But as Gayle has ponted out several times, the money was only available Panopticons for the use of. We don't have the option for instance in Hyndburn of saying can we just have the money to renovate our parks with please. It's a Panopticon or nowt. But the idea is that a Panopticon will bring money into the town and then everything else will benefit.


It's not as simple as that, not just a case of picking up litter. There's so much fallen into disrepair. Paths need resurfacing for one. And it's not just one park, it's all of them. Don't we have a parks department these days?

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but that panopticon is in the middle of nowhere,its crown point for goodness sake,its not in the centre of anywhere so whats the point??....sorry for wandering again acrylic bob :(

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i think the only place blackburns is visible from is the moon....its bloody horrible,like i said in the other thread they are ALL a waste of money.

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You can make it happen. But it requires a sustained commitment. Part of that is impressing upon local government that this is important to you. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the most oil.

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normally i would agree bullseye,BUT were talking HBC here.;)

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Quote:
Originally Posted by bullseyebarb http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/i...s/viewpost.gif
You can make it happen. But it requires a sustained commitment. Part of that is impressing upon local government that this is important to you. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the most oil.



There aint enough oil world wide to solve this problem. :p

WD40 gave up as well as mission impossible.

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Like Janet, my son and I walk through Milnshaw on a regular basis, most people who walk from top end of Church to Asda or town use it as a cut through.

It is a disgrace, the council have seen fit to put railings round the bowling greens, why? they don't keep dogs or kids off them! Wouldn't it have made more sense to use the money to clean the park and fill in the holes hiding under the masses of dead leaves? Maybe even put some new and more play equipment in there? They have erected a set of goal posts but after the slightest bit of rain it can't be played on for the quagmire at either end! I don't mind mud and muck but don't want twisted sprained or broken ankles from slipping in it when 'going somewhere suitable' to play footy with my 8 year old!

HBC should think before they spend the money on whats actually needed not what some folk want.

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Oh we're not short of a bit of squeaking but I think HBC just turns a deaf ear.

However, that wasn't what was meant.


You can spend a whole week with volunteers cleaning up the parks and getting rid of the druggies' needles, painting over the graffiti, mending broken fences etc but turn your back on it for a couple of days and the vandals are round there again wrecking the place. We need people employed on a regular basis to look after the parks like we had 'in the olden days'.

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Employing a full time parky is a good idea in theory but unless he has the backing required to stop these idiots then they will still carry on as normal. I rember Gatty Park having its own parky and being chased out several times (not for anything bad mind) and we had no problem escaping and then going back. These idiots will allways win as there is no real legal backup for the parky and ifd it does come it will be guarenteed to be late and inaffective.

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Obviously a quality of life issue. What's needed here are regular police patrols. As taxpayers you have a right to enjoy the park. Don't suppose there's much chance of you getting the coppers to flush out the dregs of society on a regular basis, is there?

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:rofl38: regular police patrols pmsl,bullseye we dont even get them around the residential areas,never mind the parks. would agree its a quality of life issue,but we dont get one.;)

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Oh the blissful ignorance of dwelling elsewhere eh Cashman? ;)

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When I was at Uni I had a summer job as 'Park Patrol' in Milnshaw. (This was ~87). At that time there were 2 groundsmen employed to look after that one park (Although they did grow plants in teh greenhouses for Gatty as well.) My job was to stop kids wrecking the joint. I used to organise games of footy, sort out the tennis nets and other jobs. The old dears looked aftyer teh bowling green although we used to have a good few kids who would often have a game with the owd codgers.

Sadly cost cutting meant that teh gardeners wre asked to take on more parks and eventually they couldn't keep up.

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Sadly cost cutting meant that teh gardeners wre asked to take on more parks and eventually they couldn't keep up.-------------------------------------- and thats the truth entwi! but the way things are now i doubt wether the return of wardens would halt the oiks. the gardeners would certainly improve the view.

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yeh but he means well willow.:)

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I'll own to blissful. However, even though I left the borough long ago, I still consider myself to be a local lass. Have many relatives in the area and visit periodically. I am aware of the problems....and even more up to speed since joining AccyWeb.

