Upperthorpe Baths - do you have any memories you'd like to share?

[Morts]

Great memories here! I went on Friday nights in the mid 60's-our church had a booking from 7.30 to 10.00 Yes, it was a small pool only 20yards long and always very warm. Spit gutters!-that's how you got out of the pool. One hand grasped the edge of the gutter and then you'd sling a leg to the edge of the gutter and push yourself out.

[northlass2]

I went to Philadelphia school in the 1950's and we used to walk to the baths for our swimming lessons. We were always given a cup of hot oxo afterwards.

On fridays my dad took me to the slipper baths. I used to hate the wooden slatted things you had to stand on and also the pink stuff they used to smear around the baths to clean them. Only way to get out of the swimming lessons was to say you had a verrucca.

My grandmother moved to a maisonettte in St Phillips Road around 1960 and she had an indoor bathroom, absolute bliss !!!

Lorraine

[jaffa1]

Went in the late 50's after school someone pushed me in at the deep end.

 

Never went back,never learnt to swim.

 

The exact same thing happened to me at the Upperthorpe baths, my sister jumped in and " saved me "

And I still can't swim, it really put me off, that was in the late 50's too.

[jaffa1]

Wow, that's great, thanks to everyone for their memories.

 

Did any of you use the old Slipper Baths upstairs, any memories of those?

 

And any more names of staff, swimming teachers etc?

 

I don't remember the slipper baths being upstairs, groundfloor more like.

We use to go every Saturday morning like the rest of the kids with no bathrooms. Because it was a busy time of the week the staff would come banging on the doors to hurry you up. Outside there would be a queue right up the side of the baths.

A friend of mine always use to come out with a " mucky face " even though he'd had a bath. He said he never bothered with his face.

[jaffa1]

We used to live just up the road from the baths in an old terraced house with no bath and an outside toilet. My parents bought the house around 1965 for five hundred pounds as it was due for future demolition, and once it was demolished we'd be offered a council house or flat. So for the 2 or 3 years we lived there I'd walk down the hill, fork over a shilling for a shower or bath, which I think also included soap, towel and a back brush!

We did get a nice council flat at the top of Crimicar Lane overlooking the beautiful countryside......what a difference.

 

You must have been one of the privileged ALZYMER because we had to take our own soap and towel and I can't remember ever seeing showers.

I can still see the big old white baths now, stood on four big iron legs not

boxed in like they have them today.

[retired]

You must have been one of the privileged ALZYMER because we had to take our own soap and towel and I can't remember ever seeing showers.

I can still see the big old white baths now, stood on four big iron legs not

boxed in like they have them today.

 

As I remember the shower was on the Male changing side in the corner at the shallow end.

[hillsbro]

You must have been one of the privileged ALZYMER because we had to take our own soap and towel.

You didn't actually have to take your own towel and soap, but it made sense to because it was cheaper. In the 1950s it was 10d for a bath (or 5d each for me an' me brother 'cos we shared one.), then if you didn't take your own it was 3d for soap and 4d for (use of a) clean towel.

I can still see the big old white baths now, stood on four big iron legs not boxed in like they have them today.

Yes - here's one. Note the string that you pulled if you wanted more hot water, were overcome by steam or got your toe stuck in the plug 'ole...

[garthai]

I remember that, I also learned to swim at the Upperthorpe baths. Going once a week from Netherthorpe school and paying a penny for hot drink of OXO afterwards. I guess that was in the earl part of the 1950's

 

The swimming baths were only 20 yards long whereras most others were 25 yards, the first certificate was 25 yards.

Those taking the 25 yards test had to entre the water at the deep end and swim down one side of the baths, turn right and swim across the width at the shallow end to make it 25 yards.

[jaffa1]

As I remember the shower was on the Male changing side in the corner at the shallow end.

 

When you say at the shallow end I gather you are talking about the swimming baths.

We are disputing whether there were any in the slipper baths above the bath. I can't remember any being there but if there were I don't think we would have been aloud to use them.

[jaffa1]

You didn't actually have to take your own towel and soap, but it made sense to because it was cheaper. In the 1950s it was 10d for a bath (or 5d each for me an' me brother 'cos we shared one.), then if you didn't take your own it was 3d for soap and 4d for (use of a) clean towel.Yes - here's one. Note the string that you pulled if you wanted more hot water, were overcome by steam or got your toe stuck in the plug 'ole...

That's a great picture hillsbro , just as I remember them including the brown water marks on the baths where the tap has been dripping.

I just spoke to two other people who went to the slipper baths and they also said the slipper baths [ definately the female ones ] were down stairs to the left.