132 replies to this topic

[Baro]

I remember that slide vividly, it was very similar to the tower I mentioned.

It was maybe 1.5 stories tall.. 15 feet or so. For the longest time I was so scared to go down that slide, but when I finally did I found out it was the best in the city. it also had a fire-pole!

A kid should have to actually die to get such a thing removed, that slide was definately worth at least 1 child's live, no lesser trade.

[m0nkyman]

I loved the old merry-go-rounds... although I applauded the shift to sand around them from concrete.

[G-Man]

Wow great picture there is a good old merry go round in Franklin Green behind Wellburn's.

[renthefinn]

I remember my elementary school (Durrance) had a suspension bridge, only like a metre off the ground at the lowest point, and maybe two at the abutments, we used to jump up and down on it in rythym so we could get a wave going on it to double bounce each other, then we'd get thrown off the side or right up and back down again. We also had a fire pole about 3m from the ground, my friend went down head first, and cracked his head open (just the skin) he had to take a couple of days off school, and was fine afterwards. We also had teeter totters that went up a couple of metres at either end, I got cherry dropped once, and had to go to the dentist (chipped both front teeth on the bar). Even though we had all this fun stuff, we still managed to have more fun when they pulled out all of that equipment, with the electric fence of the neighbouring farms, and the old rotting bridge on the swamp/pond. Not to mention the forts we used to build, and plan co-ordinated attacks on each other. My fort was the best, it was very difficult to attack with our primitive sticks and such, seeing as it was in the middle of the biggest blackberry bush patch, and you had to crawl to get in. Our other defences were pretty good too, we never really had to use the blackberry castle as we were always on gaurd!

[Holden West]

Wanted: Photos of Beacon Hill slide
Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, April 14, 2007

I was born in Victoria and would like to know if anyone remembers way back when -- probably 1940 or so -- a children's slide in the playground at Beacon Hill Park that was very high. You slid down by wrapping your legs and arms around the two poles and there was no centre to this slide. In today's world it would be considered far too dangerous, but I guess we were tough little kids.

I have asked a few people and no one knows what I am talking about. There must be a picture of it somewhere. I sure would like to know that I am not dreaming it.

Ena Holt,
Chemainus.

[gumgum]

Does anyone know when the installation if the giant watering can is going to happen? They ripped up the old wading pool and it's been sitting their with construction fencing around it for months now.

[Holden West]

That's a good question--what's the delay? Warm weather is fast approaching. I guess the parts are being fabricated now and it will be assembled on site (...in time for Christmas...)

[Baro]

Knowing the way things work, it will be done around autum, then require a 5 million refit to be handycap accesible but have that funding cut after an election and sit half-finished for years.

[Holden West]

Wanted: Photos of Beacon Hill slide
Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, April 14, 2007

I was born in Victoria and would like to know if anyone remembers way back when -- probably 1940 or so -- a children's slide in the playground at Beacon Hill Park that was very high. You slid down by wrapping your legs and arms around the two poles and there was no centre to this slide. In today's world it would be considered far too dangerous, but I guess we were tough little kids.

I have asked a few people and no one knows what I am talking about. There must be a picture of it somewhere. I sure would like to know that I am not dreaming it.

Ena Holt,
Chemainus.

Yes, Beacon Hill once had a slide
Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2007

I can confirm that the slide in Beacon Hill Park existed.

I have never forgotten it because one day I slipped and fell through the rails to land on my knees which bled appropriately.

There was little sympathy when I got home.

Aubrey W. Bell,

Staffin, Skye, Scotland.

[gumgum]

There's a party going on as we speak - a dj, tents, food and everything to celebrate the opening of a new playground on Linden and Chatham.
This really is a strange town.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Do you mean Linden & Chapman? When I walked past there recently, it was still fenced off, even though the sign said it was supposed to be done by March 31.

[gumgum]

Yeah Chapman.
You know what's really dumb about it? There used to be four swings, now they've reduced it to just two. One infant swing and one older child swing. They reduced the amount of swings in Beacon Hill when they recently replaced that one. The swings are always on high demand. Why would they reduce them? It's not like there's no room. These higher tech playgrounds take up even less room than the old arm-breakers.

[Ms. B. Havin]

I wondered why it looked so different (aside from the different materials) -- it has been a few years since I've needed to count how many swings a playground has, but even I thought it looked a whole lot smaller! Wow, one big kid and one baby swing? That's ridiculous. Another thing, from the aesthetics of the new materials used: I hate the look of that dopey chunky plastic stuff. It looks like the kind of playground equipment people buy at Home Centres and then fill suburban backyards with... :x After a while it just looks like, well, like clutter...

[Holden West]

One regular child swing and one baby swing, eh?

Sounds like it exactly fits Victoria's 1.3 children per household demographic--1.3 swings per playground.

That's what happens when statisticians design playgrounds.

[Ms. B. Havin]

And to that "we the plebs" say: [url=http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3085250&origin=BDweekly:77b44]Public wants space not style, architects told -- Over-design is creating public spaces that people don’t want to use, warns top think-tank[/url:77b44]...!

It's an interesting article, although I'm wary/ suspicious of some of the conclusions (not to mention the people) behind it (re. the people: Prince Charles' -- aka Blithering Twit -- clique...) On the other hand, we only have to look at Centennial Square to see how "designer space" can fail, so maybe we plebs are right.

But I just don't get this assessment:

“Most public spaces that people use are local spaces they visit regularly, often quite banal in design, or untidy in their activities or functions, such as street markets and car boot sales,” the report said.

It seems a stretch to say that spaces designed by master architects like -- oh, say, the Spanish Steps in Rome -- are "banal" or that just because some of our contemporary designed spaces don't seem to grab people we actually should go back to non-design. The folks behind this report seem to have it in for modernism (or what they also might refer to as "metropolitanism") and that taints their agenda...

Ooops, did I just derail this thread...? :oops:

[Holden West]

^I'll bring it back on track by proposing modernistic playgrounds for the children of the Proletariat--[url=http://www.classic.archined.nl/news/0207/AldovanEyck_playgrounds_eng.html:dce26]lots of good old fashioned hard surfaces[/url:dce26], without all that bloated, cheap looking plastic furniture.

Councillor Madoff was shown on A-Channel cutting the ribbon for the new park. Shortly thereafter, the children were given a stern rebuke, after being warned that City Councillors are NOT climbing equipment.

[Icebergalley]

Has anyone done a critique of the designed open space in front of the Belvedere and Astoria --- Humboldt side?


I see a missed opportunity with the two "water features" one soft and the other hard edged which are connected by a "notional" stream inscribed in the concrete pavers... Was there a need to have two different "styles"?

Are they using ground water from the buildings that has to be pumped into the storm drain, or are they using the drinking water supply?

I also find that the hard edged water feature, sometimes inhabited by a duck, to lack sufficient volume to mask the urban traffic noise..

Wonder what events will occur there? Who would have the "juice" to shut down that part of Humboldt for a block party when the Aria is finished?

[aastra]

Good questions. Would that area count as open/public space?

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ I've wondered about that (priv. vs. public space). I think it must be private space...? Like a mall.

[Icebergalley]

What do you mean "open space" ? as defined by any city's zoning stuff or



Edit..

I see all the qualifiers you are inserting...

I see value in looking it as useable open space...

I'm sure that an urban studies student would have fun categorizing it a la Alexander's community and privacy.. doing a land use survey to sort out the ped areas from the driveways and from the soft and hard landscaping... I even see some Jane Jacobs bits there..

The city folks already have had their fun measuring and scaleing to ensure that it meets the rules re-zoned for each individual property..

So let's now see how it will actually get used...