History of Haggerston Pool and Haggerston Swimming Club By Wally Tassell
The pool was built in the 1903 by the London Borough of Shoreditch and is now, this year 2003, commemorating its centennial year.
In its time it has served millions of people in both the boroughs of Shoreditch and Hackney. The years between two world wars the people in most cases lived in housing that did not have baths in them and used the baths there, and there was many a shout heard “more hot water in number 10 please”. After World War 2 more housing was built in these areas and the baths were not needed so much and finally were closed down.
Swimming was always very busy along with the schools and the general public and swimming clubs. Many if not all the local schools sent their pupils for swimming lessons from 9am-3pm everyday of the week and the community and clubs during the evenings.
Shoreditch swimming club, St Mary’s social swimming club and Haggerston Swimming Club were the main clubs in the area, although the St Mary’s club and the Shoreditch club were disbanded in the very early 80’s. This only left Haggerston S.C.
The pool and baths were always well used and every uear Shoreditch S.C had 2 or 3 coaches going to Southend, Ramsgate, Clacton on Sea or Margate on their annual club outing, stopping off at a farmer’s field on the way home to have games for the children and sandwiches, fruit and sweets. Club committee members and parents provided the food and sweets and the fruit came free from Derby Wade a club committee member from his stall in Ridley Road market.
During the early 1970’s a new club was formed within the borough of Hackney. From some of the old Shoreditch club members and other swimmers a club was formed and called Central Swim Squad. When the Haggerston pool closed in 1985 the central Swim Squad was given water time at King’s Hall in Mare St. At King’s Hall was an all ladies club called Hackney Ladies S.C ???? whose was their coach at Central Swim Squad. The coach of both clubs and their chairpersons and committees got together and decided to amalgamate and formed Hackney Central Swimming club.
From 1985 to 1988 work was done on the building putting in a new boiler and the pool itself was changed to a 25m pool (from a 100 foot pool) with a teaching pool at the back end. New changing rooms were built and all the old changing cubicles and poolside seating was taken out and a balcony added making more room for use of swimmers and coaches and officials when holding competitions.
In 1988 when Hackney Central S.C returned to the pool they were asked to change the name to Haggerston S.C by the new manager at the pool. This was agreed by all the committee and club members.
As it happened the chairman of the club was also Middlesex county championship secretary and was at the inter-county knock out final and Middlesex won the final. Just a few days after that Haggerston S.C. received a letter from ESSO who sponsored swimming for the Amateur Swimming Association and asked the club to represent the millions of children who participate in sports all over the country at the Lord Mayor’s show that year. This was a great honour for the club as it was also the eight hundreth anniversary of the mayoralty. This was a great boost for the club swimmers who went on from strength to strength over the next 4 years winning national and county championships, and also having Olympic swimmer Martin Harris as a club member.
It was then that club coach Jim Monk was changed from the pool that we lost many of the club swimmers and nearly closed down. But with the help of the club committee we managed to survive and in time bought the club membership back to 100 plus, only to be told one Friday evening in 1999 that the pool was closed for health and safety reasons leaving people standing outside wondering what had happened.
Hackney Council you have left the whole community without a swimming pool and all the other facilities that were there because you failed everybody to do what you were elected to do. Why don’t you now get off your backside and get the pool and the facilities open again?
Wally Tassell April 2003-05-22
Wally Tassell was chair of the Haggerston Swimming club
