Delight as public pool reopens after two years

People have expressed their delight after a town's only public swimming pool finally reopened.

The Empress pool in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, was forced to close in 2023 after structural issues were discovered and the bill to repair it was about £80,000.

The pool's trustees used about £70,000 of their own funds and the rest was raised through donations and a grant.

Katie Beaney, who had been driving miles each week to take her children to the nearest pool, said its reopening was "absolutely amazing - the children love it".

Julian Frost, a trustee of the pool in Park Street, said it was "brilliant" to be back in business and "such a relief to see the children swimming again".

Frost is a grandson of local builder Percy Rooke, who bought and converted the former cinema building into a pool, which was first opened in 1964.

He said the whole community had supported the trust's efforts to repair the facility.

Frost added it was "really, really important" to have a swimming pool "right on your doorstep".

Enjoying the pool, mum-of-two Beaney said she learnt to swim at the Empress as a child and her own children, aged six and eight, would soon be starting lessons there.

During the closure, she had been driving through rush-hour traffic to the nearest public pool but was delighted the Empress, in her hometown, was back up and running.

"All the community pulled together to help raise the funds," she said.

Adam Foeniger was also there with his daughter, aged seven.

He said having the pool back open was "absolutely brilliant and we're coming two or three times a week - she's loving it."

The pool is open from 05:00 to 00:00 seven days a week and can also be hired out privately for short sessions or parties.

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