Didn’t we used to play bowls here?

Of course, not all of the park has been fenced off since the Commonwealth Games construction work began.

The field between the two brooks has been mostly accessible all the time.

Yes, that’s the one where, back in the day, there used to be a well-manicured bowling green - times change, and for a while it’s been left mostly unmown, which we actually appreciate because we’ve seen it turn into a lovely wildlife habitat.

While some of us remember the bowling green in this area, most of us now know it for the massive flood-retention bund, which was built as a requirement of the redevelopment of Alexander Stadium and the associated groundworks, to protect against the rare possibility of Perry Reservoir bursting its banks and flooding rapidly across this field towards the River Tame.

The trouble is, while the field might not be used for bowls any more, it shouldn’t have been left in a dangerous condition.

We’ve expressed our thoughts to the Council about the condition of the area surrounding the bund, where heavy vehicles have left deep tyre trenches, and where the compressed soil either side of the bund is now boggy and rarely drains.

But apparently it’s not an issue - you might feel that the photographs accompanying this post suggest otherwise?

We’ll talk more about the bund, or more specifically its drainage swale, in the next post - but meanwhile if you agree that the Council needs to take action to fix Perry Park, please sign our petition!