Stanley Park. A nice place to visit. A tranquil relief spot. A handy walk. A great contrast to Victoria Hospital across the road to the north east of the Park.
To the western end there's a tree lined route into the park honouring heroes of past wars on the right, while on the left, heroic groups of the present day are honoured.
There's a sports stadium, and a sports centre. And attached to the sports centre is an outdoor gynasium that the zoo across the road would doubtless love to have for its gorillas and orangutans.
There's flowerbeds in an Italian garden, a rose garden, a memorial garden, not forgetting the flowerbeds adjacent to the brick built cafeteria.
There's a lake with boating opportunities to float amongst the swans and ducks, and photographic opportunities at every turn among its many paths.
There's a bandstand with tiered seating to better enable the sight of performers on certain days.
In times gone by, six bowling greens were in use, though today they are ruins, and even well-meaning dog owners ignore the signs and let their dogs off their leads to run abandonly upon once hallowed turfs.
There's an extensive BMX track, football fields, a skate park, tennis courts, five-a-side courts, a children's playground, and subject to availability trampolining and inflatable bouncy castles.
And, as if that wasn't enough, at the east side of the park you'll find a privately run model village.
There are lions in the Park, too. Not real ones, but statues. Not original statues, either, but replicas of the originals. The originals arrived from Stowe House in 1926, and were dismantled in 2012 to be returned for restoration (Learn about this conservation work).
There are little places, a posy beneath a tree, or a plaque on a seat, dedicated to the memory of indiviuals who have enjoyed some of their life spent in the Park. I don't know about this Janette Healy, Chief Mischief Maker (second picture) but clearly she impressed others in her lifetime.
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