Exploring an Abandoned Leisure Centre with Waterslides 

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This is an extremely surreal video as I spent about 75% of my childhood in this building. I used to be in a swimming club so I was pretty much going here every week for about 5-6 years straight. The areas of this building were always put to good use, the large gyms with retractable seats were used for things like summer camp, roller skating and generally where sports tournaments were held in our town as well as award ceremonies. The upstairs area with the stage is where the gym was with weight equipment and treadmills. Yes, old men loved to use the hot tubs/jacuzzis and it became really creepy having a big middle aged man overlooking the kids pool from the hot tubs for hours on end 😂. Spent many early birthdays in the party rooms too "cheeky charlies" was what it was called. I very much appreciate this video being made as a documented last look at mine and many others childhoods. You truly are doing a service by making these.

This is heartbreaking. I grew up near Cookham Road and spent loads of weekends here. Loads of swimming as a kid then the gym and LAN parties upstairs when Counter-Strike came out. Pretty much every mates birthday involved bowling but we never got bored of it, we were just happy to be together. I only live a few miles away and had no idea it had closed. Tbh as fun as it was growing up there it seems a bit like a town in decline. Popped in to visit an old schoolfriend a couple of years ago and the high street was basically charity shops and closed units. It was midweek in fairness but the place was dead. I remember how busy it was every weekend, never imagined that would change. Cheers for posting the video, brought back a LOT of memories. Gonna scroll through the comments and see if I recognise anyone 😂

All those buckets, ornaments and sharks etc. that are in the kids pool is what we make at my work. I could well have made some of them myself lol.

I grew up in this town, I used to go swimming here. It's mad to see it fall into such a state! Thanks for sharing and I never knew that it was so extensive. I can remember as a school we went and used the gymnasium/theatre seating sometimes for community events/class days off-site. The new leisure centre is in a terrible location compared to this, it was so easy to get a bus into town and walk to it.

OMG. This is down the road from me (I am in Twyford, so only a few miles / minutes from this). I had no idea this had shut. I recall bringing my kids to this complex for Birthday parties a few years ago. Excellent video. So professionally done, but at the same time intimate and sensitive. Discovered your channel recently and now going through all your videos. Thanks for this. Mark.

Just a thought. This will be used in documentaries in the future as to what Britain used to be like . Your videos are basically documenting the destruction of the uk. From the steel mills to community centres. I dont think we will ever see another time in the uk as good as it was in the late 90s an early 00s and am only in my 30s.

Always a sad sight seeing spaces like this go to waste... Covered well as always, great work guys!

Its a real shame that the council that own the leisure centre couldn't find funding to get through it besides it from first being open in 1975 it has had a good modernization to all the main public areas e.g. the swimming pools I would possibly say it was done about 5 or so years before it shut down for good in September 2020 its a bad idea about them demolishing it and replacing it with apartments as all this place would of needed is a new owner plus management team and fixing all the main public areas to get the place back open again for many more years but the government was the issue all along in the first place but we cannot turn back time now great video as always Alistair my friend keep up the good work as always cheers.

Yet another first class video lads, even although it boils my blood! This is yet another classic example of the criminal waste of public facilities that are very poorly managed by local councils along with the mismanagement of public funds. I have spent all of my life in the private sector in various industries from engineering, construction, logistics to environmental management with a considerable amount of our services being provided to local authorities, and I have personally witnessed millions of pounds of public money being wasted due to this mismanagement. This facility could have been brought back to life with better management and proper marketing and continued to serve the public who paid for it! Sorry for the rant, but I suppose the only silver lining was you were able to get a first class video from it. Thanks lads.

Explored this twice with different friends back in January. First time, the power was off, but it was a fairly relaxed explore. We only saw one other group. Second time, a week later, the power was on and we encountered several other groups in the building (including a family with kids who'd traveled up from the Brighton area). I had a feeling the whole time that something bad was gonna happen and lo, we ended up getting caught by police right as we were about to leave. We were by the access, and 2 police officers walked in just as we got our stuff to leave. Worth noting that Covid had nothing to do with the centre's closure. It was always going to shut in 2020 even with no pandemic as it was replaced by a new facility across town.

