Oversized children

Adventure playgrounds have become more hardcore since our childhood. No longer can you get away with hopping between small stumps 20cm off the ground; now you have to contend with climbing walls with overhangs, viciously swinging chains (pictured) and widely spaced monkey bars that require Goliath-like displays of upper body strength.

Incidentally, Greater Portsmouth was pretty much the only place in the country not to see any snow this weekend. The return to Ely made up for it - opening my bike shed door involved a very satisfying foray into a virgin snowdrift.