[Paul]

OK, we all know about the recent rampage by vandals in Miller park, don't we? Well, I went for a drive down there with my trusty camera and took aload of pictures so all you people can see the extent of damage these fuckwits have caused. Honestly, it's bad, but you can see for your self by pressing HERE!


You will see however, the vandalised orniments/pillows and balustrade, look to me they are of poor quality, one of them is actually fibreglass, but hey, what do I know about stonemasonary?
Some examples below.



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/Pres...sm/fba3a034.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/Pres...sm/d172c8b8.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/Pres...sm/171d29e7.jpg

And one to cheer some of you up abit.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/Pres...sm/a0b7e055.jpg

[Paul]

This picture here makes me laugh.

Free the weed OK Fox st crew

[Irene]

This picture here makes me laugh.
     

Those pictures of the steps in Miller park just made me see red. who are these lunatics?

The picture of the fountain is just lovely and is exactly as it always was. Nothing has changed. Is the bird aviary still there?

[Paul]

  Is the bird aviary still there?

Are you having a laugh? To be honest, I only recently learned that there was aviaries in the parks, I wouldn't mind finding some pictures of them, so if anyone knows the whereabouts of any, please do tell.

However, I do remember vividly the aviaries on Moor Park, in which peacocks were kept. Couldn't have anything like that nowadays, what with all the swan slaughterers about, after a free delicious bird to eat.

[Stevil]

The balustrade & ornaments weren't the original. I was told by someone who has lived in Preston all his life that they had been damaged before. The council actually have casts of them so in theory they should be easy to replace. Not that this excuses the vandalism.

[El Toro]

Its the first i have heard about this vandalism. Its a sad reflection on the attitude of a generation soon to become adults and take their place in society.

I sat and watched ' Granada Reports' the other day.......and for the first 15 mins they did nothing but report on different murders, rapes and assaults in the region.
All of the victims and perpetrators were under 19 yrs old.....mind-boggling!!!

Be safe.

[Tess]

Its the first i have heard about this vandalism. Its a sad reflection on the attitude of a generation soon to become adults and take their place in society.

I sat and watched ' Granada Reports' the other day.......and for the first 15 mins they did nothing but report on different murders, rapes and assaults in the region.
All of the victims and perpetrators were under 19 yrs old.....mind-boggling!!!

Be safe.

Its the same the world over unfortunatley,I maybe wrong but I believe parents rights have been taken from them from an early age you are not allowed to disipline you children dont get me wrong I DO NOT agree with violent disipline,I remember when I was 15yrs and my I got into trouble with mum and I decided to get on my bike and run away from home,anyway I ended up getting lost and the police found me,when they informes my mum she said (unbeknown to me) to keep in a cell for an hour then her and dad would come and get me,well i can assure you I was very careful what I did from then on.but again unfortunatley because of dogooders if the police did that in these days my god they would be lynched,yes Iam afraid what I call so called do-gooders have made a mess of our young folk,mind you there are a lot of good people still out there who really do try to be there for our young,especially the kids that are assulted,really belted and treat very cruel,I dont know if i have made any sense,my children have spent most of their lives without a father but everyone of them have grown into caring and loving people and have good jobs,just because of my teachings and guidence

[Stevil]

When I was younger I heard people say that the young were out of control. Those young people are now the parents and even grandparents of today's youth. Where does it all end?

We live in a society where everyone is taught to look after themselves and get what they can. It's based on greed and selfishness. No wonder some kids go over the top.

I've brought my kids up to think for themselves and question authority. I never hit them and I'm proud of them. If kids are brought up to think that power and might is the way to win an argument then that's what they will carry into their adult life.

[El Toro]

Stevil, i think the way people value things decreases with the passing of generations and when you don't value something you certainly cannot respect it.

Be safe.

[Paul]

Hmm, over a year on and we get this in todays LEP


From the LEP.

Artefacts destroyed by vandals in a Preston park are to be restored despite the cost.


