Does anyone remember Park Baths just off duke street?

When I lived at 137 Windy House Lane on the Manor Estate during the War years 1939 - 45. All the youngsters used to go to the Park Swiming Baths mainly to use the '(Derback) or Soft Soap and be de-louced (Kill the Dicks) in the hot slipper baths, prior to being thrown in the cold baths. I was quiet young at the time but I remember that the ladies and gents cubicles were on opposite sides of the baths. My elder brother was always trying to get me to support him by standing on my shoulders, so that he could get a 'Birds Eye view across the baths!'.
When we came out we would visit a shop which made Pyclates at two for halfpenny or very rarely getting a two penny horse meat pie to show that we were rich!!
Hope some one else can add more.

I remember the winding staircase up to the changing rooms. That was scary.

When they closed the baths they did it up and re-opened it as a youth centre.
They did'nt fill the bath in or get rid of it, we used to play football in it.(Obviously, there was no water in it!!) :D

Used to live on the parade of shops below the baths and used to go there about 3 times a week.
Pie and pea shop next door to us used to do a roaring trade.

As I remember there used to be an enormous brass turnstile you had to go through when you paid your money.
The baths were through a pair of swing doors and there was always a hell of a draught blowing through them.

Think that originally changing used to be in a series of cubicles along the side of the bath then separate changing rooms were built behind the shallow end.

WE used to have a baths day at Manor Council school We allwalked down City Rd to the Park Baths None of us had Cosies,so they used to loan us what they called trunks Like a big hankercheif Good job it was'nt mixed bathing !?But then I am talking about1934 I am 84 now Happy days

Used to be a regular visitor on Saturday mornings with my mates from Hackenthorpe. We used to be the first in around 6am and the attendant would just be getting the water heated. Must have been some sort of heat pump as there was a strong vibration running through the water, sort of thumping sound. I remember the changing rooms being on the side, girls on one and boys on 'tother. Great days!

We used to go there from Burngreave School, on a Friday I think, on Carnells coaches (also no longer in existence). The highlight had to be the tuckshop afterwards :D I also used to go there when I was in Sheffield City Swimming Club, and our Sunday meetings were held there.

Didn't actually realise it had closed.

When I was at school Hurlfield Boys in the sixties we had to go to Park Baths it was the first or last lesson for the day if it was the first we got the tokens for the bus and entery to the baths the day before but we would walk from Arbourthorne Rd so we would keep the tokens and use them elsewhere and we would do the same in the afternoon lesson. Got my 25,100,440and 880 yard certificates there.In the afternoon when we had finished we would go and get a pork pie with sloppy pies with some hendersons relish.sometimes they would take the tokens the school had gave us.

WE used to have a baths day at Manor Council school We allwalked down City Rd to the Park Baths None of us had Cosies,so they used to loan us what they called trunks Like a big hankercheif Good job it was'nt mixed bathing !?But then I am talking about1934 I am 84 now Happy days

Can you recall knowing anyone with the name of 'South'. They attended the school. Thank you.

I lived near it. It was near the Park library (which is hopefully still open :suspect:). We used to do swimming there on a Wednesday morning from Park Hill school. I earned my orange 'I can swim' badge there :) .

Me too! I also did my silver life saving badge there too.

Great days getting told off for jumping off the top splash

I lived near it. It was near the Park library (which is hopefully still open :suspect:). We used to do swimming there on a Wednesday morning from Park Hill school. I earned my orange 'I can swim' badge there :) .

Where you used to live then Hecate?

From memory we could obtain a book of white tickets to go to the baths during the school holidays. On reflection, I think this was to ensure that we kept de-loused!! because the green coloured (clourine) which was mixed with the bath water, in the main baths. Was always stronger during the School holidays. Does anyone know of Mick or Arther Denton, who lived at the time at 125 Windy House Lane? (1940 - 45)

To Albert T Smith I also used to walk down City Rd from Manor Council School to the Park Baths clutching my white ticket I was'nt rich enough to have my own "cossie"and the trunks thet used to lend us always came off I hated Baths day Do you remember any of the teachers at Manor School ?like Mr Taylor, Mr Mudd,Mr Jones< Mr Ellis I remember two different Head Masters Mr Jackson replaced by Mr Kay I attended Manor School From
1928 til 1938 We must have been there at the same time I lived on Norfolk Rd, Near the park. I too am 84 years old

I remember park baths, i used to go their from my school 'Norfolk'
I can recall at some later stage of my term at Norfolk High, going to Westfield?(Waterthorpe) baths.
That may have been in the period that park baths closed. :confused:

Used to get vouchers from school (woodthorpe) to attend the baths , on saturday mornings after visiting the baths we would go to a shop across the road for hot pie and peas with hendersons relish on. dont make pork pie like that anymore.