This reminds me of Lieth Waterworld in Edinburgh. Very similar. Lieth Waterworld closed in 2012. So unfortunate to see another place that many kids would've held dear be lost.

Apparently to be demolished (along with a bowling alley?) for 434 homes. Respect for paying a return visit after your first encounter - this looks like it's in the centre of things near shops & people. Even if it's to be demolished there looks like a lot of stuff which should be salvaged. Who wouldn't want a grinning, water spraying beach ball sized shark of their own??!! Great to get a nose around before it's gone. 👍😎

My children learnt to swim here. The play area was called Cheeky Charlie and they had birthday parties there.🎂

I played here many times as a kid. Sad to see it like this.

Very interesting explore. Abandoned leisure facilities are very interesting, but also very sad as you said, when you think of how busy they once were. Covid has done some damage that just can’t be undone

Used to regularly use this place as a child in the summer, shame to see it closed down now...

That was an excellent video and what a great job you did filiming the complex. Thank you for filiming and uploading this video.

great video, shame you never found your way to the pools plant room :)

THIS is so good that you brake into these places !!!! well done

Unbelievable the council have let this close, looks like it would have been a fantastic place for the community

Why do we go to such efforts of raw material, manual labour and time to construct buildings which we then allow to become abandoned? There should be severe penalties for developers and stakeholders who act with such a weak long-term vision.

Great video, and such a cool place. I love seeing all the equipment left behind.

This place was my childhood. It was really close to me and I was a pre-comp swimmer at the age of 10. I was down there almost every week and I loved it every time. All my friends birthday parties would be roller discos in those halls. Such a shame that it shut down. I miss it

Amazing video. That place looked like a brilliant facility how it isn’t open and making money is beyond me. It’s such a shame that every time a building is abandoned c***s find them and they get trashed.

Well done lads, another amazing video such a shame as I live nearby and I never went there to use the leisure centre👍

I used to swim here and even competed at events in the pool. Went to secondary school in the town too. Great memories and so sad to see it in this state….

So sad seeing something that was abandoned quite recently decaying like this. With all the vandals and such I can see it would cost a lot to fix it and get it up running again. And especially now in this economy. All that remains is to tear it down. But that costs money and has to wait.

This would be such a sensational place for families and the community, I feel so sad that's it has become abandoned and vandalised. I wish it was under better management.

Excellent work Alistair 💯

I had my 3rd birthday party in the cheeky Charlie’s soft play always went there when I was younger as I live in Maidenhead where it is

Wow what a cool little place awesome explore

I cannot believe it.... This is my local swimming place. Wish I had know you lot were there

It’s such a shame cuz even tho I don’t live around here these were the sort of things u take for granted as a child but since covid and now the cost of living crisis all these amazing places are now just left to rot kinda sad basically seeing ur childhood crumple

I’ve grown up in maids, and have many good memories from the magnet, it’s been demolished and replaced now, but it’s sad seeing it in such a sorry state. My primary memories of it was having birthday parties at Cheeky Charlie’s, and the absolute stampedes that would start to get the floats in the main pool

I live in East Sussex and our beautiful swimming pool in Rye has been 'closed for the winter' (although many believe never to open again) it is the only disabled access pool (pool with a ramp) in the area and a life line for so many people. Not everything has a price. Another invaluable option lost due to capitalism.

9:04, that plug in fridge thing still in the middle of the floor. Was in January. I misssed I lot. That bit hall with the sloping seats, Guess the one that had the lights on, Not dare go in. The sot play area, ball pol nice, Missed the exape room I think. Sounded fun the week before. Say no more. Me just would have come out, say sorry and go. Could not deal with that. Nothing like that ever happen. Not so keen on all this daftness now. 1/2 way through. Good video.

Amazing video. So interesting

More housing - less facilities: leisure, hospitals, schools, infrastructure. The government need their heads examined. 🤯

So many memories in this place

I remember going here to swim as a kid. Had no idea it closed.

Amazing place!!

looks a great place that, really a shame its closed

Great video! 👍🏼

There's so much recycling of steel etc can can be done and furniture etc..

Nice video that, enjoyed.

