New Pool at Palmer Park

[OLDMAN]

yes, in Reading you've got the choice of the Thames or the Kennet.

Plus other rivers and a few lakes!

Ever heard of Wild Swimming?
https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/f ... g-18769996

Think the waterski club over off the back of Burghdield Road area does that as an organised activity. My old noggin seems to remember you used to be able to do wild swimming at the lake hotel - the one that partly burned down? Don’t even know if it’s still going.

Do you mean Kirtons Farm - an old friend was a member and we used to get tickets for events, saw the World Ski-Jump competition over there twice, plus many other national / international events
We where always allowed to swim there at the events, or when just visiting

Also swam in the Thames (in Reading and Pangbourne) / Southlake / Loddon / Kennet but way upstream

Wasn't called Wild back then - just 'swimming'

[Voiceoftreason?]

Yes that’s the place OM.

[maggieaitch]

Why do you have to keep going on about East Reading. I can't see any swimming pools in Caversham either.

[Voiceoftreason?]

For swim fans. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-60406646

[OLDMAN]

Why do you have to keep going on about East Reading. I can't see any swimming pools in Caversham either.

Sorry Maggie - this thread was / is about a new pool being built in Palmer Park / East Reading

It was first discussed about 17/18yrs ago as a new pool and ‘extra’ one, and not to replace Arthur Hills but that changed as AH’s got beyond economical repair, so was then muted as the replacement – but that didn’t happen for various reason until after that closure!

So talk of no pools in Caversham shouldn't come into it, but thinking about it I don’t think there ever was one apart from the men’s / ladies pools in Kings Meadow so may have been deemed acceptable at the time
Not a surprise there hasn’t been one as Caversham was once just a village and was part of South Oxfordshire until 1911, so maybe they didn’t want to build a pool - plus many used to swim in the river
Maybe a new thread of why no pool in Caversham is required

[maggieaitch]

Thanks OM. I was really responding to Chip Butty's permanent whine about swimming facilities. My swimming days are long gone but my son, who lives in the Caversham Rd area, misses the old central pool.I think he will probably use the Palmer Park pool when it opens.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Any school pools open for public use over that way Maggie?

[ChipbuttyG]

Thanks OM. I was really responding to Chip Butty's permanent whine about swimming facilities. My swimming days are long gone but my son, who lives in the Caversham Rd area, misses the old central pool.I think he will probably use the Palmer Park pool when it opens.

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

[Voiceoftreason?]

IYHO.

[maggieaitch]

Any school pools open for public use over that way Maggie?

Unfortunately not. Highdown did open for a time but closed a few years ago. I believe Queen Anne's is available ( but quite expensive )

[maggieaitch]

Thanks OM. I was really responding to Chip Butty's permanent whine about swimming facilities. My swimming days are long gone but my son, who lives in the Caversham Rd area, misses the old central pool.I think he will probably use the Palmer Park pool when it opens.

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

I'm sure we all know that, considering the number of times you have repeated it on this forum.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Any school pools open for public use over that way Maggie?

Unfortunately not. Highdown did open for a time but closed a few years ago. I believe Queen Anne's is available ( but quite expensive )

I had Reading Girls School in mind when I asked. I did a short temp job there some years ago and was surprised to find they had a sizeable pool, so wondered if there were any over your way. Yes I expect the costs would be pretty high. Shame - I would presume it’s unused during the seemingly endless school holidays

[ChipbuttyG]

Thanks OM. I was really responding to Chip Butty's permanent whine about swimming facilities. My swimming days are long gone but my son, who lives in the Caversham Rd area, misses the old central pool.I think he will probably use the Palmer Park pool when it opens.

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

I'm sure we all know that, considering the number of times you have repeated it on this forum.

Justifiably. Not only the gargantuan time it's taken for the replacement pool. The costs have now gone up by at least £2m, thanks to Reading Borough Council's 'dither and delay'. And who pays for that? Yep, the taxpayer.

[Voiceoftreason?]

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

I'm sure we all know that, considering the number of times you have repeated it on this forum.

Justifiably. Not only the gargantuan time it's taken for the replacement pool. The costs have now gone up by at least £2m, thanks to Reading Borough Council's 'dither and delay'. And who pays for that? Yep, the taxpayer.

And you boring on about it achieves what?

