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by Judith Thomas I attended Horsenden
Junior School, Greenford Green, from 1957
- 1961, and at some point in the late
1950s our school was permitted to use the
Lyons Sports Club swimmimg pool at
Sudbury, just up the Greenford Road from
us. Our class walked of course, up the
hill, until we reached the entrance just
before Sudbury Hill Tube station. I also
remember the arched entrance to the Sports
Ground actually on the station platform,
but I never remember that being used. We
set off through the grounds down the hill
on the road, past Rugby pitches, I think,
but soon branched off left down a track
through what seemed to me then to be a
wilderness. It was a wonderful, overgrown
area and was part of the charm of visiting
the pool. We had Horsenden Hill and its
surroundings quite close, but that seemed
quite manicured, looking back. Who knew
this way I have no idea, but it was the
only way we ever went.
The pool was fairly
basic, I think, but so much nicer and less
crowded than the Victorian indoor baths in
Ealing, or Vale Farm outdoor pool in
Wembley we also visited on occasion. I
think I must have enthused about the pool
so much that my mother wangled a Sports
Ground pass from a neighbour, Mr Rowe, who
worked at Lyons. In the summer holidays my
mother would gather up the neighbours'
children of about my age and we would set
off, via the wilderness of course, to the
pool. No-one ever did query the pass, but
we all had instructions to remember my
mother was "Mrs Rowe" and we had 11
children in the family, should anyone
ask.
My last visit to the
pool was in the summer of 1966, when I
went with a schoolfriend after we had sat
History O-level in the morning. It was a
lovely relaxing afternoon after our heads
had been emptied of dates and figures, and
the pool was almost empty. I think I must
have been masquerading as "Miss Rowe" that
day. Shortly afterwards the Sports Ground
must have been sold. Obviously the land
has been put to good use, but I shan't
ever forget the happy times at that pool,
or the class sing-songs through the
wilderness area. Thank you, Lyons!
©
Judith Thomas
2004
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