'Our back garden'
Firth Park in Heckmondwike has changed dramatically in recent years - most notably with the recent opening of the new health centre on part of the land. Guardian receptionist Sam Hepworth grew up in a house next to the park - and she recalls how it provided a magical playground for her and her brothers and sisters
ALGERNON Firth Park. When I was a child I never knew it was called this, as it felt more like a quaint extension of our back garden at 2 Union Street, Heckmondwike.
As children my sister and I would merely jump over the small wall at the end of our garden and enter a large green area which was safe to play in without our mum and dad needing to worry about us.
Firth Park was this wonderful place for us to let off steam and be children.
Yes this was the 1970s.
We played with the rest of the children on Union Street - the Hemingways, the Inghams and, in the school holidays, the Hodgson children.
There was a mixture of boys and girls from all ages who played freely and occasionally were caught up in a little mischief around the park and its surrounding areas.
We played hide and seek in all the many bushes, trees and around the two pavilions.
The large group of bushes closest to our house was made into a den.
I would like to brush mine out and make the inside feel homely.
The putting green was a great open play area and where many family photos were taken.
The green was only yards from our house with a perfect view of it from our living room window.
There are steps down from the putting area to the bowling greens and it was one of my favourite places to sit or play on.
It's fenced off now and looking rather neglected.
The little steps had rather grand pillars at either side of it that we would slide down.
The park in summer was always full of pretty flowers especially roses which were lovingly attended to by Bernard, the park gardener.
He would pass through our garden and, like us, jump over the wall to arrive at work and then return through on his way home as we were eating our tea.
On Sunday mornings when the park was empty, my sister Gill and I would put on skates, one skate each or play on our new skateboard around the park.
I was unsure what to do with the skateboard, so I would sit on it and ride down the path with the slight gradient.
It did seem so much steeper back then.
I guess I was spoilt back in the 1970s by being able to climb over a wall and able to have the freedom to play as a child should do.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
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