William Thompson Recreation Centre

[sandy richardson]

Apologies if this has been posted before but just watched this about the building of the William Thompson Recreation Centre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGZTsoeCNcY

I had only just got over the excitement that was the building of Centenary Way.

[ClaretPete001]

My favourite story of Thomson's recreation centre, which I've told before but will happily tell again because no one else cares about being boring on here, was watching Alan Stevenson in some local Table Tennis league - I think he was a keen player but it was so long ago my memory is entirely unreliable.

I have no idea how or why I was there and was probably only about 11 or 12 at the time but it came to a crunch point in the match and for some inexplicable reason I dropped my table tennis bat and Alan lost the point.

He gave me such a look that I could do nothing else but slink out of the room and die of embarrassment in some dark corner of the Sports Centre.

Of course, I know feel grateful that I was able to share a brief moment with one of my youthful sporting heroes.

And to Alan: it wasn't my fault - it was hot and me mitts were sweaty.

[pureclaret]

I can remember going when it first opened where i learned to play squash, used the gym and the suana, tried Karate (did not like it first time) then some 10 yrs later tried it again and ended up doing competitive tournaments around the country.
I also swam in several galas best 1 length free style just under 31 seconds, no blocks
Used to go to the gym and suana monday nights and then to smakcwater jacks for corn on the cob and a pint in i think 1977 and a bloke called Graham had opened it id be just 18

[Penwortham_Claret]

Thanks for posting the link, I enjoyed that

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

It still bothers me that it’s no longer there. I’m sure a renovation would’ve been better, and cheaper, than knocking it down and building that load of rubbish St. Peters centre.

[Croydon Claret]

It always tickles me that they knocked down a leisure centre and replaced it with a car park. Then knocked down a car park and replaced it with a leisure centre.

I know it wasn't a like for like swap but it takes some explaining to out of towners

[Burnley Ace]

Getting let into the diving pool to jump off the top board!!

[ClaretTony]

It still bothers me that it’s no longer there. I’m sure a renovation would’ve been better, and cheaper, than knocking it down and building that load of rubbish St. Peters centre.

I don’t think it was possible. The TC was in a terrible state of repair and with issues such as asbestos.

I’ve only ever been in the St. Peter’s Centre for medical appointments admittedly but what an awful place it is.

[elwaclaret]

My favourite story of Thomson's recreation centre, which I've told before but will happily tell again because no one else cares about being boring on here, was watching Alan Stevenson in some local Table Tennis league - I think he was a keen player but it was so long ago my memory is entirely unreliable.

I have no idea how or why I was there and was probably only about 11 or 12 at the time but it came to a crunch point in the match and for some inexplicable reason I dropped my table tennis bat and Alan lost the point.

He gave me such a look that I could do nothing else but slink out of the room and die of embarrassment in some dark corner of the Sports Centre.

Of course, I know feel grateful that I was able to share a brief moment with one of my youthful sporting heroes.

And to Alan: it wasn't my fault - it was hot and me mitts were sweaty.

Alan Stevenson the table tennis payer! I’d almost forgotten Alan’s ability at whiff-waff, he was a very good player. I remember seeing him, either plying or watching the British championship (I suppose it must have been, back when Desmond Douglas could gain reasonable celebrity status by being British number one), late seventies early eighties.

[ClaretTony]

Alan Stevenson the table tennis payer! I’d almost forgotten Alan’s ability at whiff-waff, he was a very good player. I remember seeing him, either plying or watching the British championship (I suppose it must have been, back when Desmond Douglas could gain reasonable celebrity status by being British number one), late seventies early eighties.

Stevo represented Lancashire at table tennis and before he came to Burnley he'd played for Derbyshire seconds at cricket.

[Down_Rover]

I lived next door to Alan Stevenson in Padiham when he first signed for Burnley. Great for free away tickets

It will be a long time before another player lives in Padiham

[Quickenthetempo]

I lived next door to Alan Stevenson in Padiham when he first signed for Burnley. Great for free away tickets

It will be a long time before another player lives in Padiham

Trevor Steven did and a lot of the youth team lads who need accommodation are in Padiham.

[claretonthecoast1882]

We used to throw our key for the locker to the bottom of the diving pool, then dive off the middle board to retrieve it.

Happy to jump off the top board but never brave enough to dive off there

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

I don’t think it was possible. The TC was in a terrible state of repair and with issues such as asbestos.

I’ve only ever been in the St. Peter’s Centre for medical appointments admittedly but what an awful place it is.

