Interview with the Perriss family; Susan, Allen, Jack (P7) and Ben (P2)
Baberton Mains Wood.
Allen is a member of the Round Table.  Susan is a member of Juniper Green Community Council, volunteers at the school one day a week and has been a member of the JGPS Parent Council.

Coming to Baberton
We came from Hailes Terrace, Colinton, in 2003 and we‘d been looking for a house for a few months. We were steeped in the village life in Colinton and felt at home in this area. Jack was just a baby when we moved. Our house in Hailes Terrace was a two bedroom house and was becoming too small as Allen worked  from home. We’re both from Corstorphine,  we’d been at Craigmount High school and wanted to stay in west Edinburgh.
 We knew the previous owner here.  He knew we were looking for a bigger house in west Edinburgh so he phoned us and asked if we wanted to come down to see it.  We agreed a price and that avoided all the nonsense with solicitors.  It was nice to move into our friends house and hear all about living in Baberton!  He had put on the extension to the side already and we added the conservatory in 2008.
We like the golf course being near, it feels more rural, we  look out into the trees. We’ve occasionally woken up  to see a deer in the woods. We like the allotments too and we often get vegetables from neighbours who have allotments.

Getting to know people 
We got to know people through the Round Table: Santa’s sleigh came round the first year we were here.   We thought this was so good and reminded us of living in Corstorphine ….Now parents at school ask us when he coming…and we ‘d phone round saying he’s been to us ..He’s coming to you now!  And all the kids  stand out waiting in their ‘jamies’ at the bottom of the cul-de-sac.  Then there’s the school fair and organising the Beat the Goalie competition, bits and pieces like that. Once you get started its easy to become involved!  You also get to know people through the kids and get chatting to the other parents.  The older kids are involved too they come out and play football with the young ones.  You’ll chat to older people and offer help . Allen and Kenny (our neighbour)  got a set of big ladders and cleaned their roans along the street.
Where do the kids play?
The cul de sac!  It’s been Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, and badminton courts.  Kenny across the road has nets he puts in the plant pots! Or the courts are chalked out!  The children learn from a very young age to stay and play in the cul-de- sac. 
 Your front door’s always open.  We take turns to sit out on our benches in the front gardens and watch the kids having fun. The rule’s are stay at the top of the cul- de- sac. Their friends  all come up here to play.  The design of the cul- de -sac helps.  We wouldn’t consider moving because it’s so family- defined and we’ve got good neighbours so what would we be striving for?
When we had the heavy snow in 2010 it was great as it became a sledging area.  One neighbour started clearing the snow so we all came out and cleared it all the way to the Drive.  It was a real community spirit because the Council wasn’t helping us.  You met people you’d not met before and at the end we were all standing there chatting and sharing a drink together.

Jack and Ben’s view
Jack: We go up to the astro in the morning really early so we can play before school.  Ben sometimes comes up with me.
We play here too: we call it the grassy, it’s got two trees we use for goalposts.  There’s also one down by the bus stop.  If you go down the hill there’s an old rope swing and a big massive den.
Ben: I know where there’s a den!
Jack also walks up to the youth club at the Hall.
We like the street, the cul- de -sac, the school.  We like that Jack can walk to school and not cross any main roads. 
Jack started at the Old school in the annexe. Juniper Green creates a lot of peer support in the school, a good pastoral school in that sense. We see that from Jack friends when then come to play they are always  kind to Ben his little brother!!

The traffic
We looked at a house further round (the Drive) but we felt it was too much like a busy road. You’re wary of the bus. The street bumps help but there was a 4X4 just today doing 40 round the drive…way too fast! It would be good to slow down the traffic even more.  
When I was on the Parent Council I was really surprised we didn’t have a lollipop lady so I tried to get a walking bus going. Some people were keen to try it but there weren’t enough numbers interested.  When it’s a wet day it’s crazy up there in the Wynd with people dropping their kids off by car!!

Could it be better?
We don’t miss amenities we can easily walk to the Lanark road for the bank or the chemist and there’s a wee shop at the bottom of the estate. We like walking up to Al Borgo for a meal.
It would be nice for the children to have a play park but they use the grassy bit…they find their own play areas and have lots of fun!  The cul de sac has been key for them growing up and playing safely.  The astro is also important for the boys for football!
In the autumn we can get a lot of leaves from the trees.  We have street cleaning parties!  Any excuse for a party!  It would be good if the golf course would work with the school…give the kids a shot at Golf perhaps.
We’re happy here because it’s such a family orientated estate and a good school.  We’ve got great neighbours, we often have New Year together and go on holiday with some of them.
When the weather’s better we will be sitting out on our benches watching the kids have fun in the cul-de sac.  The paddling pools will be out hopefully also!