Boat club 'chuffed' with repaired lake

Members of a model boat club have been left "chuffed" after the lake they use was finally repaired.

The boating lake at Newcomen Terrace in Coatham, Redcar, was successfully refilled after suffering from leaks for more than three years.

"We thought many a time that we'd never get there," said Dale Patterson, from Redcar Model Boat Club. "We even had visions of it being filled in and turned into the usual car park, but the day has arrived and we are happy about it."

Jane Verrill, who runs nearby cafe The Boathouse, said the refilled structure had already led to more customers and would be good for the business.

"It's definitely nice for our customers now to look out on to the water rather than just the concrete ball, so it's definitely given us our unique selling point back," she said.

"A lot of people have come down to have a look at it now that it's got water."

The structure, which dates back to the 1930s, had been undergoing repairs since last September.

It was hoped it would be brought back to its former glory in the spring, but a test refill in April failed, resulting in a fresh round of works.

Mr Patterson, who is treasurer of the model boat club, admitted members were initially sceptical the latest repairs would hold.

"But once we've seen what work's gone into it, we're more than happy that it will last," he said.

"At the moment, the water hasn't budged an inch since they filled it."

Club members were previously forced to race radio-controlled cars in the empty lake.

Mr Patterson said there had been increased interest in the club after it was refilled.

"We're all very, very chuffed and we're all walking on with smiles on our faces," he said.

Committee member David Hart, 81, said he remembered the lake from his childhood.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "When you look out and look at it, it just takes it back to what it was like years ago."

Redcar and Cleveland Council is planning to organise a community event to mark the restoration of the lake.

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