Swimming pools & swimmers

Wot a load of softies!!! Anyone learn in the canal, by the gasworks, lovely warm water, came out of a pipe in the bank, daren't put your foot on the bottom, sludge and all sorts of unmentionables. To this day I can only do the side stroke!! One hand had to be free to push the dead dogs out of the way. I was caught once by a copper. He stood by our clothes on the bank while we shivered on the opposite bank, eventually he got bored and walked away!! What a great Forum!!! great posters and pictures of old Coventry evoke many memories. Anyone know when the Cottages and the Pub were demolished that were attached to Cook St. Gate? Cheers

I learned to swim at the Livingstone Rd Baths in the 50's. My sister and I used to walk there on our own from Whitmore Park. I also remember the smell of chlorine and the cold foot bath on the way in. Forgotten the name of the teacher but can still see him in my mind's eye. Afterwards we used to walk up to the chip shop opposite the top end of Livingstone Road and eat our chips while we waited for dad to pick us up after he finished work - in the works van - the one with the indicators that popped out at the side.

I also learned at Livingstone baths - early to mid 70s, with Briton Road Junior School. After spending months not daring to take off my rubber ring, my frustrated teacher sent me to the middle of the pool and said "take that ring off and swim to me". "But I can't swim yet", I replied nervously. "Yes you can, now just do it!" And I did! I was amazed, I'd never had the confidence to just try - but teacher knew best!

Hi Erwegoagen. I was always falling into water anywhere & everywhere. It was always my trousers hanging up to dry, on Sunday school outings. Wickstead Park & Drayton Manor to name two. I was always falling in the cut at Red Lane & as you say, it was yuk!

I don't know if anyone knows there is a petition up to try and stop them selling off Livingstone baths in Londis, Longford so I've heard. I used to go to Livingstone with the school to learn, I was pushed in by the teacher and never went again as I went under so I swim like a brick, not at all.

My mother learned to swim at Kenpas swimming baths around 1930. She'd waded into the sea whilst on holiday and nearly drowned - my father had to rescue her, so she decided to learn, and I remember that she had a bronze medal for doing 1/4 mile there. I always thought the Kenpas baths looked rather swish in their Art Deco style! I never did learn to swim, alas.....

Hi Keith, you are never, ever too old (or too young) to learn to swim! As a swimming teacher, I have had great success in teaching "senior" learn-to-swimmers who were well into their 60's - and my 3 year old Grandson swam a length last week!! Find your local swimming club - and enrol!

Strangely, we have a swimming baths in our village (not much else!)!! But I don't fancy swimming nowadays....

I've moved my reply to NormK to a new thread to avoid dragging the original thread off-topic. Yes Norm, the baths were very badly damaged (but not totally destroyed) during the war. (I once explored the ruins). They could have been restored to their original glory but an executive decision was taken to construct entirely new baths instead.

The Priory St baths remained open as slipper baths until the Primrose Hill baths were opened. This was also one of my playgrounds. There was an opening somewhere on the bottom left of last pic where you could gain entrance to the boiler room. Somewhere nice and warm to play until you were spotted and chased away. Also to the right, the Sherbourne ran alongside. Often remember seeing it full of snow after the council had tipped it there to melt away. Where do you get all these pics from.

I believe it was also used for public functions long after the war? This is a view of the frontage from the 1950s:

We lived in a house with no bathroom, my bathtime at Priory Street was one I really looked forward to. Big bath, red hot water and white fluffy towels. When you went outside you were glowing and felt fit as a fiddle. We used Primrose Hill Street baths as well.

Dutchman came up with the goods again, your photos are better than the one I have, mine shows my brother pretending to dive in when we first started the job. The chimney was something else, we nibbled away at the bottom with air tools while 2 of us kept watch for any movement and when it started to go we dropped everything and ran like hell, it broke in half on the way down and the top half very nearly stood there but went over after a short pause. There was a picture in the Telegraph at the time.

Interesting picture, Dutchman. That looks like an Edwardian building to me. Where was it? When was it demolished? A frontage like that could have been reused - and these days probably would be.

It was in Pool Meadow on the opposite side of Fairfax Street to what are now the new baths. I don't remember the decorative frontage being there in the 1960s, only the derelict pools behind. What was striking was the huge expanse of tiles which remained. Some were missing, true, but they could have easily been replaced and the pools made watertight again. At the time I was taking long bus journeys to Livingstone Road Baths so the discovery of a former swimming pool practically on my doorstep came as a huge surprise.