Playground Problems

I was in two minds about what to write about today.  The obvious post was in response to yesterday’s horrific murder in Woolwich, but Daft Mamma had already said pretty much all I wanted to say.  So, instead, I’m going to ask for some advice.

I took the girls to a park yesterday and being the middle of the afternoon and a school day, it wasn’t too busy.  But there was one little boy there who just didn’t seem to understand boundaries.  He was obviously desperate to play with Bunny, but she wasn’t interested.  If she went to the spinner, he ran over and jumped on it too.  So she’d get off and run over to the climbing frame and try to traverse the climbing net, only for him to run over and swing from it underneath her, scaring her.  She then tried the rocker and he ran over and jumped on it as she was still trying to climb up.  She was getting more and more distressed and frustrated at not being allowed to just get on and play and from what I could tell, he was getting upset that she wouldn’t play with him.  His language skills were very poor despite me guessing that he was at least the same age as Bunny (4). So I wondered if there was a developmental issue at play here and how I should have handled it.

I didn’t want to be a precious mother and encourage Bunny to keep away from him or take the girls out of the park, and instead suggested she share with him and take turns, but even I could see that this wasn’t the issue here.  This little boy just could not understand how upset my daughter was getting by his incessant running over towards her and jumping on whatever she was trying to play on.  Bunny is not overly shy, but at the same time, is naturally wary of strangers and other children and prefers to watch from a distance before joining in.  So this situation was obviously very disturbing for her.  I just didn’t know how to handle it without seeming ignorant of what might have been a difficult situation for the little boy and his mother.  But at the same time, I  also hated seeing someone apparently going out of their way to upset my little girl, as I’m her mum and want to protect her.

Have you ever been in this situation, or perhaps you have a child on the other side and understand better about how you wish the other child’s parents would react?  Can you give me some advice as I am still ruminating over this one and how I might have handled it differently for a better resolution all round.

Steps against the sea

This weekend, the seaside town of Margate used the We Will Gather movement and lots of Twitter chatter to encourage people to gather on the new sea defence steps to show our appreciation of this wonderful structure, and we joined in as part of our big Thanet weekend.

Blackpool and Margate in their heydays
The former sea walls

While I sat there, I was transported back to a presentation my boss gave at the RSA that discussed how he envisaged public space design.  In the lecture, he referred to the coastal defences that our company had designed for Blackpool as part of a bigger regeneration effort that had subsequently gone on to win awards.  The project had more than the simple objective of providing flood protection for local properties, but was seen as an opportunity to revitalise what was once part of the tourist mecca, but had faded into disrepair and lost popularity over recent years.  Not all that different to Margate then!

My boss talked of  addressing the socioeconomic impact of the project’s reach, reinforcing that the community was best placed to understand how a place works and was therefore the ultimate client that would judge its success.  The practicalities of the coastal defence should look to improve not only flood protection and physical access but also visual links to the area.  A place of ageing infrastructure and disinvestment had the ambition to become a centre for cultural and leisure pursuits; a place for people that reunited the focus of civic pride.  The Blackpool coastal defences were seen as an integrated piece of infrastructure, art and public realm.

Blackpool and Margate revitalised by their coastal defences

As I sat there, watching the children play in the sand at the bottom of the steps and exploring the rock pools that formed as the tide gradually made its way in, I realised that this was as much a part of Margate’s regeneration as the new Turner Contemporary has been. Everyone I have mentioned the steps to has remarked on how peaceful, how stunning, how pleasant they are.  They lend a key link to the now revitalised old town district of Margate and provide a picturesque promenade walk from the clocktower to the Turner Art Gallery and harbour arm.  They are ideally placed to sit and watch some of Turner’s sunsets and provide new opportunities for play and social gatherings.

Margate Coastal Defence: The new cool

In short, something that sounds so dull on paper, has integrated so seamlessly into its environment that it has become the new place to be and be seen.  If Margate old town is the new cool, then this is its centre.

Photo Credits (unless credited below, my own images)

Collage 1: AECOM Technology; Kent Libraries & Archives; AECOM Technology; Own image

Collage 2: AECOM Technology; AECOM Technology

Big Broadstairs Weekend (with a little bit of Margate and Ramsgate too)

We have had a wonderful local weekend with lots of fun outdoors in the sunshine, really making the most of what this unique part of Britain has to offer.

Rockin’ the 50′s vibe!

On Friday night, I donned my favourite 50′s style frock with a big petticoat and coiffed my hair into something that resembled a beehive, using so much hairspray, I’m surprised the spiders on the ceiling didn’t fall off under the gas attack! I made my way to the Broadstairs Pavilion and armed with some dutch courage provided by a swift pint, joined my friends on stage to sing karaoke and danced the night away.  As usual, we were the last ones standing and the party continued for another couple of hours in some late night bars in Ramsgate.

Best costume and best beehive!

I was chuffed to bits to win the best costume prize and my good friend won the best beehive for her bright red, beehive with a bow.  It was a fantastic night and great to really let my hair down for the first time in many months.  From the comments we’ve had since, our group certainly know how to party!!

Margate Old Town

The next morning, feeling a little worse for wear, we had pancakes and then had a lazy morning before heading into Margate for a fantastic burger (the best I’ve had in a long, long time) from The Greedy Cow which is a tiny cafe based in the lovely old town part of Margate.  We then had a little wander around, and did some window shopping in some of the many eclectic shops dotted around.

Margate sea defence

Just before 3 o’clock, a small crowd began to gather on the new steps that have opened up an underused part of marvellous Margate main sands.  There were balloons, bubbles and flags and a big cheer went up at 3 to show the local appreciation for what has been a wonderful addition to the area.

Fun at the Turner Contemporary Gallery Margate

We then headed over to the Turner Contemporary to check out the latest exhibition which unfortunately, doesn’t begin until next weekend but we had lots of fun playing in the cube sculpture outside, using the mirror effect of the glass panels to take some interesting shots.  Then we explored some steps that seemed to lead to the sky and discovered a space littered with a blanket of crushed shells and bordered with beach-friendly planting. It’s an unusual spot and well-hidden.

“Watching” Hairspray on the beach

The evening was spent at the beach with some friends wrapped up in blankets, eating vinegary chips whilst we watched the weekend theme film, Hairspray.  Well, we sort of watched while chatting and chasing children around.  Bunny had lots of fun with her friends and it was genuinely good to be out for an evening with the girls enjoying the fresh air and surrounded by so many other local people, just doing the same.  I really love outdoor screenings as they have a knack for really bringing the community together in one place to just hang out and be sociable without massive cost or pressure to dress up or perform.

Dancing our way not quite into the record books

After a late night for the girls, we actually had a bit of a lie-in yesterday and made the most of the quiet morning to get some housework bits done.  Then I headed back into Broadstairs with my girls to participate in the Big Broadstairs Weekend Dancing Queen Guinness World Record attempt.  We met up with another friend and her children and registered before heading to the beah for a brief play and then up to the famous Morelli’s ice cream parlour for an ice cream treat.  At 3 o’clock, we headed back out onto the prom and joined a few hundred others to dance a prepared routine to one of the top songs from Hairspray.  Unfortunately, there weren’t quite enough of us dancing to beat the world record (achieved three years ago in the original Big Broadstairs Weekend), but it was fun to be a part of the attempt.

Linking up with Fiona at Coombe Mill’s Country Kids Linky to celebrate getting outside with the children.

I’m linking this up to Magic Moments hosted by Jaime at The Oliver’s Madhouse