Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History New ferry swimming baths

NFBaths remembered with great affection, like most people used to bunk in there mainly on a Saturday as Sunday was the family outing to Hoylake beach, the bench by the small toilets was "our families" spot before bunking into Hoylake baths.
Oh the shame bunking into both places !

NFBaths was great for sitting on the grass bank watching all the lovely girls in their cozzies !!! drinking lemonade and butties and cold potatos

Is my mind playing or did somebody really hurt themselves off the top board may have even died? Any body know?

There was a slide with a water coming down it to make it extra slippy. A spring board next to the main the diving boards which you used to scare the **** out of me they where so high - anybody have the courage to go off them? Me only the 3rd highest if I remember and then only jumped - big brave boy ha ha

lots of childhood memories mirror what others have said, family days out with mum,dad,sister,auntie,uncle and cousins with a picnic and pop (pop was a treat) but yes it was very cold water ha
strange that we used to sit off on the grass but i never remember it floating in the water or maybe i just didnt care lol

Like new brighton baths the water was Bl--dy Cold even when the weather was hot...Happy Days

Yes the water in NB baths was very cold but in the Derby pool baths for some reason it was even colder

Hoylake baths even colder.

no, the summers did seem warmer then,not like now! lucky to get a hot day,and when we do we have to make the most of it lol

just had a thought----summers must of been hot then cos i remember my brother fell asleep in NFbaths and got sunstroke!!

My Grandad used to be a really good swimmer and did dive off the high boards. I have never been to those baths, I have no idea how high the boards were.Apparently he was quite fearless about it. I on the other hand would be scaed stiff!
Lyn

i know the deep end was 13 feet.

The parents from the Vine Street and Brook Street area used to hire a bus and all go up mob handed to New Ferry baths, it must have worked out cheaper than going by route bus, also the men never went, just the mums with sandwiches for a bite to eat. It always seemed to be good weather in the summer, melted tar bubbles etc. Mid you the winters were bloody cold, still remember the 1947 one and I was only a nipper.

A big gang of us from our street went there one day when it was absolutely chucking it down. There was only us there.Great.
As already said by many, the water was always freezing but it was also very muddy with the odd sod of grass.

yes live close by and can go back 50years great big pool high board 2 slides great cafe always full water was freezing even in hot weather brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

derby pool was brill water cold but ok once you were in new brighton baths best ever baths i used to sit on top of fountain and try and stop the water comming out great place for bathing beauty contests held an enormous amount of people and water great days 50/60 better atmosphere than indoor baths and more people ha ha ha

we were more hardy them days anyone remember berne ave indoor baths rock ferry please re-open when someone jumped in you were flooded out of changing rooms ha ha which were around poolside hated wearing those rubber bathing caps

Great memories of New ferry baths. I went there in the sixties and seventies. Yes the sun always seemed to shine. There was always a constant hum of chattering adults and shrieking children. We like so many used to take picnics and sit amongst the shade of the trees. The water was always cold, but it was great when you went into the pool side sweet/snack shops as they always felt really warm after the chilly water.

Use to hate going down the slides though as you were often dunked under by other kids as you came off the end.

I once fell in the pool aged four and I couldnt swim at the time. I was walking past the pool and some kid rushing by knocked me in.
I remember clearly going right under the water and seeing all these bubbles around me and I bagan to panic.
Then suddenly I saw an arm from up above enter the water and go straight towards me and it grabbed me and pulled me out.
It was the lifeguard who happened to spot me drowning!

He then tipped me upside down, and held me by the ankles and patted me on the back whilst I coughed and spluttered,(obviously resusitation techniques were maybe slightly different back then in 1964 lol!) then with my anxious family he took me to the lifeguard hut and wrapped me in a towel. I remember all the crowds by then gathered outside to see if I had succombed to the watery depths. But I emerged triumphant a few mins later clutching a handful of sweets that the lifeguard had given me and walking out to a round of applause!

Thank goodness for the lifeguard.

I was only aged four.. but I began swimming lessons the week after that and learnt to swim at Byrne ave.

I was very sorry to see the place closed, it always had a wonderful happy atmosphere.