A poem written by students from Helvetia marked the official opening of the Parade Gardens play parks

The Parade Gardens play parks were officially opened last Thursday by Deputy Lyndsay Feltham, who had the initial idea for the new parks, and Senior Procureur du Bien Public, Peter Pearce.

Amongst those present at the opening ceremony were the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv, St Helier’s Twin Town in Ukraine.

Children from Westmount Day Nursery and Helvetia attended to try out the new facilities and enjoy an ice lolly. Students at Helvetia wrote a poem to mark the occasion, which was read out on the day:

Do you know where the new park is? I’ll tell you if you like.
It’s not too far and you can walk or get there on your bike.
Turn left at the school front gate, go along the road,
On the left you’ll see some grass, flowerbeds all sowed.

Walk a bit along the path, all shady in the trees,
Smell the blossom, listen to the humming of the bees.
A squirrel runs along the branch, the pigeons coo and coo,
The café’s whirr and warmth, and the snacks are welcoming too!

The hospital is on your right and on your left, you’ll see
All Saints Church, then the pub, a cat sat in a tree.
And then you’ll see the brand-new park, such a brilliant sight,
Roundabouts, great new slides, and lots of colours bright.

The streets where you live are special places.
Every day brings friendly faces
Children to play with, adults you know
Who watch and help you as you grow.

Swing me, swing me, swing me round,
I don’t want my feet to touch the ground.
Swing me an hour, swing me some more,
Swing me until a quarter past four.
Swing me through summer, swing me high and tall,
I promise I’ll never get tired at all.

So, what can you do to keep it this way
A place that’s happy and safe to play?
How can you help to keep it so good
For those who live in your neighbourhood?

Keep it clean and tidy and always shut the gate,
Take a turn, share the toys and be kind enough to wait.
We’re so excited to have this fun so close to our school,
Thank you to St Helier Parks and Gardens from us all.