THIS WEEK IN 1976: Landport children to make their own adventure playground

Children arrived at the site in Arundel Street to find an open space covered with crushed bark.

But the emptiness backed the philosophy behind adventure playgrounds said assistant play leader Georgina Douglas.

‘The idea is for the children to make everything themselves.

‘Our first project will be a huge tower with an aerial runway and a slide,’ she said.

She added: ‘Because the kids have made the structures they will take care of them, so it is constructive play rather than destructive.’

The playground was open from 10am to 9pm, with three play leaders working shifts to ensure adequate supervision at all times.

Miss Douglas, and her colleagues, David Potter and Robert Clark, were keen to get parents and others in the Landport area involved in the council-sponsored project.

The first offer of help came from Landport resident, Stan Carey.

He said: ‘I would be willing to show the children how to make model carts.

‘It should give them a lot of interest.’