THE history of the "Rec" is both fascinating and important to our heritage, of this I agree entirely. Having grown up in Falmouth I have some fond memories of the "Rec," predominantly firework spectaculars, collapsing grandstands and, in my teenage years, sneaking in over the fence just for the hell of it!

In all fairness the "Rec" hasn't changed that much to my generation, and I am 31. It seems to me that it has been that way forever so it was with great delight that I found some old photos on the "Save the Rec" website. Gosh they are old, aren't they? I can appreciate that in its day the "Rec" played a great part in much needed "time out" from hard work at the docks and in a time when gymnasiums weren't the most convenient and popular method of fitness training.

Sadly, in today's society, people only have time to "pop to the gym." I can only imagine how rewarded and triumphant the businessmen of 1887 must have felt when they opened the gates of Falmouth Recreation Ground for the first time. To a community that was smaller, closer, hardworking and predominantly Cornish, and with little other entertainment at their disposal, the new "Rec" was quite literally a dream come true.

Moving forward to the year 2007, the population in Falmouth has increased. The emphasis is no longer on work produced by the docks. Tourism is now the biggest breadwinner in Falmouth. Fewer and fewer people are able to walk down the street and know every other person they see. Falmouth has become more and more fractured as a community and more and more homes are being bought up as second homes. What houses that are left are priced right out of our league, even though we are still working just as hard. Many of the generations the legacy of the "Rec" was built for have been forced to move away and the ones that have chosen to stay and battle on, refusing to leave their heritage behind, are finding it increasingly impossible to provide for their own children's legacy.

We have heard much about ".for the children and future generations." Well, as a parent to two of these children, it is a home they need. If not at the expense of the "Rec" then where? While this is being decided for us what do you propose we do? Several times in the past these families have watched while people argue over our fate as to whether this piece of land or that piece of land is suitable, each time to no avail. Again a piece of land has come up and while it won't be a solution it will inevitably be a start for even just a few families.

This time the families have chosen to speak up in the hope that someone may listen. We are not trying to belittle the history of the "Rec" or the campaigners who support it: we, like the campaigners, are merely exercising our democratic rights also. If the campaigners are feeling like the bad guys it is not our intention. However, you can at least begin to appreciate that at times we feel the same way as we watch and listen to the affordable housing bone of contention and the lives it pertains to being tossed around like a ball on a rugby pitch!

Do you not think that "..the children and future generations" would benefit far greater from a home as opposed to a 400-metre running track? If the green areas are so important why do we not see more people using the ones that are available? Why is not more time, energy and taxpayers' money spent improving the already so-called remaining green areas? Kimberly Park offers nothing but a dangerous old slide and two swings for my children when so much more could be done with Falmouth's main park. What is to be done with the so-called conservation area next to the Boslowick Garage? I was unaware that unruly brambles and weeds, crisp packets, old shoes and dog waste were an area to be conserved! To be fair my children are more than happy with the fresh air, space to run and interesting rock pools that our beautiful beaches have to offer.

I am sure that Lord Kimberly would have appreciated when he gave the land to be used to the good of the Falmouth people that times and needs change and I'm sure that, if he could see into the future, his care for the people of Falmouth would have stretched to the housing needs of this and future generations.

What would be a real kick in the teeth for those in desperate need of housing would be to see the "Rec" going down the same path as countless other green areas. The gates are locked and it is left to fall even further apart while everyone squabbles over its future trying desperately to locate missing documents that were so dear to so many that they were lost along the way!

I hope now you will appreciate we are not making you out to be the bad guys, we are simply trying to provide a future for our generations. It is not that the "Rec" means nothing to us, it is simply our families and our futures mean more.

Pippa Carlton, Swanvale, Falmouth

EDITOR'S NOTE: What do you think about plans to build houses on the "Rec?" The Packet has set up a voting facility on its web site (www.thepacket.co.uk). Log on now to record your vote.