Golden Acre Park

[jim]

Jogon, my post was several months ago, and as I don't give up easily I have since obtained a copy of the book at a reasonable price. Thanks all the same.

[Si]

geoffb wrote: Not photographs but a home movie from 1937/8. Ignore choldrens day title its all Golden Acre Park. Fantastic, Geoff. Great find. It's like a 1930s Disneyland - in Leeds!Such a shame - whatever happened to all that infrastructure?

[Jogon]

Leeds has always struck be as being starved of greenery 'in the middle' but, dare I say, over-supplied (and not complaining) with Parks and open spaces.Many of which I've never been in. I keep forgetting the Hollies+Meanwood Pk on Weetwood Lane.One thing I never understood. How did Leeds Council afford all this/these?Golden AcreThe private venture failed in 1938. Depression etc.Leeds City Council acquired 1945 WW11 etcSame with Roundhay Park. Did Leeds have a war chest being the centre of world engine making, suits, etc etc?    

[iansmithofotley]

geoffb wrote: Not photographs but a home movie from 1937/8. Ignore choldrens day title its all Golden Acre Park. Hi geoffb,As 'Si' has said - what a fantastic find.Although I was not born until 1946 and I can't remember 90% of the stuff on the film, it brings back alot of wonderful memories for me. My parents used to regularly take me there as a young child. I was aware of the old photographs on Leodis and knew that there were all of the facilities shown but the film really brings it to life.Apparently (after a bit of research) the place opened in 1932 and was 'devastated' and nearly all the buildings were knocked down and the 'amusements' disposed of in 1939. It was derelict for a while before the Council bought it in 1945.There were some glimpses of the Parkway Hotel on the film and my parents and I went to the bar there, a couple of nights a week during the 1960's/1970's and also attended many other functions. I used to go to the Blue Lagoon swimming pool, between the Parkway and Golden Acre, after school in summer, when I was in my teens but I didn't see much of it on the film. Golden Acre Park is such a quiet place nowadays and is mostly gardens around the lake. I think that Joe Maiden (the Radio Leeds gardening expert, who lives at Huby) used to work there. All the 'amusements' have been replaced by hundreds of memorial benches and it is nice to read all the legends on the plaques. It is also a good place for bird watching and feeding the ducks.I still try to visit the place a few times each year as I scattered the ashes of both of my parents on the lake, and I want the same doing to mine.Ian    

[Jogon]

What, where is the blue lagoon swimming pool?Is it the odd brick structure twixt lake and parkway, overgrown?I'd always assumed that was Parkway Septic tanks. yfaonline.com is a great resource mentioned on other SL threads (search "billy liar" for cine film of them filming on Leeds Town hall steps and off Tong Rd I think; search "frying tonight" and you'll see Bryans Fish & Chip shop 1960)

[iansmithofotley]

Hi Jogon,It was an open air swimming pool situated immediately next to the Parkway Hotel, just on the west side of it. The site has now been built upon. In those days, the Parkway was much, much smaller than it is today. The outdoor pool has not been there for many years. It was a popular place for families (just like the Roundhay Park outdoor pool). I used to go after school in summer. Alot of the kids that went there, after school, were from Leeds Modern School, Lawnswood High School, and West Park Secondary Modern School. The Parkway has had many names since those times and I think is now called the Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel.Ian    

[headingleylad]

My grandfather used to work at Goldenacre Park during the period it was the adventure park, one of his jobs was driving the steam locos and also helping with the boats.I remember as a kid swimming at the Blue Lagoon, when this closed my father used to take me to the outside pool at Otley near the weir, used to travel on the Ledgards bus from near the Oak at Headingley.John

[iansmithofotley]

Hi headingleylad,My mother used to take me to Otley open air pool in the 1950's. I lived in Woodhouse and we caught the Ledgard's bus from Hyde Park (probably the same bus as you) to Otley. I can remember the 'turnstiles' to get in and out of the place and the fountain in the middle of the paddling pool.The pool closed in 1993 but it is real mess these days. After it closed, as a swimming pool, the place has had periods of occupation and unoccupation, over the years. The actual buildings are still in situe and are the same. The pool was filled in and has been used as a 'pay' children's playground at various times since. I have to walk past the place whenever I walk from home into Otley through Wharfemeadows Park. It is really sad what has happened to it. A part of the buildings, near to the old entrance, is still used as a crown green bowls club, which is still very active. The toilets on the outside of the buildings, in Farnley Lane, are also a mess and, like many public toilet blocks, are invariably closed. There are some photographs of Wharfemeadows Park and the pool on Leodis, and also the old children's paddling pool (which was also filled in a few years ago) next to the outside children's playground. This playground was completely re-vamped during the last couple of years and is very well used. It's a great park but spoilt by dog dirt.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... AY=FULLIan    

[Jogon]

ladinheadingleySurely on a site like this there must be some sort of train spotter who can find out whether the 2 Golden Acre Engines (built in Leeds) are still running elsewhere and can we have a go on them?

[Tasa]

Jogon wrote: ladinheadingleySurely on a site like this there must be some sort of train spotter who can find out whether the 2 Golden Acre Engines (built in Leeds) are still running elsewhere and can we have a go on them? They are definitely still in operation at the North Bay Railway in Scarborough (as Jim mentioned yesterday), according to the website:http://www.nbr.org.uk/?page_id=36