Report transcript in: Jean speaks to Lynne and Vina who reminisce about coming to the park for the last 60 years

Please Report the Errrors?

you're on Candid Camera.

And Lynn, Thanks for coming today to the lady

bes. And, um,

would you like to tell us a bit about your experience of using Longford Park?

How long you've been using the park?

Yes. Well,

well, I first came to LA

Park when I was about six. Because I came to the open air school.

That which which is no longer there. Now it's all down

and all my school life. I spent there up to 15.

So of course we was in the park a lot. Then we used to have

Well, we used to go out into the park, the PE,

sometimes instead of staying in the playground, if you like.

Uh,

well, you took over because you've got to say something

about the

school.

Yeah, OK, well, you were in

how many classes?

There was four classrooms in the school and a hall.

I forgot about the hall,

and there was

about

I'd say, roughly 20 to 25 Children that were in each class at the time.

Always special. Needs

special needs. I mean,

I can never understand why I had to go, because I didn't seem to be an ill child,

but obviously I must have been.

I can't remember why I went

eczema.

Was it for

eczema? Might have been.

Yeah, well, they took you to school for eczema because you have treatment.

You used to have a nurse. Come.

And the doctor used to come every now and again.

And we used to get weighed and our height measured

when it was coming up to a term so they could put on you

report

if you grown any and if you lost weight or gain weight or whatever.

If you were under nourished because you were there

with three meals a day. That's right. Yeah. You used to come in in the morning.

Some morning you'd have

Or a hot milky drink which was called Milo, which is absolutely delicious.

Never had it since, but, oh, it was lovely. I bought it

and I've never been.

And then you had a big 32 course meal at lunch time.

Then in the afternoon before we went home,

everybody got a sandwich and another bottle of milk.

Sometimes it was dripping, but it

lovely.

It was lovely.

It really was.

And like I said before, I mean, we used to come into the part as you got older into

classes. One and two

were for the younger end, so I went from through them all.

Then three and four was when you were sort of top of the class off the top of the school,

if you like,

And that's where we're top of the class. No, no, not top of the class.

But that's where we used to go into the our teacher at the last class. Number four

was called Mr Whelan, and he was a devil for being outside.

They go outside and we have to come out into

the parking all where there's run around this place.

Not all of it, obviously, because we're supposed to be poor the Children

at the time,

but he made us do it. And then, if you're coming from Cromwell Road to the school,

if you look to the

the right, there's a big oak tree down in the middle of the grass,

and that seemed a million miles for us because we used to have to run from the gate

right down.

That and the last one back had to do it twice,

so you made sure whether you were quick or not, You didn't get back last.

You made it.

I think I said enough now for now, I think I'll pass over to my friend now

she

bit more

OK, Lynn is talking about the classrooms, and,

um, they were all it was called the open air school.

So, of course, all the doors were open.

No matter what weather you had the doors open and you eventually play,

uh, outdoors. And you did your lessons indoors.

Lynn and I joined most

of the, uh when we got to the 3rd and 4th,

we did netball

and rounders and any other sport that was going.

We used to stay after school,

um, and then walk home because

in the

early days, um, we had two buses, one came from Old Trafford

and one came from Stratford,

um, fetching the Children.

And they dropped you off Cromwell Road and you

walked or marched because you was supervised by a teacher

and you walked into school and then did assembly

and then say

when It was the netball time

with Lynn. And I used to stay over

and do our netball. Didn't we did.

And when walk over

the big bridge. You know, they say Mary's bridge

in our

short

and pumps, they were a pump.

No trainers. It was

just pumps.

So we were late home from school then particular days.

But I say we had a good times, very good times in the in the school.

We have reading test and we and we had all the tests.

And then we had a greenhouse and you were allowed to go

and do planting

in the greenhouse and learn about the plants because it was all about

fresh air, fresh air and learning.

So I say, we did that till we were both 15. Then we left school,

but

saying that that's about our school. We've always been lovers of Longford Park.

I live local. Lynn lives in Prestwich.

Whenever

we have a day out, we come down to Stratford.

We always come to Longford Park. Don't

do. We

sit down in the park and have

and we walk around and and reminisce.

And it it's always been a very, very, very dear to our house. This place very dear.

So when I was able to finish work at 60

I joined the bowling.

Uh, which I was

really, really hoping I would be able to.

And they

invited me. And, uh,

I was very, very pleased to be a member of the ladies bowling team.

There was a lot of ladies there, but afraid it's

dw off. And this is what we're hoping to do now is to promote

the park and the bowling for the ladies and the gentlemen,

because it's such a lovely a lovely park.

I say there used to be a lot more going on.

There used to be a cafe.

