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Report (Permission Visit) - Oldham Leisure Centre - February 2016 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report (Permission Visit) Oldham Leisure Centre - February 2016

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The Lone Ranger

Safety is paramount!
Staff member
Moderator
Oldham Leisure Centre

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I don't usually do permission visits, but when opportunity knocks I could not turn down this chance to have a last stroll around Oldham's Sports Centre.

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Many a happy hour was spent here; early 90's saw the centre installing a climbing wall. It was just a bouldering wall, possibly just a little high in places, but at the time it was stunning and better still it was local. Being an old romantic my first hot dates with my now wife was at the climbing wall. Both my daughters learnt how to swim here. I have canoed in the pool, dived off the boards.

History wise there's not too much, a plaque on the wall says it was open in 1985 by Bobby Charlton.

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The Sports Centre closed last year when a new £15million state-of-the-art leisure facility was opened on the other side of town.

So on with the explore, I met my contact and 2 security guards who provided access to the site, the guards were very helpful making sure lights were on as well as providing additional lighting in the darker areas. We headed straight to the swimming pools.

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The last time I was in here i was watching my daughters learning how to swim, warm chlorinated air and the shrieks of children enjoying themselves in the pool echoing around.

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The diving board felt a lot higher as the dive pool was now empty.

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Emergency alarms you probably never noticed while enjoying the pool when it was open.

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And the childrens/learner pool, always nice and warm, but wonder if that has contributed to the yellow water mark around the tiles?

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Final shot of the pools, view I often had watching the daughters swim.

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Not sure who this dude is, but he has always sat in the main entrance area.

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This was nice in the changing area, messages from the local swimming club saying farewell to the sports centre.

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From here we headed down into the huge basement where all the plant rooms and machinery to keep the pools clean and circulating are located.

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Back upstairs I managed to pay my respects to the climbing wall, centre of my training, socialising and courting in the early 90's.

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Well you have to manage a selfie with all these mirrors.

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From here it was through the dry changing rooms to the main sports hall.

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Didn't spent any time in here when it was open, the only team sport I did was climbing. I'm sure this was used as an entertainment venue, well a few boxing matches were hosted in here.

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This is another alien environment to me, it's where all the hamster wheels, rowing machines and weights were located, have always preferred just to have a stroll on the hills for exercise and it's free.

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Finally it was the indoor bowling green, stunning place with just enough light to make an interesting image.

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Well that's Oldham Sports Centre, glad I got the chance for one final stroll around here. Many happy memories associated with it. Currently well sealed and alarmed, demolition work starting in the very near future.

Was glad of the permission visit, a bit of a strange concept walking around with a couple of security guards in a disused sports centre. They were top lads and was great to have a relaxed wander around the building,

Cheers,

TLR.​
 

The Lone Ranger

Safety is paramount!
Staff member
Moderator
nice one TLR. a nice splore and an even nicer trip down memory lane aswell! :thumb

I'd love to have space to put the wall panels up, the boulder problems on just features were classic, on of the first UK boulder competitions were held here, that was a great experience.
 

stonemonkey

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I bet it was mate, a real shame if they get scrapped, i know a few lads that would have them if there going free lol. prefer the features myself. Do you know what they are doing with them?
 

The Lone Ranger

Safety is paramount!
Staff member
Moderator
Do you know what they are doing with them?

I have a feeling they will just be put in a skip. Various people were asked, but the featured panels bolt onto a steel frame which would also need to be removed. Shame as it was a great wall at the time, it died a death when someone tried to sue the sports centre after breaking a leg falling between the crash mats. This resulted in limited access to the wall and top-ropping boulder problems, from memory the red line was the maximum height your feet could go without a rope.

When the wall opened it was at a time I didn't think twice to drive to Sheffield, Kendal, Birmingham or Leeds in the evening for an indoor wall, thankfully this have now changed with many great local climbing walls to visit in the winter months :D
 

UrbexWithAlex

28DL Member
28DL Member
Managed to get a last look around the leisure centre just as the demolition had started, it was pretty trashed inside but was still great to see before it was gone. Just been back today and the place has almost completely gone, full video of our explore here:
 
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