Pitying children robbed of fun

I read that the use of skipping ropes has been banned at primary schools in the interests of child safety.

During the last year or two, I have read of similar prohibitions elsewhere when children were stopped from playing conkers unless clad in safety goggles and tin hats, and sliding has been banned during the icy winter months.

Even sports days have been discontinued in some places as it was deemed that when running a race, coming anywhere except first made children feel inferior.

Good grief! When are the Health & Safety boys going to step in and ban all rugby, hockey, tennis and cricket in schools on the grounds of potential danger and, incidentally, justifying their own existence?

One way or another, all the fun is being taken away from children playing outside and there will soon be nothing left for them to do but sit indoors, playing computer games. No doubt, someone will then object to that on the grounds of potential damage to eyesight.

Thank goodness I lived in a time when I could participate in all those games.

Other than the odd grazed knee, I never suffered any lasting injury and neither did my friends, but somehow or other I've managed to struggle past my sell-by date, and I am still going strong.

William Davis, Hall Street East, Wednesbury.