I was walking past the Peace gardens earlier today and I relised that I have never seen the fountain "dance" as it was designed to do.Just wondering if anybody else has seen the fountain in action?

Have only seen it doing what it normally does ie shooting vertically. What else should it do?

During the last spell of really hot weather all the kids were playing in at as usual. Mums and dads were changing the kids into their swimming cozzys and they were having a real swell time. I did wonder if the water is treated to kill off any germs as it is in the swimming baths. I suspect not as it is after all a fountain.

On the 23rd Dec 2001 I got married. It was freezing and town was empty. We went into the peace gardens for a few snaps and someone turned them on for us then.

Sorry to put a downer on it, but I just read that thread about the fountains and thought i'd let you know, if some of you are parents, that I'm friends with one of the security guards at the peace/winter gardens, and a month(ish) ago he informed me that they had had 'the first paedophile of the season'.

As you can probably guess, these people go and watch the kids in their swimming cossies in the fountains. This particular guy was watching two young girls, touching himself and pointing in a suggestive manner.

It's a sick world, but just keep a close eye :)

I hope he contacted the police.

Originally posted by Mo
I hope he contacted the police.

Apparently the police are regularly involved with it...sad that they should have to be, isn't it. :(

id tell you why the police are regularly involved down there but my post would be pulled by the thought police:loopy:

Originally posted by bonny
On the 23rd Dec 2001 I got married. It was freezing and town was empty. We went into the peace gardens for a few snaps and someone turned them on for us then.

December 23 is my wedding anniversary too! (although not the same year as you).

Have you realised yet what a pain it is to have the anniversary so close to Xmas? It causes all kind of confusion in our house with presents, dinner invitations etc getting combined with Christmas.

Originally posted by panda79
id tell you why the police are regularly involved down there but my post would be pulled by the thought police:loopy:
There's no thought police on Sheffield Forum - just informed and (usually ;)) intelligent debate. :thumbsup:

I rememeber the 'dancing' function that they are supposed to have too. Whatever happened to that?

Here's a guess... SCC used £100k of lottery money for the dancing function, it broke down, they can't be bothered to budget for the money to repair it and hope that no-one will notice/remember.

Am I too cynical ? :(

Originally posted by mojoworking
December 23 is my wedding anniversary too! (although not the same year as you).

Have you realised yet what a pain it is to have the anniversary so close to Xmas? It causes all kind of confusion in our house with presents, dinner invitations etc getting combined with Christmas.

It's not only Christmas but the 22nd is my hubby's Birthday!!

Originally posted by Tony

Here's a guess... SCC used £100k of lottery money for the dancing function, it broke down, they can't be bothered to budget for the money to repair it and hope that no-one will notice/remember.

How about this as a guess? A private company who designed and built the fountain went into bankruptcy rather than face the added expense of repairing faulty equipment.:thumbsup:

Well stuff happens eh! Maybe the Council should have paid the proper price for the job in the first place? ;)

It still doesn't stop them repairing it though does it?

i know the chap who built the fountain,
and what acctually happend is, he went to the SCC and said
"i will build you an 'all singing & all dancing' fountain to smarten up your peace gardens".

but i think the SCC took it a bit too litrally :D

as it ever danced?
maybee there needs to be a chap controlling it, turning jets on/off adjusting the presure of certian jets?
how interesting would that job be then? ehh?, ehh?
my guess is there aint anyone dull enough to do the job:(


god im board,,,oh well in another hour i will be at the dentist having a tooth ripped from my skull, so thats something to look forwards too i supose :mad:

Originally posted by max
How about this as a guess? A private company who designed and built the fountain went into bankruptcy rather than face the added expense of repairing faulty equipment.:thumbsup: Hmm. Bit like the new Hillsborough swimming pool which had to be closed virtually as soon as it opened. Then there was Sheaf Valley baths which was leaking so badly after 10 years that it was cheaper to demolish it than fix it.
Originally posted by Tony
Here's a guess... SCC used £100k of lottery money for the dancing function, it broke down, they can't be bothered to budget for the money to repair it and hope that no-one will notice/remember.(
Doesn't bode well for the maintenance of the Botanical Gardens when it's finished then. The council couldn't even keep the old Goodwin fountain in working order...there must have been a lesson to learn there.
Originally posted by noseyrosie
Sorry to put a downer on it, but I just read that thread about the fountains and thought i'd let you know.......... a month(ish) ago he informed me that they had had 'the first paedophile of the season'.
My workmate informed me that there were quite a few kiddies playing in the fountain the other day and not wearing a stitch...I don't think that's very responsible of the parents.

