Valence Park Swimming Pool

A Memory of Dagenham.

I learnt to swim in the pool with my school (Robert Clack) in September 1970. Our sports teacher, Mr George, used to tie ropes and pull you along....."Sink or swim", he would bellow. The water was freezing and the changing rooms smelt of chlorine, in the park was a bandstand where Punch and Judy puppets were performed in the summer holidays. There was so much to do in the park during the holidays, football, stilts, sand pit, swings, slide and the paddling pool for the little ones....great days. Does anyone remember the burly parkie who would chase you if you rode your bike in the park?