Happy days at Roughlee amusement park

Kindly presented to me many years ago by my former Royal Mail colleague Stewart Bateman (who was the Roughlee postman back then), this picture sees a host of villagers and visitors alike enjoying the much-loved swingboats which were a feature in the park, as indeed were the huge boating lake and donkey rides.

The amusement park was run by the affable Alfred Waine, followed by his memorable son Maurice.

Our family have fond memories of the park.

On hot summer days in the 1970s, my dear wife Ruth would make up a picnic and then, with our young children Shaun and Janette, we’d set off from Bonnie Colne walking all the way to the picturesque Pendleside village of Roughlee.

First stop ice creams all round, then the joyful heights of the swingboats (our Janette would have stayed on all day).

Now on the grass for our picnic in the sun with lots of sandwiches, crisps and bottles of Tizer and cream soda, not forgetting Aztec and Nux bars which Shaun and me would soon polish off.

These were truly happy days for the Crambie household!