ARE the parks safe in their hands?

One afternoon recently, I hauled my fitted Axminster carpet along to Broomfield Park for a long overdue beating.

At the gate the kindly old parkkeeper, pointing to the bye laws displayed on a nearby notice board, said that such an anti-social activity was forbidden.

Seeing my look of disappointment, he added with a smile: "Why don't you come back at midnight?The gate is sure to be open then and you'll be able to have a fresh Canada goose burger and a dip in the lake and go home with a geranium or two. If you like. And they do tell me up at the Civic Centre that once the bye laws are modernised with openings for commercial outlets, even though you still won't be able to beat your carpet, you will be able to buy a new one here and do your weekly shopping and land your executive jet on the new runway"

I left him to his fantasies. Once home, I glanced at the front page of the Enfield Independent (November 14) and found that the old chap had been right after all.

R.D.P.BLOWS,

Elmwood Avenue,

Palmers Green.