Complaints about the Stonefield Public Park were heard in June 1967 at a meeting of the 8th District Council. The first concerned the number of children and adults who were increasingly using the boating pond for bathing, particularly during that very hot summer.
At times it had been so busy the boats hardly had room to manoeuvre. Police had found it impossible to intervene as no laws were being broken. The Council decided to consider appropriate signage to try to stop people actually going into the large square pond. Parents were asked in local press to tell their children to use the official paddling pond nearby.
The smaller (blue oval) paddling pool near the Station Road entrance was emptied every night by park-keepers, swept out and refilled on a daily basis to ensure cleanliness for children.
The other complaint was to do with the “Old Mans Rest”, a small wooden building near the boating pond. It was ether occupied by children, vandals or courting couples and never seemed to be used by elderly, perhaps more so as it was starting to show signs of being unmaintained. Warnings about it becoming derelict were given. It was proposed that the entire building should be removed and this was subsequently done in the second half of 1967.
The old Mans Rest is pictured here in better days during the 1950’s.