Yup. I heard about the asbestos, and also some concrete cancer issues. Are these not fixable? I’ll admit to having no idea.

It seems such a shame to have lost such a fantastic sports facility, and also that there’s now nothing to remember this great donation William Thompson made to the town.

[AGENT_CLARET]

I love how they block off the road with two barrels and two scaffolding poles

[ClaretTony]

Yup. I heard about the asbestos, and also some concrete cancer issues. Are these not fixable? I’ll admit to having no idea.

It seems such a shame to have lost such a fantastic sports facility, and also that there’s now nothing to remember this great donation William Thompson made to the town.

I'd forgotten about the concrete - was really an ugly looking building from the outside but at the time was a brilliant facility for the town, way beyond what was on offer in other Lancashire towns.

[AGENT_CLARET]

It was a real shame that William Thompson who donated to have the centre built died a few day's before it opened

[maccclaret]

I love how they block off the road with two barrels and two scaffolding poles

Site Health & Safety has come on significantly too since the days of the protective trilby and bobcap, not to mention the hi-vis home-knit tank tops.

[Alanstevensonsgloves]

And to Alan: it wasn't my fault - it was hot and me mitts were sweaty.

You should have worn gloves......

[Claretitus]

I used to go to Boys Brigade in Rosegrove. We had some awards night, and Alan Stevenson came to give out the prizes. They had a table tennis table set up, and I played him. He was very good, and obviously beat me. He autographed my bat, which is probably still up in the loft, or in the garage.

[AGENT_CLARET]

Yup. I heard about the asbestos, and also some concrete cancer issues. Are these not fixable? I’ll admit to having no idea.

It seems such a shame to have lost such a fantastic sports facility, and also that there’s now nothing to remember this great donation William Thompson made to the town.

There is, the white 160ft concrete art work that run down one side of the building was saved, it's now at the crowwood leisure centre, I bet loads of people have driven driven past it and not realised.

Screenshot_20230203-100857_Chrome.jpg (97.06 KiB) Viewed 2053 times

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

There is, the white 160ft concrete art work that run down one side of the building was saved, it's now at the crowwood leisure centre, I bet loads of people have driven driven past it and not realised.


Screenshot_20230203-100857_Chrome.jpg

Played footy down there a few times and never noticed. Well, there’s some credit there for saving that. Probably the only nice part of the exterior.

Thanks for sharing

[Chester Perry]

I spent an inordinate amount of my youth in the Thompson Centre, it was an incredible resource for the town and harks back to a time (particularly when you include the benevolence of Burnley Building Society in funding any number of groups) that would seem fiction these days if I hadn't experienced it first hand - it was an incredibly inclusive place for the period, both in terns of age and disability with a few para-olympians as well - even with sports halls on the first floor rather than the ground

there was an incredible range of activities on offer - off the top of my head I remember

50-50 Dancing
Aerobics - classes with literally hundreds attending each one in the 80's
Atarah Ben-Tovim
Badminton
Basketball
Bridge
Burnley's first ever house/rave nights
Concerts of all kinds
Cricket
Diving
Football - and hugely competitive five-a-side leagues
Gymnastics
Handball
Judo
Ju-Jitsu
Karate
Kung-fu
Life-Saving
Northern Soul
Roller-Disco
Roller-Hockey
Roundabout - for kids in the holidays, absolutely amazing experiences to try all kinds of sports
Squash - again with a hugely competitive league
Swimming - in all forms from learning to competitive and including synchro
Table-Tennis - another competitive league
Tennis
Trampolining
Weight training
Whist Drives
Wrestling - (Kent Wolstenholme and crew - Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks etc)
Volleyball

and it even had a creche to park the toddlers

As CT says, by its end the structure itself was in a decrepit state - a sad loss but a place of wonderful memory

[AGENT_CLARET]

Chester Perry I learned Ju-Jitsu in the Thompson centre, went running all week then training and then spoilt all my hard work by going for a drink or three after in the bar they had in the Thompson centre, it was around 1984 I'm sure the Ju-Jitsu instructors last name was Ashworth but I could be wrong it was almost 40 years ago

[Clovius Boofus]

There is, the white 160ft concrete art work that run down one side of the building was saved, it's now at the crowwood leisure centre, I bet loads of people have driven driven past it and not realised.

Absolutely disgusting the way Burnley Council treated William Thompson's legacy. Forget about the what-ifs regarding whether the building could have been saved. The fact that Burnley Council couldn't be bothered in finding a public space for the frieze is quite frankly appalling, especially when the leisure centre was gifted to the people of Burnley. How disrespectful and ungracious can you get.

