Just wanted to say what a GREAT thread this has been to read.In the 60's my parents managed The WoodThorpe Hotel which was/ is ? at the corner of Sheepfoot Lane/Bury Old Road.I too spent many a happy day playing in the park.
Remember Solomon King? His daughter used to run a dance school from the hotel ,and Pat Phoenix and Robert Browning used to meet in secret there for a drink occassionally

Down the bottom of the drive was a bus stop with a bench.I remember waking up one morning after it had snowed to see a couple covered in snow huddled together on the bench.
Horrified we all raced down the drive only to find some one had built them at some point.
THAT was a relief I can tell you *grins*,but it gave us all a laugh,and I think it even made it into the papers that evening.
I know lots of people build 'snow figures' nowadays,those two were the first Id ever seen though.
All your fantastic tales brought so many memories back to me.
Thankyou so much