History project seeks Wicksteed Park memories

The Astro Glide at Wicksteed Park was popular in 1976

Memories of a popular amusement park are being sought for a major history project.

The team at Wicksteed Park near Kettering, Northamptonshire, is hoping to collect 60 stories about life at the attraction.

It was founded more than a century ago by the owner of the Charles Wicksteed engineering company.

The team said any memory would be welcome - and it was aiming to have the collection completed by April 2024.

The community and heritage team at Wicksteed wants to capture memories of visitors, staff and volunteers for an oral history project called @play, funded by the National Lottery.

Connor McIntyre, from the team said: "The goal is to collect all the oral histories by the end of April next year.

"We're making really good progress and we're already more than halfway there, but we'd love to hear from more people willing to share their stories of Wicksteed Park with us."

The Radio 1 Roadshow, with Peter Powell, visited Wicksteed Park in 1980

The park has been open to the public since August 1921

Millions of people have been through the gates of Wicksteed Park over the years, and it features in many favourite childhood memories.

It has been a regular destination for people living nearby, a popular venue for school trips and an annual treat for visitors from all over the country.

Various attractions have come and gone, but the narrow gauge railway has been chugging its way around the park continuously since 1931.

The Sway Rider, one of about 30 popular rides at Wicksteed Park

Memories and stories will be added to the archive and stitched together to form a continuous soundscape.

They could be big occasions, like the visit of the Radio 1 Roadshow or the It's a Knockout show in 1980 - or quiet family days out.

The "It's a Knockout" BBC TV show visited Wicksteed Park in 1980

Ms McIntyre said: "Any memory is valuable to the archive no matter how big or small.

"Some people give short 30 second snippets, [but] others have enjoyed sitting and chatting for 20 minutes or more!"

Memories can either be recorded at home and sent in, or recorded at Wicksteed Park.

The team has suggested a number of prompts to get people started, such as "When did you first visit Wicksteed Park?" or "What memory sticks out the most to you about Wicksteed Park?"