South Shields retro: 'Gravy and chips' - readers reveal their Temple Park memories

This week we posted a rather glamourous picture from April 1979 on our Facebook page - which you can follow by clicking this link - and we had scores of responses, with people sharing what they remembered about the John Reid Road venue.

It’s not what it once was, obviously, but still holds a special place in the hearts of plenty of people from South Tyneside.

Emma Hamed: "So many good times at this pool, Haven Point isn’t a patch on Temple Park."

Margy Magpie Mcqueen: "Awwww my childhood place. Every weekend me and my friends stood in long queues the day it opened. Loved the place. The gravy 'n' chips, the smell of the place when you entered the doors, aww our kids would loved it. The waves, hearing the siren going."

Anna Richardson: "This is my mam in the picture 💗."

Emma Todd: "Had my 8th birthday party there in 85, absolutely loved the place. Even going back as an adult with my kids and chips and gravy afterwards haha, great memories."

Kirsty L Watson: "Absolutely loved coming here as a kid in the 90s. I lived opposite on King George and every summer holidays it was 50p to swim. So me and my sister went every day. After swimming we would check to see if anyone had left 20ps in the lockers and collect them🤣. Often enough we'd get enough for some sweets from the tuck shop. Chips and curry sauce. Then play in park for a bit and even go back swimming again."

Car LY: "Loved the place. Especially the play-schemes end of summer holidays Hawaiian themed party in there."

Alison Brown: "I remember when it first opened a load of my friends went but I couldn’t because I had chicken pox. I was gutted listening to them all talk about it. The Sunday night discos in the sports hall were brilliant and walking home across the black path with no cares. Fast forward a few years and I remember seeing Status Quo in concert then years later having my evening wedding party in the function room. Taking my two boys who loved the wave machine as much as me and of course the chips n gravy. Absolutely nothing better. These are just a few of my favourite memories and like others I was so disappointed when it was closed."

Do you fancy flicking through some old South Tyneside photos? See the gallery below.

These all come from the 1970s, 1980s and one from the early 1990s and they have one thing in common – they were all taken at the Temple Park Leisure Centre.