The Empire Pool / Wembley Arena Story – Part 3

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

1.     The Empire Pool in 1948, looking towards Wembley Park Station. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

Thank you for joining me for the third part of this article. If you have just come across it, you may like to read Part 1 and Part 2 first. We have reached 1948, when Wembley had just played host to the 1948 summer Olympic Games, and the swimming pool had been used for the last time. Now the indoor arena would be used not only for sports, but also for a variety of other entertainment events which Sir Arthur Elvin (knighted by King George VI in 1947, for his efforts to stage the Olympic Games at Wembley) brought to the Empire Pool.

 

2.     Programmes for the Skating Vanities and Aqua Parade shows.
(From the internet and courtesy of Geoff Lane)

 

Two of the early shows imported from America added a new twist to the Empire Pool’s programme. “Skating Vanities of 1949” featured singers and dancers on roller skates, not on the ice. The 1950 “Aqua Parade” brought its own pool, and was a variety show starring Buster Crabbe (an Olympic swimming gold medallist from 1932, who went on to play Tarzan in several 1930s movies) and Vicki Draves, who had won both the women’s Olympic high and springboard diving events at the Empire Pool in 1948.

 

It was not long before Elvin was putting on his own entertainment shows. The Christmas / New Year period had been the traditional time for pantomimes, and working with the theatrical producer, Gerald Palmer, the Empire Pool staged its first musical pantomime, “Dick Whittington on ice”, from Boxing Day 1950. It was a gamble, as the show cost £100,000 to produce (about £2.9m today), but 600,000 people went to see it over its nine-week run, and Wembley’s ice pantomimes became an annual event.

 

3.     Cover and “stars” page of the Dick Whittington programme. (Courtesy of Geoff Lane)

 

1950 also saw the first visit to the Empire Pool of the Harlem Globetrotters. Their blend of basketball skills and comic trickery in the matches they played proved very popular, and they would return to put on their shows for a week in May or June each year right through until 1982! Sometimes the matches at Wembley were televised, and I can remember enjoying the antics of “Goose” Tatum and “Meadowlark” Lemon on a black and white TV set. Their performances helped to popularise basketball in this country (and the Empire Pool hosted the men’s and women’s national basketball finals from 1973!).

 

4.     A Harlem Globetrotters poster and Meadowlark Lemon in action, 1960s (From an old book)

 

5.     Programme for one of the shows put on at the Empire Pool in 1956. (From an old book)

 

Sir Arthur continued to work hard, putting on sports and entertainment events at the Empire Pool well into the 1950s, but his health was deteriorating. He was persuaded to take a break, and go on a cruise with his wife, but in February 1957 he died on board the S.S. Winchester Castle, off the island of Madeira. A bust of “Mr Wembley”, as he had become known, was placed on the wall of Wembley Stadium in his memory (it is now inside the new stadium).

 

6.     The bronze bust of Sir Arthur Elvin. (Image from the internet)

 

Although professional boxing matches had been one of the early sports to be featured at Wembley’s indoor arena in the 1930s, only amateur boxing had been held there since the war, with the ABA Championships taking place there every year from 1946 onwards. This was because Elvin had disliked the violence of some of the professional bouts he had witnessed. However, after his death the promoter, Harry Levene was quick to stage regular boxing events at the Empire Pool, featuring some big-name fighters.

 

7.     Programme for the Cooper v. Folley boxing match in 1958. (Image from the internet)

 

Henry Cooper’s World Heavyweight title eliminator against a top American boxer, Zora Folley, (above) was his first at the Empire Pool. He would have 14 more bouts at Wembley (including a famous one in the Stadium in 1963!) in an illustrious career, before he retired from boxing in 1971. A few months after that October 1958 event, the arena saw the start of something new.

