Seeing the blue slides in the distance as I approached Splash World in my parents' car was one of the most exciting moments of my early life.
Tightly clutching my gym bag until my knuckles turned white as we rolled into the car park and jumping out to the faint smell of chlorine in the air was intoxicating. However, the last time I stepped foot in the building was during the pandemic when it was being used as a covid centre.
In my mind I could still hear the din of noise as children screamed in joy but it seemed far out of reach as people quietly lined up to get the vaccine. Gone were the days of cannon balls, racing friends down the water slide, and getting drenched under the water bucket. I could still recall the memory but the building felt empty.
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That was in 2020 as the world stood still, I remember walking out and leaving through the same car park I entered as a child hoping to see Splash World full of life again. However, the day never came, the centre - which had closed in December 2019 for a refurbishment that was only meant to last eight months - remained closed for more than three years.
At points it didn't seem like it would ever reopen. In June last year a report was published calling for a decision to be made on funding, with an estimated £270,000 needed to pay for further repair costs.
While it may just be a leisure centre, Splash World was a major part of growing up in and around Southport. It was where you had birthday parties and a generation of people learned to swim.
Like the pier or Pleasureland, it was where our parents took us on those long bank holiday weekends, an important part of our childhood and an important part of Southport.
In May 2021, it was stated the closure had come as a result of “significant health and safety concerns stemming from failure in the pool tile surfaces”. I think for many the thought of seeing it reduced to rubble was a saddening thought. When it was announced yesterday that it would be reopening again it signified another win in a string of successes for the town.
Southport Market has flourished since it opened and has seen thousands of visitors through its doors. This week it was announced that Ocean Plaza had been bought out by a property investment company with huge investment coming to the area.
Last year, just like Splash World, the Grand Casino was reopened after being closed for more than a decade and new life has been given to the building. Splash World is just another example of Southport turning a corner for the better.
Now the sound of cannon balls and waterslide races will be heard once again.
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