The Outcome

The lovely folks at Padstow Town Council sent out a distress flare (not really, we’re just using ocean jokes on this one!)

With old play equipment failing and a long list of costly maintenance issues, it was time for a refresh.

Padstow Town Council took the plunge (we did warn you about the jokes!) and got in touch with Outdoor Play People (and others) to tender for designing a whole new play area, awash with ocean inspired features and fun.

Waves of inspiration

The council passed on a fabulous document that featured the results of a community consultation. This gave the community the chance to let the council know what they wanted to see in their new play area. The results of which, gave us a great insight into what equipment to feature along with how we could make this play area 100% Padstow themed whilst also keeping within the Councils budget and maintenance requirements.

We don’t hang about when we get a task like this, and we dive into a producing a whole load of designs and ideas that can make their play area really burst back into life and weather the Cornish storms!

Being a famous seaside port with a long history of fishing, water based pursuits, the RNLI, coastguards and the folklore celebration of MayDay with the two famous Oss’s, blue and red, we had a huge amount to motivate us in our design process.

Ahoy there!

How could we be inspired by Padstow & not create a Trawler themed play boat which includes: -900mm high deck area, wheelhouse including ships wheel, a large Trawler style climbing net, traversing wall, vertical pull up ramp, fish hold themed panel, a themed ‘Where shall we go’ play panel and a wheelchair transfer platform.

In the merry morning of May…

On to honouring the huge MayDay event held in the town each year attracting thousands of visitors; we add the Old Oss & Blue Oss May Day Towers including large Hexagonal Tower, 2m high straight tube slide, pull up ramp, vertical ladder, inclined climb wall, stepping Logs x 10 (with Red Oss & Blue Oss tops), stepping Stilts x 5, balance Beam x 2 and finally a traversing wall with Oss inspired Red & Blue Panels.

Finally we add in the perfect toddler role play fun with what else but a ‘Harbour Rescue Towers’ including our ever popular St Columb Sailor Play Boat masquerading as an RNLI Lifeboat, including themed fish tile interactive panel.

The last thing to wash up into the play area is our delicious role play food Van, complete with real tyres a cab, steering wheel, serving hatch and menu.

Even the swings had a little splash of theming, with Seagulls sitting on the header rails.

With a vibrant and fresh wet pour surface added with full colour stepping stones, fish and surfboard graphics, we transformed this play area from all washed up to a giant wave of ocean inspired beauty.

Sail away on the high seas…..

We have really loved transforming this play area, and to be invited to it’s opening event and see the sea farers of the future using their ocean inspired play area in the sunshine, makes our hearts burst with pride. It’s why we do what we do.

Disclaimer: We can confirm that since this build, none of us are wearing eye patches, have a parrot, or have bought a Captains Hat, or even a telescope, but we sure did love creating a sea themed play area, so you never know what we’ll do next….watch this space!

As Jacques Cousteau said; “The sea, once it casts it’s spell, holds one in it’s net of wonder forever”