Summerway Park
An article making two major points, illustrated with relevant photographs of an empty Summerway Park, was submitted to ‘The Views of Exeter’ for publication. This was kindly included in the November 2009 edition, using letter format, but made just one of the points. No photos were published.
As both points need to go on record, the complete article has been posted below. Photo references are suitably modified.
A link is given for anyone wishing to view the photographs. Included also is a panoramic view of the whole park taken later. Beneath this is a link to a related page, dealing with a Council assessment which invites a number of questions.
Minutes before four photos of the park were taken, there was a crowd of local youngsters swarming round my car, some waving their tennis rackets. It was time for the weekly opportunity to hit a few balls on the Summerway courts. I had a dozen rackets in the boot to lend to those in need, and the weather was perfect.
Just one snag.
Throughout the year, at least one other adult was with me. On this occasion, unexpectedly, no one was available. Not so long ago, when trust existed, it wouldn’t have mattered that I was on my own. Nowadays, in the climate of mistrust created by government, it does. The children couldn’t understand why I needed another adult. They just wanted to play tennis. After much persuasion failed, they melted away, back among the houses.
Left on my own, just after seven o’clock on a fine, late summer’s evening, I took the four snaps of Summerway Park – classic ‘Views of Exeter’. It’s a lovely park, having cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds, but can you spot what’s missing? Clue: there would have been upwards of a dozen youngsters playing on the courts if society’s freedoms hadn’t been curtailed. Seventeen joined Dave, Laurie and me the previous week.
I visited the park soon after 3 o’clock on the Saturday afternoon. Again, the weather was perfect. It is my practice to photograph the courts at frequent intervals, and they should have been buzzing with activity. Sadly, the City Council ‘constructively evicted’ the children’s tennis club more than three years ago. This morally suspect, autocratic act is being addressed by the Summerway Campaign (see www.summerway.org for information).
Using a tripod, I took three photos to produce one panoramic view of the courts. Children were out and about, but notice any similarity with the four photos taken earlier in the week?
Jim Harle
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Play Equipment in Summerway Park a Success ??