To Albert T Smith I also used to walk down City Rd from Manor Council School to the Park Baths clutching my white ticket I was'nt rich enough to have my own "cossie"and the trunks thet used to lend us always came off I hated Baths day Do you remember any of the teachers at Manor School ?like Mr Taylor, Mr Mudd,Mr Jones< Mr Ellis I remember two different Head Masters Mr Jackson replaced by Mr Kay I attended Manor School From
1928 til 1938 We must have been there at the same time I lived on Norfolk Rd, Near the park. I too am 84 years old

A little bit before my time. I wasn't born until 1937 and that was at 137,Windy house Lane, Manor. But my Mother lived on Warley Road, her maiden name was South and she attended Manor Lane County School and attended St Adian Church at the bottom of Manor Lane.
I was to the Manor Born!!!

going to the park baths brings back memories of my childhood a group of us used to go in the holidays we lived on the manor and used to walk over themanor fields then busit back. i can rember the changing rooms being along side of the pool.after we usedto call to the pie shop .if i can remember it wasa converted front room of a house.those little oval pies were the most delicious pies i have ever eaten

Used to live on the parade of shops below the baths and used to go there about 3 times a week.
Pie and pea shop next door to us used to do a roaring trade.

As I remember there used to be an enormous brass turnstile you had to go through when you paid your money.
The baths were through a pair of swing doors and there was always a hell of a draught blowing through them.

Think that originally changing used to be in a series of cubicles along the side of the bath then separate changing rooms were built behind the shallow end.

That Pie & Pea on Duke Street was brilliant and run by a really lovely old couple. Still the best pie & peas that I have ever tasted. I never failed to go in there when I had been to the baths. Happy days. :bigsmile: :nod: :thumbsup:

That Pie & Pea on Duke Street was brilliant and run by a really lovely old couple. Still the best pie & peas that I have ever tasted. I never failed to go in there when I had been to the baths. Happy days. :bigsmile: :nod: :thumbsup:

The old couple who used to run the pie and pea shop were in fact mother and son.
Percy and Maude Gray, the old lady was superb but plenty of folk used to reckon that the old fella was wierd.
Their shop was bought by the people who opened the Barracuda chip shop.

going to the park baths brings back memories of my childhood a group of us used to go in the holidays we lived on the manor and used to walk over themanor fields then busit back. i can rember the changing rooms being along side of the pool.after we usedto call to the pie shop .if i can remember it wasa converted front room of a house.those little oval pies were the most delicious pies i have ever eaten

Where on the Manor did you live prior to 1945. bushbaby 3?
Do you or anyone else recall a small aircraft landing in the field next to the Manor fields and below the 'little wood' ( From memory it only had two trees in, one of those were dead)!!

sorry but bushbaby 3 wasjust a twinklein her motherseye prior to 1945:)

I went there a few times as a kid. Can always remember my grandad telling me to jump to him when i couldn't swim. He dived out the way :suspect:

I learnt to swim at Park baths as we used to go there every Friday night with our local Woodcraft group. I best remember buying a pennyworth of scraps (times were hard) from the chippy which we ate whilst waling up to the bus stop at the top of Fitzwalter Road.

Tazz

Hello TAZ090273 You say you used to go to Wills Chippy,at the end of Bernard st,Opposite the Norfolk Picture Palace and by a pennyworth of "Scraps" By gum ,you were lucky. we only got HALFPENNY WORTH

i used to go to park baths with wybourn school also used to go with my mates
i once saved a boy from drowning, one saturday in about 1967-68

i did my first length at the park baths when i went to wybourn school . that man with the corset on with his big pole with the hook on the end of it stil gives me nightmares. (sounds a bit pervy that) but its true.

i to remember park baths the water used to be that far down it rook ages to reach it when you jumped in

Yes, I remember Park Baths well, also the Brylcreem dispenser on the wall. The Pie shop also sticks in my memory as the place where I became adicted to Hendersons. Sadly, it is not available where I live on the edge of the fens and there is only about an inch left in the bottom of my bottle so it looks as though another trip to Sheffield is on the cards.

I used to live on park hill flats in the 60's. We used to gop to park baths from Norfolk School. I left in 1967.

My sister signed me up for swimming lessons at Park Baths, I was terrified of the lady instructor. Still she did teach me to swim. The lad from the corner shop on Duke Street (just down and opposite - we used to call it Pedros) went at the same time. That must have been about the same sort of time the Barracuda's chimney caught fire (mid 70s).

we used to do our swimming gala from norfolk school there. i was never a good swimmer but we all did the 'pick up the brick' challenge and none of us actually managed to do it!!

