On Saturday 12th May 1962 at 2pm the Open Air Pool was officially opened to the public. To celebrate our golden annniversary we are holding a gala afternoon on Saturday 12th May starting at 2pm exactly 50 years to the hour and day when the pool first opened. Everyone is invited to come along and help us celebrate this special occasion. Entrance is £2 for adults, £1 for children and includes a glossy souvenir programme. During the afternoon there will be a 60s-style synchronised swimming display, a lifesaving demo, water polo and relay races followed by a public swim.

Then in the evening we are hosting a fabulous fundraising 60s-themed party at Herne Farm Leisure Centre with live 60s music from band Retromatic, and a 60s buffet. There will be a prize for best 60s fancy dress but dressing up isn’t obligatory!! The bar will be open and the fun starts at 7.30 pm till 11pm. Tickets cost £15 or £10 for season ticket holders and pool supporter club members and are available at the pool or from 01730 263429. Get a group together and have a fun evening whilst helping us raise funds for the pool.

Well the Swimathon weekend has finished and all three sessions went well with a total of  41 swimmers taking part. They completed various different distances of individual 1 -mile, team mile, 2.5 km, 5 km and team 5 km for Sport Relief and Marie Curie Cancer care. The pool team which swam in lousy weather on Saturday afternoon expects to have raised over £650 in total. A big congratulations to all who took part. For photos go to our Facebook page – Petersfield Open Air Swimming Pool.

The Swimathon weekend is very nearly upon us and unfortunately the weather seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Don’t let that deter you as the water is very warm and feels particularly so when the air temperature is low!

PLEASE NOTE: The pool  will be closed for  three Swimathon sessions over the weekend. These are from 5pm on Friday (27th ) evening, all afternoon on Saturday 28th April and all afternoon on Sunday 29th April. If you know someone who is swimming or would just like to come along to cheer the participants on you will be very welcome at the pool during these sessions. Participants who are swimming for Sport Relief and Marie Curie Cancer Care can be sponsored by going to the  the website www.swimathon.org.

The pool will open for the 2012 swimming season on Saturday 21st April. The day will start with  the adults only session at 9am until 10.30 am. The official opening will be conducted by Mrs Nicky Edwards at 10.30 am and then everyone can jump in and enjoy the lovely warm clear water of the pool and kick off our 50th season.

Today is the pool’s open day when everyone can come into the pool for free to have a look at the new improvements carried out over the winter. Also bookings can be made for swimming and diving lessons and Viv and Sue will be there from 9.30 am to 1pm to advise you which classes to book into and take your bookings. Refreshments will also be served. Come along for a preview before next week’s official opening.

We now have a pool team swimming the 5km distance challenge for Marie Curie Cancer care. The team is called Petersfield Openair Swimmers and it consists of Rodney Clark, Phil Mackenzie, Nichola Court, Linda Knutsen and Liz Bisset. We are currently in training! and will be swimming on Saturday 28th April in the afternoon. We are still looking for sponsorship and would appreciate any donations. These can be made by logging on to http://my.artezglobal.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=47481&langPref=en-CA and following the instructions.  Otherwise see any of the team members or go to the pool once it is open in April.

If you would like to take part in the Swimathon weekend as a swimmer go to swimathon.org as we still have places available. If you would like to volunteer to help on the Swimathon weekend please call 01730 263429.

The AGM will be held on Monday, March 5th at 7.30pm in the Rose Room at the back of the Town Hall.

As usual there will be a £10 reduction in the cost of a season ticket bought on the day and refreshments will be served.

Please join us and take the opportunity not only to meet committee members but to support the pool in its fiftieth year.

We will be publicising the events taking place during our golden year and we look forward to you joining us in making this a year to remember.

Note the date now !

Was this Sunday the wettest day of the year ? It certainly felt like it with torrential rain the whole afternoon. Despite this a number of plucky children from Steep school turned up and swam their chosen lengths. The figures have yet to be confirmed but it looks as though their efforts will have raised around £700 – a splendid effort. Thanks to Linda Knutsen who organised it all and to all those parents who braved the weather to support the children.

The pool will be opening for the new season on Easter Saturday April 23 2011. The day starts with an Adults only session from 9.00 – 10.30 am and the pool will be open to the general public from 10.30 onwards. We look forward to seeing you all then. Leaflets are now available at the Tourist Information Centre in Petersfield.

Pool Open Day

Saturday 16th April – 9.30 am – 1 pm If you would like to visit the pool and have a look at it before the new season starts, make a note of the Open Day which takes place on Saturday 16th April. Various committee members, staff and supporters will be there to answer any questions and show you round the facilities. Refreshments will be served.

Viv, the manageress, and her staff will be taking bookings for  swimming and diving lessons which are allocated on a ‘first come first served’  basis.

The AGM will be held at 7.30pm on Monday March 21st in the Rose Room at the Festival Hall. Please take the opportunity to consider volunteering for the pool. We are now very short of committee members and as a result are not doing all we might do to keep the pool at its best.  We need help – urgently. The pool’s 50th anniversary comes up in 2012  which is also Olympic year.  We would like to celebrate by showing everyone that the pool really is “the jewel in the crown” of Petersfield. But we won’t do that without more help.

It isn’t necessary to join the committee if you feel committee work is not for you. What we most need is practical help and support.

Please join us in making the pool one to be proud of.

On Saturday, January 29th at Churcher’s College the GSA Singers are giving a concert in aid of pool funds. The GSA singers are the stars of tomorrow, currently training at the renowned Guildford School of Acting. They will be singing and dancing a medley of songs from the world of musical theatre. Tickets are £20 and this includes a fork supper and a glass of wine. A complete evening’s entertainment !

Do come and support the pool – whilst having a really enjoyable evening.

It’s time to have those last few swims before we close for winter. The pool will close on the 12th September and the planned re-opening will be in April 2011.

Sorry, but there will be no adult evening swim on Friday September 10th due to a private booking.

Last year we ran a very successful concert given by the GSA Singers and next year we intend to repeat this. More details will follow nearer the time but if you would like to help run it please contact the chairman on 01730 267058.

There will be a Sponsored Swim to raise funds for the pool on Wednesday June 16th at 6.30pm. Please sponsor a swimmer generously or better still enter yourself !

There will be a display of synchronised swimming given by a team from the Portsmouth Victoria Synchronised Swimming Club on Sunday July 11th at 10.30am.

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