Earlier news
Weeks of meetings, leafleting, petitioning, publicity events and rallies have paid off at last for members of The Pyramids supporters' action group calling themselves Friends Of The Pyramids as, at the full meeting of Portsmouth City Council, on 25th March 08, elected members voted almost unanimously to keep the unique and diverse facility from closure due at the end of this month. Only three councillors, all representing wards in the north of the city, voted against the Council Leader's recommendation to keep it open. Ultimately, a petition to have it kept open collected over 9,000 signatures! Thanks are due to our chairperson, Bob Adderley and Karen Winslade whose untiring efforts saw this matter to its conclusion.
This last minute U-turn ensures The Pyramids will remain open for at least the next thirteen months and will receive funding for urgent repairs as well as operating costs. More importantly, this reprieve ensures extra time in which the Council's long overdue marketing exercise can be completed and reported upon whilst councillors and supporters work to find a long term way of more viably operating the complex.
With its numerous indoor heated pools, one with beach type access and a wave machine, a 100ft flume and two smaller flumes and cafe bar. There are also numerous licensed function rooms and a large conference/exhibition/ concert hall already well established on the nation's rock concert circuit, provided it now receives more efficient marketing and management, The Pyramids successful future can be assured.
Throughout today's council meeting, elected members made continual reference to the supporters' group and all the good work they had done in positively influencing councillors to bring about this remarkable reprieve. The Pyramids is an indoor leisure complex on Southsea seafront, opened by Portsmouth City Council in 1988 with four activities areas with the function room located next door to the indoor leisure complex proving to be a popular venue for live music. Live acts to have played at the Portsmouth Pyramids Centre include Lostprophets, The Darkness and Arctic Monkeys. In addition to the functions rooms providing licensed facilities for conferences, exhibitions private parties, there is a pub called The Frog On The Front, (which is currently closed), and the elaborate water park. This all provides good exercise at a time when obesity is currently a problem in Portsmouth.
Thank you,
Robin Kay, The Friends Of The Pyramids
More information available from:
Chairman of The Friends Of The Pyramids: Bob Adderley
T: 023 9229 7103
E: bobad @ talktalk.net