Paddling Pool at Stoke Green

This 1933 photo of the then new Paddling Pool at Stoke Green will, no doubt, bring back happy memories for many locals - and some not so local, as my own wife recalls walking with her family from Willenhall to play here. The year after this photo was taken saw the erection of the Joseph Levi Memorial Clock, earning the park the nickname of the Tick Tock Play Area.

By the 1980s the pool was troubled by vandalism and broken glass, so it was drained and eventually grassed over. Clicking on the photo will reveal the 2022 view, showing it still in use as a playground. Further back in time, however, the pool had a different use - and a different name, the horse pond. Below is a shot from around 1918, and close inspection shows cart-wheel tracks leading into and out of the pool. The old wooden cart wheels would gradually dry out and shrink, causing the metal rims to loosen, so they would regularly be driven through ponds such as this to expand the wood and tighten the tyre rims. No doubt the horses enjoyed a drink in passing, too!

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