Plans are being drawn up to repair the damage done in Miller Park by yobs who smashed part of the Victorian balustrade and a 140-year-old urn last year.

Terracotta urns are to be installed in the Grade I listed park and will replace the one which was smashed.

The work will go ahead despite the council coming under fire last year for quoting £28,000 to repair the damage.

The urns account for much of the cost, as these must match the original ones, made in 1865, and will take weeks to produce.

Full article


I can't get my head around the 28 grand costing, I mean for fecks sake, it's a bit of masonary! And if what Stevil say's is true about having casts, then you really have to question this amount. I bet there'll be some creaming off with this work.

[Mr Fell]

Miller Park was built by Preston cottom mill workers who were thrown out of work as a result of the `Cotton Famine'. Local worthies employed unemployed Preston folks to set out the park and as I understand it they were paid in food.

A very important bit of our Preston heritage is Miller Park and while the repairs seem very expensive - I would hate for things not to be put right.

[Irene]

The little swines should be horsewhipped. Obviously their Preston Pride is none existent. I played in those parks day in day out during school holidays and most evenings in summer and would never have thought of damaging anything.
I loved the big fat goldfish in the pond and all the budgies in the aviary. Of all the places I have ever been Avenham and Miller Parks will always trigger some of my fondest memories.
It has really saddened me to see such vandalism.
After the cost of the repairs there is every possibility that it will happen again.

[Mr Fell]

Dont get me on to horsewhipping - its getting me excited

[Paul]

More vandalism to the parks... why the feck do they do it? I got up to all sorts when I was a teen, but I can't recall ever having the urge to wreck stuff. Little bastards.


from the LEP

Vandals have struck again at a historic Preston park.
Thugs smashed stone railings at the Belvedere in Avenham Park and hurled an ornamental urn to the ground late on Tuesday.

It is the second time yobs have damaged the Belvedere structure's stonework in 18 months.

Eight newly-fitted ornamental urns were ripped off their posts and smashed to the ground in January last year, causing thousands of pounds of damage.

The wrecking spree happened just weeks after the stonework had been refurbished as part of a £5m redevelopment project in Avenham Park.

Park visitors today called for security to be stepped up in the historic park to catch the vandals in the act.

Dog walker Tony Prince, 62, of Penwortham, said: "For them to keep pouring money into the park and someone to keep smashing it up is heartbreaking.

"It's absolute mindless vandalism.

"There must be money in the pot to put in CCTV cameras to cover vulnerable spots."

Cyclist Simon Preston said there had been problems with broken glass, graffiti and damaged railings a few weeks ago.

He said: "This vandalism keeps happening on a regular basis and it keeps getting repaired at enormous cost.

"It's time CCTV was installed on the park, which I know would be very expensive, but if the council keeps throwing away money on repairing something knowing it will be vandalised again in a month's time, which would end up the more costly?"

[Mr Fell]

Some will go to these lenghts with little in the way of remorse afterwards. What can I say really - yes bastards - but what to do about this type of thing?

These parks are relatively underused I would say - but none the less a very important part of Preston`s heritage. They need better protection and maybe the things that are vandalised need to be made of materials and constructed so it is difficult to cause such damage in the first place - if that's possible.

I would probably also hang the culprits bleeding from the lamposts which would discourage other would be vandals - however the police would not let me do this. Never mind.

[Bluenoser]

I agree with you Mr Fell vandalism everywhere. Personally I'd like to do as the old Apache Indians used to do and string them upside down and light a fire under them and burn their brains

[JanetB138]

Good idea Blue , I remember the Avaries in Miller Park they used to have one with Yellow canaries in them, poor little souls they always looked hungry, so Grandma used to bring bread with her when we went to the park in the school holidays, and we would feed them, the other aviary im sure had black birds in them like Crows and Ravens.

[Bluenoser]

I remember Miller Park and Averham long before most of you lot was even born, in fact I lost my cherry on Miller Park, but we'll not go into that

[Mr Fell]

Yes - the parks are a place for those who want to indulge in horizontal refreshment ! But we dont want to go into that !!