I would like to respond to the article regarding Stanmer Park (More than £4 million in lottery cash pledged to restore historic Brighton park, January 6) and how the money should be spent.

I have visited the park since I was seven-years-old. I am now 70 and still love the park as much as I always have.

It is my favourite place and I have been saddened to see it deteriorating year on year.

When the by-pass was built through the woods it was dreaded, but of course we were all too happy to use it.

Then we had the hurricane that destroyed the woods, but they recovered. The church closed, the farm went and the pond at the top of the village is no more. And the pond by the church is in a terrible state. There used to be ducks and swans on there.

The farm buildings are lovely but are rotting away. As a child I loved to go and watch the cows being milked. Sometimes we were lucky enough to see a calf being born.

I have always thought it could have been saved and used to educate children on how animals are used to produce milk.

The woods are marvellous to walk dogs in. The trees at the back of the house are ancient, and there was a marvellous glass house.

Of course there was also the donkey wheel which we played on. The family who lived in the big house buried their dogs in the woods. They are marked with stones and there are monuments to the family too.

There is a lovely walk up to Ditchling Road from behind the university .

I could go on forever, but please don’t manicure the park too much.

It is a place for people to meet and for children to play and run free, climbing trees and exploring.

My large family still meet there. All the relatives from all over meet up and have a game of rounders.

Val Mumford, Address supplied