Sponsored by
When is a maze not a maze?
Karl Harrison at the maze in Worden Park, Leyland
When it has gates in the hedges to allow people to cheat their way to the centre.
Yet this is exactly what’s happening at Worden Park after people cutting through the bushes have ruined the popular facility.
South Ribble Council has decided to install a number of gates to allow people to make short-cuts without damaging the maze for others.
But one park user is astonished by the news, saying it will take away the whole meaning of a maze.
Karl Harrison, 47, of Bent Lane in Leyland, walks his two dogs, Bobby and Meesha, on the park regularly.
He said: “The idea of a maze is that people get lost, and it’s just meant to be fun.
“It would be like numbering the back of jigsaw pieces so you know what order they go in; it just defeats the object.
“When I was young, I spent many happy hours running round that maze with my friends, and putting gates there to allow people to cheat will take away that fun element.”
He does believe the plan will work though.
“I don’t think people are intentionally vandalising the hedges,” he said. “It probably is just kids trying to beat their friends to the middle, so I think they will use the new gates.
“It’s just a shame it’s come to this; I can see both sides of the argument.”
Karl admits the gates will be useful in emergencies if people genuinely need to get out in a rush.
He said: “My dog Meesha wandered into the maze the other day and I spent nearly an hour trying to find her, so a gate or two would have been useful then! I just don’t think you can call it a maze anymore.”
Coun Phil Hamman, who represents the area at the council, said: “There have been a lot of problems with people taking short-cuts through the maze for a while now.
“We replanted the hedges a few years ago after they were damaged, but it seems to have been unsuccessful at deterring people from cutting through.
“The gates will allow people to continue making short-cuts if they want, while also enabling others to use the maze properly.”
- What do you think?
Email kay.taylor@lep.co.uk
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leyland
Saturday 18 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
