IN an increasingly crowded and stressful world, open spaces have never been more important. They give us peace of mind and time to breathe.

We therefore welcome the rejuvenation of South Park, in Darlington, the region's oldest municipal park, and applaud all those involved in turning Darlington Borough Council's vision into a reality.

It was a crying shame that the weather didn't smile on the opening celebrations yesterday, but that should not dampen the enthusiasm for a project well worth the injection of £3.8m.

What a wonderful use for Lottery money - ploughing it back into the community in a way which will, hopefully, benefit local people for generations to come.

Countless memories of happy bygone days have been resurrected by the reopening of well-loved features - including the bandstand, fountains and lake - and additional attractions have enriched the environment.

All we can hope now is that the park's rebirth is shown the respect it deserves and that the local community helps to protect the investment that has been made on its behalf.

South Park has been enjoyed by generations before it went into shameful decline.

Now that it has been returned to its former glory, we all have a responsibility to protect it.

As the Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Stella Robson, said, the park can be enjoyed for another 100 years.

Let us use it, treasure it and start collecting a whole new generation of happy memories.