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July - Issue 47
Scarborough Review
New sport centre off to a good start
L-R, Olympic medalist Colin Jackson with the mayor and mayoress, Martin and Cherry Smith, and council leader Derek Bastiman (to order photos ring 353597)
Words and photos by Dave Barry HUNDREDS if not thousands of people took advantage of a free open day at the new £15m sport centre. Scarborough Leisure Village, as it is called, boasts a football pitch, a 25-metre swimming pool, a learner pool, a four-court sports hall, a multi-activity room and a 60-station fitness suite. The complex was officially opened by Olympic medalist Colin Jackson, who spent most of the day there. The former sprint and hurdling athlete competed with visitors in a fitness challenge. It is the new home of Scarborough Athletic, which had spent 10 years in the Bridlington wilderness, following the closure of the Seamer Road ground. It replaces flea-bitten facilities at the old sport centre in Filey Road and the old pool at
Northstead, both of which closed just before the new complex opened. The open day featured free activities for families, both inside and on the pitch. They included virtual group exercise and dance classes, gym taster sessions and floor exercise classes and, in the sports hall, karate taster sessions run by Shotokan Karate Club, table tennis, a bouncy castle and a face painter. The soccer club held various activities on the new pitch. Visitors tested their skills in a penalty shoot-out. Scarborough Athletic FC, Scarborough Ladies FC and junior teams showcased their skills in friendly matches. The pool has eight lanes, two more than the old one, and has very few windows; the old one had two glass walls and windows on the other two sides. The new pool is dearer. The price per swim is £4.75, compared to the £3.40 users paid at the old pool, a rise of 40%. Sport and leisure operator Everyone Active, who run the sport centre on Scarborough Council’s behalf, are encouraging people to become members for £22 a month. Swimmers would have to go six or seven times a month to pay the same per swim as before. The Sub Aqua Club has been told it can use the new pool but the Canoe Club has been told it can’t, as the canoes could damage it. Both clubs used the old pool for training. Parking meters will eventually be installed in
the sport-centre carpark and users refunded, as they were at the old pool and sport centre. On behalf of residents, two borough councillors have objected to the sale of alcohol and playing of music until midnight, seven days a week at the sport centre. As a result, the council’s licensing committee had added “amendments and controls” to the centre’s licence, said Mark Vesey and Steve Siddons. Everyone Active “say they want to be good neighbours so let’s hope we can all work together to ensure residents’ lives are not
blighted by noise and late-night disturbance”, Cllr Vesey said.
An under-13 girls team
An under-14 boys team
Weightlifting in the gym
The Health and Fun Club for the over 50s leaves the old sport centre in Filey Road
One pool closes and another opens
EDITORS COMMENT
Words and photos by Dave Barry The multi-activity studio
Old team mascot cheers Boro on Words and photo by Dave Barry
BORO’S old mascot has welcomed the team back to Scarborough. Barmby used to sit in the wooden stand at the old ground, where Lidl is now. “When it was demolished in 1979, I rescued him and he has been sitting on my sofa ever since”, says John Fawcett, was a director of the club for 25 years and had two spells as chairman. John took Barmby, wearing a Boro scarf, to see the new ground. “It seemed like a suitable occasion to bring him down”, he said. Barmby travelled to away fixtures including Wembley in the official coach with players and directors. The club reached the final of the FA Trophy four times during the 1970s (1973 v Wigan Athletic, 1975 v Matlock Town, 1976 v Stafford Rangers and 1977 v Dagenham). The mascot was named after a famous Scarborough player. “Jeff Barmby was a great little striker and a wonderful character who played for us in the 60s and 70s. “To this day, he is remembered with great affection by the fans from that era,” recalls John, who was “greatly impressed” with
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everything at the new sports village. “I congratulate everyone who was involved in bringing the project to fruition. It is great that the Boro are returning home after 10 years exile in Bridlington”.
Barmby with John Fawcett (to order photos ring 353597)
I’M going to miss Scarborough’s old swimming pool. I’ve been going there once or twice a week for about 30 years and reckon I’ve swum well over 1,000 miles in it. The thing I’ll probably miss most is the natural light flooding in from all sides, but especially through the two walls which were mostly glass, the biggest of which you could see the castle through. I was the last member of the public to get out during the final session on 3 June and the first to get in for the inaugural public session at the new pool on 5 June. I’ve heard a rumour that someone was considering running the old pool privately but haven’t been able to confirm this. It would be nice, even though it had been allowed to fall into disrepair and would probably need a lot of money spending on it. After all, it was built with funds raised by the public and theoretically still belongs to the public, although legally it is owned by the council. In the late 60s and early 70s, a big fundraising campaign raised enough money to build it. Adults, schoolchildren, scouts, guides, etc, organised sponsored walks, functions, dances and countless other events. The pool opened in January 1973, recalls Pam Morgan, who was one of the first lifeguards. It was the town’s first municipal indoor
swimming pool. Previously, people swam in the open-air pools in the north and south bays, and in the sea. In May 1973, Pam and her parents, Cliff and Anne Russell, and her late husband Trevor launched Scarborough Swimming for the Disabled Club, which Pam ran for 36 years.
Staff on the old pool’s last day. L-R, duty managers James Gibson and Jon Cheshire with lifeguards Aidan Pattison, Louise McDonald and Tony Landray (to order photos ring 353597)
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