Playgrounds: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, definitely. Growing up, there was a public park just round the corner from our flat, and my parents used to take me and my sister there almost every weekend. We’d easily spend hours running around and letting off steam on the climbing frames.

I’d say I was always obsessed with the swings. There was just something thrilling about trying to go as high as possible, almost feeling weightless at the top. Sometimes I’d queue patiently for ages just to get on the tallest swing set.

Quite a few, actually. My neighbourhood has a couple of lovely green spaces with modern play areas. They're well-maintained and usually packed with young families after school, especially when the weather is nice in the summer.

Without a doubt. In this day and age, kids spend far too much time glued to screens, so playgrounds encourage them to be active outdoors. Plus, it’s a brilliant way for them to interact with other children and develop social skills.

Well, they seem much safer nowadays. When I was younger, most play areas had hard tarmac surfaces and rather rusty metal slides, whereas modern ones tend to feature rubberised flooring, wooden structures, and much softer landing zones.