The photographs show the model boating lake that was once a play area for young and old alike you would go to the park at anytime and parents with their children using this lake to sail model yachts, motor boats and radio control boats. This was a place were the community met, model boat clubs came from Bangor and East Belfast to compete against each other. This pond was always a place where you could go and catch up with the latest models that other enthusiasts had built. Some were driven by steam and some by remote control the park was the hub of the community. You can see by the tree planning program that the Council has taken up that it now removes one of the parks vital assets for community building,the park works like an employer for the community it relies on the the community bring to it or it fails just like any other business. The community needs to bring their model boats to the park and use the lake to encourage other enthusiasts to do the same. In turn fathers and sons get together and bond. The children then have something to look forward to. We see in other cities that they now recognise how important play is for young people it helps with mental illness it gives them community bonding, and a reason to go out of the house and play inspiring confidence in our younger generation.
Victoria Park has always been the hub of East Belfast It is even recorded in the Hansard report 17th April 1946 when Mr Beattie
ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether will immediately derequisition Victoria Public Park,situated in East Belfast, so as to restore to the working class people of the district their rights to make use of these grounds owing to this being the only recreation ground inside a built up area.
The Palmerston Residents Association now repeats the words of Mr Beattie and ask when is the Children of East Belfast going to be able to enjoy the park once more as children as they need to play also
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