Simply the best!

That’s the public’s verdict on Greenhead Park following its multi-million park facelift.

This year is set to be a bumper year for visitors with staff gearing up for the thousands who are expected to descend on the park this Bank Holiday weekend.

A few years ago it was a different story.

Public areas were run-down, the tennis courts were full of potholes, the conservatory was used as target practice by vandals, the lake had been filled in and many families were reluctant to visit the park as they didn’t feel completely safe.

Fast forward to 2013, following a £5.4 million revamp, and Greenhead Park has been well and truly restored to its glory days.

Families have reclaimed the park and travel in droves from far and wide to enjoy its diverse pleasures. One man described it as “Huddersfield’s greatest asset.”

The Café in the Park, run by the Coletta family for over 50 years, is now open all year round, the park hosts a wide range of well-attended events and the funfair has returned for the Bank Holiday after an absence of many years.

Jackie Jessett regularly travels from Brighouse with sons Aiden, five, and Shane, four.

She said: “The main thing is for the children to be able to ride their bikes or scooters in a safe area and the skate park is big enough for that. It’s got children of all age groups and the older ones watch out for the little ones.

“We have got parks closer to us which are lovely, but this is bigger and has something for all age groups. We come about twice a week – it is really family-orientated.

Friend Kirsty Greaves, of Bradley – who visits with five-year-old son Henry, added: “The park is always clean. It’s lovely now, really changed for the better. I’d say it is well worth the money spent on it.

“It’s big enough to enjoy different areas. If you want to be quiet, you can go down by the pond and you don’t have to spend anything if you bring a picnic and a blanket.”

Two families who wholeheartedly agree with that are the Sewell-Edwards and the Bucktrouts. They regularly load up their cars with a picnic, football, tennis racquets, basketball, bikes, scooters and anything else they can fit in before heading off to Greenhead Park for a half or full day.

Amber Sewell, 10, said: “It’s awesome. I like the paddling pool and riding my bike on the wide paths. It’s nice to be outside and have a picnic.”

Mum Maxine Edwards, of Heath House Lane, Bolster Moor, added: “We come every week. It is an inexpensive day out for us and there’s loads to do.

“The money spent has brought more people into the park. You never used to see many families here but now it’s full of them. If Kirklees added a heated outdoor pool, it would be perfect!”

Assad Choudhry, of Lawrence Road, Marsh, visits very week to play football or tennis.

He said: “Kirklees has done a really good job, especially getting rid of the potholes and restoring the fountain and flowers. It’s an excellent local facility, one of the main focal points of Huddersfield –and it’s all free, so you can’t go wrong.”

Mother and daughter Bernie and Lisa Coletta run Café in the Park and they have noticed a huge change in the atmosphere and the number of visitors.

Bernie said: “We feel very safe now – wherever you look there are mothers and babies. It has been constant good weather and it is looking like it will be the best year we’ve had. You can feel proud of Greenhead Park and we have noticed a lot of out-of-town visitors.”

Lisa added: “The restoration was definitely a success – there’s so much for people to do and it’s very community-minded.”

John Fletcher, Kirklees head of parks and landscapes, said: “We don’t have a record of visitor numbers, but the restoration has been a massive success with the park flourishing and we know many more people are coming to visit it now than there has ever been.

“The park attracts a regular throughput of visitors on a daily basis all year round with a peak during the summer months. Events based in the park have seen many thousands of people in attendance – such as Mumford and Sons and the Caribbean Carnival – and the park has coped exceptionally well with these situations.

“We rarely receive complaints and most people are very proud of the park and are happy to spend time there. Fabulous, fun, family and free as someone once put it.”

Greenhead Park is a 34-acre Grade II listed property which opened in 1884.

It is estimated that it now attracts over 250,000 people a year.

In 2009 a £5.4 million restoration project began, with £3.75 from National Heritage Lottery, which has transformed the park.