Bradford City Park

Wednesday 1 August 2012
Bradford - oh Bradford.  In recent years, a place synonymous with the Manningham Riots, George Galloway MP (him of Big Brother cat impersonation fame) and the Curry Mile.  If we're doing A level (do we still have A levels?) history, then Bradford was a cultural textile phenomenon where it became the wool capital of the world.  But really when people think of Bradford, they don't tend to associate it with much that is good.


I lived in Bradford in my twenties before I moved across to North Yorkshire.  I still have family in Bradford and when I went to vist my sister and her husband last week, we took Ben & George down to Bradford City Centre which in itself is not that pretty if you're wandering around  the Kirkgate centre but venture a little further down to the Town Hall and that's a different prospect these days.  It's been many years since I've been down this way - infact I used to go this way everyday for quite a number of years when I had my first proper job at the National & Provincial Building Society.  It has certainly had a regeneration but I didn't know to what extent until I saw it first hand.  Bradford's Centenary Square to the side of the Town Hall has been developed in to the City Park.


No this is not flooding .....


This is flooding !!!!!!

On a grand scale!


The boys eyes just lit up as they saw the masses of children splashing amongst the water fountains.  One nod from me and both stripped off and ran squealing in to the thick of it leaving me standing in a pair of wet pumps holding two tees, a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans.

Happy bunnies!

George's nappy getting heavier and heavier ......

If I'd known, I'd have worn flip flops!

I knew the inevitable would happen - Georges nappy weighted down with water slowly descended to his ankles and we had to put him back in his shorts (we're having an ongoing saga with George and his toilet training but that is a story I will spare you).

Happy as a pig in muck
err ... I mean small child in a pool of water.

I hadn't anticipated a day in an open swimming pool so I obviously didn't have any towels, no swimming trunks and no camera so I relied on my camera phone this time with surprisingly good results.  No towel meant a little improvisation with my sister's scarf as an alternative to a towel and no spare shorts for George meant a little improvisation yet again with my sister's scarf.  David Beckham never looked this good in a sarong!

He's rocking this look isn't he?


Angelina Leg Pose here

So a surprising but good day.  Just like the changes in Bradford.  Surprising but good.



6 comments

  1. Lovely pictures - those boys are so cute! Nice to hear of some well thought out regeneration going on. Love your shoes by the way :-)

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    1. I was really surprised that Bradford came up with something like this - it is much needed. Now they've really got to get on with that shopping centre ....

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  2. Love all those pics if the kiddies having the best day ever. You would not find that in the US, where everyone would be worried about health and litigation!

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    1. We're getting a bit like that in England which is why I was quite surprised to see this water park here. We're not even allowed to let children take in toilet roll tubes to school anymore because of health and safety. In my day, everyone made things out of toilet roll tubes!

      And on days like this, you just go with the flow and work it out after. Like you said - the kids enjoyed it so that's good in my book. And it was free!

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  3. LOL! Love the Angelina Jolie pose. I think free activities are the best. But then again, kids' needs are so simple. I guess we adults make things more complicated.

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    1. It was just a bonus it was free. My sister looked after Ben the other day and it cost her £20 to keep him entertained! Whereas I did the garden and George picked up the foliage and we did that for a few hours and it cost nothing but he was entertained. Yes - it's easy to overthink it.

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Susie So So