In 1972 Hounslow Council announced plans to build,
an arts centre on the old gasworks site as part of
the regeneration of Brentford's riverside Founding
for the Brentford Arts Centre, as it was originally
called, came from the London Borough of Hounslow
in partnership with other public and private funding
bodies. Various development schemes were put forward,
one of which included infilling the Thames between
the high Street and Lot's Ait. Luckily, this plan
was vetoed on ecological grounds since, had it gone
ahead, the centre would have lost its attractive
riverside location Construction work began in 1982
and the centre was officially opened by Princess
Alexandra in November 1984. As a way of marketing
the centre, local residents were invited to suggest
an appropriate name. Waterman's Arts Centre was
chosen from the 90 entries submitted. The centre
contains a theatre, a cinema, an art gallery, rooms
for holding workshops and classes, a bar, a restaurant
and a large open plan foyer intended for free
entertainments. Classes and courses are run for
people interested in drama, story telling, dance
and crafts. Fears about funding for the centre came
in 1985 when the GLC, on which the Watermans
relied to no small degree, was abolished. Grants
from the local authority have been slashed over
years and finance has been a struggle. The centre
was opened in 2000 for re-furbishing and didn't
re-open until April 2002.
FOUNTAIN LEISURE CENTER
In 1980 the local paper announced the building of a
leisure centre on the site vacated by Brentford Market.
It was the first purpose-built leisure centre in the
Borough of Hounslow and the Borough's Management Plan
for the centre proudly boasts that the fountain has
been designed so that it has a spectacular and modern
appearance. It is intended to dominate that part of
Chiswick High Rd which it faces and can be clearly
seen from both the M4 and A4. The barrel vaults over
the leisure pool; the sloe berry blue roof and brindle
brown brick combine to mark the building as a place
of interest. Building work began in 1984 but delays;
due in part to a sub-contractor going into liquidation
meant that it was not handed over to the council until
1987. Neil Kinnock officially opened the centre on 28
July 1987. The wave-making machine and the 40ft Aqua
slide were novel features of the large leisure pool.
There are also facilities for roller skating, badminton
and five-a-side football Princess Diane visited the
fountain in 1990, the same year that mixed nude
saunas became popular. But local residents were
upset when the fountain allowed all-night disco
parties the following year and in 1993 magistrates
refused to grant a drink licence until 2am for a
disco party.
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