Swimming pools & swimmers

I went to The Grange in Spencer Road in 1952 until about 1958. We went to the Livingstone Road baths every week and I finally managed to survive one width! I never was comfortable in the water. Sad to see its demise but very much part of the social history of the city. So many youngsters must have swam their first length there.

I learnt how to swim at Ryton outdoor pool. Anybody know when they closed Ryton pool?

I believe Courtaulds had a swimming pool of their own?

Hi Dutchman I did not know that here in Coventry. They had a couple of fitness centres at one time but I have no knowledge about a pool. I missed that one if they had.

When I went to Stoke Heath we used to go to Foleshill baths. I remember the day I was going to swim to get my star badge and had to do a width and a length of the pool to qualify. The lady who was watching me was busy knitting and chatting and she didn't notice me walk most of the way!! I got my badge! When I was at Lyng Hall, we swam for a while in the pool until they found blue asbestos there and closed it for years.

There's a Dunlop sign on the footage, is that a clue?

There's a picture of it filled with female employees in one of the books on local history. I forget which one?

The one thing that put me off Livingstone baths was when learning we had a rubber ring round our waist on a long rope and a lady at the other end - you swam while she hauled you in but most of the time she was rattling away to another lady and I went under I don't know how may times that was enough for me. If it was now I would have tugged the rope and pulled her in !!!! A case of sink or swim I think.

I didn't realise South Street School had a swimming pool

As a boy I lived in Hall Green Rd. The River Sowe follows the road then makes a sharp left at the bottom of the hill. On that corner the water is about four feet deep. When the mill gates were opened it was about five feet. It was on this corner where I learned to swim along with several other boys. Later, with the school we went to Livingstone Rd once a week. I recall on leaving the baths we would go in a batch shop near The General Wolfe pub and buy faggot and pea batches. Les

Forgot that Les, how ravenous you used to get when you come out the baths.

Dutchman. I worked at Courtaulds, Little Heath and Main Works for a total of about ten years. There wasn't a proper swimming pool at either. There was a couple of pools under the cooling towers, about 30 yards square and quite deep. Steam from the boilers drove the turbines and the spent steam was discharged at the top of the towers, condensing to water and falling like warm rain. After a day's work many of us would swim in these pools although this was frowned upon by the management. Les

Thanks for the clarification Les I did notice the pool in the photo was bit 'basic'

Hi all, we demolished a cooling tower at the gasworks, there is masses of wood inside them for the hot water to trickle down, we were not allowed to burn this wood because it was treated with arsenic, maybe that is why the management didn't like you to swim in the water

Hi & thank you both I didn't miss out on too much then. The water for the cooling towers at Little Heath was exchanged with the canal water. The main works site had a canal discharge also but the water being discharged had to be aerated first. The aeration was near to where the car park is for Sutcliffe House, by the canal walk-over bridge. I learnt to swim at Livingstone Rd baths & I have my length certs dated 1956 for front crawl & breast. The man who was teaching at the time was Mr. White, who replaced Mr Lapworth.