Sticks and stones…

The idea may seem a little absurd, but over-60s playgrounds seem to have found favour with the young-at-heart.

A phenomenon in Germany, they’re now making their way over here. Manchester laid claim to the first last month, and a village in Hampshire has said it is investigating the idea.

But most bizarrely of all, Lytham pensioners have now contested the claims by Manchester that their playground came first. The sticking point? Their own playground hasn’t ‘officially’ opened yet…

In this day and age, that’s like a red rag to a bull – especially in the laws of the playground.

No doubt a turf war is just around the corner, with battle-weary pensioners stalking their rivals round the ‘Happy Big Wheel’ or ‘Massage Rub’. Of course, Lytham in Blackpool was in the running for one of the best towns in Britain – meaning they should be better-armed than their inner-city rivals should any trouble start brewing…

Of course, it’s all little more than handbags at dawn, and is very useful in promoting the benefits of over-60s playgrounds.

But it begs the question; can’t they just grow up, act their age and play nicely?