Royal opening for Arena

Photo: Jan Harwood

The Countess receives flowers from Middleton twins Katie and Lauren Williams, aged four.

12 More Image(s) In Gallery

The Middleton Arena was officially opened by Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex today (Tuesday 1 December).

The Countess, who is married to the Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, unveiled a commemorative plaque at the £15 million sports and entertainment centre.

The Countess was given a tour of the arena, including fitness centre, pools, sports facilities and auditorium, before unveiling the plaque in the main foyer.

She was greeted by the Mayor, Councillor Keith Swift, who introduced her to guests whilst children from St Peters School choir performed a selection of contemporary songs. The Countess was entertained, and found time to chat with the children.

During the visit the Countess found out about the activities available at the Arena and met guests including Open Water World Champion and silver Olympic medallist, Keri-Anne Payne, the 22 year old local swimming sensation who represented Great Britain in last year’s Olympics.

Councillor Peter Williams, Chairman of Middleton Township, said: “Today marks another milestone in the transformation of the town. We are seeing the results of major investment in Middleton and the arena is a key part of all this. It’s already made a great impact and I am delighted that Her Royal Highness has performed the official opening.”

Keri-Anne, who won gold earlier this year at the World Swimming Championships in Rome, said: “The arena is a real asset to Middleton. We’ve had the sports stars here earlier in the year so it’s great to see such a distinguished royal guest here today to open such a fabulous facility.”

The Countess was interested in how the arena is helping to encourage healthy eating and tackle obesity amongst young people. She was also delighted to see lots of people using the arena. She briefly took a front row seat for a preview of the new pantomime – Sleeping Beauty, which opens at the arena this week, before stepping up on stage herself and meeting the cast, in front of a packed audience of local school children.

Councillor and Link 4 Life Trustee Terry Linden said: “A lot of work has gone in to ensure that here in Middleton we have some of the best facilities in the region, and I’m pleased to see everyone here today. It’s a tremendous day for Middleton and the borough.”

Following the unveiling of the plaque, four-year-old twins, Katie and Lauren Williams from Middleton, who had been chosen due to their brave struggle with a rare heart disease, presented the Countess with flowers to take home.

The Middleton Arena welcomed its first visitors in January this year, followed by a special star studded launch week of activities in April with Sir Steve Redgrave MBE, local sporting heroes Keri-Anne Payne, Tommy Booth, Matthew Hall, Simon Jackson and comedian Dave Spikey. 

The official opening event completed a memorable year for the arena which has had thousands of visitors and won the Places for People Award at the North West Regional Construction Awards.