The heated early years of Romsey's multi-million fun pool

The Romsey Rapids Sports Complex, an approximately £5 million scheme spearheaded by Test Valley Council, was the subject of fierce debate long before its doors opened. 

Originally drawn up to replace the outdated and severely leaking Crosfield pool, the scheme was heavily contested locally. 

Some protested against the spiralling cost of construction, while others doubted the financial sense in creating a modern leisure pool over a traditional facility. 

Politically, the complex was a hot potato - a week rarely went by without Councillor John Patten justifying the need for a top-class facility, or Council leader Roy Perry rubbing off accusations of public financial mismanagement by opposition parties.  

Opening of Romsey Rapids - March 1990. (Image: Echo)

Tension was such that the first manager of the complex, Jeff Dobbelaar, actually handed in his notice and quit for a separate post before it first opened its doors to the public. 

Even the ten foot illuminated sign at the entrance raised tempers, described by some as a tacky gimmick.  

Despite the political furore, which in every sense, kept waters churning, the complex finally opened to the public, promising a completely alien experience to the usual municipal bath.

Visitors entered along an overhead walkway, granting a grandstand view of the attractions below. 

The attractions included: The Rapids, a channel of swift-moving water; a storm shower; a mushroom cascade; underwater bubble seats; water cannons; and a 75-metre aquatube ride. 

For more serious bathers there were four traditional 25-metre lanes. 

It was the Duchess of York who in July 1990, gave the facility its royal seal of approval.  Arriving at the height of summer, the Duchess wowed the crowds in a vibrant yellow jacket, a colourful multi-coloured blouse and a blue wrap-over skirt, her familiar flame-coloured hair tied back in a bright blue bow.  

Acclaimed by hundreds of excitedly-waving schoolchildren clutching Union Flags, the royal visitor spent an hour touring the state-of-the-art facility.  

Despite the stifling heat, the Duchess had to settle for a spectator's role while local children splashed in the cooling waters. 

Upon unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion, she famously sighed that she wished she had brought her swimsuit. 

Duchess of York at official opening of Romsey Rapids - July 19, 1990. (Image: Echo)

The high-profile royal visit quite literally brushed aside the fiery political storm which had characterised the building of the pool, offering the town a day when it could at least celebrate the success it had made of building it.

On opening weekend, the first 200 to visit were offered a free swim.

Twelve-year-old David Heron was one of the first to try out the flume, commenting of the experience as simply 'brilliant.'  

The vast scale and deviance of the facility, realised by developers Tarmac Construction, from its bleak and bare predecessor, quickly began to win over public opinion.  

The response from bathers was extremely favourable and silenced many early critics of the project. 

Nearly 7,000 people had flocked to the pool within a week of its opening, and a heatwave in May only further boosted the complex's booming statistics. 

Approximately 22,606 customers were registered in one month, a 1,363 per cent increase in customers over the previous year's figures from Crosfield. 

By the end of the first six months, the complex celebrated customer number 200,000, local Shirley Borr, with a posy of flowers and VIP status. 

Such was the runaway success of the health complex, her rivals - like Applemore - were having their customers poached by it. 

Romsey Rapids had established itself as the premier leisure destination of the area.  And it wasn't just fun-goers making a splash in the pool; the state-of-the-art fitness suite attracted elite sportsmen and women, offering amateur international athletes use of the facilities for free, and providing local resident John Horton with a training base for television's legendary tough-guy contest, the Krypton Factor.  

Romsey Rapids in more recent years. (Image: Echo)

Naturally, such a hefty project wasn't without its share of teething troubles. 

One customer had to be turned away from a morning session because staff took so long to unlock the swimming pool entrance, and the entire complex was forced to close its doors for 36 hours to repair a plant failure. 

However, the massive influx of visitors to the newly opened complex inevitably drew opportunistic criminals looking to cash in on the crowds. 

Local police soon found themselves investigating a spate of thefts both inside the facility and in the surrounding parking areas. 

In one brazen incident, thieves smashed the window of a Ford Fiesta parked outside the Rapids and made off with a gold ring and chain valued at a staggering £3,500. 

Another visitor returned to their car to find their cassette radio had been stolen. 

The crime wave even extended into the changing rooms themselves, where one unfortunate swimmer had their trousers and a leather money pouch, together valued at £46.15, swiped while visiting the complex. 

But these minor events in the early days did little to contaminate public opinion. 

The Rapids quickly became a centre for local events, hosting a 24-hour Swimarathon at the complex - £4,400 was raised for Wessex Cancer Trust - and offering low-alcohol tasting to promote National Drinkwise Day.  

While the historical records offer a fascinating glimpse into the fiery politics and triumphant launch of the complex, they represent only a fragment of the broader story. The full legacy of Romsey Rapids encompasses decades of community memories, evolving fitness trends, and generations of families who have since splashed in its waters, proving that the initial multi-million-pound gamble was an investment that truly paid off.