The Beginning

It is now over two years since we started to read through the minutes of the Canyon Playground Association, which covered the years 1969-72. We were fortunate in that we had an excellent minute secretary, June Thatcher, now Mrs. Donaghue. This gave us many details that would have been missed in ordinary circumstances. During this time we have used Stevenage library to do a little research on the actual formation of the canyon, because over the years there have been many explanations as to how this big crater came about. Was it a bomb dropped during the Second World War? Had it been a small pond that had suddenly dried up? However, after reading a number of books it does seem to indicate that the site was a chalk pit.

Our neighbourhood was built up around the old village of Shephall and we were lucky enough to live alongside Fairlands Valley, which early in the New Town's history was still farmland. However, the children were only able to use this after the harvest.

The Canyon from the start of the new town was a place to visit for the young families that were moving into the surrounding areas. We realised that this was a special area with its tall beech trees, its wild flowers and the marvellous sloping sides which the children loved to climb and explore. This was further enhanced by being situated in Fairlands Valley and bordered by woods.

As young parents ourselves, we were well aware that this place with all its attractions could hold dangers; there was always the possibility of accidents and the ever present vulnerability of children alone.

In the sixties the number of children under sixteen in Stevenage was disproportionately high compared with more established towns, because of the influx of so many young families who were still of child bearing age. Play facilities were limited to back gardens and small play areas between the houses. With the growing population, it was obvious that more amenities would be necessary.

The National Playing Fields Association were helping to promote the idea of adventure playgrounds and the whole concept of children's play. In Stevenage the first convert was Joan Herbert who lived in the Bandley Hill area. With a like minded group of parents she approached the Stevenage Development Corporation and the then Urban District Council. From these initial meetings came the impetus to form the Bandley Hill Play Association, and start raising money. The main source of fund raising was to be through a weekly lottery.

The first thing that the B.H.A had to do was to recruit a large number of volunteers, this was necessary because each household in the area had to be canvassed for their support and if possible a weekly contribution to the lottery.

This involved holding a weekly draw with small prizes, the profit to be accrued for the setting up of the playground. With grants from the S.D.C. and U.D.C. and a great deal of hard work, this eventually led to the opening of an adventure playground in Featherstone Road. Similar schemes were to follow in the Chells and Pin Green neighbourhoods.

In 1968, adventure playgrounds did not feature very high on our list of priorities. Until a chance meeting with a neighbour in the Canyon convinced me that this could be an ideal site for an adventure playground. This neighbour was Tessa Peters, who like me had young children and had given a great deal of thought to children's play. Tessa had already done much of the groundwork; interested enough people to call an inaugural meeting, discussed a constitution and had formed the Canyon Play Association Committee. The first committee meeting that I attended was held in Tessa's house on September 26th, 1968.

The first priority of this meeting was to submit our constitution to the Charity Commission, as this would enable us to raise money legally. Looming large on the agenda was the proposed Road 9, which was to cut Fairlands Valley in half from Broadhall Way to Pin Green. This would mean a fast road within a hundred yards of the Canyon. A more immediate problem was the recent flooding of the lowest level of the Canyon at the bottom of the slopes, so deep in fact, we heard that the more adventurous children had gone for a swim. This problem was probably caused by building works on the valley and nearby road widening which could have blocked some of the drainage ditches. The lowest level of the Canyon was eventually filled in with hardcore and earth which was supplied from the road works. This through the years has kept the Canyon flood free.

Committee meetings were now held on a regular basis. The Canyon Play Association was now a registered charity, and it was agreed that we would join with Bandley Hill in their weekly lottery until we had completed canvassing for new members. Along with canvassing, writing letters and petitioning for local interest, we were beginning to spend a lot of our committee meetings discussing Road 9.

Road 9 Debate

The flood was a small problem compared with Road 9. Stevenage had a very strong anti-Road 9 lobby, and some committee members were already having difficulty with the idea of a playground so close to a proposed road. There was much heated discussion as to whether a playground should be established, while the future of the valley was in jeopardy. The one thing the committee agreed on was a resolution to approach our Member of Parliament, Shirley Williams, and ask if she would be willing to chair an Open Forum sponsored by the Canyon Play Association and involving all interested parties. Mrs. Williams agreed to chair the meeting as long as the date was convenient to her parliamentary duties. The next step was to invite interested groups to participate in the "Open Forum". The anti-Road 9 lobby in Stevenage was growing rapidly, the newspapers made people fully aware of the devastation that this road would cause to what was now considered the "green lung of the town". It was to cut diagonally across from Broadhall Way Roebuck to Pin Green.

