SOME of our readers might remember the previous incarnations of the seafront Genting Casino as a leisure centre and nightclub.
Others may even remember an open-air swimming pool on its site in Westcliff.
These photos from our archives give an exclusive look at the "ghost" swimming pool beneath the casino.
The casino - which has had many guises over the years - including being named Westcliff Sporting Club - was built in the 1970s.
Before that, there was a “dolphinarium” on the site followed by the pool which still exists today under the casino.
The casino site, in Western Esplanade, has a rich history dating back to just before the First World War when a swimming pool was built.
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Due to its close proximity to the shore and the tidal surges which could swamp the coast, the pool was built with a 26ft concrete base shaped like a ship to counter the power of mother nature.
After decades of use the pool began to fall into disrepair and by 1969 a report in the old Southend Pictorial newspaper stated the pool contained “cracking” tiles and had green algae covering the walls and bottom of the pool.
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Owners scrambled to find a new use for the site and it was even briefly turned into a dolphin aquarium in a bid to find a new role for the site.
With a heated pool recently opened in Warrior Square its days were numbered and in 1970 the swimming pool was demolished and plans were made to turn the site into a casino and leisure centre which this time contained an indoor pool.
Sadly, this pool also failed to stand the test of time and it is now the home of Genting Casino.
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