The frieze may well have ended up in landfill if Andrew Brown hadn't stepped in to save it. This work of art would have been lost forever if it wasn't for him.

[Burnley Ace]

Forget about the what-ifs regarding whether the building could have been saved.

There aren’t any, it couldn’t be saved! Who was the artist that made the frieze?

[ChrisG]

There aren’t any, it couldn’t be saved! Who was the artist that made the frieze?

It was a Scottish chap called Charles Anderson

https://charlesandersonart.co.uk/

[Clovius Boofus]

There aren’t any, it couldn’t be saved! Who was the artist that made the frieze?

Charles Anderson


https://charlesandersonart.co.uk/#:~:te ... 30%20years.

[Clovius Boofus]

Snap

[BedlingtonTerrier]

The year is 2055. I heard a rumour that there are plans to knock down St Peters and build a car park. Then build a leisure centre next to the library....where there used to be a ....hang on a sec.
What a fantastic video thanks for sharing. I can close my eyes and be back there. Great memories with my mum and dad and friends. Remember the little cafe looking down over the pool and those big changing benches. The clicking of the turnstiles too...happy days.

[Wile E Coyote]

Chester Perry I learned Ju-Jitsu in the Thompson centre, went running all week then training and then spoilt all my hard work by going for a drink or three after in the bar they had in the Thompson centre, it was around 1984 I'm sure the Ju-Jitsu instructors last name was Ashworth but I could be wrong it was almost 40 years ago

you're right, it was bob ashworth.

health and safety just wasn't a thing Im certain. worked for a bit there and was on the girders over the diving pool but it had no water in at the time. we had planks of wood balanced over the steel and just relied on someone standing on one end as a counter balance. The site foreman asked the bloke I was working with to get further out on the girders to continue ,I heard his reply..."F*** off, we're not a b*****d circus act" !!

[BobLordsPencil]

Trevor Steven did and a lot of the youth team lads who need accommodation are in Padiham.

Trevor Steven didn't live in Padiham, he lived on Holcombe Drive with Josie and Bill

[Wile E Coyote]

Trevor Steven didn't live in Padiham, he lived on Holcombe Drive with Josie and Bill

yes, and their lad played 5 a side at the Thompson too.

[ClaretTony]

Trevor Steven didn't live in Padiham, he lived on Holcombe Drive with Josie and Bill

He definitely lived with Jose & Bill who are good friends of mine. It was because of them that I knew Trevor Steven.

Amazing they’ve been mentioned today. It just this morning that I bumped into their son Gareth.

[atlantalad]

Had a wry smile at " and used by generations to come." Must have been such a shoddy construction/ materials that it couldn't last more than 3 decades - that's hardly 1 generation. Did not know that asbestos would have been incorporated in constructions in 1971-1975 era. presuming it would have been panelling if it was and- is best tagged and left alone like they do in old schools/colleges. Though reason it had to close was because of leakage of the main pool - or am I getting confused with the newer St Peters centre pool? Also, don't know why they added the diving pool on to the side as an afterthought. Never really saw that deep pool area being used to is maximum - surely that money would have been better spent on long term maintenance of the the original structure.

The whole planning and vision seems ineptly handled by the then, and successive, councils. It was a gift, which should have been a legacy but unfortunately has been squandered in a relatively short time. Thinking that those in power at the time may just take the view it will last their lifetime so there is no come back to be deal with. As has already been mentioned, car park - sports centre- car park seems a common path as does, big playing fields- secondary school- old school- small park. At least short-termism is consistent when it comes to "developments' in Burnley over the past 5 decades - Trafalgar flats another example. Contrast these recent constructions with those going back over a century - old post office/ Hammerton street/ town hall.

[ynot]

Chester Perry I learned Ju-Jitsu in the Thompson centre, went running all week then training and then spoilt all my hard work by going for a drink or three after in the bar they had in the Thompson centre, it was around 1984 I'm sure the Ju-Jitsu instructors last name was Ashworth but I could be wrong it was almost 40 years ago

Bob Ashworth if I remember right. It was about 1980 when I went

[Quickenthetempo]

Trevor Steven didn't live in Padiham, he lived on Holcombe Drive with Josie and Bill

Strange, unless he could have lived in both places?

A few older Clarets from Padiham have told me of going to Herbert St for his Autograph.

