Last year I spent a few months travelling around South East Asia, and within a short space of time had been laden with bizarre and eye-opening encounters. And yet, one of the most memorable afternoons of my entire trip was spent one sunny afternoon in nothing more extraordinary than a park. A city park to be more precise.

Lumpini Park is in Bangkok and as I walked through its gates, I was greeted by regimental trees, stationed in beautiful symmetry; keeping to their posts like good little soldiers and barely wavering even through the most turbulent storms – and believe me, Thailand experiences some mighty monsoons. At first glance, however, the park was no more special than any other.

A flock of swan-shaped pedaloes had nested on the large lake that took centre-stage within this leafy city escape. The calm water reflected pale blue skies, which were blushing slightly as the sun began to undress for bed. The skyscrapers loomed in the distance over the treetops like urban monsters and yet the contrast of green and grey was surprisingly pleasant. The park had a calming influence over the chaos of the concrete jungle, and it all felt very correct– if there existed a City-Park-Must-Haves list, Lumpini Park ticked every box and then some, giving new meaning to ‘thinking outside the box.’ It was as if they’d done their ticking and then thought: what else can we do? How about throw in some oriental bridges, an outdoor gym, and let loose a few reptilian beasts, for good measure, hmm? Ah, Perfect.

I was astonished by the numbers of after-work joggers, skaters and cyclists, burning off the stress of the city in the leafy surrounding of the park. Most strange of all, though, was the routine sing-a-long of the National Anthem, which was played, tannoy-like, over the city at 8am and 6pm every day, without fail. At this cue, the city – and the park - stopped in its tracks, (literally for the joggers,) and sang in unison to the anthem. I noticed that some were mumbling the words, as though they weren’t sure what they were, but thought that by moving their lips people might think they did – like footballers do sometimes.

As I continued my exploration of this strange park life, I stopped in my tracks as something huge slithered not three meters from me by the water’s edge. It was a kind of lizard king - no, not a crocodile, OK so more like the Thai lizard King - the calm, but nevertheless-not-to-be-trifled-with, Monitor lizard. I gawped for a few minutes, pulled myself together and continued my expedition.

Then I stumbled upon another remarkable sight: I quietly stepped out of a clearing of trees just in time to catch a ritual of a rare species - approximately 200 humans doing exercise! It was like an eager aerobics class that had spilled over and flooded the park. In almost perfect synchronisation they jumped and twirled and kicked in time to music, music supplied by large speakers that were scattered like boulders along the pathway. The idea of free, organised sport was a revelation to me. They knew the routine and cavorted in a spritely manner. It is the antidote to obese societies everywhere! This was something very few people will ever get to see in their lifetime, and I count myself lucky to have witnessed it. What good timing.

You can imagine my delight when I recently walked through Finsbury Park and was similarly pleased to find groups sharing in outdoor activity – families portable-picnicking and duck fattening, sorry feeding, friends playing tennis on the free courts, or sneaking down booze on benches, and the sports enthusiasts and charity marathoners building up their stamina, each trying to beat their personal best. There was even a free outdoor gym like the one in Bangkok, where the equipment allows you to harness your own bodyweight to exercise in the open, with a tree-shrouded backdrop.

Park life is a part of city culture – we gravitate toward the green spaces for their sanctity, clean air and clarity of mind. We look for nature to unwind, often leaving the city to find that peace. Ironic, then, that some of the most beautiful green spaces are encased by the big cities – think of New York’s Central Park, or London’s Royal Parks; they give us that relief from the city without the mission and money of a mini-break.

These parks are being appreciated now more than ever, for their hospitality during festival season, and for their ever-expanding list of colourful events. In fact, there is no better time than this week to appreciate your local Park, considering that it is Love Parks Week, and numerous parks around the UK are hosting events between 24^th July and 1^st August. You could watch a play in an open-air theatre or see a gig or art exhibition. Perhaps, alternatively, you’d be more interested in attending the Boomerang Pets Party. Yes, really – these are all events held within the landscaped grounds of London’s Royal Parks alone. So, whilst I enjoy the delights of my local park, I will thoroughly anticipate seeing what outlandish ideas are conjured next in our city parks, and how far outside of the box these ideas will lay.