We did it the day after they started putting the wood cladding up we pulled up Saturday to see two guys fitting it and as we wer passing again the next day the thought we would just see if we could get in and was surprised to find a missing pannel in the pool

Great urbex adventure

Have you tried Wet 'n' Wild in North Shields? It was the UK's largest indoor water park

I remember when it was still called the Carrot Patch (?), many years ago. How times change!

Covid’s not to blame for the demise of this one. The facility was always destined to close on completion of its replacement a mile or two away, construction of which began in 2018. Given its age, I suspect the building was becoming increasingly expensive to maintain. As to whether that was justification enough to sell the land and build a brand new replacement elsewhere, you can make your own mind up.

Thank you for this video showing just one of the tragic results of what Covid has done. There will be more pandemics for sure and this means big businesses will no longer take the risk of having entertainment places like this in future, such a shame as the kids of the next generations will miss out on so many aspects of fun and learning. This building would have given many such wonderful memories, so sad to hear they are demolishing it for apartments. Well done, your camera work catching the natural light was great. 💕🇦🇺

Another great video gents

Used to drive past this years ago did not realise it had closed down

we had the same sqash courts at Rossing country club in Swakopmund

😁where the hell is burk-shure ? is it anywhere near Bark-shire ?

This reminds me of a leisure center in my local area that has quite recently become abandoned, tempted to explore it myself but its literally covered in brand new security cameras 😒

I went here so much as a kid

Very entertaining.

I love that place at cheeky Charlie so many memories

wow look at all the orbs!!

I'm not sure why people are upset about the closure of a building that was falling apart, when it has been replaced by a far superior and more modern facility a short distance away... Buildings like this have a lifespan and it's often more cost effective to just build new facilities elsewhere.

id love to join you on your adventures. i love abandoned buildings. i just moved into slough

Just like the old bowling alleys it went out of fashion. A shame that people don't support their facilities.

Oh I thought it would be Bolton Baths. I'm not even sure where that physically did or may exist now. Somewhere in the centre.

this place reminds me of alivel mall from kirby forgotten land

Bit depressing. Guess it's the only way I'm going to see the inside of a leisure centre!

6:17 i can hear a piano and some kids laughing

I wanted to see the big Plant Rooms ??!!??

Surprised it’s not a housing estate by now , everything is these days . Makes you wonder as soon as these new houses and flats are built they are sold in seconds .

Only on RU-vid can you watch one video of hotels filling up immediately followed by one on leisure centres closing.

I used to go here when I was little

I'm new subscriber.👍👍

This looks to be a very modern centre, why was it abandoned?

If Maidenhead cannot afford to run this facility then what chance has any other town in UK got. Maidenhead is a very middle class town.

Very sad indeed. Covid fucked many places up. I'd love to explore like you guys.

It's pronounced "Barkshire" 😃

Shock shock Horror i would say OMG.

A tragic and disgusting waste. I bet the new facility isn’t a patch on this one 😢

If COVID didn't get leisure centres, the sky high gas/electric bills will.

Such a sad sight to see this leisure centre in Maidenhead, Berkshire not being used anymore. 😢

What a waste! Can't believe they've let such a brilliant place deteriorate like that

Was this place knocked down, or was it refurbished and used again :(

Hey guys is this still standing please? Thanks

Did it smell musty?

What would you do if while filming you saw a ghost?

Very sad 😢.

Berk-shire? Bark-shire its pronounced aha! Good video.

What a shame

I wonder how many people from "Barkshire" were shouting at the screen everytime you pronounced it Berk-shire.

I swear to God this place, the exact place on the thumbnail, was in my dreams when I was 6 and had a lucid dream.

