Dulwich Leisure Centre, East Dulwich Road opened in 1892 as Dulwich Baths. About 1000 people turned out for the official opening. The first person to use the baths was Mr G A Blake, amateur plunging champion of England, who dived into the pool and glided for 63 feet and 2 inches, 12 feet below his record. This was followed by a programme of swimming races and a water polo match. Music was provided by the Police 'P' Division Band and included new tunes by the bandmaster G Fred Evans - Dulwich Village Rose, East Dulwich and The Jolly P's of Peckham. The decision to build the baths was not a sudden idea. It was part of a long established movement during the 19th century to persuade as many local authorities as possible to build public baths and wash-houses in their areas. The story of the baths is told in Making A Splash: The History of Dulwich Baths by Polly Bird (Spencer Mills, 1993).

We are grateful for permission to reproduce the text here to John D Beasley, from his book East Dulwich, available for £7.95 from South Riding Press, 6 Everthorpe Road, London SE15 4DA.