 

8.     The young Shirley Bassey, and a second S.O.S. event in 1959. (Images from the internet)

 

March 1959 saw the first one-night popular music show at the Empire Pool. The Record Star Show was a charity event, organised by Vera Lynn’s Stars Organisation for Spastics. It featured top acts, including Petula Clark, Lonnie Donegan and a 22 year-old singer from Cardiff, Shirley Bassey, who had just had her first number one hit, “As I Love You”. The show was a big success, attracting a paying audience of 9,000 people, and a second event, the Starlight Dance, was held later that year. Similar multi-performer concerts continued into the 1960s, with events like the annual New Musical Express Poll Winners’ All-Star Concert.

 

The early 1960s also saw Associated Rediffusion (a subsidiary of the British Electric Traction Group) purchase Wembley Stadium Ltd for £2.75m. They already had the Independent TV franchise for broadcasting weekday programmes to the London area, most of which were televised from the former Wembley Park film studios. One of their most popular (at least with the younger generation!) shows was “Ready, Steady, Go!” When that programme staged its “Mod Ball” in 1964, Rediffusion’s nearby Empire Pool was the ideal venue.

 

9.     Mod Ball programme, and photograph of the event in the Arena. (From an old book)

 

 

10.  Mod Ball performers, at the back of the Wembley Park studios in 1964. (Image from the internet)
(How many of them can you recognise, sixty years on?)

 

With so many top British singers and groups in the 1960s, you might think that one of them would be the first to have their own show at the Empire Pool, London’s biggest concert arena at that time. Instead, it was the American pop group, The Monkees (which included the British singer/actor, Davy Jones), who took that first step in 1967, in what would go on to become one of the main features of the building’s future use.

 

11.  Ticket for a show by The Monkees at the Empire Pool in July 1967. (Image from the internet)

 

But sport was still an important part of the events staged in Wembley’s indoor arena. The Horse of the Year Show first took place there in 1959, and continued as an annual fixture in its programme right through to 2002. However, ice hockey, which had been one of the original sports that Elvin built the Empire Pool for, ended its run with the Wembley Lions final game there in December 1968 (the Monarchs having merged with the Lions in the early 1950s).

 

12.  Horse of the Year Show programme and showjumper in action, 1970s. (Courtesy of Geoff Lane)

 

From the late 1960s and into the 1970s sponsorship played an increasing part in the staging of big events. 6-day cycle racing returned to the Empire Pool as the Skol-6, sponsored by a brewery with a new brand of lager to promote. From 1976, a top men’s professional tennis competition, the Benson & Hedges Championship, brought world-class players such as Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Boris Becker to Wembley, courtesy of a tobacco company.

 

13.  Skol-6 poster and photograph. (Courtesy of Geoff Lane)

 

The 1970s also saw a string of changes to the building. In 1974, the temporary floor over the swimming pool was removed, and a permanent arena floor installed. In October 1976, Sir Owen Williams’s 1934 building was given Grade II Listing heritage status, for its architectural and engineering merit. And from 1 February 1978, the Empire Pool name was confined to history, with the building to be known in future as the Wembley Arena.

 

Do you have memories of going to events at the Empire Pool / Wembley Arena? If so, please feel free to share them in the comments below. And please join me here again next weekend, for the final part of this story.

Philip Grant.

Quintain secure £755m for its Wembley Park operation through new additional partnership with Ares Management Corporation

 From Quintain Limited

LONDON – JULY 30 2024 – Quintain Limited is pleased to announce a £755 million preferred equity commitment in its award-winning developments, led by funds from Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) (“Ares”), managed by Ares’ Alternative Credit strategy. Quintain is owned by funds managed by Lone Star Funds (“Lone Star”), which will be contributing £337 million to the preferred equity instrument.

With over £2.8 billion of investment to date, Quintain has transformed the Wembley Park estate in London into a premier mixed-used neighbourhood, with circa 5,000 homes, leading retail, modern office space, and acres of parks and pedestrianised public realm.

“Quintain is delighted to have Ares’ backing as a new partner, whilst maintaining our longstanding partnership with Lone Star, to continue to develop the world-class Wembley Park estate which already is home to the largest multifamily/build-to-rent community in the UK,” said James Saunders, CEO of Quintain.

