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Pleasure seekers
Until the 1930s public transport was very limited and expensive and motor cars were not affordable for most people until the 1950s. People spent days off close to home.
| Victorian philanthropists campaigned for public parks and gardens, especially in industrial towns such as Warrington. Bank Park, Queens Gardens and later Victoria Park all provided open space for everyone to enjoy free of charge. |
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Day trips and picnics in the countryside were popular in the summer months. The outlying villages of Stockton Heath, Appleton, Winwick and Culcheth were easily accessible on foot in the days when you had to walk everywhere.
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| Further afield, just a short train ride from Bank Quay station, was Mersey View Recreation Grounds on Frodsham Hill. This first opened in 1865 and became a popular choice for Sunday school outings. There was plenty to keep children amused for a day with swing boats, donkey rides and a huge tea-room which could seat 1000 children. Its helter-skelter, added in 1908, was said to be the highest in the country. |
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| Today we think nothing of jumping in the car and driving an hour or more on a day's outing, but we still enjoy simple pleasures closer to home such as picnics and walks in the countryside. | |
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