Oh, yeah,

the rest. Yeah,

one thing we did when we were

in the school,

no matter what age,

you went for a rest in the afternoon

and he had a little bed

and a blanket and a pad

which was kept in a room

with a fire going most of the time

to keep the blankets and the pads warm.

And

the

young young ones, they

they that they

they did have a little sleep. But as he got older and you went further along, um,

there was a lot of shenanigans going on,

even though you were supposed to be resting and everybody talking

and that's the only time I ever got slapped for being

Ted

was

talking when I was supposed

to be

going to sleep,

allowed to do that now.

But I was one for sleep, and I would just put my head down

on the cover was over, and I was asleep

because I was there for a

I was very, very under under nourished, you could say in them days. Yeah,

still have a rest now, in the afternoon.

And we did go back to the school. It

worked out. It was 98

1985 No. 2005, wasn't it?

No.

To the open day. Yeah.

Yeah. 2005

when they before they closed the school, it was they were having

rebuilt it

and an open day and

things. And there was just one teacher there. That was the

class one teacher where she ended up being the headmistress.

Or was she deputy head

when we came

headmistress. Was she the headmistress? Yeah.

So she took us around to the classroom and she said,

Now you won't think these two ladies came here and they were very poorly Children.

And look at them both,

You know, It was a lovely school. It really was. I mean,

education. I mean,

you didn't have the education the kids have today.

I mean, it's I mean, we just on our reports that could affect them.

I've still got everyone in. I

used to be good reading, writing comprehension and arithmetic,

and then they used to put a little note at the bottom that the class teacher,

how you've done and everything.

And like I said before, I always told you what weight you were when you joined

what you were at that time and how what you gained or lost or anything.

I mean, if I'd have had more time, I could have

fetch it and let you have a look at these things, you know?

Yeah.

I wonder if Paul Cooper would want those, you know, because he's got this website.

I'm sorry. I'm interrupting here. I'll tell you

when you were at school. I know it was 60 years ago, but what was the park like then?

You see the paint a picture of you know how different it was

absolutely

beautiful.

Yeah, there was lots and lots of, uh, rose gardens and flower beds.

And they say there was a cafe here,

and, uh, and toilets that you could use, and people would generally

walking around and and really enjoying

it being well maintained,

which you can see now that, you know, things are

not as maintained as it should be

when you walk down this sunny,

sunny,

sunny side.

You know, I neglected that. That used to be so nice, didn't it? The big houses,

it was. I just commented on that. Now. I mean, our our grown parts of it.

Now

it it used to be absolutely glorious.

Yeah, there were a lot more flower

and, like the Rose Gardens over there, I mean, they have little bridges over.

Yeah,

the bridge is

gorgeous. This

and the big the house as well. When that was there,

you know. Did you ever go to the house to dances or anything?

Well, we came to the pageant. We didn't go in the house.

No,

no,

we wasn't really allowed or in that sort of group.

Um, we used to come on pageant day anyway,

and obviously, when the fair was here, all the time was always on the fair, and,

you

know,

can you just adjust this now It's

now the sun's going. We can see that. You've just got it

right. There we are.

OK, now,

but no, that there wasn't as many cars

coming in the park. And was the pets corner there? No,

no, no. Pets corner? No,

that

came

later.

And was there a Parker

who said Don't go on the grass with a sign saying that you couldn't go on the grass?

I can't remember signs being up anywhere,

but I don't think people did go on the when, like they wouldn't go on a bowling green,

you know? I mean, like, I mean, they

probably

these days, but

we didn't.

You knew. That was for

if you like grown ups for them to go on to the bowling green.

But it was just a beautiful park. I mean, the trees.

I mean,

all our nature walks were in this park picking

up all the different leaves and then going back

to the classroom and trying to remember what you've

been told while you were out in the park,

you know? I mean, we all we all have little gardens at the school.

Every classroom had a patch of land in

the ground

to do their own plan

and

everything

you have to grow. And we have bird tables and everything

the

nature

and that

it was just a lovely place

that it was in a park. You felt it was beneficial

your

health

why

we were sent

him

the

space in the open air.

It's good in the winter when you had to come running back in

the

the only time

we had the windows closed in the school.

Like it all the classrooms with bench with doors open now glass,

glass work.

The, uh, the only time they were closed properly was when it was foggy.

Other than that, it was at least one door open double door, open every classroom

come winter

summer

to get nice.

And if you were lucky sometimes in the summer,

they'd like to take your desk outside into

the playground and do your school work outside

on the odd occasion,

and we had a great big lawn, which is still there now,

and the shed where we used to have the rest.

We used to have our sports day. That's where we have the sports day

and the

day

every

day.

Yeah,

it was really good.

Yeah.

and not many of the parents came, though.

No, no, no parents could allow.

Everybody came from different round the area, so they probably couldn't get. My

parents couldn't get in my

They had other Children as well. We lived over in Stratford anyway.