“This is a significant next step in the evolution of Quintain’s development of Wembley Park under Lone Star’s ownership.  Wembley Park is one of the largest build-to-rent schemes in the UK and a great example of ambitious place-making. In Ares, we have found a like-minded partner, and together we look forward to taking this iconic asset to its next exciting phase,” said James Riddell, Co-Head of European Real Estate at Lone Star.

“Lone Star and Quintain have built Wembley Park into one of London’s leading neighbourhoods, delivering a high-quality and sustainable real estate for thousands of residents and millions of visitors. We are excited to partner with their outstanding teams, and to provide significant new capital for Quintain to continue its journey and cement its position as a leader in London’s critically undersupplied residential rental market,” said Stefano Questa, Partner and European Co-Head of Ares Alternative Credit, who will be joining the Quintain Board of Directors as part of the transaction.

“Our team is an established leader in providing bespoke and creative capital solutions to asset-focused investment opportunities,” said Joel Holsinger, Partner and Co-Head of Ares Alternative Credit. “We believe our scale, coupled with our flexible mandate, makes Ares an ideal partner for private equity sponsors, as they seek to grow and optimize the balance sheets of their highest quality assets. We are delighted to be partnering with Lone Star in this landmark transaction for the UK market.”

 WHO ARE THEY?

About Ares Management Corporation

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of March 31, 2024, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had approximately $428 billion of assets under management, with approximately 2,900 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com.

About Lone Star

Lone Star is a leading private equity firm advising funds that invest globally in corporate equity, credit, real estate and other financial assets. Since the establishment of its first fund in 1995, Lone Star has organized 24 private equity funds with aggregate capital commitments totaling approximately $92 billion. The firm organizes its funds in three series: the Opportunity Fund series; the Commercial Real Estate Fund series; and the U.S. Residential Mortgage Fund series. Lone Star invests on behalf of its limited partners, which include institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, as well as foundations and endowments that support medical research, higher education, and other philanthropic causes. For more information regarding Lone Star Funds, go to www.lonestarfunds.com.

About Quintain

Quintain is the award-winning development and asset management company behind Wembley Park, one of London's most exciting new neighbourhoods.

Quintain celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022, with 20 years since acquiring its interest in Wembley Park. To date, the 85-acre development has seen over £2.8bn invested and welcomes on average 16 million visitors a year.

Quintain’s award-winning residential management business, Quintain Living, focuses on the management of Quintain's institutional quality, Build-to-Rent (BTR) property management platform and pipeline. In 2022 Quintain Living was named Estate Gazette’s BTR Specialist and RESI’s Property Manager of the Year.

Update with Brent Council comment. Grappling with the Lime Bikes parking problem. What can Brent do?

 

If these lime bikes were blocking MP’s from getting into parliament you’d be taking immediate action @UKLabour @LondonLabour @leicesterliz @stephenctimms @DisabilityGovUK

Discrimination against disabled people. Get it sorted#DisabledPeopleDemandpic.twitter.com/qf1zrLLgST

— DPAC (@Dis_PPL_Protest) July 27, 2024

 

Riders appear to have taken the trouble not to block the pavement

Entrance to Cadent gas station blocked on Birchen Grove

 

At Willesden Green parking shifts between the station and the next corner

Outside St Andrew's Church, Kingsbury

Lime bikes takeover of Wembley Park stands normally used by other cyclists

Local social media has seen increasing numbers of posts about Lime Bikes that have become more frequent as youngster have learnt how to hack the system to have a free ride. 

The problem is not so much on the bike riding itself, though cycling on the pavement is alarming to many, as what happens to the bike when the rider has finished with it. Badly parked bikes on pavements are an impediment to the partially sighted, the elderly, disabled and parents with buggies. Sometimes people are forced into the road to avoid the clutter,

A good idea to encourage non-car travel is in danger of becoming a burden rather than an asset.

