Ockwells park cafe renovation to give 'fresh feel' to play area

A popular Maidenhead café is undergoing a makeover to give its children’s play area a ‘fresh feel’.

Juniors Café and Soft Play in Ockwells Park has temporarily closed its interior play area while revamps including a new colour scheme and upgraded seating take place.

Café manager Mary Smith, 46, said the renovations would make the area look ‘fantastic’.

“With the work we’re refreshing the soft play area” she said.

“For the soft play itself, the structure and set up is going to remain as is. Having discussed our plans with specialists they feel it provides the best use of the available space.

The soft play area features separate areas for children aged up to two years-old and up to eight years-old.

It has slides and climbing areas made safe for children with padding and netting. It is also air-conditioned.

“The majority of the work though, is being done to area around the soft play to provide a fresh new feel,” Mary added.

“All the flooring is coming up, we’ve got new tables and chairs, seating around the side.

“The aim is to five it a more relaxed feel so adults can enjoy the space in there while the children are playing.

“It’s going to look fantastic when it’s done.”

The café is run the family of Maidenhead resident, Harpaul ‘Junior’ Singh Bola - its former owner who died from cancer two months after it was expected to open.

Mary said she was ‘proud’ to work at the café and for Junior’s family, having been a visitor before she started working there in 2022.

“I love working here,” she said. “We get regulars coming in all the time; a group of ladies who come in every single day for a coffee, lots of other regulars who come in every day too. We're fortunate to have such a lovely customer base."

“It’s definitely a friendly and welcoming place to be.”

And Mary also wanted to remind visitors to Ockwells Park that the café - offering toasted sandwiches, cakes and coffees - is still open while work to the soft play area continues.

She said: “When the weather’s good, families will spend all day here: they might bring a picnic or come to the café for lunch or an ice cream and go in to the soft play area.

“It’s a really nice place to come to spend a day and its really peaceful place as well.”

The soft play area is expected to reopen during the week starting 8 July.

For more information on the café visit its website or follow its Instagram page.

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