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Heeley Baths in late 50s, 60s

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I remember the freezing changing rooms when we went with Bradway County School. Later the hot tub in the corner full of old men soaping themselves. The scum on the top of the water was unebelievable. They used to moan when the young'uns got in, let the warm water out and fill it with scalding hot water so we had to get out!!

The sarspirella shop at the top next to the cinema, anybody remember that?

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Can't remember any details about Heeley Baths but our school used to go there at [unpredictable ] times , between 1953 and 1958.

At our junior school [Pomona Street ] , we used to go to Glossop road baths and , strangely enough , I remember that much better , especially the little cafe on Convent Walk where you could buy Oxo and Bread and Butter , after a cold swim .

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We used to walk down from Anns Rd school when it was 'our turn' to go to the baths. That's where I got my 25 yards certificate in 1968!

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got my 880yds around 1968 .. what a bl**dy cold place even in summer

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I remember walking down in pairs in a line from Carter Knowle Junior once a week for swimming lessons and as i wasn't keen on learning to swim found it rather traumatic. I did eventually get my 25 yards certificate but as I was in a state of almost blind panic managed to bang my head on the sidequite hard when I reached the end.

The pool is still open and I sometimes think of going in just to re-live a few old memories. I've been told that you never forget how to swim but I haven't swum for longer than I care to remember and so might try Rowlinsons instead as it's shallower.

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You amaze me Heeley Baths is still open, it was in a decrepit state back in the early 60's. I remember the marvellous descriptions applied to the sessions .... 'men's plunge', what was that all about????

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I used to go regular to the HB with my mates in the late 60s,we went on Saturday mornings at 7am & put the chlorine around the edge of the baths & stayed in for free until 10am,what great days & the only thing that was warm was the footbath.

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Heeley Baths is a wonderful place.

 

Friendly staff, changing rooms around the edge of the pool, huge spectator area, and its 25 yards long, rather than metres.

 

Do you remember the Restoration programme on BBC2 with Marianne and Ptolomy ('Oh look at this Marianne')?

 

Well, the building to win all the cash from the first series was some Victorian baths in Manchester.

 

Heeley Baths, although on a smaller scale, reminds me very much of that place in Manchester.

 

I think Heeley Baths is one of Sheffield's gems. It needs to be treasured.

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Originally posted by dishwasher

Heeley Baths is a wonderful place.

 

 

I think Heeley Baths is one of Sheffield's gems. It needs to be treasured.

 

Hear, hear dishwasher.

 

I used to look forward to many a Sunday morning around 1979/1980 when my father and I, along with some great friends would have an hour at Heeley Baths.

 

Large pool-side cubicles (none of these tiny lockers and keys), straight into the pool where one could SWIM (no silly waves, no diving - well, some) and then get out and under a red hot shower.

 

Then it was into the foyer, a Texan Bar (A man's gotta chew what a man's gotta chew) with the chocolate flying off in all directions along with a cup of (probably) hot chocolate. (Urgh!)

 

Fun times and I am delighted, like your good self, that this jewel of a place is still up and running! Although I'd prefer to keep it a secret (selfish, I know!).

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I've got good memories of Heeley Baths from the late 40's and early 50's. Used to go from Anns Road school once a week (every Tuesday morning I think) . We'd walk there in a group, swim and then walk back, stopping off at a bakery (forget the name, Gunstones maybe ?) on London Road near the Heeley Palace for a freshly baked breadcake or milk loaf. We used to be able to get a book of tickets from Mr Kemp, our swimming instructor, and use one to get in on Saturday mornings or any day during the holidays for free or at a discount. We'd offer to clean the edge of the pool with something or other in a dish that you floated around. This got us another session for free. We used to be in the baths from 7:00am for about 2 hours. Looked like prunes when we finally got out. Remember going home from the baths via the Tyzack's footbridge one Saturday winter's morning and finding their forge dam frozen over. Of course had to walk on it and went through the ice. Fortunately it was only about 18 inches or so deep but my trousers, socks and shoes got soaked and then I had to walk home. Didn't waste much time getting home that day I can say. Happy days.

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I think I read in one of these wonderful Peter Harvey books about bygone days in Sheffield that it was built and opened in the early 1900s.

 

In those days, they didn't have sophisticated walter-filtering facilities like you do today.

 

So the bath was filled, used, emptied and filled again.

 

There was also, I understand, a sliding scale of charges. It was dearest to swim on 'clean water' days and the cost reduced until it was drained and refilled

 

Wallbuilder - Carter Knowle Juniors still take kids there today for lessons!

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How well I remember the walk to the pool, it was fine if the class was an even number of boys to girls but you used to dread that walk if you had to be paired with a girl!!!

CarterKnowle did have it's own swimming pool for several years, only a small shallow affair but the school was very proud of it and a lot of the money raised to build it was by all the kids bringing in papers and magazines , I wonder how many irritated parents lost their paper before they'd even had a chance to read it?

I think that's why Heeley baths made me nervous though, going from a three and a half feet deep pool to one that just seemed to go down and down and down.

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