Sutherland Road Baths

[Nigel Womersle 10]

Nigel, do you mean the swimming bath at the junction of Corporation street and bridgehouses. I have been doing some work down there for the Inner ring road. The place was being demolished but you couldn't imagine there being enough room for a swimming pool.

Phil T

 

Sorry Phil for being late replying. Yes, that is where the baths were. Years after their demolition, you could see the tiled floor around the pool, which had been filled in.

[sparkyfred 10]

I remember Mr Scott teaching us to swim from school, he was a bit of a bully if I remember right. sometimes if he got out of bed on the wrong side he would push us under the water in the deep end with a broom stick and hold us on the bottom for Ten minuets

 

He was a bully for sure! I remember starting there at age 9. Most of the kids who did alright were the ones who were lucky enough to have been taken to the baths by their parents before the compulsory lessons, and could already swim a bit. I remember one girl (who hadn't) getting into difficulty and our own teacher dived in, fully clothed, to help her. Scotty just laughed. I remember another kid being sick on the side after being dunked by the brush.

 

I did hear a rumour that Scotty couldn't actually swim himself - don't know if anyone else heard that?

[malcolmdawso 10]

For 50 years I have lived with the fear of water because of this guy. It would appear that I was not the only one to get the brush treatment.

[pitsmoorboy 17]

The Brush ..i remember it well...He (Mr Scott) came up to me as I was splashing around in the Shallow end and he said "Can you swim??" I said "no Sir" and then he said "come with me boy"..He made get in the deep end under the diving board and I was clutching the hand rail on the side for dear life..He held out the brush and said "grab this" so I let go of the rail and lunged out for the brush..But he moved it out of my reach and I started to drown..as I came up the brush was just in front of me he shouted "Grab it" so I reached out again for the brush only he moved it away again..For the next 15 minutes I was going under, coming up grabbing at the moving brush, crying and trying to get to the side, only to be shoved away again by the brush..This went on until my feet reached the bottom at the shallow end...but I did it, and got my 1st 25 yard swimming certificate..Lets face, it for better or for worse he taught me to swim..and in double quick time.

 

He did all that to me as well, but by the time I reached the shallow end my bladder was full but the bath's were empty.

[Moedelawn 10]

From some of the postings to this thread, it would seem Mr. Scott got worse as he aged. I had him for a swimming instructor from 1951 to 1955. He taught me through all the life saving certificates to the Bronze Medalion and continued on to the Complete Swimmer Certificate. He was a hard task master but found him to be fair and he would never pass you if he felt you wasn't good enough. I remember he also was a coach for my girl friend who was a top swimmer and would I be in trouble if I even spoke to her while she was in a training session.

Well said Tom from another Scottie fan,

[espadrille 10]

Well said Tom from another Scottie fan,

 

I was taught by him and he scared me to death,although i did win a few swimming galas for my school.He was from the old school.Maybe we need some teachers to be a bit more like he was and then there would be not so much disrespect from kids..

[fleetwood 10]

I went to Owler Lane School so Sutherland Rd was where some of us recieved our swimming and life saving skills, unfortunatly I was not one of them. As I recall we used to walk to Reform Chapel Upwell St and catch the bus there, the teacher gave the conductor a bunch of bus tokens for our fare. The bus travelled along Petre St to Sutherland Rd. I was terrified of the instructor and the whole swimming period was an exercise in staying out of his way until it was time to leave. He seemed in his element when he was, throwing kids in, pushing and holding kids under water and his best of all, hitting you on the backside with his flat hand or even better with a wet towel. I had forgotten his name but am sure it was the dreaded Mr Scott that everyone has been mentioning. I remember walking up Sutherland Rd many times clothed but still sopping wet underneath, because he had a habit of coming into the cabins if he thought you wer'nt getting ready fast enough.

[handypandy 14]

I too remember Mr Scott, can't say I remember the brush though! around 1960. I do remember though calling in the bakers on Ellsmere Rd for a penny Hovis, the tiny loaf.

[ivandarrell 10]

dadoronron i know glaise taffinder very well befor she moved on to smiths field she lived on cyclops st she lived in our yard she had 3 kids 2boys called john and sevan and a girl mrs taffender use to take us to fox house on sundays

[Frankie Rage 10]

I went to Hucklow Road school and we were taken to Sutherland Road baths. I was 'taught' to swim there. The method was to make you get in at the deep end and goad you to start 'swimming'. The 'teacher' then had a long pole which he mainly used to push you away from the side as you desperately reached out for it to stop yourself drowning. I can still taste the chlorine and feel my eyes stinging 40 years later.. :-D

[katieoxo1962 10]

hi does anybody remember Mr Meehan from sutherland road? he was just as bad as scott.... He made me dive in and i banged my head on the bottom that was the last time i went

[Tooeg 10]

where were sutherland rd baths I thought they were attercliffe baths