Where is this (probably imaginary) swimming pool.

April 26, 2012 7:22 AM

My wife, as a very small child, lived in Ealing and claims to remember a swimming pool with a giant glass wall so you could watch people diving into it from the side. Have you heard of anything like this?

Further to this, I spotted singingfish's answer in to a question asked 7 years ago which gave me some hope.
Actually, while I'm here, does anyone have any more up to date information on fun swimming pools near London, as in the original question?

posted by Just this guy, y'know to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

Have you heard of anything like this?

Yes, clear-bottomed swimming pools are pretty common on cruise ships.
posted by TinWhistle at 7:24 AM on April 26, 2012

I don't know about the pool in Ealing, but Splashpath is a kind of social network for swimmers and swimming pools where you might be able to get an idea of what's near you.
posted by fight or flight at 7:40 AM on April 26, 2012

Tooting Lido sounds pretty amazing to me. 70m of outside pool, IIRC
posted by ambrosen at 8:00 AM on April 26, 2012

In suburban Canada, my local public pool had a glass wall with a below-ground room to beside the diving board.
posted by saucysault at 8:20 AM on April 26, 2012

Hi, I grew up in Ealing, and the only major swimming pool I know of that was active around 30 years ago is Gurnell Pool between Hanwell and Greenford.

I don't remember a giant glass wall at the side inside the pool building. I do remember that the sides of the building were constructed from glass, though, unusually for the time -- so you could conceivably stand outside and watch people dive.

Here's the building on Street View, which shows you what I mean. Could this be what your wife is thinking about?
posted by randomination at 8:27 AM on April 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

My high school in suburban Ohio has a room with a window into the side of the pool. It wasn't what I'd call "giant," but it was big enough for people around the room to have a decent view.
posted by jon1270 at 10:28 AM on April 26, 2012

Look up London Lidos for more fun pools in London. I'm on my phone so it's hard to find decent links. Many of them have been restored in the last few years.
posted by Helga-woo at 12:09 PM on April 26, 2012

Any place that does training for competitive diving will have this. It's so the coaches can watch the divers' form as they enter the water. Where your wife's pool was specifically, I don't know, but I did want to confirm that these exist.
posted by MsMolly at 12:52 PM on April 26, 2012

Yes, we had this at our high school, near the deep end.

The pool janitor would sit behind the window, naked, reading a paper while we swam. He wouldn't look up even if you banged on the glass.
posted by MonsieurBon at 2:24 PM on April 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The children's pool at Gurnell (per randomination) had a glass wall, and I'm told Northolt Swimarama also had a glass wall - with a slide! Both have been entirely developed now, with only external glass walls.
posted by goo at 3:05 PM on April 26, 2012

Best answer: Pressed post too soon - I think Northolt Swimarama is the one your wife is thinking of, based on the diving.
posted by goo at 3:07 PM on April 26, 2012

Crystal Palace pool has (had?) port holes into the diving pool, but not a full glass wall.
posted by handee at 9:39 AM on August 20, 2012