It's been a long time since I walked through Milnshaw Park and I am sorry to hear that it is in such bad condition now. Nothing beats a policeman patrolling on foot. The priorities are all wrong these days.

How's about some publicity to draw attention to the situation? Local paper/radio?

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Why cant offenders given "community service" be directed to cleaning up the streets and parks, also able bodied unemployed could be doing this for their dole money.

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thats quite a good point i think grego.

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you may find this hard to believe,but i would infringe their human rights,starting with turd patrol in milnshaw.:D

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Anyone caught leaving that disgusting dangerous mess, should have their noses rubbed in it after a good 'peppering' it's just downright laziness, if you have a pet of any type accept the responsibilities that go with it.

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What made me smile is that on the HBC website re. Milnshaw Park, even they have put an old photograph of the flower beds entitled 'Times Past - Milnshaw Park Floral Display' .. not even cheating by pretending 'tis now .. what's the point ?:- (or maybe they are trying to stir us up to speak ?)

Attachment 7738

However, there is an on-line survey you can do there .. whether will help or not .. who knows?

Park

Do they have a 'Friends of the Park'? not entirely sure how much influence this body has .. perhaps Neil can fill us in here.

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Thanks Katex, i've filled the Hyndburn parks user survey

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ta katex ive filled it in- for what good it,ll do,but you gotta try.;)

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I have also filled out the survey regarding Milnshaw park. I won't hold my breath on anything being done.

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ive also filled out survey on milnshaw park i used to go there with my grandparents in the 70s what a nice clean park it was

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I have been to Milnshaw Park on a few occasions but sadly it is not what it used to be. I grew up around the Oak Hill Park area and spent many a day there as a child. It is sad to see how this park has become vandalised and damaged over the years. The bandstand is now no longer there. The birds and small animals that were once there have now gone. On a better note though the bowling green and tennis courts are looked after and still used. The council have also spent some money on the playground which is used. Is it any wonder that the young people of today have nothing to do other than hang around on street corners!

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but what about the psychological damage you will be doing to the youngsters self esteem :rolleyes: surley you know its no longer permitted to say NO to a child ;)

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aagh what is the world coming too! Maybe if people were actually punished for their actions they might think twice next time (but according to police stats, I could be wrong!)

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Community service is standard operating procedure around here. We also use inmates, (those convicted of white collar and other non-violent crimes). They are often seen picking up trash along the highways, working in parks and cleaning government office buildings, etc....dressed in prison garb and under the supervision of an armed guard or two.

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Well, coincidentally Willow, seems there is as reported in the Accrington Observer this week:-

offenders

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We have the same system here in Tenerife. The inmates of the local prison clean the roadsides and such. A good plan, I think. I also remember, when I lived in Malta, that the unemployed had to work for their version of the local council. No work, no cash.

I won´t go on and ruin the thread, but I must mention that my father´s sister, Florence, was drowned, aged three, in the paddling pool at Milnshaw Park. He often mentioned her and her death gave him bad dreams for all of his life.

Happen it´s as well that it doesn´t work now........at least without adult supervision.

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Which is all very well, I am very much in favour of offenders being required to assume a debt to society which must be repaid in some way and a period of unpaid work seems, on the face of it, a productive way of doing this. But I think that we need to look at just how much the administration of such schemes actually cost and whether the returns of such investment justify the outlay. It strikes me that this is merely a cosmetic exercise which in no way reflects the true cost of bringing an offender to court and administrating and supervising any sentence. Would it not be more appropriate to say to an offender "Your offence has cost the community X number of pounds, thus you will work at Y occupation for sufficient hours until this is repaid in full." over and above any sentence which may be imposed for breaking the law in the first place.

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I too think its a good idea. As for cost to administer, there is already a cost to administer these people be it running prisons/probabtion service etc. I can't see it being much different but as you say, the payback should include this cost above and beyond whtever teh original 'cost' was plus a chunk to make it a deterrent.

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Report in the Observer this week that Councillor Clare Pritchard has launched a Friends group to look after the park.

They have been awarded a starter of £500 from the community chest fund to help clean up the area and to organise events.

