Swimming Through The Years

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Pictured above is the plaque that is beside the River Lovat.

Swimming Lessons

During the Summer, the School children were taught to swim at the Jubilee Bathing Place in the River Lovat, just off Willen Road. Both boys and girls were taught to swim and each child recived a certificate and sixpence when they managed to swim across the river. The bathing place was opened at Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in June 1887 and the landing stage used by the children is still visable today at the side of the river. In the mid 1940's swimming in the river was banned due to pollution.

From the mid 1940's until the late 1950's, the children took swimming lessons in the river near Olney.

Above is a copy of a original swimming certificate obtained for swimming 30 yards.

From the late 1950's the children went for swimming lessons to the newly constructed open-air pool on Tickford Street. The Harry Middleton Trust funded the construction of this pool and, in the early 1980's funded the construction of a heated indoor pool on the School premises.

Prior to the official opening of the School swimming pool on 14th June 1980, a raffle was drawn and the two winning children a boy and a girl were the first to use the pool. The photograph shows the two winners in the pool with Mrs Rose, First School Headmistress and Mr Harris, Middle School Headmaster.

Unfortunately the metal foundations have sine corroded and the School swimming pool no longer exists. Today all Cedars school children from Year 3 and upwards go for swimming lessons to the Middleton Swimming Pool, which is now a heated indoor pool.