Category Archives: Swimming

Khan hails £130m chance to revive Crystal Palace sports centre

Proposals for what London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has welcomed as a “once-in-a-generation” redevelopment of the sports facilities in Crystal Palace Park have been submitted in a planning application to Bromley Council. The £130million project aims to bring the Olympic-sized … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Cycling, Football, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Rugby League, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming, Tennis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mayor Khan fires starting pistol for £130m sports centre refurb

‘There’s no downside to redeveloping Crystal Palace’ says Khan as work finally begins to bring the former National Sports Centre back into working order – perhaps even as part of a bid for London to host the 2040 Olympics Plans … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Basketball, Bromley Council, Cricket, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Football, London Assembly, Mayor of London, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Croydon girl was ‘unlawfully killed’ at Windsor water park

The father of an 11-year-old Croydon schoolgirl who drowned at a birthday party at a Windsor water park has issued a plea for stronger regulations to be enforced at similar leisure facilities. A coroner’s inquest found that Kyra Hill was … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dive in to become an icebreaker and raise vital funds for Crisis

Homelessness charity Crisis is calling for hundreds of swimmers to brave the icy waters of Brockwell Park Lido to help raise money this winter. The Icebreaker challenge will be taking place on Saturday December 7 from 9.45am. Everyone is welcome, … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Crisis Skylight Centre, Swimming | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Racing against the great Spitz at a Games scarred by violence

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Chariots of Fire is on the telly, the Paris Games are just five days away, and DAVID MORGAN speaks to the South Croydon-based swim coach about how he raced against one of the greatest Olympians of all time … Continue reading

Posted in David Morgan, History, South Croydon, Southwark Council, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The day Norwood-born Burke defeated Hitler’s Germany

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: The trawl through the Minster archives for Croydon’s Olympic deeds has brought DAVID MORGAN to Berlin in 1936, and one of the most notorious Games in history The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, with swastikas draped from seemingly … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Cycling, David Morgan, History, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Swimmer who made a splash with Tarzan at Paris Olympics

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Diving back into the parish register from more than 100 years ago, DAVID MORGAN has found the story of a medal-winner from Croydon who raced at the Chariots of Fire Games The 2024 Olympics are fast approaching. The … Continue reading

Posted in David Morgan, History, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sudden closure of West Wickham pool for safety reasons

Bromley Council has been forced to close West Wickham Leisure Centre as a “precautionary” measure, “in support of safety”. The council made the announcement yesterday afternoon, less than three months since agreeing to carry out a multi-million-pound refurbishment of the … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Health, Purley Pool, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sport England gives £400,000 subsidy to three Croydon pools

Sport England is providing a £400,000 subsidy for the operating costs of three Croydon swimming pools. The pools at New Addington, South Norwood and Thornton Heath will between them receive £407,069 to “mitigate their swimming pool utility bills and keep … Continue reading

Posted in GLL - Better, New Addington South, South Norwood, Swimming, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Residents backlash over Perry’s 200-flat scheme at Purley pool

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Even the usually placid residents associations in the south of the borough have begun to realise that they were sold a pup by Jason Perry over the fate of the leisure centre at Purley, where the Conservative … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Jeet Bains, Leisure services, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley, Purley Pool, Simon Brew, Swimming | 8 Comments

Perry abandons Tory election promise to reopen Purley Pool

Our swimming correspondent, ANITA LOSTBOROUGH, on how a detail-lite announcement for lots more flats has been dressed up by the prospect of a new leisure centre… if we’re lucky, ready before 2028 Ever felt you’ve been conned? Jason Perry, the … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Leisure services, Mayor Jason Perry, Property, Purley, Purley Pool, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Khan set to splash the cash to re-open Crystal Palace pools

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has approved the immediate spending of up to £10million to bring key parts of the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace back into use, providing for urgent repairs to the Olympic-sized swimming pool and for the … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Boris Johnson, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Trinity’s water polo players are making a splash at World Cup