The Evening Standard has reported the TfL, under pressure from London Councils is considering  limiting the numbers in local areas and requiring designated parking bays. LINK

Unsurprisingly Forest, one of the major providers is opposed to restrictions:

 Forest, which has 10,000 e-bikes in London, believes that placing too many rules on where the bikes can be parked, and on how many can be provided in each borough, will make them less attractive to Londoners.

It wants a “hybrid” approach, with cyclists able to park the bikes in designated bays or responsibly beside the roadside without blocking pavements.

Forest head of policy Alex Berwin said: “Yes, we need dedicated parking bays and mandatory parking, but when you go out to the more suburban areas, having more of a free-floating model works best, so people can have more flexibility around where they want to end their ride - nearer their home, for example.

The London Borough of Lewisham LINK is going to require parking in designated bays and nowhere else in the borough:

Now Lime and Lewisham Council will install 300 bike parking bays across the area. If a Lime bike isn’t parked in a bay users won’t be able to end their journey and will continue to be charged until they stop in a designated area.

There are reports that such arrangements will be on the condition that a council renew their contract with Lime. Secret London report that Other boroughs, including Camden, Westminster, Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea have already enforced rules around dockless e-bikes amid concerns from the public that they were a hazard on pavements

Wembley Matters asked the Brent Cycling Campaign to comment on the issue:

Brent Cycling Campaign supports the London Cycling Campaign belief that the massive increase of dockless e-bikes in London is positive overall and is leading to new audiences and communities cycling in London and triggering mode shift from less sustainable modes."

 

This is quite clear that in places where cycling rate is traditionally low and where there are no Santander Cycles stations, like the North of the borough, the dockless e-bikes seem very popular.

So there is a big unmet demand for cycling.

Brent Cycling Campaign supports the concept of shared mobility and we are regularly suggesting to Brent Council that the solution to poor parking behaviour is in plenty of dedicated bays. The popularity of their use should be celebrated by the Council and a lot of insights  could be harvested to understand better where cycling needs are.

In essence: (my emphasis)

1. We need plenty of clearly designated bays to park the dockless bikes, geofenced them and on the carriage way (not on the pavement).
2. A prompt and strict response by the local authority when the operators are not following through.
3. The need for operators to regularly clearly and regularly communicate to users the dos and don'ts and have strict enforcement rules when users don't respect them.
4. For the operators to keep up with the technology and trend as this is a sector that evolves quickly so they need to adapt promptly.

Poor parking behaviour should be addressed the same way as for any other bad parking behaviour.  We understand Brent Council has commissioned MPSmarter Travel and City Infinity to help with identifying suitable locations for bays which is welcome. Using regular cycle stands to park them (like outside tube or train stations) should be allowed but not taking over every single stand like we have seen recently. Whatever agreement the Council has with the operators, it should be regularly scrutinised and updated to reflect an evolving situation. Dockless bikes operators operate globally and plenty of other cities don't seem to be having the same issues, so there's scope to see what works elsewhere.

Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: 

We are aware of residents' concerns with regards to the parking of Lime Bikes and we are working closely with Lime to strengthen arrangements around where and how their bikes are parked in the borough. This includes identifying suitable locations throughout the borough to install dedicated parking bays for bikes - similar to the ones recently implemented in our green neighbourhood areas; and requiring them to remove any badly parked or abandoned bikes promptly.

 

Industrial action at Northwick Park hospital has ended after GMB members accept a pay and conditions deal

 

I am a fairly regular patient at Northwick Park Hospital and always impressed by the undervalued support staff there. Many of them are employed by agencies as services are out-sourced as part of the creeping privatisation of the NHS. Outsourcing means poor wages and conditions and often precarious employment.

One such agency is Medirest, part of the Compass Group). Hundreds of hospital workers - including caterers, ward hosts and porters – have taken a total of five days of strike action in protest against Medirest at London Northwest Healthcare (LNWH) Trust.

The strike will end after workers voted to accept improvements to sick pay, annual leave and a pay increase of up to 25 per cent.

There were angry over disparities in terms between their terms and those of in-house contracted staff, including significantly worse sick leave, annual leave and pay entitlements.

