Crookes valley park speed boat

[boyfriday]

I vaguely remember the motor boat, did the bloke who piloted it wear a uniform and peaked cap?

 

Does anyone remember the cafe? I had my first bottle of coke there, a chilled Pepsi in a glass bottle supped through a waxed paper straw..happy days

Edited September 23, 2010 by boyfriday

[Plain Talker]

I vaguely remember the motor boat, did the bloke who piloted it wear a uniform and peaked cap?

 

Does anyone remember the cafe? I had my first bottle of coke there, a chilled Pepsi in a glass bottle supped through a waxed paper straw..happy days

 

I remember it being rather large (compared to the little rowboats) and I remember it was anchored in the centre of the lake.

[boyfriday]

I remember it being rather large (compared to the little rowboats) and I remember it was anchored in the centre of the lake.

 

Remember that too PT, as a kid I always wondered if they had to swim back to land after they'd moored it there

 

Do you remember the cafe? It was to the right and slightly behind the buildings that are there now.

[blue11265]

I vaguely remember the motor boat, did the bloke who piloted it wear a uniform and peaked cap?

 

Does anyone remember the cafe? I had my first bottle of coke there, a chilled Pepsi in a glass bottle supped through a waxed paper straw..happy days

 

Boyfriday

 

Glad to see my post is still alive after all these years !! I remember the motorboat captain, a slim fella with white captains hat on and usually a park drive fag stuck out of the corner of his mouth.

 

I have a picture somewhere of me, my dad and younger brother in one of the wooden style rowing boats, was taken around 1974. Will try and find it and post.

 

Cheers Blue

[boyfriday]

Boyfriday

 

Glad to see my post is still alive after all these years !! I remember the motorboat captain, a slim fella with white captains hat on and usually a park drive fag stuck out of the corner of his mouth.

 

I have a picture somewhere of me, my dad and younger brother in one of the wooden style rowing boats, was taken around 1974. Will try and find it and post.

 

Cheers Blue

 

Fantastic blue, would love to see that picture if you still have it! I remember vaguely remember the captain, and how impressive he looked with his hat

 

Ps: I also remember the brightly coloured rowing boats you mention in the OP, with their big black numbers painted on the side, must have become a nightmare controlling that lot when the park was busy, but it's still a shame they had to go.

[BigKen]

I vaguely remember the motor boat, did the bloke who piloted it wear a uniform and peaked cap?

 

Does anyone remember the cafe? I had my first bottle of coke there, a chilled Pepsi in a glass bottle supped through a waxed paper straw..happy days

 

Boyfriday

You really took me back there - sitting on the grass between flower beds, back to Harcourt Rd, looking at the boats on the lake, glass bottle and waxed paper straw - sometimes it's the little details that hit the nostalgia bone. I do have vague memories of the cafe and the ice cream and lollies place, was it a cart that they wheeled out and stood in the shade at the end of the building? Where did you live? and what years?

[Klondike Kid]

There was a clip of film showing the motor boat in action being shown in the Local Studies section of the Central Library. It was being shown on an advertising screen(least I think that's what it was ) on the left hand side as you go in. It is spooled so you might have to wait for it to come round. It was next to the screen where you can access Picture Sheffield. It was filmed on a sunny day and will bring out the nostalgia in anyone who frequented the park in those days.

This was a few months ago so I am not sure if is changed

 

The cafe was situated behind and to the right of the building which is still there.That used to be where the pay kiosk was and was the place where you got on and off the rowing boats.

[docmel]

Couldn't get many passengers on this, but it shows a nice view of the lake and buildings

 

[JanPud]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_Valley_Park

 

apparently the lake used to be the 'Old Great Dam' and according to wiki up to 60ft deep!

[nathanthee]

We used to play on top of a very deep shaft that was in the trees behind the pavilion

It had a grid on it and we used to dare each other to walk across it .its still there but it has been reduced and capped. there was a rumour that there was a tunnel under the road that came out on to the tip at the other side.

 

Yes there is a tunnel as a kid I have been in the tunnel that joins the shaft, we thought it was an old air raid shelter, my quess is it was something to do with the waterboard a pumping station for the dams maybe, there was an Iron door leading to the entrance on the ponderosa, then it got covered over by the council .

My friends and I had great times in the park, on the rowing boats, speedboat ride, and riding down the grassy banks on the ponderosa on bits of cardboard.