Leeds swimming pools

[Leeds-lad]

Armley Sports centre open.My Daughter (25 yr old) went to Swim session yesterday and whilst not a prude found that the changing rooms are mixed as are the showers,although the male in the showers was not naked there are no signs up which say anyone has to be covered when using the showers.This must surely be off putting to male/female users.My daughter also noted that there is nowhere for spectators/members of the public to sit and watch the swimmers.This has got to be a serious lack of foresight by the planners.I may be wrong but would guess that every swimming pool used to have a balcony for spectators,i remember the school Swimming Galas up at Armley with screaming kids and parents in the 60's and I also used to go watch Armley Polo club.I don't know how much this Centre has cost but surely some one has dropped a right    

[raveydavey]

From Beechwood Primary School we were bussed up to John Smeaton Leisure Centre for our weekly lesson - on a West Yorkshire bus, usually an oldish single decker with gleaming red and white paintwork, or occasionally a National (presumably doing nothing else in the middle of the day).Then at Braimwood Middle School we were sent on one of Independents boneshakers to Fearnville, which was only recently opened then.Then at Foxwood (if you took swimming as an option in the 3rd year - I didn't) you had to walk to Fearnville under your own steam and the teacher would meet you there. I know it's not that far, but can you imagine that now - school kids being told to walk anywhere unescorted?Fearnville was where we normally went if under our own steam too, although we'd occasionally go into town to use the Olympics which if memory serves we used to have almost to ourselves most of the time, probably because the water was always cold. Or occasionally we'd go to Holt Park baths near my grandparents, which seemed a long way away at the time but was about the only place with a water slide and an underwater window where you could see into the pool from the cafe.I do remember as a kid walking(!) to the open air Lido at Roundhay once or twice, but that must have been just before it closed. Sadly that was the only characterful pool we went to and I didn't appreciate it back then.

[cinderella]

I remember going to the Lido on Sunday mornings with my family when I was a kid in the 50s. It was unheated and very very cold, but we all loved it. We were hardy back then!

[Trojan]

the old Morley baths was at the junction of Corporation Street and Fountain Street. There were two pools, plus odinary baths and various other types of bath. http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... 5_160715It closed around 1970 I think.Morley Council replaced it in 1974, to spend their money so that Leeds didn't get their hands on it. It has recently itself been replaced by the new sports centre.

[Keg]

Learnt to swim at bramley baths. I was at St Gemmas when it was a primary school and we used Meanwood baths.Lived in Cookridge and it was heaven when they built Holt Park pool,every day in the summer holidays, but only enough money to swim, never enough for a drink or chip buttie!.I remember the cafe windows and the ones from various corridors looking into the pool, but not an underwater window.Ah memories>>!    

[Si]

I learnt to swim at Armley Baths. The swimming tutor was called Duncan, I think.

[Lilysmum]

I learnt to swim very quickly at the newly opened Aireborough swimming baths(now Aireborough leisure center) In 1967 (?) My sister pushed me in the deep end so I didn't have choice. I wouldn't have dreamed of sending my two children off to the baths on their own at such a young age but it was the norm then. Cossy wrapped in a towel and off you went!

[Keg]

We must have been posh, we still wrapped pur cossies in a towel but then put them in a plastic bag!.If we really lucky. dad would run us over to Aireborough pool and finally got enough courage to jump off the big board.

[Johnny39]

I learned to swim at York Road Baths in the early 50's (no not 1850's) being taken there from Brownhill School. There were still fuel shortages in those days so it was a very cold stretch of water indeed. After learning to swim they gave certificates for various tasks carried out in the water. The First Certificate for swimming a full length, the Second Certificate for a dive in, a length on the back and three lengths breaststroke. I can't remember what the Third Certificate entailed but I'm pretty sure life saving was involved. I think after the certificates it then became medals but I'm not certain about this - perhaps someone else can remember?At sometime we stopped going to York Road to which we had to walk and started going to Union Street to which we were bussed. What a dump but at least the water was warmer!

[morleyhall]

Trojan wrote: the old Morley baths was at the junction of Corporation Street and Fountain Street. There were two pools, plus odinary baths and various other types of bath. http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... 5_160715It closed around 1970 I think.Morley Council replaced it in 1974, to spend their money so that Leeds didn't get their hands on it. It has recently itself been replaced by the new sports centre. My Dad learned to swim at the old Morley baths in the early 50's. He wouldn't get in the water & he couldn't swim when my Gran left him, when she came back to collect him, he was swimming un-aided & didn't want to get out of the pool. During swimming lessons from Elmfield School, my Dad was sent down to use the diving boards. He was always in trouble for using the top board when the swimming teachers back was turned.When I was a kid I spent most Saturday afternoons in the old sports centre pool which, was where I learned to swim.Oddly, I went over to the new sports centre with my kids on Saturday afternoon, only to find it closed to swimmers at 2.30pm.