I took the photograph on the right whilst having a few days away at my familes home in Southampton. At the time, it was just a scene, but looking at it again, I found that within it was a story of a typical Sunday afternoon of leisure, activity and being with nature.

The man standing by the bench stretching the picnic he’d just had away a little, the two children picking something, the older Gentleman cycling and the young couple going for a Jog to wear off the week sitting at a Desk I have no doubt.

What comes over to me is that age does not matter. With the exception of older bones and muscles, we all find our comfort zone in exercise and leisure activities.
We know that sooner or later, that Jog won’t be as long and quick and the Cycle will have to go away in the Shed waiting for a younger generation member of the family to take it on.

Luckily ageing isn’t an instant experience and we find we just slowly adapt rather than wake up one morning to a whole new different World.

So I guess the philosophy of the Park is that it’s somewhere for any age. It’s strange to think that a tree hasn’t a brain, hasn’t technology, yet it can live 300 years and often for most of that time look perfectly healthy. Us mere humans live for 50 years or so and there’s a downward trend, although we try as hard as we can to deny it and fight it.

Back in the 60’s we used to hug trees (apparently - I didn’t) and the reason behind it was one in one with nature. But if we took a photo of that scene, and went back to do a ‘now and then’, which one would look the oldest!

Rather than spend £40 for a Gym every month, find a Park, buy a Bicycle, running trainers, take a Picnic, take the Kids, that’s what they’re for !
The benefits of Park over Gym are numorou; you’re breathing real air and not air conditioning, your feet can be on natural ground and not hard vinyl, every corner of a run has a different view - what else is there to do in a Gym other than watch everyone else or carefully rest the daily paper on the treadmill!

I sometimes sit and wonder what thing’s will be like in 100 years, I just hope I can come back and have a peep !

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