My favourite place when I was young was Saltwell Park. As I went to Heathfield co-educational school, it was easy to get to so I used to go every lunchtime and have a walk about. I loved looking at the birds and the animals that lived there. Apparently, it has been tidied up, but there was always a beautiful array of flowers. My friends and I also used to go on the boats in the boating lake.

I can remember getting lost in the maze - actually I was panic-stricken! Thank goodness for the park keepers who used to patrol and show you the right direction.

Also, there was a small piece of the park which was just for kids. It had small swings and a small house with a slide at the end.

There used to be ice cream vans and a small cafe, which was handy if you hadn't brought a picnic with you. It was ideal in the summer and occasionally I would take the family and spend the whole day there.

Many people used to take their dogs there to give them some exercise. There was also a fountain where you could get a drink of water.

Sometimes in the summer months they would have a fair visit. Included in the fair there would be a few rides that were suitable for children and adults. There were also hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone who wanted them. There were candy floss and toffee apples too.

There used to be some foolish lads who used to go into the park and swing deliberately so high on the swings that they nearly went over the top, but they used to jump off just before they did, leaving the swing in a tangled mess. How on earth there was never an accident is beyond me!

People used to play ball games on the grass like 'rounders' and bowls for the men. I just wish I could have joined in, but owing to my back problems it was not meant to be. I could only go on the swings and slide - that was enough for me.

People used to buy nets and go fishing on the lake. They would carry the fish (if they caught any) home in a milk bottle! There were also a lot of frogs. I must admit every time I saw frog spawn it reminded me of tapioca, which we had for sweet at school. They would put the frog spawn in jam jars to take home with the fish.

Mind you, the water was a bit cloudier at the lake and it used to smell rancid after a day or so, so they used to have to change the water regularly, as there may have been some seaweed in it. I must admit the park smelt much better in summer with the smell of fresh flowers. However in the winter it was magnificent with the snow on the trees and all the leaves shed. The trees had red berries on and the frosty weather made lovely patterns on the windowsills and there were icicles hanging from the rooftops - but I liked the window patterns the best! Also, the animals could withstand the cold weather as they used to have little houses with straw inside for shelter from the frost.

I used to always take some bread for the swans and some seed for the birds. They would all come to the front of the lake for their little treat - so everything was eaten and no waste.

In autumn all of the colours of the leaves with rust and different shades of green was a sight to behold. Mind you, the lake would freeze over and this would be a real danger for children trying to walk on it and even with signs telling you not to walk over it you could bet that someone would try as a prank.