[OLDMAN]

Thanks OM. I was really responding to Chip Butty's permanent whine about swimming facilities. My swimming days are long gone but my son, who lives in the Caversham Rd area, misses the old central pool.I think he will probably use the Palmer Park pool when it opens.

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

Wrong as we have had access to Bulmershe (apart from the time it was re-built) which is as close to many in East Reading as was AH, and on a bus route
Plus the only people who have really missed out are the dozen or so who used it on a regular basis – it wasn’t very well used for many tasty although to hear the numbers of people who talk about using it would have meant the place being jam-packed solid as wasn’t that big

As for RBC shambles I would agree, but only as the PP pool was first discussed 17/18yrs ago, well before AH’s was a logistical problem
As Maggie points out we were lucky in East Reading by having a pool that close – although originally it was only a slipper bath (for cleaning oneself) and the pool came later

[ChipbuttyG]

Thanks OM. I was really responding to Chip Butty's permanent whine about swimming facilities. My swimming days are long gone but my son, who lives in the Caversham Rd area, misses the old central pool.I think he will probably use the Palmer Park pool when it opens.

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

Wrong as we have had access to Bulmershe (apart from the time it was re-built) which is as close to many in East Reading as was AH, and on a bus route
Plus the only people who have really missed out are the dozen or so who used it on a regular basis – it wasn’t very well used for many tasty although to hear the numbers of people who talk about using it would have meant the place being jam-packed solid as wasn’t that big

As for RBC shambles I would agree, but only as the PP pool was first discussed 17/18yrs ago, well before AH’s was a logistical problem
As Maggie points out we were lucky in East Reading by having a pool that close – although originally it was only a slipper bath (for cleaning oneself) and the pool came later

Bulmershe is Wokingham Borough Council and nothing to do with RBC.

[ChipbuttyG]

I'm sure we all know that, considering the number of times you have repeated it on this forum.

Justifiably. Not only the gargantuan time it's taken for the replacement pool. The costs have now gone up by at least £2m, thanks to Reading Borough Council's 'dither and delay'. And who pays for that? Yep, the taxpayer.

And you boring on about it achieves what?

This is a discussion forum. People have different opinions on things. You get the good, the bad and the ugly so to speak. Granted, you often get the ugly with me

[Voiceoftreason?]

Justifiably. Not only the gargantuan time it's taken for the replacement pool. The costs have now gone up by at least £2m, thanks to Reading Borough Council's 'dither and delay'. And who pays for that? Yep, the taxpayer.

And you boring on about it achieves what?

This is a discussion forum. People have different opinions on things. You get the good, the bad and the ugly so to speak. Granted, you often get the ugly with me

Aside from the fact I don’t need you to tell me what this forum is, I can at least agree with your ugly statement.

[OLDMAN]

Arthur Hill gifted the people of Reading (which is east Reading) a swimming pool. After years of neglect by Reading Council, they deemed the repairs too costly and closed it down in 2016. The replacement pool will be situated at Palmer Park and won't be ready until the end of this year or at some point next year.

Meaning the people of east Reading will have been without a swimming pool for around 6 (six) to 7 (seven) years.

To put it quite simply. A shambles by RBC.

Wrong as we have had access to Bulmershe (apart from the time it was re-built) which is as close to many in East Reading as was AH, and on a bus route
Plus the only people who have really missed out are the dozen or so who used it on a regular basis – it wasn’t very well used for many tasty although to hear the numbers of people who talk about using it would have meant the place being jam-packed solid as wasn’t that big

As for RBC shambles I would agree, but only as the PP pool was first discussed 17/18yrs ago, well before AH’s was a logistical problem
As Maggie points out we were lucky in East Reading by having a pool that close – although originally it was only a slipper bath (for cleaning oneself) and the pool came later

Bulmershe is Wokingham Borough Council and nothing to do with RBC.

It’s a pool that we can use that’s local – and nothing to do with which council area it’s in?
How dumb can you be?

[Fed-up]

In that case, why bother spending a large sum of money on building a new pool in PP?

[OLDMAN]

In that case, why bother spending a large sum of money on building a new pool in PP?