In addition, last year’s NHS pay deal was not paid in full for many outsourced staff.

The new deal includes:

• All staff will be brought up to the London London Living Wage.
• An additional day of annual leave and an additional week of sick pay for Medirest contract staff.
• A one-off equalisation payment of up to £1,655 to address disparities in pay between different members of staff
• The trust to enter into negotiations with the GMB on equalising contractual terms when the contract reaches its end.
• Full recognition of the GMB across the whole of the NHS Trust, enabling the GMB to represent and negotiate on behalf of hundreds of members 

Bhimraj Rai, GMB Representative at Northwick Park, said:

Hundreds of low-paid staff will receive a pay rise of up to 25 per cent and fairer terms and conditions because GMB members have stood together for equal pay and equal terms.

GMB members have spent months negotiating and weeks on the picket line, but we have never accepted that workers should be paid less or receive different treatment for doing the same job.

Medirest has a responsibility to treat all its employees fairly.

We will keep fighting for all our members and keep campaigning for full equal terms.

Hundreds of Medirest members have joined the GMB since the start of this dispute and now, with full recognition, the union is stronger than ever.

A supporter of the strike action had explained the background to the strike before the settlement :

The main issue is a discrepancy between Agenda for Change and Medirest contracts, with the latter on lower rates of pay and much lower annual leave allowance as well as minimal sick leave and no carers leave. Bereavement leave has been reduced and is not allowed for siblings or in-laws.  Additionally they are denied the non-consolidated COVID payment; the reason given is that they are not NHS staff. They work equally and took equal levels of risk during the pandemic.

Agenda for Change staff were given their payments two weeks ago, in an effort to divide the staff and stop them joining the strike. Many of the staff are immigrants and there are multiple allegations of discrimination and unfair treatment, exploitation and bullying. Medirest are alleged to harass staff during sick leave. Despite having sick notes from doctors, they call staff at home to ask when they can return to work and send them to Occupational Health. When they return to work, they are placed on disciplinary measures, leading to dismissal in 3 stages regardless of medical circumstances. Staff are alleged to be bullied and intimidated, including for taking industrial action.

 

 

The mess staff are expected to clear up post-strike mess despite extra staff employed on strike days

 

The strkers  are asking for the same contract as Agenda for Change and also the COVID payments. However ideally they would like the contracts brought in-house so that they are directly employed by the NHS. It should also be noted that during strike days, the hospital are employing double the number of staff for the same work, which is not being done to the correct standards of hygiene e.g. for cleaning and food preparation, which puts patients at risk. The staff are expected to clean up this mess when they return to work after the strike and it is blamed on the strike, when actually twice as many staff have been employed during those days. The staff are working to those higher standards and penalised for any errors.

UPDATED WITH STATEMENT FROM SAVE BYRON COURT CAMPAIGN: Huge blow to campaigners as Secretary of State confirms Byron Court takeover by Harris Federation from September 1st.

 The community school currently known as Byron Court Primary School will open after the summer holiday as Harris Primary Academy South Kenton. The eradication of the Byron Court identity will be completed with  the appointment of a Principal, Mr Hyneman,  from within the Harris Federation; a new school uniform to be worn on September 4th, the first day of term, (see letter to parents below) and a two week half-term holiday in October for all but Year 6.

Campaigners against forced academisation had their hopes raised following what they saw as a positive end of term  meeting with the new Labour Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson.

In a letter to the Chair of Goverrnors, Claire Burton, the DfE Regional Director, states that the Secretary of State, has confirmed the takeover by Harris from September 1st. She rejects the campaigners' call for a pause in the process to enable the school to show its progress through a re-inspection.

Many local stakeholders have voiced their desire for certainty, for the pupils, the parents, the staff and the wider community. This is particularly acute given how close we are now to the start of a new academic year. Pausing the process now will bring further uncertainty without a clear alternative. In all likelihood, it would lead to a longer period of upheaval, which is not in the best interests of the children at the school.

Ironically, Harris recognises progress already made in its letter to parents when they say they will support the school as it 'continues to raise standards.'

