Eddie the Eagle opens leisure centre in Barnstaple

A new leisure centre in north Devon has been opened by Olympic legend, Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards.

Edwards, who competed in the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988, tried out an "endless" ski slope at the Tarka Leisure Centre in Barnstaple.

The £15m project has taken 21 months to build and is connected to the existing Tarka Tennis facility.

North Devon Council leader David Worden said the opening on Friday marked "a great day" for the community.

Edwards described the "endless" ski slope as being "like a giant treadmill but for skiing".

The ski jumper became a household name in 1988 when he came last in both the 70m and 90m events at the Winter Olympics but won the hearts of people around the world.

He said: "When I started on my Olympic dream, I was fortunate that my home town of Cheltenham wasn't too far from a dry ski slope.

"So having this facility as part of an amazing new leisure centre here in Barnstaple will hopefully inspire people to give skiing a go, whether that's just for fun or making a career from this great sport."

The centre also has a 25m eight-lane competition swimming pool, a 20m four-lane learner pool, a sports hall with four badminton courts, a large gym, two multi-purpose exercise studios, a spinning studio and play areas as well as a reception area and cafe.

The new centre has been part-funded with £1.5m from the Coastal Communities Fund and £1.8m from the National Lottery via Sport England.

It will be run by Lex Leisure and is owned by North Devon Council.

Mr Worden said: "It's been designed and built with customers in mind, who've helped to shape the facilities such as movable floors in the swimming pools, improved access for people with disabilities and skiing too."

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