Yes I remember the boating lake as a welcome after school or lunchtime bit of diversion!
Echo the sentiments about Blackpool, it was in the 1950's of course a playground for Durham Miners and most of the Midlands too. It is still popular with lots of Scots.
Living in Pendleton we didn't have too much access to water, although watching the Irwell change colour daily and producing walls of foam at the Crescent weirs had it's devotees!
Some brave souls took to the water in a summer carnival onT'Irwell near Agecroft.
Of course all that has changed and its a shame the British Triathlon Association have taken the annual event away from Salford. Now in the 1960's who would have thought of anyone swimming in the Ship canal but the watersports centre there has excellent facilities and water quality.
But boating at Platt Fields was a pleasure. It is only in the larger parks that boating was available I think.
I never discovered any of the others.