Bovey Tracey Swimming Pool has been a focal point for our town and welcoming visitors for over half a century!
In 1964, a public meeting was convened by Mr E.R. Vinnicombe, the Headmaster at Bovey Tracey Primary School, to explore ways of providing a small pool for the school. At that meeting, such was the enthusiasm it was determined to build a larger pool for the town as a whole, to which the school could have access.
The Bovey Tracey Swimming Pool Association (BTSPA) was formed under the chairmanship of Ron Harris. Possible sites, planning requirements, pool contractors, fundraising activities and sources of grants were investigated. The Parish Council kindly agreed in May 1965 to grant a 60-year lease of a site on the Recreation Ground for a nominal rent. After consultation with Gilliam and Company, the main contractors and Sidney Mountford, Walter Mountford and Bob Moore, the building and surveying experts, a basic design for a 25-metre pool, its surrounds and associated building was agreed.
A tender of £11,184 was agreed in February 1968 with less specialised work to be carried out by volunteers. A grant for 50% of this was awarded by the Department of Education and Science. Site work started on 13th June 1968 and the pool opened to the public on 24th August 1968.
The opening ceremony included a lifesaving demonstration by a local police team and ceremonial lengths of the pool swum by Mike Steer, Tony Gaton, Eugenie Clifford and Sarah Mann. Ron Harris declared the pool open and local children edging the pool all jumped in followed by showers of coins hurled after them by the adults!
At this stage only basic facilities were in place. Further improvements were introduced over the next few years, such as the heating system (1970), spectator terrace (1971), toddler pool and storeroom & lifeguards room. The wooden building housing the entrance kiosk, changing rooms and plant room were replaced after 40 years in 2009 with new, modern facilities. Solar panels to heat the showers were added in 2010.
None of this would have happened without a tremendous amount of hard work, enthusiasm and imagination from the Committee and community as a whole which secured the necessary funding. To start with, 50% of the build cost, almost £6,000, had to be raised before works could begin. To put this into context, in 1968 £6,000 could buy three houses! The fund was started by charging an annual subscription of one crown to become a member of the BTSPA. Many local people, businesses and organisations made donations, children from the primary school raised money selling foreign stamps, a Caledonian market was held in Wyatt and Bruce’s premises in the old pottery buildings – now the House of Marbles, draws and dances were regularly held.
Once the pool was open, fundraising still had to continue for improvements and running costs. Mr Alfred (Ginge) Spence was the driving force behind many of the money-raising schemes, such as the ‘Buy A Brick’ badge for the wall fund, balloon races, sponsored swims and summer fairs. A ‘Dunk-a-Belle’ stall in which a bikini clad young lady was tipped into a pool of water by throwing a ball at a bulls eye was taken by Ginge and David Iley to various events in Devon gaining useful publicity as well as raising money. The biggest and most consistent money-spinner was the weekly lottery conducted every Wednesday evening. Membership rose to about one thousand, raised approximately £50 per week and continued for over 20 years.
Many local people have been involved in the success of the swimming pool, not just with fundraising. People with no previous experience had to learn how to run a swimming pool, including addressing health and safety issues, the use and maintenance of filtration, chlorination and heating equipment, water quality treatment, supervising staff, organising wages, National Insurance and PAYE, recruiting volunteers for the entrance kiosk and running the business side of the pool.
The story of the Bovey Tracey Swimming Pool continues thanks to the ongoing support of local volunteers, businesses and organisations. Each summer the pool provides pleasure and relaxation for the people of Bovey Tracey, the surrounding area and visitors to the town.