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Writer's pictureDave Goble

91 Splashing Out

Updated: Feb 29

As long ago as 1891 there had been a proposal for a floating swimming bath in the Thames. In 1900 the Thames Conservancy turned down a plan for the Hampton Urban District Council to be granted a lease on part of the river for bathing. There was a lot of unsupervised swimming in the river, and sites for a swimming pool were sought over the next few years. By January 1907 permission was given for an open air bath in Bushy Park near Hampton Hill, but it was considered too difficult to build there and another site was found in November 1913. A plan was approved by the council to construct a bath at an estimated cost of £1,150, and in 1914 they were ready to go ahead. Then the Great War broke out and all plans were put on hold. The pool was eventually opened in 1922.


Hampton Open Air Pool

The pool was upgraded in 1939 when a diving pit and filtration plant were added, and again in 1961 when it was widened and the present brick building and car park were constructed. In 1980, however, the council decided it was no longer financially viable and it closed at the end of the summer of 1981. In 1983 the decision was made to demolish the pool and hand the land back to Bushy Park. In 1984, however, before the council could get to work, a local community action group formed and was successful in persuading them to change their mind, and keep the pool open.


Following local elections and a change of control, subject to £20,000 being raised the new council agreed to transfer the pool to the group. In fact over £60,000 was raised, including grants from the GLC and Richmond Council, and permission was given to take over the pool. In 1984 Hampton Pool Ltd was formed and successfully applied for educational charitable status.


The pool reopened in the summer of 1985 as a heated swimming pool. It is 36 metres long and 14 metres wide, and has two slides. Next to it there is a smaller 12 x 7 metre pool ostensibly for children. Other facilities include a gymnasium, a fitness studio and a cafeteria. Part of the parkland was incorporated into a grassed sunbathing and recreation area, including for use in hosting annual outdoor music concerts which have proved popular with the public, and are important fundraisers. I've enjoyed some memorable nights there, seeing Heaven 17, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, The Blockheads (sadly without Ian Dury of course), Chas ‘n’ Dave (with Chas), and The Zombies, (happily with Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent).


Over the years profits have been reinvested into the facilities, and over £1 million has been spent on improvements and maintenance, occasionally necessitating interruptions to the normal 365 days a year swimming policy.


The latest interruption was (is) nothing to do with maintenance of course, being due instead, predictably, to the Coronavirus. Closure commenced on March 30th., and things remains that way at the time of writing. It was the last pool in the area to close, (by just a few days), and as such the last pool I swam in. Lovely as it is swimming outdoors in warm water, I can attest to the weirdness of swimming an extra 11 metres per length when you’re used to swimming in a more conventional 25 metre length pool almost every day. Something (muscle memory?) tells you the turn is coming, but then it doesn’t - at least not for a bit - and it plays havoc with your rhythm (plus that swift and sneaky breather I might occasionally be tempted to take on the turn has to wait).


The pool survives today, and is currently managed by YMCA St. Paul’s Group.


Entrance (with light scaffolding offering a faint echo of long passed optimism promoted on advertising boards of annual open air music concerts this summer)


Main pool, with fitness centre and cafeteria, (up top), in view


Looking the other way, towards the picnic area and where the temporary stage is erected for the annual summer music concerts (usually a couple of bands each night for a week in June / July)


I hope whoever laid those tiles didn't drive home


“Try something different with a Moonlight Dip” says the invitation on the Hampton Open Air Pool website, accompanied by this painting


And here they are ... trying something different


And here, in winter at the pool - Still they come


Christmas Day at the pool - I’ve swum once here on the day, and I have to say they do a lovely smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel in the cafeteria


A music concert in full flow


Back in the day, whenever that was (forties, perhaps)



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