The most beautiful of all the Merseyside lidos was New Brighton Bathing Pool, opened by Lord Leverhulme on 13th June 1934.
Shaped like a scallop shell, with a shallow paddling area and a deeper diving area, the pool was over 100m long, with a fountain, underwater lighting, and diving boards up to 10m. With its various parts designed for championship swimming, diving competitions, leisure bathing and paddling, it could hold 2,000 bathers and was one of the largest aquatic stadiums in the world. The stunning Art Deco design also included seating for 12,000 spectators, a two-level restaurant, viewing balcony, six shops, a pool manager’s apartment, and a room for ‘drying people’s clothing after accidental immersion’.
Almost a million people passed through the turnstiles in its first season and this glorious pleasure palace was the holiday destination of choice for generations of Merseyside families, as well as drawing visitors from hundreds of miles away.
Thousands gathered here for the annual Miss New Brighton beauty contest, and in 1984 ITV staged New Brighton Rock here, featuring major bands of the day and headlined by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Violent storms in February 1990, with hurricane force winds of almost 100mph, caused very severe damage when the sea forced a hole into the foundations and over 13m gallons of seawater swamped the site.
With the repair cost estimated at £4m, the authorities chose instead to demolish it, and the Merseyside Development Corporation bulldozers levelled the site that summer. It’s now home to Morrison’s supermarket and car park.
