John retires after 49 years of teaching Morpeth youngsters to swim

John Peverley was 16 when he landed his first job as a lifeguard at the former Riverside Leisure Centre in 1974.

Over the next five decades, he stepped into roles including swimming instructor and operational manager – as well as training future lifeguards.

It was also at the Riverside that he met his wife, Cynthia. She was a receptionist there for 27 years before her retirement last year.

The couple now plan to enjoy their retirement with more trips to their caravan in Berwick.

John said: “The best thing for me was teaching the kids and I love seeing the surprise and pride in their faces when they first realise they don’t sink!

“I used to get people coming up to me to say ‘you taught me to swim’, then it was ‘you taught my mam and dad to swim’, now it’s ‘you taught my grandma and grandad’.

“I also love meeting customers and feel lucky to have lots of happy memories and the best work family.

“I’ve only done a few shifts at the new Morpeth Sports and Leisure Centre (which opened last month), as I’ve been working to empty the old pool and get it ready to hand back to Northumberland County Council.

“It seems fitting that after 49-and-a-half years, the last job of my career will be to hand over the keys. It’s the end of an era, but the new leisure centre is fantastic.

“I’m also very proud of my team at Active Northumberland. I know how hard they work and care about customers.

“Cynthia and I now hope to spend more time enjoying our caravan up in Berwick – along with our gnome, which the team bought us as a leaving present.”

The new £21million facility was funded by Northumberland County Council. It is operated and managed by Active Northumberland.

Mark Warnes, chief executive of Active Northumberland, said: “John and Cynthia have both made a difference to the lives of hundreds of people in Morpeth over their careers.

“From teaching children to swim and training the next generation of lifeguards to looking after customers, they will both be a huge miss and we wish them the very best for the future.”