Do you remember swimming here? Andy Hutchinson dives into the history of the former Leeds International Swimming Pool.
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00:00Hi and welcome to the latest edition of Leeds Then and Today with me Andrew Hutchinson.
00:05We're aiming to make a splash with the story of a controversial Leeds landmark which is
00:09no longer here.
00:12Leeds International Pool was loved and loved in equal measure by generations of Leeds residents
00:20during its 40 year stint in the city.
00:22The idea of an Olympic sized swimming pool for Leeds was first muted in the 1930s but
00:28that idea was canned owing to the outbreak of war.
00:32The idea was back on the agenda by the 1960s despite some people wanting smaller pools
00:38built around Leeds.
00:40Leeds International Pool opened in September 1967 yet the signs were ominous from the start
00:46when gale force winds almost ripped off the futuristic copper roof.
00:50Worse still, the pool wasn't even fit for the Olympics.
00:53Legend has it that it was a couple of inches too short.
00:57In fact, it was slightly too narrow for eight lane Olympic standards.
01:01The public was quick to criticise the pool's location.
01:05One user at the time said the building is badly sited, difficult to approach by car
01:11and dangerous for kiddies attending during rush hours.
01:14Its innovative design was by John Poulsen.
01:17Council chiefs claim more than £278,000 back from the bankrupt architect for design
01:23flaws in the pool.
01:25The pool closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2009.
01:29For many many years it was used as a car park but today it's getting a new lease of life.
01:35Work is well underway on a multi-million pound development which will see thousands of people
01:39live and work here.
01:41The architecture is considerably different to its brutalist predecessor.
01:45The story of Leeds International Pool is a controversial one so thanks for taking the
01:50plunge.
01:51The site looks very different today but there's still a sign that Leeds International Pool
01:56was here.