What's that leisure centre called

Deconsumption in the UK In terms of total energy consumption, the UK used 167,812 ktoe in 2019 (3.4% less than in 2018), 153,908 ktoe in 2020 (8.3% less than in 2019), and 159,855 ktoe in 2021 (3.9% more than in 2020), a total aggregate decrease of 4.7% from 2019 to 2021. “Consumption per capita has shrunk by almost a third since 2000, bringing it to 2.3 toe in 2021. Electricity consumption per capita dropped by more than 20%, from 5 800 kWh in 2000 to 4 300 kWh in 2020.” (Source) In terms of electricity consumption, it “rebounded by 1.5% in 2021 to 293 TWh, after a 4.5% drop in 2020. Between 2005 and 2019, electricity consumption declined on average by 1.2%/year.” (Source) In terms of natural gas consumption, the UK used 78,445 mcm in 2019 (1.1% less than in 2018), 73,751 mcm in 2020 (6% less than in 2019), and 78,114 mcm in 2021 (5.9% more than in 2020), a total aggregate decrease of 0.4% from 2019 to 2021. In terms of crude oil production, the UK produced 52,488 kt in 2019 (3.2% more than in 2018), 48,985 kt in 2020 (6.7% less than in 2019), and 40,845 kt in 2021 (16.6% less than in 2020), a total aggregate decrease of 22.2% from 2019 to 2021. The UK became a net crude oil importer in 2005 and imported a net amount of 8,000 kt (= 8 Mt) in 2021. In terms of oil consumption, it “rebounded by 6% in 2021 after a 15% decrease in 2020. Previously, oil consumption declined by 2%/year between 2017 and 2019 after a 2%/year increase between 2013 and 2017, led by the transport and petrochemical sectors. Over 2005-2013, oil consumption decreased by around 3%/year.” (Source) In terms of coal consumption, the UK used 2,591 kt in 2019 (6.9% less than in 2018), 1,673 kt in 2020 (35.4% less than in 2019), and 1,054 kt in 2021 (37% less than in 2020), a total aggregate decrease of 59.3% from 2019 to 2021. In terms of renewables, the share of renewables in electricity production was 37.45% in 2019, 43.77% in 2020, and 40.79% in 2021, a two-year gain of 3.34% from 2019 to 2021. The UK is 64.8% energy independent and emits 4.75 tCO2/capita as of 2021. (Source) The engineered energy squeeze has forced inflation upwards to 11.1% and this is reflected in the consumer price index (CPI) across the board. “It is the highest inflation rate since October 1981, with main upward pressure coming from housing and household services (26.6% vs 20.2%), namely gas (128.9%) and electricity (65.7%). However, the rise was constrained by the Energy Price Guarantee, with the average unit cost of gas at 10.3 p/kWh, and electricity at 34 p/kWh. Without the EPG, the average unit prices for gas and electricity were expected to rise to 14.8 p/kWh and 51.9 p/kWh, respectively. Inflation would have risen to around 13.8% had the government not intervened to limit the price of household energy bills. Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages (16.2% vs 14.5%) also marched higher.” (Source) The British retail price index (RPI) shows an even more alarming explosion of the inflation rate than the consumer price index (CPI). According to the RPI, a basket of goods valued at 283 pounds in January 2019, rose to 295 pounds in January 2020, to 318 pounds in January 2022, and to nearly 348 pounds in September 2022. This makes for a rise in overall inflation of 23% from January 2019 to October 2022. The gross domestic product of the UK dropped from 2.25 trillion British pounds in 2019 to 2.04 trillion in 2020 (a 9.3% drop), and then rose to 2.19 trillion pounds in 2021. The UK economy therefore shrank by 2.5% from 2019 to 2021, which mirrors the 2.6% decrease in its total population during the same period. As such, the UK has succeeded in stabilizing both its population and its consumption at lower rates than in 2019. Consequently, the UK is in recession as of 2022 and will contract by a further 1.4% in 2023, as announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. (Source)

The pool rooms.

It’s a shame to see such a new ish looking place getting left in real time

Get this feeling people would been back in there & recycled the copper pipes 🤔 few quid sat there, building will only be kocked down anyway....

What a shame. It's almost as though allowing private companies to bleed public assets dry isn't a good idea

I don't understand why the owners just leave the place vulnerable like that when you can buy really cheap security cameras (& other stuff like door sensors etc) these days. Just seeing cameras will deter a lot of people. If you buy the kind you can talk through (like RING doorbells) you can distract them with insults until the police arrive. Personally, I would just hire Macaulay Culkin to boobytrap the place ;)

the family dies then these businesses are no longer needed.

Really sad to see more and more places like this failing and being abandoned. Bloody Tories.