Richmond Park,
Years ago when I was a wean a trip over to "The Richy" or "Richy Park" could be an all day adventure playing in the Saunny Pon, then on to the Rockery and a visit to the swings area where you had a big slide, swings, monkey bars [at the Shawfield end of the park]. Best place for me was the pond/lake where you tried to catch "baggie minnies" and put them in a jeely jaur, there used to be a boathouse there but I never remember boats getting rowed , was it model yachts that were kept in there ?, could you hire them out ?, or did people buy them and just store them there and sail them when the weather was good ? . Or was there boats you could hire and row. was there swans in the lake at all ?. Oh Jeez my memory is no aw it used to be.
Hi Danny there were swans on the lake when I was in my early 20's you couldn't go too near them as they would snap at you. I think the huts if it is the same as Queenspark it was for model boats were the guys came and raced them or showed them off. Many a happy day I spent with my kids there as we only stayed in Moffat St (top end)
When I pass in the bus and look at all the new houses that they have been built on the park the council or whoever it is should be shot as I always thought the parks were for the people (greed for money.) maybe I am one of the old school but I am sure there are young people who will have young children and would like to walk in the park with their prams and if they carry on the way they are building there will be nothing left of it. They look lovely but let them build somewhere else and not in the park. There I go rabbiting on got to stop this as I think it is an age thing HA!HA!
I used to love taking a drink of water from the wells all that is gone, I don't know if they have a "parkie" or should I say park ranger as they are called in the Queenspark.
Amelia x
amelia wrote:Hi Danny there were swans on the lake when I was in my early 20's you couldn't go too near them as they would snap at you. I think the huts if it is the same as Queenspark it was for model boats were the guys came and raced them or showed them off. Many a happy day I spent with my kids there as we only stayed in Moffat St (top end)
When I pass in the bus and look at all the new houses that they have been built on the park the council or whoever it is should be shot as I always thought the parks were for the people (greed for money.) maybe I am one of the old school but I am sure there are young people who will have young children and would like to walk in the park with their prams and if they carry on the way they are building there will be nothing left of it. They look lovely but let them build somewhere else and not in the park. There I go rabbiting on got to stop this as I think it is an age thing HA!HA!
I used to love taking a drink of water from the wells all that is gone, I don't know if they have a "parkie" or should I say park ranger as they are called in the Queenspark.
Amelia x
Hi Amelia,
Thanks for your reply, I wasn't sure if it was model boats or not that were kept in the boathouse. Yes Isn't it a scandal they built houses in the park I couldn't believe it. I left Glasgow 45 years ago to build bricks halfway round the world and had been back to Glesga a few times When Ma and Da were alive, but that was the first time in all those years [ I was writing my autobiography Amelia, last chapter is Glasgow revisited] that I had set eyes on Richmond Park and couldn't believe that the builders were given permission to build houses in the park. Ach Amelia you're dead right" greed for money" they should be shot for allowing it to happen. What wonderful memories we were all lucky to share. I remember there was a few wells with the metal cup chained to the well and was great taking a drink. yes you say there were swans in the pond [thank God I thought I was getting mixed up again !!!!!]. I sat on the wee wall at the "Hutchy" bowling club and dead opposite was where I grew up in Fauldhouse st where Big Bonnies and the Steamie used to be and they're all gone and the Ritz picture house, ah well we still have our memories Amelia, I bought the book Gorbals illustrated and many a time sitting in my wee sheltered housig flat here in London I look at the photos and hey presto I'm back in the soo-side again. Times were tough and money scarce but we had a tight-knit community spirit and that was worth more than all the money in the world. Anyway I 'm rabbiting on a bit mahsell Amelia so once again thanks for replying to my post, take care and God Bless.
It is an ongoing issue regards Oatlands and what was allowed to happen.
For all of you in the far flung corners of the world here is a news article relating to this.
I remember going to Richmond park when I was wee too, and when I went to big bonnies we used to go over to the park at lunchtime. The only boats I remember were the pedalo boats and we used to have great fun on them at lunchtime....sitting back pedalling away, eating a suasage roll or bridie n beans. The pedalos were kept in the sheds or huts at night at that time.
JosieStuksis wrote:I remember going to Richmond park when I was wee too, and when I went to big bonnies we used to go over to the park at lunchtime. The only boats I remember were the pedalo boats and we used to have great fun on them at lunchtime....sitting back pedalling away, eating a suasage roll or bridie n beans. The pedalos were kept in the sheds or huts at night at that time.
Hi Josie,
The pedalo boats now that's one to jog the memory and they were put in the boat shed at night time, did you Josie or anyone else ever notice a great big" Chess board " that was painted on the ground nearby to the boathouse where senior citizens used to sit on a chair/bench and stood up to move the chess pieces or was it Draughts. I remember it clearly in the summer months and I thought to my self is that what you do when you become "old" because when you're a wean you can never imagine yourself becoming "old".
Yeah Danny the big chess board thing does ring a bell but I don't remember ever seeing anyone around there playing chess, if we didn't get on the boats we would just go and play pitch and putt.
JosieStuksis wrote:Yeah Danny the big chess board thing does ring a bell but I don't remember ever seeing anyone around there playing chess, if we didn't get on the boats we would just go and play pitch and putt.
Where was the pitch and put Josie ?, was that on the grass just beside the boathouse ?
The pitch and putt was a bit along the path away from the pond. It was on a piece of ground reminiscent of a bowling green. Was something else to do at lunchtime other than the boats.
I understand that times move on and things change, but what they have done with building houses IN Richmond Park is just pure sacriligious to destroy our precious Oatlands. These councils are just so ruthless and so wasteful with taxpayers money, and also very cunning. I feel they need to get an enquiry set up to find out what else went on behind the scenes and expose these people who are usually only in the job for self greed. Each and every one needs to be put against a wall and shot for what they have allowed to happen.
I know we didn't have much growing up in Oatlands...but by god we were happy, and if could turn back the clock to a time in my life...it would be living in Oatlands.
I am visiting Scotland in May from Australia, but I can't go and look at Oatlands as it would just upset me, last time I saw it was 1969, so I'm sure it would shock me.
