swimming + public baths

[BumbleB]

1905 Ordnance Survey map for Halifax shows baths in the corner of People's Park - Park Road/King Cross Road - but not sure if swimming or public.

BumbleB

[bodger]

Byker, not sure of the camp location, but i know they were stationed locally, there were bombs stacked along all the roadsides around Maythorne, Whitley Rd. etc, there is still the remains of the concrete guarhouse at the junction of Whitley Rd and the Ingbrichworth rd, it can be seen on Google satellite
 regards, bodger

[drodgers34]

I remember the Ramsden and Cambridge rd baths in huddersfield.

Hope bank pleasure grounds at brockholes (more known for boating)

There was a small dam on the holmfirth meltham road which was popular in summer - got dismantled in the 70s when the holmfirth pool was opened

Occasionally people used a small res at Cheesegate Nab - not me I always found reservoirs extrememly scary !

Someone has posted some photos of the Lido in ancestry member photos. You can search and see the thumbnails without a subscription

By the way - People with Holmfirth interest may want to look at my work in progress collection at http://www.werelate.org/wiki/HolmeVillageHome

[Jazgran]

My father, aged 98 years, tells me he remembers swimming at Hunslet Baths when he was a young boy.  One day they were told that "from next week there will be mixed bathing".  He and his pals were horrified at the thought of "lasses" swimming at the same time!!   Jazgran.

[Malcolm Bull]

I've listed a few of the baths in Halifax and Calderdale in my Calderdale Companion at

http://www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/mmt3.html

Malcolm

[JillJ]

Sheffield had Glossop Road Baths and Heeley Baths.

Jill

[bykerlads]

So many interesting replies!
Swimming and public baths clearly played a big role in the early-mid 20thC.
I wonder if this was because of the excercise value or more because they also originally had a bath-house /hygiene function?
Does anyone remember going to baths to have a bath rather than to swim? it was only in the mid20thC that having a bathroom indoors became common- we certainly had a tin bath in front of the fire, used once a week, until about 1955.

[Sandymc47]

Eyeee by gum lads and lasses.
I remember learning to swim at Armley Baths. The bovril was great after a 2 hour swimming session.  The school I went to was Armley Park Sec Mod School and that is where we would walk once a week to do our lesson at Armley baths.
I used to go everynight when aged about 14 as I loved the salt biscuits and drink. The showers were always cold.   It was a great place to look for lads who might be fanciable lol. The cubicles for changing were either side of the pool, the girls one side the boys the other.  The naughty boys used to swim the same side as the ladies side to see if they could see up and under the small doors on the cubicles.  No nude swimming in those days lol.
In Winter they used to put a floor over the baths and had dances where groups and singers were paid on a Saturday night as it was underused in Winter for swimming.

My Brothers used to go to Armley Baths for a bath. It was 6d.   We didnt have a bathroom and inside toilet until 1964.  I remember my Mum frightening me to death by saying if the water is too hot you will faint.  I went with my sister and ran the bath really hot and felt faint just because my Mum had said so lol./
Dont forget you Leeds peeps we also had a lido at Roundhay Park where it was cool in those days to go and gig the lads or lasses for a date.
Happy memories and those were the days in the 1960's
regards Sandymc

[sue1959]

Normanton had a baths. even when I was young (60') you could still hire a towel and take a bath!
I remember Maggie Oxtail soup, Tomato crisps and Bovril drink from the Cafe.