New park opens

After years of hard work it was a walk in the park for children at the launch of their new playground.Hundreds of children swarmed across new swings, slides, and climbing frames, as the Swanton Morley Gooseberry Hill playing field officially opened last Wednesday.

After years of hard work it was a walk in the park for children at the launch of their new playground.

Hundreds of children swarmed across new swings, slides, and climbing frames, as the Swanton Morley Gooseberry Hill playing field officially opened last Wednesday.

Thanks to the hard work of local people, a whole range of new facilities have been added including goal posts and an aerial slide.

Katy Smith, six, said: “I really like it. It's much better. I'm looking forward to coming here and playing.

“I'd give it 9 out of 10.”

The playground cost £65,000 and was funded through various applications for grants submitted by the parish council, volunteers and parent Louise Woolnough.

It took more than six years to raise the money and work with children to draw up designs, and for the last few weeks villagers have been carrying out the finishing touches.

And last Wednesday all the blood, sweat and tears, paid off when the park was officially opened and hundreds of Swanton Morley Primary School pupils tried out the new equipment.

And children in Longham now have a safer recreation area to play in thanks to a new fence around the playground next to the village hall.

The new metal fence made with labour and materials donated by Tarmac's Bittering quarry, is now finished.