Water, water everywhere

Poor old Cornwall, you don't deserve this.



Poor old West Pier.

Ironically, I am now happiest in the water, so twice a week I go swimming in what was once a fantastic sea water pool. The King Alfred, thus named because of this:



The original H.M.S. King Alfred was a four funnelled cruiser of the Drake Class, and was the flagship of the China Station from 1905 – 1910



The second Royal Navy "ship" to be called HMS King Alfred was the shore establishment sited at Hove in Sussex. In 1939 on the outbreak of the Second World War the Navy was searching for a site for a training depot for officers of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. The Sussex Division of the RNVR was based in Hove and its motor launch, ML 1649 was called HMS King Alfred and near to the divisional base was a new leisure centre that was just finishing construction.



The Admiralty immediately requisitioned the leisure centre and on 11 September 1939 commissioned it as HMS King Alfred under the command of Captain John Pelly.
The first trainees arrived the same day and by May 1940 1,700 men had passed through the doors.

This historical start to the building saw the last passing- out certificates being awarded to Cadets during December 1945.
Polished floorboards covered the large bath and it served as a Recreation Room for the Cadets.

After the war ended, the building, following serving as the Naval Officers Training establishment, permission was granted to retain its name “King Alfred” .

The King Alfred Baths also held a ballroom.

There were large sun terraces and a licenced restaurant that served up to 250 diners.

There was also a banqueting hall for 450 diners called the “Sussex Room”.



The pool had a National diving stage with 5 metres platform and 1 and 3 metre springboards.

Refurbishment and extensions have been built from the main pool area of the building towards the sea. The 6 airy long window are now bricked up . This area houses a leisure pool.

The original King Alfred Baths is now the King Alfred Leisure Centre and looks like this:



Even Crawley has a better swimming pool.



And along the coast in Brighton there used to be a Lido at Black Rock.



It had a conservation order but strangely was demolished overnight in the 1970s as it was in the way of Brighton's oh so successful Marina.


Oh dear...



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