Page 26 - br-nov-2021

November 2021 November 2021
OBITUARIES
often also giving him the chance to moan to us all about the latest
abject performances. Taking them to watch England play cricket in
Southampton a few years ago made me glad I could return the favour of the
sports matches and trips he took me on when I was younger. It also gave him
the opportunity to develop a bit of an outspoken voice on social media for
causes he believed in, which if nothing else gave the rest of us a bit of a
chuckle.
Sadly in more recent months the toll of years of medical procedures and
treatment made it harder for his body to continue fighting his illness and to his
frustration his health and mobility declined, yet his determination and level of
dignity never did.
Grandad was….
Fixing Hayden’s bike for the third time in the pouring rain
Playing Hot Wheels with Louie time and time again
Telling us the truth when Dad said he was such good a boy at school!
The one who taught us the name of every single tool
Fixing the hoover when Mum snapped the wire
The scrabble king who forced everyone to retire
The wooden engraved tags for our Christmas sacks
He usually won Uno, knowing all the hacks
He never moaned when Tamsin used the sofa as a launch pad
And he answered every single question Cerys ever had (a lot)
His knowledge of pretty much all there is to know
The vegetables in his garden that always seemed to
grow
Patient, quiet and happy just to be
Although Twitter and Facebook would probably
disagree!
That’s what Grandad was.
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Warley Wasps Swimming Club and the Warley Wasps water polo team
established in 1888 still use the pool for training and matches. The water polo
team plays in the National League.
As Andy showed me around the building it became obvious that he had a deep
love for the place. “You really should write a book” I said and I really meant it. He
and Sean took me on a tour of the subway to the building.
During the last war part of the cellar was
used as a morgue for casualties during the
bombing. The building is also close to an old
burial ground. “There have definitely been
incidences of paranormal activity down
here” said Andy. Tables had been seen to
move across a room. Human figures and
puffs of smoke have appeared out of
nowhere. A contactor once complained
that he was not told that he would have
company when he was working in the
subway only to be told that there was no
one down there.
Now ghost hunting nights are a regularly feature of the building’s activities. Is
there no end to the fascination of this amazing place?
Andy had worked at the pool for 27 years on and off “but I always manage to
come back here. I love it” he said.
The building is open from 6.30am to 10 pm weekdays and 7.30am to 4pm at
weekends. Usage has gone up over the years especially with the older swimmers.
It is run by the Smethwick Leisure Trust with Sandwell
Council owning the building. This enables the
management to apply for grants which would not
be available if the council ran it.
It still serves a mixed community with Asian, Polish
and a professional set being represented. “In the
morning, the pool is packed with two lanes being
allocated for the stronger swimmers” said Sean “It is
all very social with swimmers calling “morning” to
each other as they passed in the pool.
I was allowed my own special swim watched on by
lifeguards Jackie and Harry. The natural light from
the roof still managed to radiate in even on a grey
day outside.
As I swam my few lengths I was transported back in
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