RAIN poured down, but not enough to deter a few hardy souls from going along to Colebrooke Play Area for the formal opening of the new equipment on Saturday morning, June 10. 

But the rain began to ease as Colebrooke Parish Council member Mark Wallace and his wife, Nicky, brought along the ices donated by Mark and Theresa of the New Inn, Coleford and, after a damp official opening and taking of photographs, the rain almost stopped encouraging more people and children to come out.  

That was when ideas for more equipment came out too, when parish councillors talked with families to get their views on the next new piece of equipment.  

The Parish Council has some money earmarked for this but is hoping to be lucky enough to receive some more grant funding, which it will need as play equipment is very expensive.  

The token ribbon for this first part of the improvements was cut by Neville Enderson, parish councillor for 45 years and chairman for 20, who grew up in the village and remembered the play area as an orchard where children scrumped and played. 

He remembered the best apple of the lot was Sweet Bay (“a lovely apple”) and another was North Wood because its apples were only on its north side. 

Neville said that a lot of the trees had blown down in a storm in the 1950s after which the orchard was levelled and used for growing potatoes, kale and other vegetables for some years until it was grassed over.

In the 1970s the village was looking for a playing field and so the play area came about.  Neville said that Mid Devon District Council looked after it for the first 20 years, then the parish council took it over.  

Safety matting was put down, several organisations donated equipment while villagers raised money for other items.  Neville said someone had given an old David Brown tractor but eventually it was removed, deemed unsafe. 

Last summer funds were raised for new equipment chosen after consultation with parents and children.