Reminiscences of New Brighton and Liverpool. The constant procession of ocean-going liners up and down the Mersey was a real spectacle. Wallasey has eight miles of promenade, fringed by golden sands with children's talent contests "Joytime" in Vale Park. The Tower Grounds, rides, skating and a figure of eight. We even had a circus and a zoo. The New Palace indoor amusement park was the largest in England. Tommy Mann's miniature railway operated in the Tower Grounds next to the Promenade. Trips on the Royal Iris, the ferries and a magnificent pier. And don't forget the largest outdoor swimming pool in Europe. What a place to grow up in! It was my Disneyland and on my very own doorstep.