I lived in Old Trafford when I first came here,

and then we moved to Stratford when I was nine. I think it was

so I continued up so I could been on both school buses,

the the

old

one and the the

bus.

And they were free

three shillings.

But some people struggle with that, um

because they came from deprived areas

so they would get I mean, there was

Children

at the

school that were really

million times worse off than what we were

my mother. To find Three shillings was a lot because I was the middle one of seven,

was

very

difficult.

And I'm the eldest one of five.

it wasn't easy to find, but I mean it still three shilling was a lot of money there,

You know,

this

is in

the fifties

no uniform or anything,

but we did still come to the park. I mean,

coming to the park when we

all that way over getting over the bridge and everything.

Got

to walk around the park and

at your picnic. Yeah,

So,

um,

and a bottle of water.

So since you've retired, you've

come back to the park

and you join the bowlers. And was that for fitness?

Did you were you wanting to sort of keep fit and healthy, doing the bowling

fit and healthy, but also the social side of it?

Because I'd worked nights for 27 years,

so I wasn't able to do any

sort of socialising. Uh, it was all sort of bed and work.

I wasn't able to join because of shift work.

Um, not saying that I didn't enjoy my 27 years of being a nurse, you know,

But, um, I wanted some

social activity, and

joining the bowls was one of them. And, uh, I'm still here now,

14 years later.

Yeah, so

I really enjoyed it, But I've seen a deterioration in the park and the bowling

and and different things that's going on in the park.

And one thing I want to mention is the potholes are on the roads and the path,

the path and in the car park, the main car park over in

Ry Bank.

Absolutely terrible.

And and it shouldn't be left because it's going worse and worse.

Um,

and I think something should be done about it.

So if there was some money available to improve the park, is that one thing that

the main

road

More cars? When we were on the lockdown,

it was so busy, wasn't it about,

um, that you could barely get a space

in the car park? People was riding round and round and parking in the side streets

and and

it's all good favour for the park. People wanted to come in

and and have some fresh air and walk around

because it is such a beautiful park.

But it didn't do anything for your cars. No, all the potholes.

And I don't think they could improve

to make it bigger or anything like that, because there's not the land. No, no,

no.

They did her a refurbishing of this one here, didn't they?

A couple of years back.

Um, but they only did half of it,

and it's still, um

not big enough, you know,

for the cars that are coming in and it really

you can't stop people from coming in,

um,

to the park. No,

you can't.

Really.

But again, it's a maintenance, and we need

We need people to do the pathways and

the

hedges. And you

think that's the main issue, Really? Or is there anything else that you think

needs to be done?

If we did get some funding, you know, to improve any any area that you, you

the toilets to to

to open the toilets because everybody needs toilets.

And if they could do it some way of

I know they can't be supervised

all. Can the toilet, you know, day and night.

But, um,

people need

portal

or something like that, you know, pop up toilets,

Uh, like that they do in town,

You know, things like that that they can

they can use because they use in the cafe over there now,

and you can use the toilet there. But

we have had people come here and say, you know, can we use your

use your toilet when you've got young Children?

Very difficult. Yeah.

The

toilets are already open when the cafe is. That's right. Yeah, yeah,

yeah.

Is there anything else that you feel needs improving or any

other comments you want to make about the the park?

And

you know

how you feel about the benefits of the park or disadvantages? Anything

else

for me when I've come on When, Like I said before,

like when we come and have our lunch in the park and we have a wander around

to do them Rose gardens up and that that would be lovely.

That was all done because it was beautiful

or any other little beds. I mean, just flowers.

It'd be lovely, like some more flowers, like

it'd be lovely.

I mean, there's plenty of trees around and shrubs and

just proper, colourful flowers. Yeah,

because it used to be nice here at

as well. Where they

shed thing is

not to call it.

I mean, that was all long and lovely. I mean, it's still a bit

it's all right now, but I mean, it's nothing not patch on.

When we were here all the time,

volunteer there

helps to

maintain

not making much.

Sometimes you

tied into nothing. Can you really? Because you need the money to fund things.

That's what you need.

I think another thing they need to look at is the drainage,

because there are times when you can't walk

around the path because you're totally flooded.

believe there's a problem because they blocked off something, haven't they?

And then whenever it rains

the reservoir,

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Just out there. I'll ask. I'll ask you in a minute.

don't know whether any of your comments will be getting picked up,

but we'll have a little chat.

Yeah, yeah,

but, um no, the the benefits are. It's still a good

It's still a great part.

And we will continue to to come and

reminisce.

That's what we're doing

we're doing

for as long as we can.

Thank you anyway for sharing your

thoughts

today.

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Posted By

Author

cat@curatorsof…

Post date

08/11/2021