Sort of agree, but that’s more to do with the fact it is under WBC and the new pool (to now replace AH) is under RBC
The same could be said about many things that differing councils allow to be built

Slightly one example is we are still waiting to see the outcome of the new cycle route WBC is planning, (and has many objections against it) which will have to get agreement / permission from RBC to add the last little bit

[ChipbuttyG]

Wrong as we have had access to Bulmershe (apart from the time it was re-built) which is as close to many in East Reading as was AH, and on a bus route
Plus the only people who have really missed out are the dozen or so who used it on a regular basis – it wasn’t very well used for many tasty although to hear the numbers of people who talk about using it would have meant the place being jam-packed solid as wasn’t that big

As for RBC shambles I would agree, but only as the PP pool was first discussed 17/18yrs ago, well before AH’s was a logistical problem
As Maggie points out we were lucky in East Reading by having a pool that close – although originally it was only a slipper bath (for cleaning oneself) and the pool came later

Bulmershe is Wokingham Borough Council and nothing to do with RBC.

It’s a pool that we can use that’s local – and nothing to do with which council area it’s in?
How dumb can you be?

It's everything to do with which council area it's in. RBC took away our swimming pool. Bulmershe is around 3 miles away. It's not that easy to get to if you don't drive. RBC should have provided a pop up pool at Palmer Park, at least that's still on the 17 bus route and only up the road.

Whilst I appreciate we might have differing views, you really shouldn't resort to name calling.

[maggieaitch]

Any school pools open for public use over that way Maggie?

Unfortunately not. Highdown did open for a time but closed a few years ago. I believe Queen Anne's is available ( but quite expensive )

I had Reading Girls School in mind when I asked. I did a short temp job there some years ago and was surprised to find they had a sizeable pool, so wondered if there were any over your way. Yes I expect the costs would be pretty high. Shame - I would presume it’s unused during the seemingly endless school holidays

QAS is used during long holidays. It's let out to a sports based summer school, I think it's called Kings Camp, or something similar. Sorry I'm getting a bit o/t

[Voiceoftreason?]

No that’s fine. I didn’t know that, thanks. It’s good to put schools to use during holiday times. Wonder why it’s called Kings camp when it’s QAS? Wouldn’t be easy to find if you were Gloggling for a public access school pool.

[maggieaitch]

https://www.google.com/search?q=kings+c ... e&ie=UTF-8

[Voiceoftreason?]

Well well, how interesting. If only things like that were around in my day. I see they don’t do snacks or lunches etc and base price for five full days is around £200 or so. Obviously you couldn’t do that every school holiday, if you could get a place that is, but sounds ideal.

How times have changed eh?

[OLDMAN]

Bulmershe is Wokingham Borough Council and nothing to do with RBC.

It’s a pool that we can use that’s local – and nothing to do with which council area it’s in?
How dumb can you be?

It's everything to do with which council area it's in. RBC took away our swimming pool. Bulmershe is around 3 miles away. It's not that easy to get to if you don't drive. RBC should have provided a pop up pool at Palmer Park, at least that's still on the 17 bus route and only up the road.

Whilst I appreciate we might have differing views, you really shouldn't resort to name calling.

RBC had no choice on closing AH – I had a visit / tour and the ceiling beams where almost rusted away in parts and the place was near to falling down – it would have cost as much to repair as to rebuild

Bulmershe is on two major bus routes from the TC both of which run past PP so only a few minutes more journey to get there

And no name calling – just asking a question as you seem to misunderstand anything you are told

[ChipbuttyG]

It’s a pool that we can use that’s local – and nothing to do with which council area it’s in?
How dumb can you be?

It's everything to do with which council area it's in. RBC took away our swimming pool. Bulmershe is around 3 miles away. It's not that easy to get to if you don't drive. RBC should have provided a pop up pool at Palmer Park, at least that's still on the 17 bus route and only up the road.

Whilst I appreciate we might have differing views, you really shouldn't resort to name calling.

RBC had no choice on closing AH – I had a visit / tour and the ceiling beams where almost rusted away in parts and the place was near to falling down – it would have cost as much to repair as to rebuild

Bulmershe is on two major bus routes from the TC both of which run past PP so only a few minutes more journey to get there

And no name calling – just asking a question as you seem to misunderstand anything you are told

Correct. Years of neglect and underfunding by Reading Council, ultimately sealed Arthur Hills fate.

[chris_j_wood]

They seem to be making decent progress. Here is RBC's tweet with photos of the pool with water in it for the first time.

[OLDMAN]

Blimey it’s got a roof....................

Sorry I saw a weird post on FB where someone said its going to open air at first, and a roof added later not sure if joking or they believe it – made me smile which ever.......................
The thread went on along similar comments!