|
|
Post by markcolwill on Dec 30, 2014 2:59:18 GMT 1
I have been searching for so long to find pictures of Beckenham Road Baths - the baths in the 1970s. Number 1, 2 and 3 pool. I have wonderful memories of swimming there almost every day. The cafe upstairs with the balcony viewing area for number 1 pool. The long walk down the corridors to number 2 pool and finally number 3 pool at the very end with the deep end of the pool actually being in the middle of the pool. I remember Vince Lamp who taught me to swim and canoe. The Kerr family living in the house on site, Joan on reception and that very cool ticket machine they used to use for your entry for a swim (almost like what the bus conductors used to use).
Then there was the scholarship time trails once a year to earn you a free entry for a whole year. No diving blocks, they used to use towels on the edge of the pool. And talking of towels - I remember you could hire a rough white towel for your swim!
Number 2 pool had a very small spectator area along one side and Vince Lamps office was at the end.
The corridors always smelt of paint and had that flecked paint effect.
Ken Hodges was the pool supervisor in my days!
Why are there no pictures anyway on any site of these wonderful pools? If anyone can help - I would be very grateful.
My mum still swims at the new pool after swimming every week there for over 50 years!!
|
|
|
|
Post by paduard on Jan 4, 2015 16:55:04 GMT 1
As an off-beat postscript to your post; the only baths I ever experienced at Beckenham was those where you actually went and took a hot [very hot] water bath. My mum often sent me there with my brother - we had a bath at home but it was less expensive that way for my parents. I knew a Kerr family ( don't suppose for one moment the same as you mention) who lived right at the top of the Anerley Stn. railway slope just where Risdale and St.Hugh's Rds met.
Happy New Year.
Paduard
|
|
|
|
Post by rzanuk on Jan 22, 2016 0:23:11 GMT 1
I used to swim there with the Beckenham Ladies swimming club, and with Balgowan School. If you were any good you got a free season ticket and club membership from the council, hence training with Beckenham Ladies. I also remember swimming in the Girl Guides swimming galas which were held there. The big treat was a cup of Bovril in the cafe upstairs. Later it was just a place to hang out and meet other teens - on the front steps. Found a couple of drawings www.beckenhamschoolart.org/History |
|
|
|
Post by allenpierce on Feb 14, 2016 10:40:45 GMT 1
As an off-beat postscript to your post; the only baths I ever experienced at Beckenham was those where you actually went and took a hot [very hot] water bath. My mum often sent me there with my brother - we had a bath at home but it was less expensive that way for my parents. I knew a Kerr family ( don't suppose for one moment the same as you mention) who lived right at the top of the Anerley Stn. railway slope just where Risdale and St.Hugh's Rds met. Happy New Year. Paduard Remember the baths well. Each week school swimming lessons! |
|
|
|
Post by chrisjeepman on Jun 18, 2016 12:54:12 GMT 1
I now live in Somerset and have not been back to Beckenham since 1976 - are Beckenham Baths still there I wonder? I remember it all so clearly, having learned to swim there around 1955 with my mum, and later with my elder brother by 10 years, Pete. I would have been about 7 or 8 and at Bromley Road Infants then, long before joining senior school (Hawes Down) 1959/60 when we then used to be taken there by coach as part of PE on a Wednesday.
Swimming Gala 1960 ish, and we all went to watch Jane and Dimiti from Marian Vian school win the rosettes.
I was a regular swimmer there until 1965 ish when swimming days then meant Bromley Open Air Lido instead, where snorkel, mask and flippers were allowed.
I too remember Bovril upstairs in the tiny cafe at Beckenham, but Horlicks was my favourite - made with water and just a dash of milk then whisked up into a froth by the lady serving using the electric Horlicks machine. I recall asking for coffee one day just for a change and being told by the lady that I had expensive tastes.....coffee was 7d a cup with no biscuit!
