Eltham Baths for me , the long tunnel changing rooms with the massive pipes , deciding which pool to swim , the small pool or the big one , we used to have all our school swimming galas there , the freezing cold foot baths when you went upstairs for the main pool , then a cup of chicken soup from the vending machines in the foyer
Living next to the park in the 60's we always looked forward to going to the lido in the summer, then the first visit brought back the memories of how cold it was.
I remember hating going here as a kid. No roof and the water was freezing. What on earth was she thinking taking us there when we could have stayed on the bus and gone to the swimming baths in Woolwich, or gone in the other direction to the swimming baths in Greenwich.
I seem to remember a really old baths in Plumstead with changing rooms along the sides?!
That was on Quilter Street opposite the library building. I keep telling my son how easy it was to go swimming back then. I said we used to walk down there with our trunks wrapped in a towel, pay about 50p ( I really can't remember the price, except it's not like the £7/£8 for an hour now), pop into the changing rooms on the side, jump in and stay as long as you liked (obviously with no running, jumping in the shallow end, bombing or heavy petting...). Then get a portion of chips in a cone along the high street for 17.5 pence (that I do vividly remember) on the way home. Somewhat simpler and better value than now!
Loved the lido, used to dive of the large wooden sprung diving board, and get as near to the side with bombing as well!.
Remember an elderly fellow with one leg, who used to hop along and dive in,!
Went there during the Sumer holidays, with the kids from Springfield, it was generally quite busy especially on the hot days.
Used to sun bath there, but never really caught a tan, probably because my pale skin never turned brown, red, but never turned brown!.
The top board which seemed very high I jumped off a few times, until I was 16 then did a few dives, but it was painful if you got it wrong!.
Swam at Woolwich baths which were like a sauna, and swam for the school. when about 15. Plumstead baths is where we went if you did swimming at my school, remember doing the bronze life savers medal, had to take pyjamas and tread water for a few minutes!.... ha ha. We had the school swimming competition there, and the upstairs were full of screaming Herberts, Royal house always won when I was there....
Greenwich baths were excellent for swimming, but a bit austere, and colder.
Well, I must say that you are remarkably well-preserved...
early summer mornings way back when, climbing into the Lido when it was supposedly closed, a couple of friends and me having the lovely pool all to ourselves, treating the place with utmost respect .. don't recall ever getting 'caught'
I recall my parents taking us to Charlton Lido when I was about 6. I couldn't swim at the time. I was sitting on the edge of the deep end with my legs in the water and some fookin coonting pushed me in. Horrible experience.
Charlton Lido was brilliant.....lived just around the corner......the place to be the summer of '76.....I remember people doing bombs off the diving board and how nobody split their head open getting too close to the edge of the pool is beyond me. Also a sad memory of a kid who drowned when he got a finger stuck in a drain....I was there that day and it will always live with me....the kids name was Drew .....something. Very sad.
Living next to the park in the 60's we always looked forward to going to the lido in the summer, then the first visit brought back the memories of how cold it was.
Soon warmed up after a couple of hundred had pissed in it.
Loved going there as a kid,on a good day you had to be early or else you might not get in.Many years later,when I played football in the park,we used to use the lido changing rooms,even in january ,there would be some people swimming,mad.
On an average summer’s day (for the 60s-70s) the temperature was 21-22 degrees I think. Speaking from experience, the water if only chest height would be about 20 degrees. If it were deep enough to dive off a high board then I wouldn’t be surprised if it were only 15 degrees which although not literally ’freezing’ would be too cold to stay in for more than ten minutes I guess.
For the number of hot days over 25 degrees in England back then, I guess that they wouldn’t be cost effective. Is this why they were closed down? If so, just make them chest height in depth with no diving allowed.
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I couldn't swim at the time.
I was sitting on the edge of the deep end with my legs in the water and some fookin coonting pushed me in. Horrible experience.
For the number of hot days over 25 degrees in England back then, I guess that they wouldn’t be cost effective. Is this why they were closed down? If so, just make them chest height in depth with no diving allowed.