Regarding the Ofsted judgement of 'Inadequate',  Burton says that the school had already been in need of support prior to the inspection although that judgement may have come as a surprise to parents:

 My colleagues at Ofsted have confirmed that the Ofsted complaints process has been fully exhausted. I am aware of a further complaint to the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted (ICASO) which is independent of Ofsted. Nothing of substance has been upheld.

You will note that there is no mention of a re-inspection. This means that the next Ofsted inspection of the school will be of its Harris entity and the improvements made by the LA and current school leadership will not be captured. However, the improvements will be built on what has already been achieved as demonstrated by the recent Year 6 SAT  results.

The decision raises questions about the new Labour Government's policy both on academisation, including forced academisation, and on the much criticised Ofsted that many see as overly influenced by academy chiefs and Tory education policy.

Meanwhile Save Byron Court and the NEU must be congratulated for their energetic and persistent campaign.

Jenny Cooper, of Brent NEU said:

Yesterday, the Save Byron Court  campaign learned that Harris will be taking over on 1st September. This is a terrible decision for staff, children and community and we know it is based on an Ofsted complaints process and forced academisation system that are not fit for purpose and do not involve stakeholders. The determination of our members, reps and the local community meant that we sustained 16 strike days, countless rallies and protests, a 2100 strong petition, FOI requests ( still going), four complaints to Ofsted ( still going) and a successful delaying of TUPE three times plus a meeting with Bridget Phillipson and a further pause in the decision.

The Grunwick strikes are painted on our walls in Brent, and on our union banner; they remain an iconic part of local and national history. You do not have to win everything you ask for to win the moral fight. 

The moral fight is won. We wanted our academy order revoked but we have successfully shown that it should be and have shown ourselves and others how to fight.

Thank you to all of you who sent messages of solidarity, visited the picket lines, gave donations, wrote letters, joined the protests and helped share our story.

The members are not defeated; they have found their voices and will not be walked over.

#WeAreTheLions
#TheWorkersUnitedWillNeverBeDefeated

Simon O'Hara of the Anti-Academies Alliance said:

It's obviously a heavy blow and there's no real way of escaping that feeling, but every single person who fought should hold their heads up very, very high. Don't get too down, we all live to fight another day. And we all will until the whole rotten system and those who run it, are brought down. You never went meekly like so many others. Phillipson needs to understand that while academisation exists, the (re)building of a comprehensive, inclusive, progressive and democratic school system is impossible. You're either for academisation or you're against it. The Byron Court campaigners will always be on the right side of history. Love the fighters in Brent.

 

Save Byron Court camapaign made the following statement on Friday August 2nd:

We are devastated by Bridget Phillipson's decision to proceed with the takeover of Byron Court by Harris Federation from September. Despite us exposing major issues with the Ofsted inspection, the many aspects of this opaque system that are rigged against parents and deny us choice and voice, and presenting the major rapid improvements made proving ours is not a failing school, we have been ignored by Bridget Phillipson in much the same way as her predecessor did. Specific concerns have not been addressed; we have been denied the opportunity of reinspection; we weren't even given the courtesy of a direct reply to us or our public petition signed by over 2,000 people.

There were many factors at play that led Byron Court to forced Academisation - turbulent leadership with an absent headteacher during the inspection; ineffective support and scrutiny from Governors and the LA; an understaffed SLT - yet despite this, with parent scrutiny, greater leadership capacity, and LA support, the improvements made at the school in one academic year were incredible.

The staff at Byron Court really believed in the school and in keeping it a community school, they too are victims of this unjust system, they too were failed by those entrusted with Byron Court - we needed them to fight for us, not to hand our school over to a corporate machine. Whilst we did get public support for a pause in this process from the school leadership and chair of governors, with only a week to go before the DfE deadline, it was all too little, too late.