[ChrisG]

Had a wry smile at " and used by generations to come." Must have been such a shoddy construction/ materials that it couldn't last more than 3 decades - that's hardly 1 generation. Did not know that asbestos would have been incorporated in constructions in 1971-1975 era. presuming it would have been panelling if it was and- is best tagged and left alone like they do in old schools/colleges. Though reason it had to close was because of leakage of the main pool - or am I getting confused with the newer St Peters centre pool? Also, don't know why they added the diving pool on to the side as an afterthought. Never really saw that deep pool area being used to is maximum - surely that money would have been better spent on long term maintenance of the the original structure.

The whole planning and vision seems ineptly handled by the then, and successive, councils. It was a gift, which should have been a legacy but unfortunately has been squandered in a relatively short time. Thinking that those in power at the time may just take the view it will last their lifetime so there is no come back to be deal with. As has already been mentioned, car park - sports centre- car park seems a common path as does, big playing fields- secondary school- old school- small park. At least short-termism is consistent when it comes to "developments' in Burnley over the past 5 decades - Trafalgar flats another example. Contrast these recent constructions with those going back over a century - old post office/ Hammerton street/ town hall.

There's an excellent documentary by Adam Curtis called the Great British Housing Disaster which focusses on the construction practices of the era. Certainly lots of brown envelopes, although system building in concrete panels was a new technology. Was meant to be quick and cheap, although clearly flawed.

As for asbestos, it was incredibly only finally outlawed in the UK in 1999, albeit blue and brown were banned in 1985.

[BobLordsPencil]

Strange, unless he could have lived in both places?

A few older Clarets from Padiham have told me of going to Herbert St for his Autograph.

I knew Josie and Bill and remember Trevor staying there, as far as I know he stayed with then until he went to Everton, but I could be wrong. I went to St Mary's school on Holcombe Drive and used to take my mates round for autographs

[Burnleyareback2]

Getting let into the diving pool to jump off the top board!!

Went up to the top once, almost shat myself and came back down.

[ClaretTony]

Strange, unless he could have lived in both places?

A few older Clarets from Padiham have told me of going to Herbert St for his Autograph.

Trevor lived on Holcombe Drive throughout his time at Burnley. He married Karen who lived in Padiham but that was after he’d signed for Everton.

[Quickenthetempo]

Trevor lived on Holcombe Drive throughout his time at Burnley. He married Karen who lived in Padiham but that was after he’d signed for Everton.

That might explain it then. They might have gone to her family home when he was there.

[woody]

Yes Karen lived on Herbert St.

[Stevesball2]

Disgraceful waste of our money by Burnley & Lancashire council .
Now they have knocked down a supermarket ( co op) and built a cinema on the site . Then move the current cinema and put a supermarket in its place !!

[ClaretTony]

Yes Karen lived on Herbert St.

That explains it then - she was a hairdresser I think

[Inchy]

People who say the Thompson’s centre couldn’t be saved are the same people who said the corners couldn’t be filled in at the turf because they were not line up (CT said this). Zero imagination, zero engineering experience, and wrong.


It could have been saved. Would have been expensive, but if there are far far worse asbestos ridden buildings that have been saved.

Also those that think it’s ugly have missed its beauty. I suspect if it was still standing it would be listed. Brutalist masterpiece

[Quickenthetempo]

People who say the Thompson’s centre couldn’t be saved are the same people who said the corners couldn’t be filled in at the turf because they were not line up (CT said this). Zero imagination, zero engineering experience, and wrong.


It could have been saved. Would have been expensive, but if there are far far worse asbestos ridden buildings that have been saved.

Also those that think it’s ugly have missed its beauty. I suspect if it was still standing it would be listed. Brutalist masterpiece

It was concrete cancer.

You probably don't get the grants to repair stuff like that. Building shiny brand new stuff with visible jobs ticks all the boxes.

[Burnley Ace]

Disgraceful waste of our money by Burnley & Lancashire council .
Now they have knocked down a supermarket ( co op) and built a cinema on the site . Then move the current cinema and put a supermarket in its place !!

I don’t think the Council owned the supermarket, presumably it was the land?

[atlantalad]

It was concrete cancer.

You probably don't get the grants to repair stuff like that. Building shiny brand new stuff with visible jobs ticks all the boxes.

Seems to me know one knows definitively what was wrong with the building such that it needed demolishing. Was it asbestos or concrete cancer? Strange that the Centenary Way is of concrete construction and was built before the Thompson centre, still stands today and probably a more critical ( stressed) structure, yet does not suffer from concrete cancer.