When the bulldozers arrived on site in 2005, it was a sad sight for many who had watched childhood memories crumble into dust.

The pool had shut in 2002 following a landslip and officially closed in 2004, with Summerland following soon after.

By 2006 the entire Summerland complex had been levelled – the place where many learnt to swim, summoned the courage to jump from the top board and swam down to the underwater windows.

At Summerland, friendships were forged on the five-a-side courts, filmgoers watched blockbusters at the short-lived cinema in the 1990s, families enjoyed entertainment on the upper level and revellers danced at the Cave nightclub.

But as early as the mid-1980s the Aquadrome was under threat, with authorities considering demolishing it and building a new swimming complex at Villa Marina Gardens.

Even today, remnants of the old diving boards and sections of seating remain visible as you walk or drive past. What the future holds for the site remains unclear, with the prominent seafront plot still awaiting redevelopment.

In the meantime, the National Sports Centre was built on Groves Road in Pulrose, Douglas, complete with slides, mixed changing areas and hot tubs, becoming the Island’s main public swimming facility.

Ricky Rooney has sent Isle of Man Today a series of photographs taken while he was involved in demolishing the Aquadrome in 2005.

The images show the pool area being cleared, the inside of the DJ booth and the building during demolition.

The drained pool reveals its depth and the steep slope, with the underwater viewing windows still visible.

Other photographs, not featured here, show corridors and changing areas during demolition, offering a final glimpse inside before the complex disappeared from the skyline.