This afternoon I decided to visit a park here in Bradford which had been a favourite playground in the fifties. Lister Park, also know as Manningham Park, is not far from the city centre and is in an area of Bradford which has been home to Asian families for generations. I realised, as I sauntered through the park, that families were enjoying an afternoon of fun and games. The brightly clothed children and adults led me to wonder if it was Eid and that local families were celebrating the end of the fast.
I sat down on a bench near Cartwright Hall Art Gallery and was immediately approached by a beautifully dressed and smiling woman who asked me haltingly if her husband could take a picture of us. I was so taken aback I said yes, of course. When I asked her why she wanted the photo she said that she respected and loved old people! I found this really touching and wished her blessings for Eid.
Many things about Lister Park remain the same but near Cartwright Hall there is now the beautiful Mughal Water Gardens. These gardens reflect the cultural mix which is so much a part of Bradford’s heritage. It really is wonderful to see this serene and exotic creation in the midst of a typically English park. As I was strolling round, admiring the streams, fountains, plants and geometric designs, two young Asian women, also dressed for the festival, greeted me and we had a chat about the gardens, the park and what the park used to be like when I was a child. Unlike my friend earlier, they had broad Yorkshire accents, though their dress was as modest and traditional as hers.
As I left the park more families arrived and the young man in the cafe told me that, as it was Eid, they expected to be very busy later in the afternoon. I always loved Lister Park as a child and many aspects of it fuelled my vivid imagination at a time when it seemed a magical place. It made me happy seeing other children being caught up in that magic.
Live Adventurously 