The Pagoda at Saumarez Park...

I decided on an inland blip today so headed off to Saumarez Park. We didn't go there often as children; probably because we were either at the beach or bathing pools or playing in the old German bunkers at Beau Sejour and Cambridge Park which was closer to home.

Saumarez Park is the venue for one of Guernsey's agricultural shows, The North Show, which hosts the (now so called) Battle of Flowers. When I was a child, once the flower decorated floats had paraded and been judged the flowers were torn off and thrown at others, the real Battle of Flowers. I must have been 3 or 4 years old when I managed to give my mum a black eye while taking part in the battle. But I was often in trouble for one thing or another so simply took it in my stride. My mum was probably more upset...

My other memory of Saumarez Park was when I was at Ladies College and we had a weekly hockey practice there. A complete waste of my time since I had no intention of ever hitting the ball. The only exercise I ever got was moving out of the way if a ball headed my way. I was never good at toeing the party line. I was about to say that I've mellowed but a glance at the tattoos and nose piercing I had done after my 60th birthday say different...