Valence Park And Pool

A Memory of Dagenham.

I lived in Henshawe Road so I could see the pool from my bedroom window. I cannot remember the exact year, but my friend Maureen and I learnt to swim there - no official lessons so Im not sure how, but we did. From then on we spent every weekend and every day there in the summer holidays - home for lunch and back again in the afternoon - buying a monthly pass for 2/6p, however if you reached a certain level at school along with the Certificate came a a full seasonpass. It saved the cost of 4d to get in during the week and 9d on Sundays. The pool would open in May and Close at the end of September I think, the same ladies worked there every year and knew us well. Hot Oxo and a penny arrowfoot biscuit was the order of the day follwoing a swim there. Such happy days, rain or shine we were there, better if it rained we had the pool to ourselves. Last year I went back and I too was amazed at how small the pool was when I stood where it once stood, however I was also amazed and saddened at how many of the beautiful weeping willows had gone - how has that been allowed to happen? I tried to find out through the Borough but no one seems to know.Valence park looks like one big field now, no character at all - I will treasure my memories.