Having heard so much about Tilgate Forest Park, I decided to take my grandchildren there during the Easter School holidays.

Having paid £1 for the car park and a £2 contribution to walk round the animal enclosure, the horror called the children's play area was waiting for us. My grandchildren, like most children on seeing swings and slides ran straight to them. They came down the slide into the very wet and muddied underfoot conditions before I realised just how bad the ground in the play area was. This play area is cut into the side of a sloping grass bank, so after the rain of the day before, the ground around the swings and slides was a quagmire.

By the time we left the park and arrived back at the car it was a case of all three children being stripped off before getting into the car to go home. Given the English weather, this play area must be unusable most of the year. Surely the local council can give the parks department enough money to put down a decent safe floor of the type one finds in most park play areas these days, from the many thousands of pounds taken in parking fees.

So, parents be warned.

-A Grandad from Hove