The Canyon Committee, which had only recently been formed, now found itself involved in a big town issue. Most of the committee had little experience of organising a public meeting, but feelings were running so high against Road 9 that we were prepared to be thrown in the deep end.

We wrote to and lobbied members of Parliament, approached the Development Corporation - the proposers of the road, Stevenage Councillors and any local organisation that was interested in taking part in the proposed "Open Forum". Road 9 had become a bigger issue than the setting up of a playground.

The "Open Forum" duly took place on March 3rd, 1969, at Stevenage College. Shirley Williams was unable to chair the meeting because of parliamentary business. The Development Corporation refused to attend the meeting when it was known Shirley Williams would not be in the chair. However, many people did attend and expressed their views for and against Road 9. The fact that the meeting took place was a triumph for grass root democracy.

The Road 9 debate continued, but the Canyon Committee was now back on course to establish an adventure playground. If Road 9 was to be built, the committee had to make sure that safe access was guaranteed across the valley by an underpass and the proposed road was well fenced. This meant that some of the committees' work was still tied up with local Councillors and the Development Corporation to keep in touch with the plans for Road 9.

Community Network

The committee now had representatives from the Corporation and the Council, who provided us with professional advice and information; one of the contacts was Michael Pennington, an architect, who helped us with the original planning permission and drew up the first plans for a building. We now had £186 in our account due to our combined lottery with Bandley Hill and other money raising activities, but we agreed that the time had come to be independent and begin our own lottery.

Our first step was to join Broadhall Community Association on a group membership, for a yearly subscription of two shillings, and our weekly lottery draw was to take place after the bingo on a Wednesday evening. Membership now stood at 320 paying a shilling a week, which raised sixteen pounds. From this the lottery prizes were three pounds, two pounds and one pound.

The organisation to raise approximately ten pounds a week, was hard work. The money had to be collected street by street from our members; every week two people had to organise the draw, the results had to be typed on a stencil, printed on a Gestetner, cut up and given to the collectors to deliver back to the members. Looking back at the amount of work that had to be done each week and the fact that it was all done by volunteers, it's hard to believe that so much was accomplished. As with all voluntary groups the membership changed, people's circumstances altered and they left the group, so we were always recruiting new helpers.

The lottery result sheet rapidly became a news sheet. Items for sale, local events and information from the Canyon committee. The collectors unknowingly were setting up a community network; the doorstep chat often became an exchange of advice and ideas. A further money raising activity was the ever-popular 'Jumble Sale,' so with the acquisition of a large old pram, our only means of collecting goods, we were able with help to collect furniture for sale. The pram stayed with us for some time to come.

The committee were working very hard, the plans were going ahead for the actual playground and the building, this meant we were confronted with drawings, measurements and planning applications all of which were unknown territory to the committee. It was fortunate that at this time we recruited some very able people who had the right expertise. A sub-committee now took over the responsibility of developing the site and negotiating with the local authorities. This took up much of their time, but enabled the rest of the committee to press-on raising money, and setting up a programme of social events to keep interest alive.

On a beautiful summer's day in a large local garden, a Children's Fete was held. The children made the posters, collected goods from parents, made cakes and set up the stalls, one boy ran a pets corner, with pets on display and advice on how to look after them. This fete raised £7.16, and the garden was still intact.

Permission was granted to hold a Firework Display in the old allotments beside the Canyon. This took a lot of planning from the safety angle, we set up a stove for hot chocolate and snacks, fireworks were bought, and on the night the weather was kind to us. The biggest drawback was keeping the enthusiastic parents away from the firework area.

Before conservation was fashionable, we organised a weekend work party to clear the rubbish from the Canyon and surrounding woods. This resulted in massive piles of rubbish, which was collected by the U.D.C.

We were now attracting quite a large group of teenagers who came to the committee keen to form a youth committee. This was agreed, and we were happy to support them, but were not able to help them financially. We advised them to approach the Youth and Community Service, and they were given some equipment and a youth worker, who worked with the young people for one session a week. The club began in Peartree Pavilion, moving to Shephalbury Pavilion until such time as the Canyon building was in place. This committee also ran a Saturday morning Disco at Broadhall community centre for the younger children. They ended the year with a successful Christmas party, which raised money with a grand entrance fee of 2/6.

