California pool

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THE California Ballroom was a long way into the future when this photo was taken from Dunstable Downs, looking towards the town.
It shows the rear of the California Swimming Pool, which this postcard describes as “The Bathing Pool, Dunstable”. The imposing entrance to the pool, complete with its flag tower, fronted Whipsnade Road , with enough parking space between the building and the road to provide the eventual site for that famous ballroom.
The distant chimney to the left of the picture shows the location of the old cement works in Houghton Road and the field on the left became the site of the Meteorological Office.
You can see the rear of the houses in Meadway, backing on to the field which now includes Pipers Croft and other roads. A windmill is shown on old maps of the field, which fronted on to West Street .
The road stretching towards the photographer, alongside the swimming pool, would have been used as the access to a chalk quarry. The quarry eventually became, briefly, a track for kart racing, and then acted as the car park for the ballroom.