School holiday activities at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre - Starting August 1st

 

Come join us and explore the Welsh Harp Reservoir this summer holiday for FREE activities at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre. These activities are part of the Action for Silk Stream project who are working in partnership with the Canal and River Trust Community Roots Project (Brent) and supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Fire Lighting Skills & Marshmallow Roasting

Use a flint and steel to see if you can make a spark! Roast delicious marshmallows around the fire. Suitable for Ages 6-12

• An adult must attend & supervise children throughout activities.
• You only need to reserve one ticket per child and no need to print, we have your details once you book.
• Places are limited and booking is essential, please cancel your booking if you can no longer attend.
• Children and adults should wear comfortable outdoor clothing and shoes that may get dirty as we will be walking on woodland pathways. Please bring a waterproof jacket if it is forecast to rain.

Booking Link: Action for Silk Stream – Reservoir rangers: nature, crafts & adventure – Thames21 Limited (plinth.org.uk)

Location:

Meet at Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (Google Maps link)

Birchen Grove, NW9 8RY. Follow the signs towards the Birchen Grove Garden Centre.

Any Questions?

Deb Frankiewicz, Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

Email: welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk

Ph: 07711 701 694

Helen Cardy, Action for Silk Stream

Email: Helen.Cardy@thames21.org.uk

Ph: 07743 927799

The Empire Pool / Wembley Arena Story – Part 2

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant. Part 2 of a series.

 

1.     The newly finished Empire Pool, with the Stadium beyond, 1934. (Source: Britain from Above)

 

Welcome back for this second part of this story about Wembley Stadium’s “little brother”, the indoor sports arena originally known as the Empire Pool. As we saw in Part 1, it opened just in time to host the swimming and diving events for the 1934 British Empire Games. Its main entrance was at the western end of the building, accessed from the road which had been Raglan Gardens, but which was renamed Empire Way.

 

Although the swimming pool in summer and ice hockey/skating rink in winter were the main sporting facilities that the building was designed for, the floored-over pool soon found plenty of other uses. Before the end of 1934, it had already staged boxing and basketball matches, and a professional tennis tournament which became an annual feature. The big tennis attraction was British star, Dan Maskell, taking on top American players in the men’s singles.

 

2.     A women’s doubles match at the Empire Pool, 1930s. (Image from the internet)

 

Spectators at the Empire Pool could also enjoy a meal in its restaurant, overlooking the action from the second tier. Another attraction, on the same level, was a dance floor area, where people who had paid for public swimming or skating could relax for free after these activities, with a dance band playing each afternoon and evening. Arthur Elvin saw his new venture as a year-round centre for entertainment!

 

New sports were added to the programme in 1935, when the Empire Pool became the annual venue for the English Open Table Tennis Championships. This event drew in thousands of spectators, making a good profit. That year also saw the Amateur Athletic Association use the arena for its first indoor athletics championships, although the flat track with its tight bends was not to the satisfaction of some runners.

 

Elvin saw the chance to stage, for the first time in Britain, a new sporting event. Six-day cycle racing was proving very popular on the continent, but that would need a special banked track. He got Wembley’s team of craftsmen to build one for him! They did this in the stadium car park, designed in sections that could be carried into the building and fitted together for the event. The complete track was 178 yards (163 metres) in circumference, and cost £5,000 to construct.

 

3.     The cycle track under construction, 1936. (From an old book)

 

4.     A six-day cycle race in progress at Wembley, 1930s. (From an old book)

 

The race involved fifteen teams, each with two riders (with Dutch and Belgian professionals at the forefront), at least one of whom had to be on the track whenever the race was in progress, day and night for 143 hours. As well as the total distance covered, there were extra points to be gained during five-lap sprints every hour, as well as prize competitions for money, including for the fastest mile (ten laps of the track). The German pairing of Kilian and Vopel won the 1936 race, having ridden 1,939 miles!

 

Spectators could pay to come and watch the six-day race at any time, and many did, so that it became an annual event. But what did they do with the huge track, which filled the arena, for the other 359 days of the year? Just across the road from the Empire Pool was the former Palace of Arts building, and Elvin’s Stadium company now owned it, and used it for storage.

