I read with interest your column in the Metro News last week (8 May) regarding our parks. Strangely enough, last weekend and prior to reading your article, I had driven by Errwood Park in Levenshulme and noted the sad appearance and dramatic change in this park since my pre-teenage years.

  You, yourself, may not remember this park in its better days, but as a youngster, I and my friends visited this park regularly and spent nearly all the school holidays there.

  In those days, it had a kiddies' paddling pool near what remains of the old brick "seating" shelter at Crossley Road end, and alongside nearer to the old Fairey Aviation site, was an open air swimming baths.

  The baths were opened on those glorious sunny summers we seemed to always have then, and it also had changing cabins around the baths. The park had a lovely bandstand, and circular tiered levels around it for seating whenever a band was playing. This was also a central meeting point for all the local churches "whit walks" where everyone gathered and hymns were played and sung.

  There was a cafe in the park, where one could sit inside or out, and where as children we were treated to the occasional ice-cream! Beyond this, there were 16 tennis courts, where as a teenager I played tennis three or four times a week. However, in those days it was so busy that we had to book a tennis court in advance and pay the "man in the hut" by the courts.

  There was a putting green near the tennis courts, and after our session on the court, we would sometimes have a round on the putting green, if we had money to spare.

  Two bowling greens lay behind the tennis courts where some sunny evenings we would sit and watch the "older" people bowling. The park had paths, and flower shrubs, all well cared for, and vandalism was unheard of. There were various staff members in and around the park, and a park keeper.

  Evenings, weekends and school holidays the park would be busy, and parents used to take the young children to paddle or play there. It was like a great picnic. Everyone was safe, as teenagers were in groups, and younger children with their parents.

  Obviously, there were many other lovely parks, as well as those you mention, but all have seen a decline mainly, I think, because of loss of staff and eventual vandalism.

  It would be a great achievement to be able to restore our local parks. Staff would be needed for the everyday maintenance, and certainly park keepers. It all costs money as we know, but perhaps volunteers made up of active retired people could be considered. This way, it would bring many senior citizens together, particularly some who may be alone and without an interest. Perhaps, cups of tea, biscuits, etc., could be provided from some source, to allow everyone to meet and discuss the days' work, etc.

  Obviously, evenings could be the problem, and it may need costly camera equipment keeping the security "eye" over the area.

  I am sure there are many avenues open to allow the revival of the parks, and the general public should be encouraged to put forward their ideas on how best this could be done.

  I am glad to see that we are cleaning up our canals, as these too, were interesting outdoor places to visit and walk along. Again, as a young child, I spend days (with my father) fishing in Reddish canal near Broadstone Cotton Mills. We would walk the length of the canal sometimes from Stockport (Lancashire Hill) to Reddish, and sometimes on to Hyde Road. Sadly, this stretch of canal has been filled in, and we really have lost an interesting part of our heritage.

  I hope people will put forward their views, and I am sure many senior citizens, like myself, and who are still residents in Manchester, will wish to support whatever can be done to restore the pride in our parks and our environment.

B Hargreaves (Miss)

PS: Action needs to be taken soon if we are to avoid these "park areas" eventually demolished under the bulldozer of a developer!

May 1999