Dyke Road Park Chalet

A popular place

When I was a young boy, Dyke Road Park was a popular place to go for an hour or so in the early evening, although much of it was given over to use as allotments in the war. There was only minimal equipment – a slide, a large wooden roundabout with a footboard, a couple of see-saws and swings.

Now being extended

Interestingly, the play area is currently being extended and given a facelift. The park was adjacent to the Grammar School (now BHASVIC) field, which then had no buildings on it, although it did have trenches at the eastern end and rifle butts at the western end.

Mushrooms in autumn

The field was frequently used as an extension to the park by trespassers, not least of all because in autumn there were large field mushrooms to be had. And of course, dogs could do what dogs do all year round without incurring the wrath of the parkie.

Chalet a focal point

The park café opened some years after the end of the war, but the chalet building, originally thatched, had always been a focal point, with its central arch providing shelter in inclement weather. Later, when the beautiful rose garden – with its neat, low hedges – was restored, the adjacent terrace on the west side provided an excellent viewing area.