A photograph of a long lost paddling pool has sparked wonderful nostalgic memories from those who remember using it as kids.
The photograph shows families with young children cooling off in the old paddling pool in Heaton Park on what looks to be a bright, summer's day. Located next to the main playground, the pool was a popular attraction for children who would spend hours playing in the shallow water.
Sadly, by the late 1990s, the pool was in a poor state and was eventually filled in by the council. Despite it's poor condition in its later years, many people still have fond memories of the paddling pool from their own childhoods.
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When the image was shared on the excellent We Grew Up In Manchester public Facebook group, hundreds of people took to the comments with their memories. While some were of the paddling pool specifically, others spoke of how much the park was "an endless place of adventure" to them as kids.
Carol Don-Merritt said: "[I] remember this very well; lived in Simister village, this was our extended playground. We used to climb on the bandstand and sing, play on the boating lake and go in the hall. Still love the park when I visit the area."
Lou Lou said: "I remember those days! Loved the paddling pool and sailing twigs under the little bridge at the end of it."
Chris Ridge posted: "I remember those days! Went on the train, it was a big day out for us kids from Collyhurst with jam butties and water. Think I can remember highland cattle in a field on way from the station it was late '50s."
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Sandra Joyce Odell also went out equipped with jam butties for her trip to the park back in the day. She said: "I walked all the way from Crumpsall with all my siblings and jam butties and bottled water to spend the day at this paddling pool."
Joan Booth posted: "I loved going there. There was sand on one side, it was like being at the seaside for a little one.
"Loved going on the motor launch on the lake. If there was a fair when you got there, then that was a big bonus. Lots of happy memories including the house and drinking coke through a straw out of the glass bottles."
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And the memories just kept on coming. Claire Forrest said: "I would always look forward to going to Heaton Park as a child. This paddling pool brings back so many memories. Such a great park too."
Eric Davies said: "We used to walk all the way from Crumpsall to Heaton Park regularly. It seemed huge to we kids. An endless place of adventure."
Jackie Bird said: "Spent many a day here during school holidays. My Mum used to take us and all our friends in the street, off on the bus, with a big picnic, and we would spend the day there. Such happy memories."
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Brian Ormrod remembered how a trip to the pool left him red faced. He said: "I remember that pool being very slimy and I slipped in it on a school trip when I was about five. I was mortified to be raced across the park in my underpants by my mother to dry off in the boiler room!"
Back in 2019, when the Manchester Evening News posted the same photo, other readers also commented on how there was always a danger of ending up soaking wet. Robert Kelly said: "We used to go to Heaton Park from Collyhurst every Sunday.
"We used to run up and down that paddling pool and you could bet one of us slipped on our a***s and got soaked. Sometimes the bus driver wouldn't let us on the bus so we spent our bus fare on toffees and walked home. By the time we got there we was dry as a bone and ready for our tea."
But back to the most recent posting, perhaps Jackie Bower summed it up best, saying simply: "[The photo] conjures up memories of a happy childhood with my mum and dad."
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