To be heartily fed up of country parks?

[Janaih]

I'm aware this is one of those really middle class problems...
But am I the only one? It seems like all weve been doing for the past however long it's been. We are so lucky having so many wonderful green spaces but they are all starting to merge into one giant blur of Joules raincoats and cockapoos bounding hither and thither.

@Rinsefirst, also in Northumberland this week, dh spent about 4 times longer building sandcastles than our kids and I spent more time body boarding.

To slightly derail, I’m fed up of seeing endless cockapoos and labradoodles. No one seems to have proper dogs any more... just an endless stream of ‘pure’ cross breeds.
And yes, so many Joules gilets and Hunters wellies too.
You never see someone in an anorak, black wellies and a Heinz 57 dog anymore.
Oh, and all these cockapoo etc.. owners are very quick to tell you that their dog is temperamental so can you keep a distance!

Ah now I think country parks have there place. They are excellent for town folk dressed in ‘country fashion’ to take their popular mongrels and nice enough children. They provide a very sanitised rural experience with entertainment, play areas and often a cafe.

They keep the townies, in their shiny cars, away from the proper countryside, which is left for those inhabitants who just want to get on with their lives.

@Porcupineinwaiting
Bet you’ve still got sand in your ears then

I have a Joules raincoat, Hunter wellies and a Sproodle - sorry OP! 😂

I’ve got an anorak (not joules) a dog of v v indeterminate origin but I don’t have black wellies, too cold. I have a stout walking boot instead. Does that count?

(Sorry that was for @1Morewineplease)

I've got a greyhound, a mountain warehouse coat and skechers
I also don't have NT membership anymore as it was dull dull dull
I do like somewhere nice to walk the dog though, preferably with coffee and cake

@CherryPavlova

Ah now I think country parks have there place. They are excellent for town folk dressed in ‘country fashion’ to take their popular mongrels and nice enough children. They provide a very sanitised rural experience with entertainment, play areas and often a cafe.

They keep the townies, in their shiny cars, away from the proper countryside, which is left for those inhabitants who just want to get on with their lives.

I was about to suggest trying actual countryside instead, but you're right.

(Wtf would a coat be called Joules? Are they particularly warm, what with that being the SI unit of energy?)

@Rinsefirst in every conceivable nook and cranny.

In our defence, we live far inland. The seaside is a pretty big deal for us.

This made me chuckle I can't get my teens and hubby to go anywhere and I see these beautiful pictures on social media of other families enjoying national trust gardens and forests and country parks. I almost joined the NT this afternoon but a family membership would be a waste of money as no one would come with me!!!!

Omg I am so with you. We have three country parks within a 15 minute walk of our front door. Two of them have lovely streams with little bridges over the top of them which have been chock full of teenagers throwing themselves into the lovely cold water during the hot spell we have seen the community police officers going past our front door to do damage control and move them on twice daily for the past month. So we go to the other one at the moment which doesn’t have a police presence

I feel for the teenagers tbh. They’ve got nothing else to do, so I don’t begrudge them a bit of splashing about.

I miss the theatre. And shopping. Am sick of worthy walks and couch to 5k and kiddie friendly bike rides!

What do you mean by a "country park"? I've only ever come across one, Queen Elizabeth Country Park in the South Downs. Are there others?

About 400, apparently

data.gov.uk/dataset/e729abb9-aa6c-42c5-baec-b6673e2b3a62/country-parks-england

I live near the canal. Let's go for a walk down the canal - again! It leads on to a sodding country park too, oh let's build a den in the thoughtfully placed branches around the woods again. And again. And repeat and rinse..

God I miss the theatre, music concerts, going shopping properly or to the cinema. I know I’m blessed to live where I live but I’m so sick of the colour green. I shudder at the sound of a zip wire pinging. Ducks can bore off too. To top it off DH has developed some kind of jar fetish and is making jams out of anything he can find. Tried to help him in his “blackberrying” jaunt today but nobody told me how prickly the b***d blackberry plants are. I need some townie pleasures!

@nancybotwinbloom

This is a piss take isn't it?

Disclaimer - I have had one FULL bottle of wine over three hours. And I feel amazk g

Lightweight

I live next to the beach. Pig fecking sick of the beach. Anyone want to swap for a walk around a country estate? I could do with imposing stone, lush moss, centuries-old furniture and the possibility of a glimpse of a ghost

@80sMum

What do you mean by a "country park"? I've only ever come across one, Queen Elizabeth Country Park in the South Downs. Are there others?

This is really a situation where google is your friend.

@MrsCrosbyNRTB

(Sorry that was for *@1Morewineplease*)

Hahaha! It was just an observation, not a criticism. I’ve just found country walks, , choice of outdoor wear and choice of dog has changed so much over the decades. Years ago , you just walked a mutt in whatever clothes. Now, you have a particular breed, ubiquitous Joules/Hunters /other designer clothing and an abrupt attitude. Dogs used to sniff each other out to socialise. Nowadays, I get told to keep my dog away as their new breed pooch is reactive or jealous or guarding or... anxious!! And my dog is on a lead??? Just saying. No offence intended.

I live near a lovely country park. Great walk through woodland to castle ruins, a river, loads of wildlife. There is also a large playground and a field which is great for picnics and playing games on. Not a middle class area, wellies/ trainers and anoraks more likely to be from Asda or Sports Direct (myself included).

Except this year...
It has been swamped by visitors, more so than any other year. Half the field has been turned over to (free) car parking, people still park on the road and pavement outside when the car park is full causing a real hazard. There have been a few accidents.

Inside the park, it is too busy. Large groups with no respect for social distancing, loads of litter left. Locals are avoiding it because it is so unpleasant to go - or at least leave it until late in the day. There have always been people from outside the area visiting and it has never been a problem like this before.

So yes, please keep spreading the word that country parks are awful and hopefully we can get it back.

• I’ve just found country walks, , choice of outdoor wear and choice of dog has changed so much over the decades. Years ago , you just walked a mutt in whatever clothes. Now, you have a particular breed, ubiquitous Joules/Hunters /other designer clothing and an abrupt attitude. *

That's not proper country walks you're talking about though. Proper country walks nowadays, most people have walking boots, fleeces and/or Goretex coats with proper wired hoods and many have a walking pole. Dogs can be any breed or none.

@1Morewineplease hahah no I agree with you entirely! My little dog is, shall we say unusual looking and it’s v v entertaining to watch people trying to work out what she is as she looks sooooo different from all the poodle crosses

Once you go down the country park rabbit hole you'll find so so many of them. For convenience, I am including NT gardens, coastal paths, canals etc.
And yes I do own a Joules raincoat myself. No pedigree hybrid though, I'm a cat person.

God yes when we were in lockdown here every weekend it was just “bush walk or kayak? Again.” The kids normally love both of these but by the end they were like “noooooo not more walking”

We went into town the other week and they were both almost overwhelmed by the visual stimulus of it all