Back in January 1973, Cllr John Devaney was the chairman of Denton Council when fellow community champion Cllr Fred Worthington made the first cut of the turf as work finally started on the eagerly awaited new Denton Swimming Baths next to Victoria Park.
Fast forward to Thursday July 3, 1975, Cllr Devaney returned as the Mayor of Tameside to see Olympic swimmer Anita Lonsbrough, MBE officially open the baths consisting of a 25m main pool and a smaller learners’ pool.
For swimmers and guests alike, it was amazing to learn that the ‘long wait’ had gone on for 50 years since Cllr Worthington had first set his sights on the town having its own swimming pool.
With that vision finally realised, Denton people no longer had to travel to Ashton or Hyde to enjoy a swim.
The standard of facilities and the view over the park impressed Yorkshire-born Anita who began her career with Huddersfield Borough Swimming Club and went on to win the 200m breaststroke at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia two years later.
“It’s just what Denton needs... it will be a great asset to the town,” she told our reporter.
Sadly, its lifespan was shorter than anyone would have believed in 1975. The building closed its doors for the final time in February 2020 and was demolished, having been replaced by the new Tameside Wellness Centre on Ashton Road.
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