HOLIDAY PLAYTIME, a scheme developed to help keep children off the roads at holiday time and to encourage an interest in simple organised sport, took place on April 13, 1965.

The event took place during the Easter holidays at six centres in the city - the Sports Centre, Green Park, Mansel Park, Riverside Park, Mayfield Park and the Veracity Ground.

The photographs shown here were taken at Mansel Park during their first session.

Senior schoolchildren helped out with supervision and general organisation. Some of them came up with ideas to keep the younger ones entertained, and others lent a hand with equipment.

The exciting sack race was organised by Raymond Powell and John Parke who were students at Redbridge School.

The elder lad with the ball in the top right image is Keith Wilkinson, who was a pupil with Regent’s Park Secondary School, and who posed for the picture with a group of eager youngsters all ready to start playing a game of football.

Helping with the stilts was Teresa Murray, of Millbrook secondary school. She had a job on her hands with those tricky things

The Echo report at the time read: “It is all good fun. Why don’t YOU go next week?”