We look back at Medway Park's history as it turns 50

KentOnline / KMTV

Whether you know it as Black Lion or Medway Park, the centre in Mill Road, Gillingham, has played a major part in the community over the last half-century.

Transcript

00:00 Whether you call it the Black Lion or Medway Park, this leisure centre turns 50 today.

00:05 In its half a century of history, there have been bomb scares, royal visits and missing

00:08 Olympic torches. But throughout that time, it's played a major part in the community.

00:13 And some say it's the biggest centre in Kent.

00:16 People come here to meet friends, they come here to have fun or they come here to work

00:22 out and spend some time on their own. And we've had over the last three years, we've

00:27 had the International Dance Championships, which is incredible. The whole place for a

00:33 week is turned into a dance competition and there's people, we have, the organisers say

00:39 there was 10,000 competitors from all over the world and there's sequins and glitter

00:43 everywhere.

00:47 But in recent years, it's been home to a Covid testing centre and of course the local and

00:51 general election counts. Here's the moment the now leader of Medway Council found out

00:56 his party won the vote. He's been reflecting on the past 50 years.

01:01 It was opened by Sir Roger Bannister and I know that there's going to be a disco themed,

01:06 of course it was back in the 1970s, so a disco themed workout. I won't be taking part personally

01:12 but I know colleagues and residents will be so get your leggings on and get down for the

01:16 50th anniversary of Medway Park.

01:19 Medway Park has certainly had its fair share of history, welcoming well-known sporting

01:22 stars alongside locals achieving their sporting goals. Daniel Ananu for KMTV.

01:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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