Selly Park

This is one of several parks in the area and possibly the least interesting one, but that's not to say it's not a good park. It's really just a large, open, square grassy area surrounded on three of its four sides by roads. I tend to walk my dogs over there when it's quiet as they can have a good old scarper about.

There are three football pitches that dominate the space - two full size and one smaller, kids pitch. During the winter months there are goal posts erected by the council and on Sunday mornings there are usually one or two games going on. In the summer months it becomes extremely popular with students and gets invaded by literally hundreds of people enjoying BBQs, games and drinks. In fairness to those people they generally clean up after themselves and the park doesn't resemble Glastonbury festival the next morning.

Recently some gym equipment has been installed in the park and, so far at least, this has remained intact and hasn't been vandalised, which I suppose tells you something about the area. As such it's popular with joggers who break up their runs with a few exercises.

Selly Park is a large, spacious area of parkland, and makes for one of the main University of Birmingham student hang-outs during the summer months. The park is a very good size, meaning that there's enough room for defacto areas to emerge daily for those wanting to play football or with a Frisbee, and those who just want to sit on the grass and soak up the sun. The park caters for all, being a perfect flat site for joggers and runners to loop around, and there's a well-equipped play park for young children that should keep them entertained for a good while. Recently, there has been some outdoor cross trainer exercise machines installed at various points around the perimeter for those wishing to break up their rigorous exercise regimes with... more exercise. The centre of the park lacks much identity, but large trees line the outside, making it a pleasant location.

I've been to Selly Park twice within one of the weeks we had during that sunny period earlier this year and the park was absolutely, completely and utterly ramming! I was loving off the vast amounts of people and students that were chilling in groups, spread and dotted around all over the park, there was not one patch of grass that wasn't occupied. Everyone was just jamming within their group of friends as well as getting involved with others, playing football, biking about the park, barbeques, self-made tight-ropes, drinks and just pure summer atmospheres. It was an incredible environment throughout the whole days continuing on for several more days whilst the sun was still shining. Groups of students and locals staying in the park till dark, knowing everyone's enjoying and loving life. Definitely a place to check out when the sun's out!!

I have great childhood memories of wonderful days spent in the sunshine at Selly Park with various members of my family. As a youngster, every Sunday before a big roast my dad would take myself and my two sisters for a free for all game of football, we would trudge back covered in mud late, for dinner but satisfied. Selly Oak is a very student orientated area and on a sunny day expect to see this park full to bursting with Birmingham Uni students playing all manner of sports, bbq'ing and of course trying to get a rare British tan. It's just an all round community park, good play area and a loyal group of dog walkers who you will see come rain or shine completing a few laps of the park with their trusty companions in toe.