Lions give over three thousand children a Day of Fun

It takes a little imagination to picture three thousand youngsters all in one place, all having the time of their lives. Nevertheless the Lions Clubs of Hampshire and Dorset achieve that once every year at Paulton’s Park. Throughout the region, individual Lions clubs sponsor children and transport them there, usually by the coach load. One little girl said “I was so excited I couldn‘t sleep at all last night”.

During the journey one could feel the excitement and anticipation. In our coach we started them all singing. That was loud enough and there were only fifty of them. Arriving at the Car Park this number increased sixty fold, all having to queue to get in and be given tickets which allowed them Freedom to do whatever they wanted all day long. Many of the younger ones headed immediately to Peppa Pig’s World. This fantasy could hold them in wonderment for hours and for some did just that.

The more adventurous were off to the fair ground rides. There were helterskelters, rides which spun them around, others more sedately sat on a Merry go Round horse and listened to the fairground music as they rode. They could even have a free ride on a train to see all that the park had to offer before they chose where to start

At the far end of the park were the go carts racing around a track with all becoming racing drivers and adopting the name Hamilton.

If they wanted even greater scaremongering there was the drop or perhaps the switch back. There were some rides which the adults thought even more sick making but the young people enjoyed and laughed all the while. At long last hunger took over and in groups they would retire to be given a packed lunch. No sooner was that down than they were off again but by now the sun was taking its toll so the Water Flume and log rides attracted as the water cooled them a bit.

feeding the seals and then perhaps a Splash in the paddling pool. The choices seemed endless. It was interesting to watch the decrease in energy from the first adventure to the cry “All back on the Bus”. Rounding them up was an art on its own but the reward in seeing so many smiling faces and hearing the exchange of all the things they had done and would remember for many a year, was a wonderful reward for the organisers

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