 

5.     European Swimming Championships programme cover, 1938. (Courtesy of Geoff Lane)

 

By 1937, Wembley’s ice rink was welcoming the British Figure-skating Championships. The pool was being used less of the time, because events at the sports arena proved more profitable, but it was uncovered and refilled for the European Swimming Championships in August 1938. Germany, whose flag was then red, with a black swastika in a white circle, topped the medal table with 14 in total (including five gold and seven silver). 

 

The following month, Adolf Hitler’s Munich Agreement with Britain, France and Italy (but not Czechoslovakia, whose territory it gave to Germany) would pave the way for events that led to the Second World War. The bright lights that shone through the windows of the Empire Pool would have to be blacked out, and a new phase of its story began.

 

6.     The Empire Pool at night, 1930s. (From an old book)

 

When war was declared in September 1939, the Government ordered entertainment venues, such as the stadium and Empire Pool, to close, for fear of bombing raids that could kill thousands of spectators. Arthur Elvin wanted to keep his facilities going, both to generate income for his business and pay the wages of his staff, and because he could see the benefit of continuing his events for the morale of the public. He managed to buy 300 gallons of black paint, and got his workmen to paint over all 56,000 square feet of the Pool’s glass roof! Within a month, he was allowed to hold events again, although with a reduced number of spectators.

 

Regular greyhound racing meetings resumed at the stadium, but indoor events were less frequent, and often involved teams from the services, raising money for charities. In May 1940, both Wembley venues became temporary dispersal camps for British soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk, then for refugees from Belgium, Holland and France, fleeing from the German occupation of their countries, before they too could be found accommodation elsewhere.

 

7.     Civilians being evacuated from Gibraltar in 1940. (Image from the internet)

 

The Empire Pool had now been requisitioned by the Government, and stayed that way until October 1944. In July 1940 they decided that all civilians, apart from those already doing essential work for the British armed services, should be evacuated from Gibraltar, which would become a vital strategic military base at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Around 10,000 people were shipped to London, and for many their home for the next few months would be a room made of wooden partitions in the Empire Pool, with meals provided by its restaurant.

 

Elvin continued to manage the building, and allowed anyone in uniform to skate on the ice rink for free. He also worked with the Central Physical Training Council, so that they could use the arena to hold several mass PT sessions there each week, to help keep Wembley residents fit during the war.

 

8.     Programme for a Victory Gala at the Empire Pool in 1946. (Courtesy of Geoff Lane)

 

In 1946, events at the Empire Pool gradually returned to normal, including a Victory Gala (again in aid of a charity) and a Victory Day circus for children to mark the first anniversary of the end of the war. The ice rink also welcomed back its regular ice hockey matches, with some new recruits for Wembley’s teams.

 

9.     A Wembley Monarchs programme and photo of three new players. (Images from the internet)

 

By 1947, Arthur Elvin had offered Wembley’s facilities so that London could stage the 1948 Olympic Games. In order promote public interest in the forthcoming multi-sports competitions, the British Olympic Association staged an international competition at the Empire Pool in July 1947.

 

 

 10.  Programme for the July 1947 International Sports Contest. (Image from the internet)

 

A year later, it was time for “the real thing”, with the opening ceremony of the XIVth Olympiad, London 1948, taking place on 29 July 1948. The swimming pool at the Empire Pool was brought back into use, first for the swimming and diving events, and the finals of the water polo competition. Then the Wembley team erected a bridge across the pool, with a boxing ring at the centre of it, for the Olympics boxing matches. Every day saw the Pool’s seats packed with spectators, and the BBC’s new cameras used to broadcast the events (to those in reach of its transmitters, and who were wealthy enough to afford a television set).

 

11.  Olympic swimming at the Empire Pool, August 1948. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

 

12.  Olympic boxing at the Empire Pool, August 1948. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

The 1948 Olympic Games were the last time that the swimming pool here was ever used. From then onwards the Empire Pool would become just an indoor arena – but not just for sports! I look forward to sharing the next part of its story with you, in words and pictures, next weekend.

 

Philip Grant.