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

[lebourg50410 10]

MG school

Swimming lesson 08.30 Monday morning.

As I lived on Wood Lane I had to get the bus which meant first I had to walk down to Malin Bridge to the bus stop.

Main memory was I guess the boilers had been shut off Sunday so the water was always freezing cold. Not much fun in the winter.

[old tup 30]

I,ve just remembered an incident involving Captain Price who taught me how to swim at Upperthorpe Baths,he used to teach us once a week what was called land drill.This was how to learn life saving techniques out of water before you put them into practice in the swimming baths,we had to trek from Hillfoot School up Burgoyne Rd to the school up there for the lessons.We had to strip into just shorts and plimsoles and line up like soldiers in the big hall where Captain Price would walk up and down bellowing out instuctions,in our class we had a lad always showing off and pushing his luck which ran out this certain day!.Capt Price had the habit of turning his back to the class as he walked up and down,this lad would pull faces and make two finger salutes and masterbater signs when he did this,unbeknown to the lad Capt Price was watching him through the reflection in his spectacles.Suddenly he spun round and slapped the lad a hard flat hander on his bare chest,you could hear the wind blowing out of him the shock on his face was a picture.There was a perfect hand shape on his chest red against white,needless to say everyone was on their best behaviour in the remaining lessons which resulted in me getting my bronze medallion in life saving,you didn,t mess with Captain Price no way Hosaey!.

[Ian Mackley 10]

Yes , been attending since Hillfoot school days 1958. Still go twice a week, remember old man Price who used to terrorise us into NOT drowning!

[PhilipB 10]

Worked at the Infirmary in the 60s and 70s, some of us used to go for a swim at lunchtimes.

Never very warm as I recall.

[Philgben 10]

I learned to swim at Upperthorpe.I went to Burgoyne Road J&I school and use to go weekly to Upperthorpe baths.Mr Price was the instructor.I went there around 1961-64.He also taught my mum to swim when she use to go to Burgoyne Road school.

He was a big man with a voice to match,use to scare me to death.

[davebrmm 10]

I work for Zest in Upperthorpe and part of our building is the old Upperthorpe Baths. At the moment the pool is closed whilst we have some major refurbishment work carried out, mainly to replace the roof which was still the original one put on when the baths opened in the late 1800's.

 

What we would like to do is to compile a display with old photographs of the baths and also any memories that people have. It is important that people remember how life used to be in the "good old days" and hearing what people have to say who used the baths in the last century would be just fantastic.

 

There used to be the old slipper baths upstairs, I'm sure a fair few forumers out there will have used the slipper baths, or maybe your parents or grandparents did. Maybe you could get them to share some of their memories with us for our display?

 

If you could email me directly that would be great, my email address is [email protected]. If you have any photographs that you would be happy to share that would be absolutely fantastic, please let me know as we'd be very interested to see them and hopefully incorporate them with our display.

 

Karen Purnell

 

I lived near hillfoot bridge a.b.c. streets used to go to the slipper baths evry saturday then for a pint nearby 1950s oh dear am I dead?

[retired 10]

Very much alive and kicking David.

[Texas 10]

I went there almost every day in the school holidays during 66-68. Sometimes if we scrubed the spit gutter out we would get the next session free.

I'd forgotten about the spit gutter. All the public baths had them and I just thought they were a handy feature to haul yourself out of the water.

[TWhits 11]

I'd forgotten about the spit gutter. All the public baths had them and I just thought they were a handy feature to haul yourself out of the water.

 

I thought they were as much about taking the top layer of "water" out for cleaning? Modern pools often have the water flush with the walking area which contains drains to achieve the same effect. most of the grot in a pool floats on the top.

[docmel 10]

Worked at the Infirmary in the 60s and 70s, some of us used to go for a swim at lunchtimes.

Never very warm as I recall.

 

My Aunt worked at the Infirmary at that time - she was called Pat Powell and was a ward clerk or something

 

Dont suppose you knew her? I think she was what is called 'formidable'

[purple 10]

I used to train there every Saturday by Mr Nicholson in the mid sixties.We would do a few hundred lengths then we would be allowed to 'play' a bit then go in the deep hot bath at the side of the pool.I'm not sure if it was a slipper bath, it was over a foot deep and we could top it up with plenty of hot water from the tap.

He was a great trainer as I went on to represent Sheffield and with it I got a free swim and bus pass

[cazzie 10]

does anyone remember what the pink cleaning stuff was called........