Happy days.
|
|
|
|
Post by peter52 on Oct 6, 2016 15:27:04 GMT 1
I learnt to swim there and my instructor (Mr.Nicholls) taught my Dad to swim!
|
|
toml
New Member
Posts: 1 
|
Post by toml on Feb 5, 2017 22:44:46 GMT 1
Hi You've probably all seen this but at around 24minutes in there is some footage of the Public Baths in Beckenham in 1935. player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-greater-beckenham-1935-1935/Apparently these were on the same site as the current Beckenham Spa. Shame they couldn't find a way of keeping some of the old building. |
|
|
|
Post by paduard on Feb 18, 2017 15:20:15 GMT 1
Hi You've probably all seen this but at around 24minutes in there is some footage of the Public Baths in Beckenham in 1935. player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-greater-beckenham-1935-1935/Apparently these were on the same site as the current Beckenham Spa. Shame they couldn't find a way of keeping some of the old building. I found this film very interesting; especially the earlier part where mothers were having their babies attended to. In 1935 I was just a year old, and without sounding daft I was looking to see whether I could recognize my mother - no such luck because as a young lady I would not recognize her anyway. Just put this on primarily to thank toml for posting the film on here. paduard |
|
|
|
Post by oldbiker on Jun 8, 2017 20:35:25 GMT 1
Interesting film. Is that Marian Vian School at about 34mins with the lads being marched off somewhere?
I dimly recall having compulsory sun lamp treatment at, I think Beckenham Town Hall. I had completely forgotten that until the film jogged my memory. I must have been some sort of asthmatic weakling or something!
Great footage at Beckenham Junc station with the train guard jumping back on board the train as it moved away. Imagine that now with the Health & Safety neurosis.
|
|
peter
New Member
Posts: 2
|
Post by peter on Sept 20, 2017 15:41:51 GMT 1
Mr Father, Sid Ford was the assistant superintendent until about 1975 and Mr Alec Nicholls was my uncle. Our family lived in a flat above the baths. It was a fascinating time, the swimming wrestling, dancing, dog shows and bird shows too. When I visited a few years ago, the whole of the lovely original building had gone but library and school untouched, it was a weird feeling and a tremendous sense of loss.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Historian on Sept 21, 2017 18:38:58 GMT 1
Mr Father, Sid Ford was the assistant superintendent until about 1975 and Mr Alec Nicholls was my uncle. Our family lived in a flat above the baths. It was a fascinating time, the swimming wrestling, dancing, dog shows and bird shows too. When I visited a few years ago, the whole of the lovely original building had gone but library and school untouched, it was a weird feeling and a tremendous sense of loss. There are some photos of the baths on the main site in the Clock House albums www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk/flashNifties/gallery2.html |
|
peter
New Member
Posts: 2
|
Post by peter on Sept 25, 2017 13:04:41 GMT 1
Thank you for the link, the baths had some updating to its frontage in my time but it is wonderful to see all these images.
|
|
|
|
Post by deedee on May 30, 2021 10:26:16 GMT 1
I have been searching for so long to find pictures of Beckenham Road Baths - the baths in the 1970s. Number 1, 2 and 3 pool. I have wonderful memories of swimming there almost every day. The cafe upstairs with the balcony viewing area for number 1 pool. The long walk down the corridors to number 2 pool and finally number 3 pool at the very end with the deep end of the pool actually being in the middle of the pool. I remember Vince Lamp who taught me to swim and canoe. The Kerr family living in the house on site, Joan on reception and that very cool ticket machine they used to use for your entry for a swim (almost like what the bus conductors used to use). Then there was the scholarship time trails once a year to earn you a free entry for a whole year. No diving blocks, they used to use towels on the edge of the pool. And talking of towels - I remember you could hire a rough white towel for your swim! Number 2 pool had a very small spectator area along one side and Vince Lamps office was at the end. The corridors always smelt of paint and had that flecked paint effect. Ken Hodges was the pool supervisor in my days! Why are there no pictures anyway on any site of these wonderful pools? If anyone can help - I would be very grateful. My mum still swims at the new pool after swimming every week there for over 50 years!! Wow, how weird. I just googled Beckenham Baths and up this post comes! EXACTLY as I recall it. I certainly remember Vince. His surname was actually Lamph (sorry to be pedantic) and he taught me my lifesaving skills to Bronze Medallion standard which meant....I could work there as a lifeguard which I did throughout the university summer holidays. Yes with Ken (short chap, black hair, looked like he was a rock and roller back in the day) who was my supervisor. Cleaning the actual baths that existed (down the corridor on the left) wasn't great! Yes, you could hire towels and trunks!! I can recall someone called Jean-Pierre, girls called Shirley and one called Janet (separate changing rooms natch) and someone called Scotty working there. Paul Conroy was a delivery person and various other things. Called himself 'Crazy Fox'. I was a member of Bromley Swimming Club that operated from there - got a scholarship one year but that was it - we trained in pool 2 as I recall. Pool 1 was sometimes covered and used for wrestling remember? Pool 3. Yes deep end in the middle and I can recall a diving board there two lower level and one higher. I learned to swim in that pool as a youngster. I think the board had gone by the time I worked there. The ticket machine....I had forgotten that. You dialled up the service on it! If I ever go back down that way I must visit. |
|
|
|
Post by The Historian on Jun 4, 2021 5:40:43 GMT 1
I have been searching for so long to find pictures of Beckenham Road Baths - the baths in the 1970s. Number 1, 2 and 3 pool. I have wonderful memories of swimming there almost every day. The cafe upstairs with the balcony viewing area for number 1 pool. The long walk down the corridors to number 2 pool and finally number 3 pool at the very end with the deep end of the pool actually being in the middle of the pool. I remember Vince Lamp who taught me to swim and canoe. The Kerr family living in the house on site, Joan on reception and that very cool ticket machine they used to use for your entry for a swim (almost like what the bus conductors used to use). Then there was the scholarship time trails once a year to earn you a free entry for a whole year. No diving blocks, they used to use towels on the edge of the pool. And talking of towels - I remember you could hire a rough white towel for your swim! Number 2 pool had a very small spectator area along one side and Vince Lamps office was at the end. The corridors always smelt of paint and had that flecked paint effect. Ken Hodges was the pool supervisor in my days! Why are there no pictures anyway on any site of these wonderful pools? If anyone can help - I would be very grateful. My mum still swims at the new pool after swimming every week there for over 50 years!! Wow, how weird. I just googled Beckenham Baths and up this post comes! EXACTLY as I recall it. I certainly remember Vince. His surname was actually Lamph (sorry to be pedantic) and he taught me my lifesaving skills to Bronze Medallion standard which meant....I could work there as a lifeguard which I did throughout the university summer holidays. Yes with Ken (short chap, black hair, looked like he was a rock and roller back in the day) who was my supervisor. Cleaning the actual baths that existed (down the corridor on the left) wasn't great! Yes, you could hire towels and trunks!! I can recall someone called Jean-Pierre, girls called Shirley and one called Janet (separate changing rooms natch) and someone called Scotty working there. Paul Conroy was a delivery person and various other things. Called himself 'Crazy Fox'. I was a member of Bromley Swimming Club that operated from there - got a scholarship one year but that was it - we trained in pool 2 as I recall. Pool 1 was sometimes covered and used for wrestling remember? Pool 3. Yes deep end in the middle and I can recall a diving board there two lower level and one higher. I learned to swim in that pool as a youngster. I think the board had gone by the time I worked there. The ticket machine....I had forgotten that. You dialled up the service on it! If I ever go back down that way I must visit. . Photos of The Baths here beckenhamhistory.co.uk/imgallery/spa-to-memorial/ |
|
stcsgirlforever
New Member
how far should I carry your flame in my fist?
Posts: 3
|
Post by stcsgirlforever on May 11, 2022 14:13:13 GMT 1
Double-period swimming lessons there every week (Tuesday afternoon, I think.) A coach would ferry us there from St Christopher's The Hall School for Girls, Bromley Road. I spent more time in the changing rooms than in the swimming pool. The smell of chlorine that permeated even the (massive) Wagon Wheels I'd buy afterwards from the vending machine in the lobby area is a vivid memory. I was a poor swimmer, reliant on those polystyrene-like floats for a great deal longer than I ought to have been. I'm terrified of the water even now, though I can just about keep myself afloat (I think).
|
|
