Twickenham Lido - The Past 100 Years

1912 – SITE COMPRISED

RICHMOND HOUSE AND ITS GROUNDS, OCCUPIED BY MRS JANE MACINTOSH AND HER STAFF
SOME COUNCIL OFFICES

1922 MRS MACINTOSH DIES, HOUSE PUT UP FOR AUCTION

1923 COUNCIL HAS ITS EYE ON THE SITE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO TOWN CENTRE AND POSSIBLE USE OF RICHMOND HOUSE AS NEW TOWN HALL, BUT ARE OUTBID BY JOSPEH MEARS AT £10,100 (EQUIVALENT TO OVER £450,000 IN TODAY’S MONEY)

1924 AFTER FALSE STARTS AND COMPLICATED NEGOTIATIONS, COUNCIL BUYS RICHMOND HOUSE FROM MEARS FOR £11,350, FUNDED BY A LOAN FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR “PUBLIC WALKS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS, AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS” (Council Minutes, 17 Jan 1924)

1927 RICHMOND HOUSE DEMOLISHED AFTER YORK HOUSE CHOSEN AS NEXT TOWN HALL, AND NW PART OF SITE SOLD FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
FOLLOWING A PETITION BY RESIDENTS, IT WAS DECIDED TO BUILD A PUBLIC BATH HOUSE AND SWIMMING POOL ON THE SITE. THIS COST £19,000 (ABOUT £1 MILLION IN TODAY’S MONEY)

1935 TWICKENHAM BATHS (ALSO CALLED TWICKENHAM LIDO) OPENED 4 MAY, COINCIDING WITH GEORGE V SILVER JUBILEE

1980 POOL CLOSED AT END OF SEASON FOR “REFURBISHMENT”. THIS NEVER TOOK PLACE, AND CONTROVERSY HAS RAGED EVER SINCE ABOUT WHAT TO DO ON THIS PRIME SITE

1982 COUNCIL’S PLANNING COMMITTEE (Minutes, January) TOOK THE VIEW THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE

1990-2010 FOUR SEPARATE SCHEMES, ALL INVOLVING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF BUILDING, WERE PROPOSED BUT ALL FELL BY THE WAY, CHIEFLY DUE TO STRONG PUBLIC DISAPPROVAL
THE WHOLE AREA REMAINED CLOSED UNTIL

2005 JUBILEE GARDENS, PLAYGROUND AND CAFE OPENED ON ABOUT 30% OF SITE

2012 DIAMOND JUBILEE GARDENS OPEN, GIVING ACCESS TO ALL THE OPEN SPACE