Items from the School Magazine - 60 Years Ago: the Swimming Pool
The school is now building a large sports hall (where the netball courts used to be, behind the main building in Norman Way) and that will include a larger swimming pool than the one for which many of us raised funds, 60 years ago. The School Magazine for 1958-59 included the following article.
​
​
"At the beginning of the Summer Term we were told by the Local Education Authority that since Primary Schools had priority in the use of the public baths, we should be allowed only half an hour’s use of the pool each week. (The pool - left - was an outdoor, unheated pool near the junction of North Station Road and the By-Pass. It is still there as a large pond north-east of the Colne Bank/West Way roundabout.) This made us feel that it was particularly necessary for us to have a pool of our own, and plans were made accordingly.
​
A Committee has been appointed from among Parents, Staff and Governors and at the first meeting it was decided that a general meeting of
all parents should be held on September 17th. At this meeting suggestions were put forward as to ways and means of raising money for the Swimming Pool Fund. At a later meeting these ideas were considered and the following resolutions adopted: the Old Girls’ Association will hold a jumble sale, the proceeds going to the fund, and a Whist Drive will be held on December 4th, tickets to be sold to members of the school, parents and friends. A fête will be held next May 28th.
​
Meanwhile, in the school, enthusiasm, especially among the lower forms, has been encouraging, and one finds a wide variety of ways to obtain money, from the painting competitions and “Brain of the Upper IVth” quizzes, to the Upper VI’s offers to pump up bicycle tyres, twopence a wheel or three pence a cycle. It is, however, hoped that the girls in the Upper School will try to do more in their efforts to raise money. A chart has been put up on the school notice board and from this we shall be able to see the amount collected each week by the forms.
​
The money collected so far by the school is about £120 and members of the Old Girls’ Association have
contributed about £100. This is a step forward to the total sum of £4,000 which is the amount estimated for the building of the pool.”
​
​
An update on the progress appeared in the following School Magazine, 1959-60:
“Parents, girls and staff have continued to work enthusiastically towards raising the money for a swimming pool. Among the forms there have several notable efforts. Record sessions held in the gymnasium during dinner breaks brought in £20. Middle V X (Year 10) enjoyed themselves with a barbecue and make £10 11s. Middle V D have worked tremendously hard, and were the first to reach the £50 mark.
At the beginning of the year the Sixth Form Dance, owing its success very much to the efforts of Mrs Pipe and Miss Mather (PE), was a popular social occasion and made a profit of £50. Under Miss Grigg’s (Music) capable direction the school’s Musical Evening, held in April, was a great success and raised £90 for the Swimming Pool Fund.
In the Summer Term, the Lower Sixth contributed about £50 from their most enjoyable performance of Shaw’s “Arms and the Man”, produced by Miss Wiggins (English). A Mannequin Parade, inspired by Miss Easton and Mrs Brown (Art), proved a novel and successful idea, swelling the Fund by £35.
The School Fete, held on May 21st, drew thousands of people; opened by His Worship the Mayor, Mr Alec Kay, the Fete was a great success and thanks to the willing help and enthusiasm of all concerned, we reached and passed, our target, with a final figure of £520.
This year, then, we have brought the Fund up to well over a thousand pounds. Our enthusiasm and ingenuity might well give out were we to think solely of the money; on the contrary, our efforts show how a school can take pleasure in working for a cause. Indeed, without the need for a swimming pool to urge us on, it is doubtful whether we would every have enjoyed a mannequin parade or a barbecue of our own."
​
Headmistress, Miss Katharine Vashon Baker, noted in her Foreword to the School Magazine: “We are now well on the way to the first £2,000. It is an excellent result in ten months and we hope very soon to be in a position to start construction. It would indeed be a matter of great satisfaction if work could be begun in the Jubilee Year. We are most grateful to all who have to generously helped in the raising of the fund. It is particularly gratifying when Old Girls join in the effort as they have most generously I am sure there are others who would wish to help us in this Jubilee Year and we shall always be glad to receive any contributions, however small.”
Surprisingly there was no great fanfare in the following School Magazine, 1960-61 apart from Miss Vashon Baker saying in her Foreword “We can congratulate ourselves upon the opening of the Swimming Pool in so short a time”. However, it was reported by the Swimming Captain, Penelope Armstrong, that “Much use was made of our new Swimming Pool during the Summer Term. Apart from lessons in School, clubs were formed for after-school use A Senior Club was held on Wednesday, a Junior Club of Thursdays and Fridays, because of the large number of interested juniors, and a Life-Saving Class on Tuesday evenings On 21st June an Inter-House Swimming Competition was held in which each house competed in a Medley Relay which was won by York House (Senior) and Anjou House (Junior).
Send your memories of the original swimming pool so we can read exactly what you thought about the whole project. Many had very mixed feelings of being cold and frightened, whilst others loved it!
​
​
​
​