Perth Leisure Pool has been used by generations of swimmers since opening in July 1988.
But there’s been dismay this week after “significant cuts” were considered which included the closure of the pool from September due to rising energy costs.
It’s simply the latest chapter in the history of the pool.
In 1982 Perth and Kinross Council decided to replace the traditional Dunkeld Road baths which had served the city since Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1887.
The former British Rail land at Glover Street/Glasgow Road was finally pinpointed for development and the Miller Group construction project started in August 1986.
The building was designed by architect Faulkner Browns, which won a competition run by Perth and Kinross Council and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
It is built on an equilateral triangular plan.
The building was given an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba).
Queuing up to make a splash
James Duff queued from 10pm the night before to be the first customer and to claim his year’s free membership on the day of opening: July 30 1988.
Provost Alex Murray opened the £6.5 million Glasgow Road building, which was regarded as one of the most exciting leisure facilities in Scotland at the time it was built.
It had flumes, bubble beds, a training pool, a children’s pool and an outdoor lagoon, a gymnasium, a health spa, a café, a crèche and an outdoor children’s play area.
The leisure complex was officially opened by the Princess Royal in October of that year.
Princess Anne, wearing a stylish jade green outfit, unveiled a commemorative plaque and was given a guided tour by Provost Murray and pool manager Nick Oswald.
She was welcomed by 250 schoolchildren and was given a £250 cheque for a charity of her own choice, which was raised by staff taking part in a sponsored flume challenge.
The princess was very impressed with the facilities and stopped to watch the fun on the flumes but declined an invitation to try out the Half Moon or Full Moon!
Attendances at the pool were consistently over 600,000 each year since it opened its doors, which was well ahead of the forecast when it was first planned in 1982.
The pool immediately attracted visitors from all over Scotland with a 1989 report concluding that it then injected just under £6 million into the local economy.
Much of the pool’s success was due to a rolling redevelopment programme carried out by Perth and Kinross Recreational Facilities Ltd.
The Perth Leisure Pool received many awards, including the Scottish Tourist Board’s Tourism for All National Award, and recommendations from the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions and the Scottish Tourist Board.
It staged various events from 1988, from the BBC’s live broadcast of a Children in Need evening to birthday parties, discos, promotional acts and even baptism ceremonies.
In 1994 a children’s interactive water playground was opened, changing an under-used viewing area into a specially-heated pool for toddlers with colourful aquatic toys.
One result was an increase of 400% in the number of children under five being brought to the water play area.
The O-Zone Fitness Studio was redeveloped in 1994 and the Health Oasis opened in 1996, which included a sauna, steam room, hot tub, sun showers and a toning table.
The high priority given to staff training was recognised when the Leisure Pool became a recognised SCOTVEC-approved centre.
Scone pensioner Dave McPherson became their 5,136,600th customer in 1996.
This figure was the population of Scotland and to mark the pool’s eighth birthday “the last person in Scotland” to visit was awarded a £700 voucher from AT Mays.
Mr McPherson got into the water to cheers from his fellow regulars.
The centre’s swimming pool was ideal for family fun in its glory days and the biggest decision was always which slide you were going to go on first!
A Courier advertising feature in 2003 broke it down further.
“Perth is a fantastic place to live and visit at the best of times – on a glorious summer day with a clear blue sky reflected in the shimmering waters of the Tay there can be few more pleasant places in the land.
“It also has a great place to take the family. Perth Leisure Pool has been a holiday destination for 15 years and has attracted over eight million customers during that time.
“It remains one of the best and most popular aquatic attractions.
“The complex has something for everyone with six separate pools, comprising the main leisure pool, a shallow children’s lagoon, 25m lane pool, teaching pool, outdoor lagoon and the new Monkey Jungle interactive children’s play pool aimed at under-eights.
“The Outdoor Lagoon allows you to swim outside on a summer’s day or to lie back and relax on a lounger at the poolside and pretend that you are miles away.
“The attractions of the leisure pool are many and varied. The Half and Full Moon flumes provide contrasting levels of excitement while the Wild Water Channel, bubble beds and whirlpools all add to the fun.
“The new Monkey Jungle play pool provides an exotic attraction for younger kids, with bamboo huts, water slides, friendly birds and animals and the giant melon. Your little monkeys will go wild when they see it!”
Innovative improvements, all-new colourful surroundings and a 10 millionth customer ensured the centre’s second decade ended in some style.
The pool closed for 10 days in December 2007 with refurbishment of the flume tower’s spiral steps and graphics panels being introduced to enhance the overall appearance.
“We are sure that our planned maintenance work and service improvements for Perth Leisure Pool will mean our customers are able to look forward to an even more enjoyable experience in 2008,” said Jim Moyes, chief executive officer of Perth and Kinross Leisure.
“It is hard to believe that the centre will be celebrating its 20th anniversary and 10,000,000th customer in 2008 and we are planning to make this a very memorable year for the centre and all its customers.”
Triumph and tragedy
Constant redevelopments meant the crowds would only continue to swell.
A £210,000 refurbishment in 2017 resulted in updated flumes – which now came with added lights and music – as well as a swipe entry system and a makeover of the café.
Centre bosses said the flumes were proving to be “a big hit”.
The sauna cabin was replaced and new flooring laid in the Monkey Jungle area.
Self-service cashless kiosks, designed to speed up booking, were also put in place, which followed a £40,000 gym upgrade on which the initial feedback was “excellent”.
The pool closed during the pandemic in March 2020 and staff spent several months on furlough before storm flooding in August 2020 caused extensive damage.
The pool remained closed until October 2021 after 16 feet of flood water entered the building’s pump room and left damage which cost upwards of £1m to repair.
Thousands more people visited Perth following the reopening because the £33m Olympia in Dundee shut after several issues were discovered with fixtures and fittings.
More than 303,000 people visited the centre between January and November 2022, which was more than 2017 (264,100), 2018 (289,187) and 2019 (279,507).
The 2022 summer months in particular were busier than normal for Perth Leisure Pool.
An £85-90 million proposal to replace the pool went before councillors in February but was put on ice as the council took action to plug a £31 million funding black hole.
Was the fat lady already clearing her throat?
Live Active Leisure, which runs the facility, confirmed this week that due to increasing energy bills the organisation is “having to consider difficult choices from a wide range of savings proposals”, including closing the city’s swimming pool in September.
Here’s hoping it won’t soon be the end of the line for this popular attraction.
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