Images by Sue Hirst – October 2023
Some recent photos taken in the park by Sue Hirst.
Keep an eye on the Gingko biloba tree on the top lawn. The leaves will turn yellow which will all fall usually within a short space of time.
The fuchsia stems are all new growth this year after the hard frost last year killed the old woody stems which were removed early this year . It is good common practice to cut fuchsia plants hard back .
It is a very good year for holly berries.
The final photo is a euonymus europaeus or spindle bush. There are several tall trees next to the path round the sunken garden and others in the shrubbery behind the skateboard ramp. The red fruits split to reveal bright orange seeds.
Images by Sue Hirst – September 2023
Some Winter images by Sue Hirst
(Silk Tassel Bush)
Friends Group Decorating the Christmas tree – December 2022
Some Photos taken in the Park in late November 2022 by Gill Baker
Some Photos taken in the Park in mid-October 2022 by Sue Hirst
Some photographs taken in the Park in March 2021 by Gill Baker.
Springwash – 23 April 2016
Barry Brookes, Gardener in the Park
Snowdrops Feb 2015
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ common name Silk Tassle bush – Photo Jane Baugh
Hellebore in January 2015 Photo by Jane Baugh
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh in the Park 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Photo by Peter Baugh 2 Jan 2015
Friends of Worthington Park 
I remember the pool and also the aviary. My brothers and I would spend many happy hours there . The first thing we all did when entering the park was sit on the lion. I took my own son there in the 1960s and he loved it. Good to see the park is still cared for . The photos of it today look lovely.
I used to live on Broad road and would lean my Bike up against the Lion and climb the Adjacent Holly Tree.
30 year’s later I am a Tree Surgeon 😁
Lovely park.
Hello, I wonder what happened to Leo the Lion? I used to love sitting on his back as a small toddler and running around the bandstand. Happy Memories of the late 60s.
Hi,
The lion suffered some vandalism. He is now in the entrance to Sale Waterside Library. The Friends Group have installed two lions roughly in the position in the Park where the original lion used to stand.
I lived in Oldfield Road from 1969 to 1976 (from when I was 4-10) and have happy childhood memories the park. I remember the swings and the slide park with the roundabout and swinging horse, and I remember singing singing Abba’s Waterloo song on the swings with my friends.
I remember playing on the stone lion (only one) and in the sandpit and the roly poly field beyond. I remember riding my bike around the paths and playing hide and seek in the trees along a wall, I think in the garden with the bird bath or sundial. My brother and his friends would play football and cricket on the grass next to a residential road (can’t remember the name). It was a perfect park, we used to walk there on our own and play for hours. I took my own son there when he was 6 months old on a passing visit on the way to the Lakes from Hertfordshire where I now live. What a shame the lion had to go. It would be womderful to have a photo of the old lion in your gallery!
I forgot to mention the old bandstand which was perfect for roller skating and some beautiful old wrought iron gates nearby.
I used to play on that lion too! what a shame it’s gone 😦 I lived in Clarendon road from 1971 to 1981..i loved that park so much as a child and spend most of my time playing there, i live in Bristol now so im too far away to pop in but i would really love to
Hi marianne I live opposite you on clarendon Road my name is pamela Edwards and when I was about 15 I used to babysit you and your sister and brother was your sister called elise and your mum was eunice and she used to sell avon products this would have been about 1972 3 ish and my nan and grandad lived in the bungalow next door all a long time ago now
Hi I was born in Sale Cottage Hospital 1959 and lived on Winstanley Rd. I remember going to the park constantly – roller skating round the band stand, sitting on the lions, playing on the pitch n putt and the “roly poly” field next to the swings and slide. Plenty of days/years gathering conkers too. Am glad it’s still going strong. – Judy W
Thanks Judy,
The pitch and putt went some years ago and the original lion had to be retired to the library after he was damaged .
Regards, Barry Brotherton
Hi there, my name is Gill and I live in Australia, I just happened upon this website looking for other information, i was born Wythenshaw hospital and spent many years playing in Worthington Park, I use to love the Lions and of course like hundreds of thousands of other children thought myself very brave to sit upon them, I am so pleased this memory has been revived, I also have a memory of a shallow pool ? (maybe that was somewhere else) thank you for keeping precious memorys alive. Regards Gill Bowyer
Hi Gill,
Many thanks for your comments.
I will make enquiries about the shallow pool!
Regards
Barry Brotherton for Friends of Worthington Park
I remember a shallow pool, it was near the older children’s play ground. As you walked away from the lion there was a meandering path with large stones on either side that led into the play area, on the right hand side there used to be the brick built toilets, the pool was in the rockery in front of them.
I also remember that you had to climb the stone steps to get to the younger children’s play area going past an aviary.
Thanks, before my time in Sale but I had always wondered where the pool was located.
Regards
Barry Brotherton