It’s a beautiful day out there, and I was just in the park getting my daily dose of caffeine. It may just be because it’s half term, but the skatepark is now in full swing. There must have been forty or fifty kids on there, using skateboards, bikes and everything else to do all kinds of tricks. Some of the stunts the more proficient guys do take your breath.

Someone had brought a sound system, so there was music playing, albeit quietly. That made me think: the only thing missing from that joyous scene was some kind of performance space. I still say, as I wrote here, that what Charlton Park needs now is an area in which bands can play and shows could be put on. I know it’s early days for it yet, but the skatepark seems to have given the whole area a new lease of life. On days like today, how awesome would be to have a local band – perhaps even Lyn or our friend Gus – laying down some beats while the dudes do their tricks? I can see the park becoming a hub for local culture, where people meet and enjoy theirselves, and where local artists of whatever kind can express theirselves. Man, I gotta make that happen!