Yeh I used to go to Park Baths and when I was about 10 and couldn't swim I got pushed in the deep end. Well at least that encouraged me to swim and I am not to bad now.
The best part of going though was the pie and pea shop great when you came out starving well worth the walk home when you spent your bus fare on them.When I think about it I used to walk a lot to save bus fares in those days.:thumbsup:

Yeh I used to go to Park Baths and when I was about 10 and couldn't swim I got pushed in the deep end. Well at least that encouraged me to swim and I am not to bad now.
The best part of going though was the pie and pea shop great when you came out starving well worth the walk home when you spent your bus fare on them.When I think about it I used to walk a lot to save bus fares in those days.:thumbsup:

how long ago was this if you dont mind me asking?

Yeh I used to go to Park Baths and when I was about 10 and couldn't swim I got pushed in the deep end. Well at least that encouraged me to swim and I am not to bad now.
The best part of going though was the pie and pea shop great when you came out starving well worth the walk home when you spent your bus fare on them.When I think about it I used to walk a lot to save bus fares in those days.:thumbsup:

Hiya Silly, Nice to see you. Surely it wasn't pie and peas but pie and Hendersons? Ah yes I have a distant memory of it. It was habit forming though and, as you know, I would drive a long way for my next bottle - also for Hendersons.

M

how long ago was this if you dont mind me asking?

Why trophyman it was'nt you that pushed me in was it! It was about 51 years ago and things like that never fade from your memory

Hiya Silly, Nice to see you. Surely it wasn't pie and peas but pie and Hendersons? Ah yes I have a distant memory of it. It was habit forming though and, as you know, I would drive a long way for my next bottle - also for Hendersons.

M

Yes I did have relish on it but at that time did't know it was Hendersons only that it tasted good as for driving a long way yes but not often enough.:rant:

Point taken. Alseediden.

M

Does anyone remember Park Baths just off duke street?

Loved Park baths - why did they and Sheaf have to close!!

we went to park baths from woodhouse west school i remeber the swim teachers first was miss bacon then mr lyons stricked but very good taught me how to swim lol

I learned to swim there some years ago, very strict teachers, can't remember name of the woman who taught me but do remember getting stomach ache every saturday morning before I had to go!!

Why trophyman it was'nt you that pushed me in was it! It was about 51 years ago and things like that never fade from your memory

wasnt me. i wasnt even a twinkle in dads eye in those days :hihi:

me and my sister had swimming lessons there when we were kids, I remember doing my first width and getting a certificate for it. and that sgt major type teacher with the big stick, he was very scarey!

When I lived at 137 Windy House Lane on the Manor Estate during the War years 1939 - 45. All the youngsters used to go to the Park Swiming Baths mainly to use the '(Derback) or Soft Soap and be de-louced (Kill the Dicks) in the hot slipper baths, prior to being thrown in the cold baths. I was quiet young at the time but I remember that the ladies and gents cubicles were on opposite sides of the baths. My elder brother was always trying to get me to support him by standing on my shoulders, so that he could get a 'Birds Eye view across the baths!'.
When we came out we would visit a shop which made Pyclates at two for halfpenny or very rarely getting a two penny horse meat pie to show that we were rich!!
Hope some one else can add more.Oatcakes And Pikelets thats was the cry when I was a lad every Fri; night as this old man came round the yards with a big basket full, that brings back happy memories, Arthur.

Did anyone scrub the spit channels to stay in for an extra session?

My teacher at Park Baths was a terrifying woman, she taught me to swim alright but I still get butterflies when I smell chlorine. Must have been around 76/77 when I had my lessons there.

oh yer we used to go every sunday morning brings back memorys was born and bred on top wybourn and luved every minute of it

My teacher at Park Baths was a terrifying woman, she taught me to swim alright but I still get butterflies when I smell chlorine. Must have been around 76/77 when I had my lessons there.

Think we had the same teacher! :rant: :suspect: :o

I hated Park Baths and the instructor Mrs Bacon. I had an operation in the early 80's which meant I couldn't go swimming for quite a while. It meant that I was behind everyone else and by the time my school went to Park (we learnt in the school's own pool) everyone was having fun except me.

Thankfully, I soon picked things up and got my 25 Metres backstroke and I didn't have the place so much after. (Never did any more than that or learnt any other techniques though - learning to tread water would have been useful).

going to the park baths brings back memories of my childhood a group of us used to go in the holidays we lived on the manor and used to walk over themanor fields then busit back. i can rember the changing rooms being along side of the pool.after we usedto call to the pie shop .if i can remember it wasa converted front room of a house.those little oval pies were the most delicious pies i have ever eaten

Those little pies, how I remember them, and knocking on the door before being invited into the front room. Great memories. The house was just a little way down Duke Street, on the same side as the baths

We used to go to Park Baths once a week (or was it once a month?) from Woodhouse West School. I also used to go on Sat mornings with my friends and savor those delicious pies and Henderson's. I still have my 25 yd swimming certificate that I earned at Park Baths.