Foreign Perspectives

With the kids going to the same primary school as I did many years ago, I’ve been checking out how things have changed over the years.

Strangely, going into school works exactly the same as it did over 40 years ago, right down to them lining up behind the very same P2 and P4 painted on the playground as I did. Coming out is the same for the junior school as it was but the senior kids don’t have to hold hands whilst walking down the path and there’s a new front gate too though just as many people use the original gate.

The naff playground at Clara is much better than it was with the single roundabout and swings having been updated and a climbing frame added. It’s not in the top league of playgrounds but it’s definitely moved up in the world. Last week we ventured out to find the other nearby playground which has seen quite a lot of rebuilding of houses all around it. In my day it was by far the best playground around with cycle paths laid out with proper road markings around a well-equipped playground so I had high hopes for it. Sadly, it’s gone downhill somewhat since then with none of the cycle paths in its latest incarnation and not so many pieces of play equipment either.

Missing these days is Woodlee Street which used to run down the side of the school. In those days nearly everyone walked to school so the street was little used but it was demolished a decade or so ago (and still isn’t rebuilt!) with the new houses of Fashoda Street extending over where it used to be which gives rise to a major hassle for cars turning round after dropping off the kids. You’d think the developers would consider how streets approaching a school were going to be used before blocking of exits like that, wouldn’t you?