Last week the recently formed Lanark Play Parks Action Group carried out a survey of exactly what new play equipment the town's youngsters and their parents want installed around the town and where, and the resulting 'wish list' will be published once the data acquired is properly compiled.

The survey was carried out using South Lanarkshire Council's electronic public opinion questionnaire machines and the council is also helping in a more tangible form by installing replacment play equipment at two Lanark parks.

The sorely-missed wooden play pirate ship, recently removed from Lanark Loch playpark on safety grounds, is about to be replaced by a large state-of-the-art climbing frame the council specially ordered from a German manufacturer.

For more information on this article, see this week's Lanark Gazette, which is in the shops now.