The Thompson Centre in Burnley

The William Thompson Recreation Centre was officially opened in Burnley in 1974 on the site adjacent to the Central Library. This film made by Burnley Film Maker, Bernard Hill covers the development of the Centre from the initial planning stages through to its official opening.

[@vaslav030547]

Brilliant video. This centre should never have been demolished. It was a jewel in the crown for Burnley and losing it was the beginning of a downhill slide.

[@johnfrancis5673]

Superb video, makes me think of a much more peaceful, safer time. Love old England/

[@maxinenewby1244]

tank you, Mr Thompson. X

[@eternal_traveller1]

Brilliant! My dad is in the video too, massive surprise and quite emotional watching that. He was the town mace bearer.

[@burnleyfilmmakers1582]

Glad you enjoyed it. Have a look at some of our other videos - he might be on some more!

[@michaelcleasby8558]

Should never have been demolished. Such a great place in comparison to St Peters centre

[@damienlovestheoutdoorsandr6110]

Well said. They should of spent the 28,000,000 on upgrading the thompson centre and the car park was (st Peters) there was nothing wrong with it. Yea ok maybe a lick of paint. Here and there.

[@PeterBalderstone]

Fantastic video! That brought some memories back to me. It's where I learnt to swim in the late 70s.

[@deanothemanc5281]

Great video, remember playing 5 a side their after work in the mid 90s. Sadly by then it did need some modernisation, still such a loss. Ironic it went back to being a carpark!!!

[@NickGarswood]

Brilliant. And a glimpse of my old boss when I was a trainee civil engineer, Mr Ashby, the Borough Surveyor.

[@stequality]

Happy memories at that place ! It was part of the spirit of Burnley ! Miss old times don’t like these evil times we are in now !

[@golddiggerdave]

I spent most Sunday afternoons there in the late 80's, hours in the pool and diving boards.

[@Adlou]

They pulled down a sports centre to build a car park. Then they pulled down a car park to build a sports centre down the road.

[@timcapstick2549]

Many Many Happy memories at the Thompson centre, it needed badly updating ,which iam sure could have been done ,but ,typically with BBC ,money before investment, in this case . Never had the pleasure of swimming in the St Peters centre, nor will i bother. Should imagine a car park will reside on the bottom of Centenary way for a damn long time

[@JoanneLeFebour1]

Fantastic video. Brought back great memories. Loved the diving board in the Thompson Centre. It was so high. X

[@AndyP1961.]

Marvellous piece of history well captured

[@burnleyfilmmakers1582]

Considering it was made in the days of home cine - you're right Andy.

[@debsydo246]

The carving is now at crow wood

[@romanianlovechild]

A brilliant video. Such a shame though as its now what it once was "A Car Park"..

[@loucam08]

Had a school swimming lesson on the Friday before it shut, I remember they gave us an extra five mins in the pool. Trying to find the exact day it shut, if it was that Friday then seven year old me was one of the last people to use the pool. It was a nice place, St Peters wasn't some massive upgrade over it. Really wasn't a fan of the communal changing room though...

[@a-khanation5279]

Burnley. . Burnley.

[@DavidReadmanWANNAHEARYOUROCK]

Lets knock it down and build a car park

[@stevenduperouzel7198]

And now it is a car park

[@johnw2758]

lol @ Burnley planners...replace a car park with a Sports Centre (Thompsons Recreation Centre), then knock it down to put it back to a car park but ALSO knock a multi-storey car park down and replace it with...............................a Sports Centre. No wonder our Council Tax is so high...

[@paulvernon1953]

Well it’s Burnley so what’s new !

[@0282Film]

Absolute Belter is this.

[@clownshoe4588]

When was this demolished Moz? I seem to remember the building but not sure if I ever went inside.

[@0282Film]

@@clownshoe4588 I think it came down in 2006 Jim, so you were about for sure. Did we not once fettle an impromptu 5-a-side there from college / Talbot wi Shaun Guthrie in goal n a handful of ill-skilled sociology students?.

[@johnfrancis5673]

This video could have only been made better if it had the narration of a local Burnley man with thick accent!

[@petermcdonugh8426]

The narrator wasn't half posh.....

[@burnleyfilmmakers1582]

You're right Peter exweeemly