Scores of people are expected at Fleming Park in Eastleigh to celebrate the sports centre's 40th birthday

Since then it has become a landmark of a Hampshire town and has been used by tens of thousands of people young and old.

Now customers and staff, past and present, have joined the milestone birthday celebrations as the Passfield Avenue centre, which attracts more than 1million people every year, marks four decades in the community.

These included 85-year-old Dr Ludwig Lowenstein, who has been coming virtually every day to swim since the centre opened.

Dr Lowenstein, from Fair Oak, who cut the birthday cake and was given free swimming for life as part of the celebrations, said although the building and facility have changed beyond recognition the one thing that has not is the people.

The great grandfather-of-two said: “It's special. I think it's part of the community.

“There aren't many other centres like this.

“I find this place not only friendly but good for my health.

“I might not be alive today if I had not come here to do my swimming.”

The special cake made to mark the occasion

Among former staff returning were receptionists Cheryl Hookway, whose grandfather Eastleigh's champion walker Tommy Green was among the VIPs at the opening.

She came to work at Fleming Park nine months after it opened.

The 66-year-old, who served customers for 35 years, shared her memories alongside former receptionists Barbara Gould, 68, of North Baddesley, who joined in 1978, and Margaret Moody, 67, of Romsey, who started in 1976.

Cheryl said Fleming Park had been cricket and football pitches with a pavilion.

“It was a big thing in those days to have a swimming pool,” she said.

“All we had in those days was the one at Bishopstoke which was outdoor.

“We thought it was fantastic, it was just a new building with everything you could want.”

Swimming prices when she arrived were just 9p for children and 18p for adults and all bookings had to be written down on large sheets of paper by hand.

The type of sport played they said had also changed from the popularity of squash and roller disco of the 1970s and 1980s to the gym.

Barbara added: “It's part of everyday life for the people of Eastleigh.”

One of the longest serving current staff Lea Ford, 62, of Chandler's Ford, who joined in 1987, said: “It's a community centre, not just a leisure centre. There's something for everyone.”

As previously reported, the centre is set to undergo a major overhaul in the next two years, with Eastleigh Borough Council's plans for a £23m redevelopment.

It plans to demolish the current building and build a new one close by to open to coincide with the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Plans include a larger main pool with eight lanes instead of six, a larger learner pool with an adjustable depth, expanded gym facilities and a new bistro restaurant.

The centre has been running reduced price sessions during the week with afternoon swimming today for only 40p.

More celebrations are planned tomorrow with a family fun morning from 9am to midday including a bouncy castle, trampolining, parachute games for 40p and a zumba class for 40p.

• THE £1m multi-purpose sports centre opened in two stages.

The first - the two swimming pools, a sauna suite, solarium and squash courts, was opened by the golden girl of the 1972 Munich Olympics pentathlon star Mary Peters in 1974.

Other VIPs on the day included Eastleigh's legendary long-distance walker Tommy Green, who famously struck gold at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The second stage, which included the sports hall, more squash courts and facilities for gymnastics, ballet and weight training, opened in February 1976.

Six years in the planning and building, Fleming Park was hailed as a showpiece sports centre the sports centre.

The centre has welcomed its fair share of famous faces including football legend Sir Bobby Charlton in 1990, Liverpool and England footballer Emlyn Hughes, Olympic swimming gold medallist David Wilkie in 1984, swimmer Duncan Goodhew in 1982 and film star Britt Ekland in 1997.

DC Leisure took over the running of the facility for Eastleigh Borough Council in late 1991 and it underwent a £1m revamp the next year.

The building has undergone many changes over its 40 years, most recently in 2005 when the new entrance and reception area opened on the ground floor - this had previously been accessed by a large flight of steps.