The Nursery

At the start of a new year, 1970, we had 450 members, and they were beginning to ask how long before the playground would be open. It was not possible to give a date, but we realised that we had to organise an event in the Canyon that would give people an incentive to continue their support. After much discussion it was agreed that we would have a play week during the children's summer holidays. The cost of staffing and materials was estimated, and an application for grant aid was made to the U.D.C. After some negotiation, a grant of a hundred pounds was promised.

The months into spring were taken up with finalising outline permission, increasing membership and keeping our lottery afloat. Road 9 was with us again and the dilemma of a footbridge or an underpass for access, if the road was finally to cross the Valley. Work was to start on improving the drainage in the Canyon with a loan from the U.D.C.

There was some worry about the erosion of the steep sides of the Canyon. We asked the National Playing Fields Association for advice and were visited by two of their surveyors, who felt that erosion would not be a problem for some years. There were many views as to how we should fence the Canyon, if at all. However, we had to consider safety and the effect on insurance when the playground finally opened. Because of the number of young children whose parents were involved in the Canyon, the idea of starting a playgroup was suggested to the committee, possibly a small group run by the parents. Of course, the big problem was premises.

Our local community centre, Broadhall, was interested, but the problem was storage of playgroup equipment. The centre was fully used and all available space was already in demand. Hopes for an extension to the building were being discussed, and in the meantime it was suggested that we should look for an alternative venue with their co-operation. This meant that we could use Broadhall for money raising events and meetings. The search for a suitable building went on until the 7th Stevenage Scout and Guide hut in Shephall Green seemed the most likely. The scout committee were very helpful and after some negotiation agreed that in principle we could rent their building.

By now we were being advised by Mr. Menghies of the S.D.C. and Mrs. Pinder who was the Head of the Peartree Nursery to open a nursery rather than a playgroup. The rules governing nurseries came under the County Council and we were back to square one. The nursery advisor for the County came to inspect the 7th Stevenage scout building and gave us permission for a nursery providing three main alterations were carried out. These were a new floor, French windows to allow children in and out during outdoor play and a garage for storage. We were shattered; the money raised was to buy equipment not for major alterations. However, the scouts agreed to pay half towards the flooring, contacts gave us a master builder and a carpenter both giving their labour free, and we managed to find forty pounds for a prefabricated garage. Broadhall helped us to raise money for items such as the French doors and building materials.

The floor was laid and we prayed for a fine Sunday for the building work to go ahead. The fine Sunday came, and a large hole was made in the side of the building by the builder followed by the carpenter who put in the French doors. The garage was installed and a path laid as all the nursery equipment would have to be put away each day. All this was accomplished in one day and we were very grateful for all the expertise and hard work that was donated. We were also very relieved that the alterations were so successful, considering that it was not our building.

The building was now passed by County for a nursery. Adverts had already been placed in the local press for a teacher and one nursery nurse. Barbara Mellor was appointed as the teacher and Elizabeth Singfield as the nursery nurse. Their appointment was from the 20th September 1971, and in the ensuing weeks they became very involved in the preparations for launching the nursery. We still had bills to pay and a few problems to solve, but with a jumble sale, family dance, folk evening and helping with the refreshments at Broadhall's gymkana, we were hoping to keep our heads above water.

The nursery opened in September 1971, for mornings only, with a full compliment of children, and parents willing to help each day. The fund raising had to be an ongoing activity as the County Council met only half the wages. It was fortunate that the parents supported the many money raising schemes. Even the nursery was integrated into the Shephall Green Infants School and became a full time nursery. This meant that the staff, which was now one teacher, two nursery nurses and all the equipment were now fully taken over by the County.

The playground planning went on alongside the work of the nursery committee and a Canyon play week was planned for August 1970. Negotiations with the Borough Council included estimates for possible expenditure on the play week. The police had to be informed and the fire service visited the site to make sure of access and a water supply. Then, adverts were placed in the local press for a play leader and an assistant. The next step was to envisage the tools and materials the children would need: paint, paper, brushes, clay, scissors, pencils, hammers, saws and nails. A garage was allotted for storage and we started to collect wood, oil drums, old doors, anything in fact that children could build with. It is worth noting that the many of the supplies came from Stevenage industrial area; firms such as Bowater's, Visqueen and Kodak were generous with pallets, plastic and film.

It is a sign of the times that firms could not be so generous today.