In pictures: A look back at Splashes Leisure Centre in Rainham as it is set to be replaced
Published: 12:30, 09 May 2022
Updated: 13:46, 09 May 2022
As people are being asked to have their say on the future of Splashes Leisure Centre, we take a look back at its past.
The pool in Rainham has been a firm favourite with families since it opened in 1990.
The layout of the pool, wave machine, 145ft flume and baby area made it popular with parents and young children.
The pool has also hosted parties, fun days and annual Big Splash events.
The Medway Big Splash aimed to get people of all ages in the water and gave residents the chance to try activities such as synchronised swimming, diving, water-polo and aqua fit.
Splashes, along with other pools around Medway, hosted inflatable fun sessions and free family swims.
In 2015 the pool celebrated its 25th birthday with centre employees Jenny Dearlove and Tara Guile who had both worked there since it opened
Jenny was manager in 2015 but started as a lifeguard, earning £3 an hour.
She said at the time: “The centre has always been a fun place to work at, there is a great sense of companionship among the staff and we have always worked well as part of a team.
“It is fantastic to see so many people who used to swim as a child and now bring their own children to the centre.”
On opening day in 1990, the pool in Bloors Lane charged £2.15 for adults and £1.65 for children.
The layout of the centre remained largely the same over the years, the most noticeable difference being the extension of the gym out on to the balcony over the pool.
The cafe at Splashes was closed in April 2016 and replaced with vending machines. Medway Council said the cafe did not receive enough customers to make it cost effective.
The centre hasn't been without its controversy. It had to close in 2003 after swimmers were hit by falling debris from the ventilation system.
It was shut for a month while repairs were carried out.
And in 2016, dozens of children and adults suffered with a sickness bug after visiting a Halloween-themed party at Splashes.
Splashes never re-opened after the first lockdown and the building was demolished earlier this year to make way for a new leisure centre.
The council's original plan was to refurbish the leisure centre but when problems with the structure were uncovered it was decided to knock it down and start again.
Last month Medway Council revealed its plans for the new facility. It is hoped it will be open in the summer of 2024.
The design prepared by Space and Place Architects includes a 25m fitness pool, a separate leisure pool with flume ride, wave pool and beach area, a fitness gym, a multi-purpose studio suitable for private hire for birthday parties and the like, and a small cafe.
Residents will be able to see an exhibition about the proposals for themselves from tomorrow, with displays at Rainham Library from tomorrow, until Saturday, and again at Twydall Library between Tuesday, May 17, and Saturday, May 21.
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Jenni Horn