Anyone interested in joining the Friends of Milnshaw Park should contact her on [email protected]

Well, it's a start in the right direction. :thumbsup:

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i read that too kate, i'll believe it when i see it

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There is an article in the Observer (sorry, can't find a link) re. the bowlers distress at the Council closing off access to the steps in order for them to get to the buildings at the top, and due to the railings built around the bowling green, have to go around the outside. They say it is not too steep ... :rolleyes:

I visited three weeks ago on a sunny afternoon, and spoke to some of the bowlers there, they stated that they would not put a gate at the top due to health and safety reasons. Ok.. have great respect for H & S, but seems something to do with the railings on the steps not being at the correct height .. seems easy to replace to me ... :confused:

I was horrified to see the state of this once lovely park, and does not seem to have been any improvement since A-B's last visit.

The bowlers have applied for lottery funding for a decent shelter, etc., but never a cert. is it ? They had put a few flowers around the bowling green to brighten it up, and also some just outside the railings, costing £ 75, which were extracted from their pots and scattered about after a few days.

The park is an absolute disgrace still, and wondering if any progress has been made towards any progress ? Know three of our parks have received a Green status, so maybe Milnshaw may next in their programme ?

A letter from a reader is also in this week's addition; they say greens in a good state, and never seen it (one green is uncared for)in such good condition. To me, I have never seen it looking so rough !!

Attachment 12417Attachment 12418

Note the bankings overgrown with weeds .. too dangerous to tend to seemingly !

Oh, yes, the tennis courts :-

Attachment 12419Attachment 12420

What I find amazing is that HBC are still using an old photograph to promote the park.. trade description ?

Milnshaw Park - Information about Milnshaw Park

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Oh, and another thing ... came back to Mercer Park same day (looking OK :D). Bowling Green not fenced in, but two young mothers, with babies, sat right on the crown having a bloody picnic !!!

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I regularly walk across the field in between Gatty and Milnshaw Park (I think it’s called Owd Bobs) to get to Asda. The last time I had to walk past two lads who were weighing up the possibility of getting a car through the gap in the fencing if the cops were chasing them. A few months earlier there was a burnt out car at the bottom of the field
:(

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Yes, Tomber, lots of people coming across the field and last part through bottom of park to Asda when I was there, even though a Sunday. Would be good though if a few flowers were around to make their chore a little more pleasant.

Cannot describe this piece of wasteland a park anymore .. complete wilderness overgrown with weeds and bereft of any structure it once had.

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Kate all this health and safety stuff at the park is a loada crap if you ask me, i used to live right next to Milnshaw park as a kid and i never ever heard of anyone ever falling down that banking, i used to love going down there when i was ickle, i just think its a total mess now and a waste of a great park

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Don't think the council workers will mow it anymore Flashy due to the steepness ... never was a problem before. Used to be lovely with the forms on the top and the shelters and the club room. Had to fence it in because of bikers, golf enthusiasts etc ... looks 'orrible ! Even a 'certain' football team a couple of years ago thought they could practice on the greens, but were given short shift by the bowlers !

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it is such a shame, my bro's works cut the grass between the two parks(LCC) but i dont think that they actually do inside the parks i think thats down to HBC, i took Reece and two of my nieces through both parks last year to show them where i grew up and i was gobsmacked at the state of Milnshaw park, why doesnt it look as good as Gatty? they always seem to favour that park when doing them up and it really pee's me off

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Perhaps Cllrs. Pritchard and Pritchard may come on and give us an update ?

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hope so, i want to know why Gatty is so damn different than Milnshaw, is it because there is a different 'class' of people living near Gatty? GRRRRRRRRRRR

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i would have thought that was obvious flashy, as i live nearer gatty.:D

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lol shut it you ;)

when i lived NEAR MILNSHAW park back in the 80's it was nothing like it is now, its just like a dump around that area now, its a disgrace

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Ah yes, Cashy, but did notice, through one of your posts, that you had taken your dog for a walk in Milnshaw just after I had been there, must have just missed you.:p

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you are correct, as me late mum-in law lived across from ya, so i know fer fact it was much better kept then.;)

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she lived on Kingsley close next door to mi gran lol i used to live in the first house on Regent rd next door to yours in 1980, then moved down to near Milnshaw later on

