The Peoples Park

Fun in Portadown Park 1950's

A typical 1950's scene of young folk meeting friends and having fun in 'The Park'  In the background are the tennis courts and rear view of houses on Garvaghy Road, better known then as Parkmount.  The grand taller houses on the left were demolished about 2003.  Those in the photograph are, back row L to R;

Fred Watson, Patsy Brown, Bobby Magee, Brian Hawthorne, Ivan Tinman, Harriet Todd, Phyllis Reavie.

Front row;  Ann McClelland, Jean Maxwell, Arthur Boston, Joan Watson.

During the 1950/60's the park was a hive of activity, every day of the week hundreds from all parts of town would visit , there you would find weekly football matches, cricket, cycle races, tennis, hockey, skittles.  The children's play area was a great attraction with swings, roundabout, slide and paddling pool. There was a beautiful pond with a little island in the centre, feeding the ducks and other wildlife was very popular with children and adults

The park was a part of the demesne of the Obins family, they donated the large area to the towns folk to be known as 'The Peoples Park' The adjoing nursery of Messrs. Samuel McGredy & Son, Woodside, was the site of a portion of the demesne. In the 1880's during the progress of an excavation in the grounds devoted to rose cultivation, a vaulted passage was discovered, it ran into the People’s Park, and was 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. A few green oaks marked the parts known as the Castle Gardens one at the gate entering the Park opposite Woodside Green.


1958 the old pond which was filled in the 1960's.  This photo was taken by myself on my daily route to my place of work, the Carlton Studio in Carleton Street, it would have been about 8.45am, I was 17 years old then.


1957 Park Avenue leading to Park Road.

As above this photo was taken by myself on my daily route to my place of work, the Carlton Studio in Carleton Street, it would have been about 8.45am, I was 16 years old then, where have the years gone?


Back to Sub Menu

Back to Main Menu