Archival Photos of Taiping’s Swimming Pool
I came across the photo archive of the National Archives of Singapore today, and to my delight, found an picture of an old swimming pool that my family used to visit during my holidays in Taiping. It is undated, but the unique setting is unmistakeable - tucked into a hillside, next to a waterfall and thick jungle, with a tell-tale pipe filling the pool with water from the stream.
I was around 10 years old at that time, but I remembered this pool clearly. The water was icy cold because it was fed directly from the mountain stream. It had a greenish hue, which in the deep pool made it seem unfathomable because it was a deep green colour fading into inky darkness. The water was unchlorinated and I never needed goggles - we just swam until our skins were wrinkled. Next to the pool was a wooden cottage and a terrace that our mothers would wait for us with dry clothes and snacks (fried cempedak and banana fritters).
I wonder if this pool is still around? It used to be run by the Taiping New Club, of which my late grandfather was a member.