Trinity School has two alumni – one a former pupil, the other currently in the Sixth Form – playing for Great Britain’s senior women’s team in the water polo World Cup in Berlin this week. Lucy Bullock and team captain … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Schools, Sport, Swimming, Trinity School | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

London Stadium deal could give Crystal Palace new lease of life

After decades of damaging dither and delay, might an eclectic coalition of bodies, including a Premier League football club, be about to come up with a plan, and the cash, to revive the NSC? By STEVEN DOWNES Might there be … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Boris Johnson, Business, Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fuel crisis takes grip of borough leisure centres’ opening times

Times are tough. Now Croydon’s leisure centres and swimming pools – owned by the cash-strapped council and operated for them by Greenwich Leisure – are reducing their opening hours because they can’t afford the steepling costs of heating the buildings, … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Libraries, New Addington South, Purley, Purley Pool, South Norwood, Swimming, Thornton Heath, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tory budget amendment looks to reopen Purley Pool for £3m

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The disparity in provision of leisure facilities between the north and south of the borough has sent mayoral candidates trying to make a budget splash. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor The Tory opposition group at the Town … Continue reading

Posted in Jason Perry, Purley, Purley Pool, Sport, Swimming, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor Khan agrees to repair Crystal Palace swimming pools

Crystal Palace’s swimming and diving pools are set to get a multi-million facelift and repair package to enable them to re-open, after the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, agreed to get the works done, a decision which City Hall today … Continue reading

Posted in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Ellie Reeves MP, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Crystal Palace at risk as London squanders its Olympic legacy

Britain’s Olympic heroes and heroines had barely stepped off their homecoming flights from Tokyo than coaches and administrators were warning that the promised “sporting legacy” of greater participation and increased achievement and excellence is being squandered through neglect and lack … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Croydon Harriers, Crystal Palace Park, Herne Hill Harriers, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

11-year-old schoolgirl splashes the cash in swim fundraiser

Inspired by her Olympic heroes Alice Dearing, Adam Peaty and Michael Phelps, 11-year-old Amelia Smith is on a mission to get more Croydon children swimming. Smith has loved swimming since her first visit to her local pool when just six … Continue reading

Posted in South Croydon, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Choong’s Olympic gold burnished on playing fields of Croydon

Whitgift School can now add Olympic gold to the long list of sporting achievements of its former pupils, after Joe Choong won the men’s modern pentathlon at the Tokyo Games yesterday. Whitgift has long been a nurturing ground for outstanding … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, South Croydon, Sport, Swimming, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sanderstead mum’s Channel swim closes in on bionic target

An amputee from Sanderstead has added “Channel swimmer” to her list of accomplishments after a 15-hour relay effort at the weekend gave the latest cash boost to her fund-raising campaign to pay for a bionic hand. Nicola Wilding, 44, was … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Sanderstead, Swimming | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Purley Pool remains shut despite £1m grant to council

Croydon Council has received nearly £1million of government covid cash from a fund to ensure local sports and leisure facilities can reopen safely after the coronavirus lockdown – but the authority has done nothing to open the doors of Purley … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Purley, Purley Pool, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Councillor warns Purley leisure centre may never reopen

A ward councillor in Purley says that the council-owned swimming pool and leisure centre there, which has been closed since March because of coronavirus, is at serious risk of never being reopened.

Posted in Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Helen Redfern, Leisure services, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sign up for Purley Swimathon to raise funds for your cause

“Don’t delay – enter a team today” is the message from the organisers of this year’s Purley Rotary’s Swimathon, being staged at Purley Pool on Saturdays March 7 and 14. Deadline for entries is February 8 and full details, including … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Purley Rotary Club, Swimming | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Edberg has a (tennis) ball at Purley club after £2.5m upgrade

Stefan Edberg, the former Wimbledon tennis champion, was in Croydon recently to preside over the relaunch of the David Lloyd Purley health and fitness club following a £2.5million investment in new and improved facilities. Edberg, the Wimbledon winner in 1988 … Continue reading

Posted in Sport, Swimming | Tagged , | Leave a comment