Fence related news

We have at last heard back from the social worker about the shared garden.  The good news is that they seem to have dropped the requirement for us to erect a fence between us and the neighbours.  Hooray!!!!

However, we have the following requests from the manager, passed on to us by the social worker:

I would advise that we undertake the following:-

• Ask Mr & Mrs C to consider installing a higher fence and more secure gate on the canal side (we would need to establish who owns this boundary)
• Interview the neighbours who share the garden to ascertain their views. I note from the references Pat shared they are not included so this will be an extra check for us.
• I would like to know the type of play children engage in within the garden as Mr & Mrs C are confident it hasn’t presented any difficulties in the past
• To compensate for the weaknesses in the garden are there any parks or leisure amenities close by.

We are requested to write something addressing these points, which will go with the Prospective Adopters Report.  

Honestly.  Whilst I am pleased that we seem to be moving in the direction of common sense, I am somewhat frustrated that we have to produce a document to address a pile of non-issues.   The philosophy is evidently that they shouldn't remove one hoop without replacing it with some others.  

The fence on the canal side is 6 foot 2 inches.  Not sure how much higher they would like it.  Have a feeling this isn't the fence he means really - but still.  

I am also slightly confused by the request to categorise the 'type' of play that goes on in the garden and somewhat affronted by the suggestion that our garden has 'weaknesses' that need compensating.  

I have been battling with a virus for the last 3 weeks and feeling washed out and weary.  The thought of producing another document fills me with an overwhelming sense of apathy.  Ever been on one of those walks where you're trudging up a hill and the view is not great, because what you can mainly see is the hill, but you can see the top just a few yards in front of you.  Except that when you get to the top, it's not actually the top at all.  It just looked as if it might be.  There is a hill like that on the first leg of the West Highland Way where the whole 'false summit' thing happens about six times.  This feels a bit like that really.

But.  I shall take a deep breath and write something suitable about local play parks and the types of play engaged in by children in our garden.  Types of play???  Any ideas?  Does 'running about in a having-fun-sort-of-way' count as a 'type of play' do you think??