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forgot about that....knew there was a reason we moved.:D;)

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:eek: you didnt remember me anyway, but i remember your daughter

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Just to show you what it used to be like, look at the lovely flowers ... can't remember why me mum had her Sunday hat on though, maybe the Queen was visiting ... :D

Attachment 12423

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Or maybe it was Sunday kate:D

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Hiya

Just been told by a Member of Hyndburn BC staff about this thread so I thought I would give you all an update. Milnshaw Park isn't actually in Milnshaw Ward, its in Central (mental I know !!!) but about two years ago I and some other Milnshaw Ward residents formed a Friends of Milnshaw Park Group. We work really closely with the bowlers and I was personally really disappointed by the story in the Observer because I've always worked hard to help the bowlers. As I'm sure you know there isn't an awful lot of money flying around for parks in our area under the current administration (that's not a political point, its just factual). We have tidied up the tennis courts believe it or not and we have had the undergrowth and bushes extensively cut back to improve visability and safety. We have just put a Lottery bid in to improve the paths around the park and we are keeping our fingers crossed for that. We are DESPERATLY in need of volunteers to help us, so if you can spare us some time, PLEASE, PLEASE contact me. I also remember the park in its prime as my Nana and Grandad lived on Lancaster Avenue when I was young and I spent many happy hours in there. I'm working really hard to regenerate this park, which I would be the first to admit has been neglected. BUT I can't do it on my own

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I no clare has done alot of work in milnshaw all so her dad malcolm has i no malcolm will talk to about this just call him

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Thanks Clare for your post, much appreciated. Yes, did think the park was in the Milnshaw Ward, particularly as you have been making an effort in the past.

It's sad really that we should have to rely on voters to put in some work on this, but if the money 'aint there, it 'aint there, is it !

Would love to put my money where me mouth is ... not into gardening at all ...ugh ! all those worms and things, and can't see me digging borders or being a bricklayer's labourer. Could maybe do some light jobs though in memory of my mum and dad.

Can't the Council be persuaded at least to open up a gate at the top of the steps, would make life easier for them.

Know the park is not just about the bowlers,and would be lovely to see some colour in the other parts .. and do something with that defunct paddling pool.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the Lottery bid ... well, worth it !

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thats nice Clare, i hope you get the money from the lottery

but it still doesnt explain why Gatty is obviously getting lots of money spent on it when Milnshaw is withering away?

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I appreciate the frustration of the bowlers, believe me I have had MANY site visits with both them and council officers but the councils insurers just won't under any circumstances allow the steps to be reopened, they went as far as saying that they would withdraw the insurance for the whole park if that happened. We have offered every help to the bowlers regarding the slope, graduating the slope (making it wiggly !!!), putting handrails up the wiggly slope, benches up the slope to sit on half way up. This is what is so frustrating about the Observer story because it has blatently twisted facts and blown the whole issue out of all proportion when lots of people have worked SO hard to find a mutually acceptable solution. I've always been 100% honest on things that I have posted on this site and am always willing to come on here to explain what is happening on a subject. Katex, I really appreciate your offer of help, if you can please will you PM me with your contact details and I'll contact you to help on projects that don't involve wriggleing critters !!! I have spent many happy (?????) hours on Saturday mornings litter picking in the park and on one occasion not too long ago picked a beer can out of a bush only to come face to face with a bloody rat the size of a small cat, believe me the speed I reached the top gate surprised not only me but the rest of the volunteers too !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Well, got meself in a corner with that one ... :D
Don't mind litter collecting or weeding pathways ... ignoring the rat story ... :rolleyes: Need a bit of fresh air anyway.

Have p.m'd .. well, in a minute.

Anyone else up for it ?.. Cashy, next time you walk that dog through Milnshaw, can pick up a few cans (plus the dog pooh I hope.. LOL).

Flashy: Perhaps the reason Gatty has been prioritized is due to the fact it is on the main route into the centre and would encourage new businesses to set up on this route ?

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Milnshaw Park was for Lord Snooty and his pals.

Gatty Park was for the Bash Street kids.

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It will be shaped like an hollywood statuette, kate:D:rolleyes: