At the end of August, we had the last of our Play in the Park events. Burntwood Town Council has worked with our amazing sponsors and partners to provide fun, entertainment and opportunities for the town to get together and have a great time.

I was at Play in the Parks last week in Chase Terrace Park. It was so lovely seeing the children playing together, no devices, just fun and games and enjoying the barbecue put on by St John’s Community Church. Also great to see parents having a chance to get together, no stress, lots for the children to do, no financial pressures and a whole day to enjoy being with the children.

On each of day there have been lots of different activities, and it has been an absolute pleasure to be there as a councillor and to see how we make a difference.  Thank you to so many local organisations who made these events possible, including Noel Sweeney Foundation, Bromford, Morrisons, Spar and a donation from Burntwood Be a Friend. Free packed lunches for the children were provided by Mikey Teas. Thanks also to partners for supporting us, including St Johns Community Church, Spark and Platinum Boxing.

The last event was August 21^st at Springhill School, with our friends at Spark. Another fun-packed day. The cloudy and windy weather didn’t have any effect on the high spirits. If you’ve been to Play in the Parks, Burntwood Town Council would love to hear about your experiences and any suggestions that you might have for next year.

On 11^th August I went to another fun family day at Bradshaw’s Farm. Bradshaw’s have a thriving farm shop, a café, and a party venue for children. It was an opportunity for people to spend time with the animals and to enjoy the outdoor – a wonderful way to care for family well-being. I spent time with George the giant African tortoise. He was sulking when I got there, facing away from everyone and staring at the wheel of a vehicle. He was unhappy to be fenced in but once they opened the gate and let him out on to the field, he was off. There was nothing slow about this tortoise!  I didn’t get to meet his wife, Mildred. You might recognise their names from a TV show if you are of a certain age.

I also got to spend time with an alpaca. It was soothing stroking his soft neck, he was so friendly. I was jealous of his beautiful big eyes and his lovely long eyelashes – apparently used to keep the sand out of their eyes in the desert. There was lots of other fun for the children including a role-playing event with a chance to play at being builders, chefs, waitresses, shop assistants and more.

I couldn’t stay for the judging but there was a dog show, and a beautiful puppy named Dave was the winner. You can see his photo below. There were home grown vegetables and Cannock Chase Radio FM were there to offer more entertainment.

We are already planning for next year. I can’t wait to see what we come up with. Of course, we still have the Christmas events to look forward to. I’ll keep you posted about those. I love Burntwood and would like to thank all of the councillors, and of course all of our staff who made this happen. Well done everyone, you did a great job!