A DAD has transformed his council house into a DIY waterpark with a giant slide that shoots into a 24ft swimming pool.
Neighbours of mechanic Liam Tandy, 40, think he’s bonkers – but he says he’s simply keeping his kids happy in the hot weather.
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A dad has transformed his council house into a DIY waterpark Credit: Jam Press/@liamtmrt
Dad Liam built the mega structure for his sons Jattvibeny, 10, and Rowan, nine Credit: Jam Press/@liamtmrt
Liam built the mega structure his garden in Wythenshawe, Manchester, for his sons Jattvibeny, 10, and Rowan, nine, after spending days hunting for the perfect pool slide.
The amateur aquapark was set up two years ago with a giant tube side propped up on a wooden frame which twists over the garden before dropping into a pool.
A clip of the budget splash pad went viral after being posted by a woman staying at a neighbouring Airbnb, captioned: “What in the health and safety violation is going on here?”
But, dad Liam told The Jattvibe: “People are calling it mad, but to me it’s just something I built for my kids.
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The giant slide goes from garage to garden Credit: Jam Press/@liamtmrt
Liam says he set up DIY water park two years ago after a family holiday Credit: Jam Press/@liamtmrt
“They love it, so that’s all that matters. Some people might look at it and think it’s crazy, but for us it’s just fun.
“It’s been up for two years now and we all still love it.”
The dad-of-three snapped up the former playground slide and 24ft pool for £1k each on eBay.
Videos show the boys whizzing down the DIY slide as they enjoy their very own waterpark in recent hot weather.
The dad-of-three says his boys ‘love it’ Credit: Jam Press/@liamtmrt
Clips of the budget splash pad went viral on socials sparking mixed reviews Credit: Jam Press/@liamtmrt
Liam said: “Jattvibeny and Rowan both have special educational needs and they can get overwhelmed when we go to busy places, so having this at home means they can enjoy themselves without all that stress.
“It’s just me and the boys in the garden, having a laugh. It’s a proper commercial slide. It unbolts and bolts back together.
“And when you’re in a rubber ring, it’s actually really fast. It looks mad, but it works.”
Liam said the idea came to him on a family holiday two years ago – and he’d started looking for pools online before he was even home.
“It started by looking for two normal straight slides which I built a platform off the side of my garage for with a staircase.
“After spending days searching for slides, I came across a commercial play area slide and just had to have it,” he said.
The mechanic joked there is no need to jet off abroad when the kids have their very own water park outside the back door.
Liam previously had even more play equipment in the garden, including a zip line- but he has now taken some of it down while he revamps the garden.
The pool takes up a hefty chunk of the garden, squeezed between fences, sheds and neighbouring homes.
The towering slide, which curls into the pool below, has attracted attention online as Brits search for ways to cool down during the recent spell of warm weather.
But despite the impressive scale of the build, Liam said his boys were initially too nervous to try it.
“The boys were scared to go down at first,” he said.
“But they soon went down and absolutely love it. They spend hours out there.”
The viral clip sparked a flood of reactions online – with many admitting they were jealous.
One commenter said: “Some parents will see this and judge the work but your kids will have the best summer memories. Well done chap.”
Another person said: “Can’t afford holidays, can’t afford a day at seaside, can’t afford a day out to a theme park… So Dad Built THE BEST THING EVER! Absolutely Amazing.”
While a TikTokker joked of Manchester’s notoriously grim weather: ‘It’s used for two weeks of the year because the rest of the time it’s freezing rain.”
Another user added: “Brilliant, love this your kids will have amazing memories.”
Liam revealed: “I honestly love and appreciate all the positivity about it.”
“But I’ve only done it to make my boys happy.”
