I HAVE always thought it ungracious to win an argument and then sneer: “I told you so!”

But in the case of Holywell Mead open air swimming pool, I will relax this rule so I can inform Wycombe District Council: “Told you so, told you so, told you so. Na na na na.”

Now I have got that off my chest, it’s worth telling those who don’t already know that the historic pool is to finally reopen on Friday, May 27 – after being axed by WDC in 2009.

This is a wonderful moment for the people of High Wycombe, plus a tremendous vindication for the campaign group who fought so hard and so long.

I have to also add that congratulations are in order for the previous Tory regime which ran WDC.

When all is said and done, they did ultimately sort out a deal with Fusion Lifestyle that should improve the site on The Rye and which should save taxpayers money.

And, as I said way back in 2009, I did understand their reasons for closing the pool in the first place during the credit crunch.

It cost £45,000 a year to run but was only open for 13 weeks of the year, and only a relatively small proportion of the populace used it. In addition, another £60,000 was needed to upgrade it.

So if it came to a choice between trying to save jobs or closing other vital services, shutting an outdoor pool must have seemed a sensible option to many councillors.

Except they were wrong.

In January 2009, I wrote in this column: “If councillors go ahead and close our historic outdoor swimming pool, it will be one of the biggest mistakes they ever make on our behalf.”

I always reckon they see me as a dribbling fool, spouting inanities in the corner all day before my carers put me to bed for the night.

But in this case, I believe my prediction was spot on.

Hundreds of our readers protested, public meetings were set up and a public consultation was arranged. It got very heated, but senior councillors insisted that instead of a pool, we would see more modern all-year round leisure facilities.

As I commented in January 2009, this was a bit of a non runner because if there was any mileage in such a project, it would already have been done.

I added: “Councils have a vital function to play in creating the type of leisure activity that isn’t profitable, but which does add something unique and special to the area.”

This was exactly the profile of Holywell Mead, and I knew we were losing a jewel in our crown.

The money argument appeared to backfire on WDC when, rightly or wrongly, it agreed to fork out up to £750,000 on feasibility studies for a possible new stadium – but in virtually the same breath said it couldn’t afford to maintain an existing leisure asset at a slice of this price. Again, I don’t wish to be too critical of councillors because I can see the arguments for closing Holywell Mead. I just happen to think, along with a lot of other people, they got it very wrong.

Some councillors will turn around and say their closure decision has been spectacularly vindicated. They have saved two years of running costs and now found a private company to fund a better service, along with a fitness centre, dance studios and an improved café.

So maybe we’ll get a letter in response from one of them saying: “I told you we were right to close it.”

In the end, however, it doesn’t really matter. All that does matter is that our pool is reopening.

Now it’s up to you the public to ensure no councillors of the future ever dare go down this road again.

To coin another awful, but apt cliché: “Use it or lose it.”