Originally posted by panda79
id tell you why the police are regularly involved down there but my post would be pulled by the thought police:loopy:

So now you are censoring yourself? Whatever happened to free speech ;)

During the last spell of really hot weather all the kids were playing in at as usual. Mums and dads were changing the kids into their swimming cozzys and they were having a real swell time. I did wonder if the water is treated to kill off any germs as it is in the swimming baths. I suspect not as it is after all a fountain.
The water is heavily chlorinated - smells just like swimming pool water, so I think your fears are unfounded. It is, after all, a fountain designed to be danced around in.

I have to say that I have seen a few 'dodgy' folks hanging round the Peace gradens when it's been hot. I always make my two wear shorts and a T-Shirt and take dry clothes to change into in the toilets. They security guards/ambassadors are pretty good though. Last year there was a very dodgy guy follwing kids round so I had a word to the security guys. They said they already had CCTV trained on him. They moved him on and followed him back a fair distance as he left.

I do agree that it's irresponsible of parents to let their kids wander about naked. A cheap pair of pants or shorts or even a nappy is enough to keep them covered. It doesn't take much to put a spare pair in your bag does it?

Originally posted by noseyrosie
Sorry to put a downer on it, but I just read that thread about the fountains and thought i'd let you know, if some of you are parents, that I'm friends with one of the security guards at the peace/winter gardens, and a month(ish) ago he informed me that they had had 'the first paedophile of the season'.

As you can probably guess, these people go and watch the kids in their swimming cossies in the fountains. This particular guy was watching two young girls, touching himself and pointing in a suggestive manner.

It's a sick world, but just keep a close eye :)

So who is it you know then? do you mean a security guard or an Ambassador?

Originally posted by duffman
So who is it you know then? do you mean a security guard or an Ambassador?

Erm....whichever....?!!

He's called Charlie, he's only a young un. :smile:

Originally posted by noseyrosie
Erm....whichever....?!!

He's called Charlie, he's only a young un. :smile:

Well he doesn't work with us (Ambassadors) so it must be the night security.

Originally posted by duffman
Well he doesn't work with us (Ambassadors) so it must be the night security.

Nah he works there during the day...

Originally posted by noseyrosie
Nah he works there during the day...

Oh you probably mean the guys who sit in the security cabin in the old Eggbox car park, I thimk I know who you mean.

Originally posted by duffman
Oh you probably mean the guys who sit in the security cabin in the old Eggbox car park, I thimk I know who you mean.

:confused:....ok, well I dunno, every time I see him he has a uniform jacket thingy and a walkie-talkie, and he's often up at the end near the bus stops, or around the area anyway.

O.K it has just occured to me the security starts their shift on the peace gardens at 15:00. It could be one of them.

Anyway to say the "first paedophile of the season" has arrived is a bit silly. Paedophiles do not have seasons like football, it's just that obviously a public space with a fountain and kids running about in the sun it will attract them more. I feel parents should be more aware and resonsible with their kids.

Originally posted by unners
I was walking past the Peace gardens earlier today and I relised that I have never seen the fountain "dance" as it was designed to do.Just wondering if anybody else has seen the fountain in action?

Anyway back to the original topic.

I have not seen them dance before at all, when I was in today they were just doing the usual fountain thing.

Originally posted by duffman
O.K it has just occured to me the security starts their shift on the peace gardens at 15:00. It could be one of them.

Anyway to say the "first paedophile of the season" has arrived is a bit silly. Paedophiles do not have seasons like football, it's just that obviously a public space with a fountain and kids running about in the sun it will attract them more. I feel parents should be more aware and resonsible with their kids.

I don't wanna get him in trouble Duff!!

I think he was being lighthearted to cover up the awfulness of it. And the 'season' thing is, I guess, because the kids are far more likely to run around in the fountains in warm weather.

Originally posted by Nu_Skillz
i know the chap who built the fountain,
and what acctually happend is, he went to the SCC and said
"i will build you an 'all singing & all dancing' fountain to smarten up your peace gardens".

but i think the SCC took it a bit too litrally :D

as it ever danced?
maybee there needs to be a chap controlling it, turning jets on/off adjusting the presure of certian jets?
how interesting would that job be then? ehh?, ehh?
my guess is there aint anyone dull enough to do the job:(


god im board,,,oh well in another hour i will be at the dentist having a tooth ripped from my skull, so thats something to look forwards too i supose :mad:
The paedophile would most certainly be up for the job...

Just had a response from Sheffield City Council reads as follows,

Thank you for your E-mail to First Point.
The fountain goes higher and lower but doesn't "dance".
If you require further help, do not hesitate to contact First Point again.
Mark
Customer Service Advisor.