Have you noticed (we have) how little bad news we have reported lately? It’s now a long time since we put an entry in the Hall of Shame and except for the stuff you would expect in a popular park like dog fouling and litter - we have had no thefts or damage for quite a few weeks.

Long may this continue. Some would say it is the winter and dark nights - but we think we may have reached a turning point. Many of the anti crime measures we have planned are now in place and we are hopeful that these will pay dividends in the coming year. Keep those reports of crime coming in to us - we always try and do something about it.

Yet again we have had another record month for people visiting our web site. During the month of November 507 different visitors had a look at the site and they actually looked at it 1546 times.

We actually expected a  drop in numbers during the month because the webmaster was on holiday (now returned and raring to go!). We were proved wrong and visitors to the site have still increased.

So popular was the last quiz night that we have fitted in another for the New Year. So the date for the diary is Friday 13th February 2009. It will be another picture quiz but those who attend know it is much, much more!

The last one was sold out three months in advance - so don’t be disappointed. Tickets are £2 pp and the location, as always, will be Club 39.

Now that the golf course has been opened up the view across from Thorne Road is superb. We have planted literally thousands of bulbs in this area and spring promises to be a great time to see the area reach its potential.

You will have noticed when looking across the golf course a couple of ‘rough’ areas, the two nearest Barnby Dun Road. These two were left when large trees were blown down and the ground around them has become unkempt because clearly the grass could not be cut and the roots of the trees became exposed and the surrounding ground was uneven. The thinking has been that these would form an ideal wildlife habitat.

Unfortunately one has seen wildlife of a different kind and has been the scene of several fires and large domestic litter dumping incidents. What do you think should be done with these two areas? Your views would be appreciated.

We have some great trees in  the park but we are struggling to come up with a name for the tree that bears a strange kind of fruit. It is the tree below. Looks like a cherry tree. OK have a look closer at the second picture…….. and closer at the third……

Yes you are right it’s dog poo! In a plastic bag and tied to a branch in the tree. This is not the first time it has happened on the golf course area and this action illustrates why we wanted to make that area more open so we can see offenders.

Why on earth someone would go to the trouble of picking up after their dog and then fastening the resulting collection to a tree is……. well strange. There are now dog bins on the Old Golf Course at the entrances on Thorne Road.

This strange behaviour is actually worse than not picking up because someone could walk into it, it will not decompose and eventually someone has to remove the plastic bag. Let’s face it there are some sad/strange individuals about.

A woman found a very poorly limp duck (possibly a Runner Duck) in Sandall Park (near to the feeding area) and took it to the vets clinic in Edenthorpe. As she laid it on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the duck’s chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said ‘I’m so sorry, the Runner Duck, has passed away’

The lady (a FOSP member and very passionate about ducks especially Runner Ducks) wailed ‘Are you sure ?’
‘Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead’ he replied.
‘How can you be so sure,’ she protested. ‘ I mean, you haven’t done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something’

The Vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room, and returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador retriever.

As the FOSP lady looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his paws on the table and sniffed the Runner Duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the Vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog, and took it out, and returned a few minutes later with a cat.

The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the Runner Duck from Head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, ‘I’m sorry, but as I said, this is most Definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead Runner Duck’.

The vet turned to his PC, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed To the woman. The lady (from Wheatley), still in shock, took the bill ‘£150!’, she cried, ‘£150 just to tell me the  duck is dead!’

The vet just shrugged, and said ‘I’m sorry. If you’d taken my word for it, the bill would have been just £20, but with the Lab report and the Cat scan, it’s now £150……………..’

The lady would have gone to the toilets and cried, but of course it was a weekday and the toilets in the park were closed!

The playground in Sandall Park is pretty good by anyones standard but it is especially good when compared with the 1994 ‘model’. Them kids were lucky - when I were a lad……….

    
1994                                         2008

The moderator for this web site is currently on his holidays so if you submit any comments regarding any of the articles please be patient. The comments will appear but not until the moderator has come back to our shores, suitably refreshed - and tanned. That should be the 27th November.

The web site however will continue to be updated almost daily.

Did you know that China’s most expensive public toilet in Shanghai cost £325,000. It’s free to use and people queue cross legged for up to 2 hours just to use it…………

On a week day in Sandall Park people can queue crossed legged ALL day outside the toilets if they want and nothing is spent on the park toilets. Now THAT is value for money!

Sunday 11th January 2009 will see an organised Health Walk in the park.

Join us on a guided walk to help you get active and healthy for 2009. This is a great way to start the New Year. Places are limited so you must book your place early on the New Year Walks booking line on 01302 862536.

The walk will be 2 miles and you will find out a lot about Sandall Park from its history to the plans for the future.