“By the way George, Boultham. You live in Boultham. Where they have a lovely, great big park with trees, a lake and a bandstand (it used to have a putting green too, might still have). You also have the park at the end of Bristol drive. Quite why you feel the need to have your say here is beyond me.”

“I think some people are kind of missing the point here. Wickham Gardens was donated to the City of Lincoln by the late Cannon Wickham, former Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, for local residents and not so the council could sell it off to a developer. The gardens ARE used by local residents (my children included) and will continue be used as long as it remains possible.
We have watched the playground equipment become unexplainably deemed as "unsafe", although quite how a solid timber climbing frame that was no more than 5 years old be unsafe is a mystery. We have also watched the remaining equipment slowly disapear over the months, and trees cut down (previously with no explanation).

My children often prefer Wickham Gardens to the Lawn as the lawn can sometimes attract the kind of people that shouldnt BE at a childrens play area complete with alcohol, at best. I know that this kind of thing can and happen at any public area but we find that Wickham Gardens to be less of a target for whatever reason and so, understandably, the children often prefer it.

I agree that the front should be opened up too. I think the land has a lot of potential and could be made quite beautiful given a little though.

I also agree that the school could make good use of the land. They do already have a descent sized green area in the grounds as my son attends, but yes, a little more would probably help them. Unfortunately, when they had the money, the council said "NO". However, my original point still remains. This land was donated for use by local residents. Not schools, not flats.”

“Trouble Maker, Home, not only is Wickham Gardens a valuable green space for those that use it, there was also a perfectly good public swimming pool in the area that was closed and sold off for housing too.”

“Isn't the best way to shorten a war to not have one in the first place?

Encouraging little kids to play on a tank will obviously help. Every playground should have one.

Seems to me that everything done in a war shortens it.

Only doing nothing in a war would make it go on for ever.

It must be all the improvements in the safety of weapons that causes wars that need to go on continuously these days.

Tanks with electronic granny detectors are having to go around, probably.

Tanks are so safe these days you could probably drive one around the Christmas Market.

So lets hear it: how many lives have been saved by the invention of the tank, then?

Please let us have a giant LED screen on the water tower for that one.

Meanwhile some rumbling, crushing history of my own here, about this other chemical attack.

It also seems to be a success at shortening things, particularly things with a thyroid gland. I'm rather take my chances against their tank than the ones at Elkesley, Newton-on-Trent, Washingborough and Welton. Among others.”

“Surely we are getting away from the point that Lincoln Council seem to think they can stomp all over everyone and do as they please.”

“I can't think of a better allie for those trying to save Wickham Gardens for their children than the Lincoln Tank Group. Hopefully with these two groups working together the historical side of the gardens and the future role of the area will be saved”

“Julia from Slovenia, I've never heard such nonsence. In Lincoln we don't glorify war or 'running over Grandmas legs?!?' We are proud of our engineering heritage that helped break the deadlock of the trenches and cut the First World War short, thus saving lives by helping to end a war that may easily have gone on into the 1920s!! The tank of WW1 was a very different animal to the one you are talking about.”

“@Jo what are you on about? 'some people don't have a car' because the lawn is so much further to travel? 'some have disabilities' the lawn is better suited for the disabled! with toilets on site! 'some want to walk their dogs' on a play park? i'd rather they didnt! 'some want to play on the swings' there is a swing at the lawn! and better play equipment! 'some want to have a picnic' the lawn has picnic tables! 'some want to lay in the sun' can you not do that at the lawn?? and 'we shouldn't let the council coral us into their preferred area, just so that it looks like people actually use the Lawn complex' the majority of the lawn complex is offices so most people wouldnt use them anyway! and i'd rather have a cafe near a play park anyway! so thats just a silly argument! but not only do you not make any sense to your argument! you dont even live in Lincoln! you're in Newark! so whats all the we business! go abuse your own council! as for this lot going on about Wickham Gardens it's never been the best park! and there is plenty of green space around! old George makes a good point about the front part why not have a green space there? why is it that Toddlers need green space but school kids dont? westgate school needs this 'green open space' more than anyone! maybe these people should go back home think about it a bit then join in with save our common??”

“Why unlikely allies?

It's no surprise at all that an issue concerning little kids should be hijacked by the tank-fanciers.

But don't forget the chemical weapons tanks too! What about a monument for Swinderby's two tanks for holding 500 tons of liquid mustard gas? http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TaNEqwbGCqYC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=mustard+gas+swinderby&source=bl&ots=n0dmc4u02D&sig=ktepkN7sTkxOO_Epwy4kMuiU6_E&hl=en&ei=1MlRTJcqg6g4j_S48AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=mustard%20gas%20swinderby&f=false

These other tanks are OK for driving through houses and rolling over the enemy's grandma's legs, but for a more professional effect you can't beat a poison gas shell filled from one tank and fired by another. You can poof them out of existence while leaving their real estate just where we need it to use again for temples in which to praise our god.

Anyway these memorials http://airfields.fotopic.net/c1420262.html are a bit out of the way. And these tank twerps don't seem to know which way the wind is blowing in the world of warfare. Who can forget what happened to the last piece of engineering heritage on this spot? http://www.flickr.com/photos/luqi/57330303/ These days it's all about banks and lawyers.

As a full scale model of the Railway Club is unlikely what about a nice Sadaam Hussein-style megastatue on the Tritton Road roundabout?

The presence of a gigantic Wolfowitz straddling the gateway to the city would, in my opinion, be a more fitting object of war worship than a replica of some old-fashioned mud-churning killing machine, but if there has to be a tank there should also be a big LED counter showing the score so far.”

“I'll tell you what then George, why shouldn't the council sell off all our 'Green Spaces' and just leave us with just the Lawn for everyone to play in? The problem is that some people don't have a car, some have dissabilities, some want to walk their dogs, some want to play on the swings, some want to have a picnic, some want to lay in the sun. Our green spaces are as diverse as the poeple that use them and we shouldn't let the council coral us into their preferred area, just so that it looks like people actually use the Lawn complex and its not the huge white elephant that it realy is!”