 The Deputy Mayor of Christchurch, Cllr Josephine Spencer, was joined by members of the local community to ‘pull the plug’ on the paddling pool on Christchurch Quay for the last time. The pool, which has been enjoyed by children since the 1940s, will be making way for a more up-to-date splashpark to be built on the same site ready for summer 2010. Joining Cllr Spencer was Joan Hodges who remembers playing in the paddling pool with her sisters and who also took her own children there in the 1960s. Her granddaughter has been living in America and when she visited here she noticed that the splashpark was going to be built and was interested as that’s the sort of thing they have over there. As Joan said: “You have to keep up with the times.” Also taking part in the plug pulling was Stephanie King who has memories of playing in the pool as a child, wearing a knitted woollen bathing costume made by her granny with recycled wool from other people’s cast-offs. Stephanie said: “When you got up to get out of the pool dignity went out of the window – you were left topless and blushing!” Stephanie also remembers two other attractions that were on the Quay – a little train run by coal, and horses which were available to ride. “We kiddies used to line up to be chosen to be “horse-poo” pickers-up in return for a couple of pennies,” Stephanie said. “My brother and I did well, we would sell it on to a little old man who lived by the school and get a rosy red apple he’d picked from his tree. Those were the days!” On pulling plug, the Deputy Mayor said: “Although it’s sad to see this wonderful old paddling pool go as it holds such cherished memories for so many people, it’s also exciting to know what’s going to go in its place. I’m sure the new splashpark will be enjoyed by children in the future as much as the paddling pool has been in the past.” |
