Near the town centre in Swindon, Wilts, England is a beautiful park called Queens Park. It covers about 12 acres and contains an impressive range of trees, both evergreen and deciduous, and shrubs. There are two lakes. Apparently, the larger lake used to be a gravel pit until it was filled in with water in the 1950s and the park was created around it. There are swans, ducks and, especially in winter, many Canada geese. All produce youngsters in the Spring. The smaller lake, or pond, has a fountain. There are also squirrels, who are more elusive than they used to be, and of course the ever present pigeons.
When I used to live in Swindon with my family, I used to go through the park every morning on my way to work. I also went there many times with my children. So I've been there literally thousands of times - but never been bored of it! We lived about a half hour's walk from the park - but it was worth the effort. I would often go there with my son, when he was a toddler and also when he was older; and then with my daughter - often with both of them. I would usually take a variety of food for the wildlife: bread for the ducks, seed for the pigeons and monkey nuts for the squirrels. The swans were a glorious sight to behold when they were in the water: pure, snowy white and the essence of gracefulness. The ducks and swans would also eat the peanuts. It used to be quite amusing holding the bread just above the honking Canada geese so they would stretch and hop to reach it. Depending on the time of year there were also many fish in the large lake - they'd also eat the bread. Especially during winter, the pigeons would eat out of our hands and sometimes we would have several pirgeons eating out of each hand simultaneously.
The park is on different levels. The flower displays in spring and summer are bright and colourful. I remember a beautiful yellow wisteria near the York Road entrance. There's a large weeping willow on either side of the main entrace in Drove Road. There's a large lawn opposite the small lake where we've had a picnic several times in the past or played with a ball with the kids. There are also a couple of scupltures. One in particular I like very much: a metal statue of a gorilla. I gave him a name: Adam, and liked to think he had been running until he got back to Eden - as I've always thought of Queen's Park as Swindon's very own Eden. In all the towns and cities that I've lived in or visited, I've never been to a park as beautiful as Queen's Park. RP - December 2006
When I used to live in Swindon with my family, I used to go through the park every morning on my way to work. I also went there many times with my children. So I've been there literally thousands of times - but never been bored of it! We lived about a half hour's walk from the park - but it was worth the effort. I would often go there with my son, when he was a toddler and also when he was older; and then with my daughter - often with both of them. I would usually take a variety of food for the wildlife: bread for the ducks, seed for the pigeons and monkey nuts for the squirrels. The swans were a glorious sight to behold when they were in the water: pure, snowy white and the essence of gracefulness. The ducks and swans would also eat the peanuts. It used to be quite amusing holding the bread just above the honking Canada geese so they would stretch and hop to reach it. Depending on the time of year there were also many fish in the large lake - they'd also eat the bread. Especially during winter, the pigeons would eat out of our hands and sometimes we would have several pirgeons eating out of each hand simultaneously.
The park is on different levels. The flower displays in spring and summer are bright and colourful. I remember a beautiful yellow wisteria near the York Road entrance. There's a large weeping willow on either side of the main entrace in Drove Road. There's a large lawn opposite the small lake where we've had a picnic several times in the past or played with a ball with the kids. There are also a couple of scupltures. One in particular I like very much: a metal statue of a gorilla. I gave him a name: Adam, and liked to think he had been running until he got back to Eden - as I've always thought of Queen's Park as Swindon's very own Eden. In all the towns and cities that I've lived in or visited, I've never been to a park as beautiful as Queen's Park. RP - December 2006
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