Twickenham, London Road c.1955

Photo ref: T91022

More about this scene

The town's original swimming pool was built in Mereway in 1896, and used for many years before closing due to pollution of the water. As part of providing civic local facilities, the council erected a large open- air swimming pool in the town centre in the 1930s on the site of Richmond House, between King Street and the river. The site was purchased with a loan from the Ministry of Health, for the express purpose of providing public walks and pleasure grounds. A splendid art-deco lido with fountains and a cafe area was opened in the late 1935, the year of King George VI's Silver Jubilee. Building continued in and around the town in the 1930s. London Road was altered in the 1930s when Fortescue House, where Regal House stands today, was pulled down. Poulett Lodge, formerly the home of Earl Poulett at the top of Cross Deep, was demolished in 1933 and replaced with a block of flats, called Thames Eyot. Another flurry of house-building took place out towards Whitton after local Councillor Wills lost his battle to save the Duke of Argyll's estate. Fulwell Park, home to the exiled King Manoel II of Portugal in the early 20th century, was developed by the firm Wates, and roads in the Fulwell Park estate area reflect the Portuguese connections of the area.