Plug pulled on Christchurch paddling pool

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.

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, all dignity went out of the window. You were left topless and blushing!”

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.”