Roundhay Park Open-Air Pool

grumpytramp · Post by **grumpytramp** » Tue 05 Aug, 2008 12:36 am

raveydavey wrote: Good news wiggy - I was down there only last weekend and the little farm still has a sign on the gate advertising goats milk for sale!I've had more than a couple of pints over the years as I've walked back from the park - it was always really ice cold too, perhaps they used the same refrigeration gear as the old baths, eh? Oh dear now you have really rattled some memories there!In my youth the wee small holding was run by the Carrs. Old man Carr came across as a real tyrant chasing us off his wee chunk of land between Miss Lupton's Field (or the Bull Field if you want) and Wyke Beck often clutching his twelve bore (in fact he was routinely called out by the Police to dispatch unfortunate beasts caught up in road accidents etc).Once you got to know him though, he was a lovely old fella and if you were cheeky enough he'd take you to the goat sheds and let you try to milk a goat (which in my case resulted in me getting a good kicking)We even bought a pet rabbit from them whose mother was one eyed having fought a rat trying to get at her litter. Our bunster inherited its mum genes and used to terrorise the neighbours dogs. The Carrs always had black labradors which when you went to get milk or eggs would beseige you for attention. Funny the things you remember?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 05 Aug, 2008 12:56 am

[quotenick="drapesy"]Is this the channel you mean Troll?quote]No Mr. D. The original channel was a series of half round concrete sections which were laid over each other and you could run down each one jumping across the trickle of water in the middle and jumping each step down as you came to it.They dug it up and stuck in thise awful imposing thing you picture!I went back to the park to look at the old channel and was sad it had gone.The pool was freezing so most of us kids used the paddling pool, but we only really went when it was sunny.For baths we'd go to Union Street and Cookridge street and they were cold.I belong to an Esporta and before they got into trouble and turned the heat down the baths were lovely and warm. Luxury!

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 05 Aug, 2008 1:04 am

rikj wrote: Well, the people living there probably don't but somebody does. Waterloo Lake is so large that it counts as a dam. That means that a dam breach impact assessment has to be carried out. I'm pleased you enjoyed a vision of half of Leeds being swept away.But isn't it the fact that essentially the "lake" is ornamental and is actually very shallow, and the deepest part of the water would not release on the dam being blown up by 622 squadron?When they drained the lake they could not get rid of the water in the deep bit because it was in a hole below the general level of the bed of the lake.In addition the lake is not fed by anything but a small stream so that would reduce the amount of water flow on any breach.I think the goats cottage may take a hit but that's about it?Before the current arrangement the lake did overflow with an ornamental waterfall. Any part breach would probably re-create that and would be pretty rather than a disaster??

ceejaylufc · Post by **ceejaylufc** » Tue 05 Aug, 2008 1:22 am

I used to love roundhay park baths, I went to Braimwood in the mid 70's and it was those lovely warm summers, we used to take our swimming kit to school and go in afterwards and the water was so cold !!!Such a pity it's closed down now.

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Thu 14 May, 2009 1:08 pm

I found this whilst metal detecting in the bulls field(with permission)at roundhayand i thought id share it with you all.I remember going to the baths as a young child but i cannot remember these? they must have been some kind of locker key or token or something?? anyone enlighten me more?

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Thu 14 May, 2009 7:32 pm

Brandy wrote: I found this whilst metal detecting in the bulls field(with permission)at roundhayand i thought id share it with you all.I remember going to the baths as a young child but i cannot remember these? they must have been some kind of locker key or token or something?? anyone enlighten me more? Brilliant find!! I'm sure you're right they are some sort of token for the locker room. - If I remember correctly ( I was only small!) you hung your clothes on to a large hanger affair which you then handed at a 'cloakroom'. the attendant there gave you one of these tokens which you later gave back to get your clothes back. I assume there was a charge for this service.

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Thu 14 May, 2009 8:58 pm

drapesy wrote: Brandy wrote: I found this whilst metal detecting in the bulls field(with permission)at roundhayand i thought id share it with you all.I remember going to the baths as a young child but i cannot remember these? they must have been some kind of locker key or token or something?? anyone enlighten me more? Brilliant find!! I'm sure you're right they are some sort of token for the locker room. - If I remember correctly ( I was only small!) you hung your clothes on to a large hanger affair which you then handed at a 'cloakroom'. the attendant there gave you one of these tokens which you later gave back to get your clothes back. I assume there was a charge for this service. Thats how i remember it too. This pool was really busy at times and you put your clothes on a wire frame with a clothes hanger and basket and handed them in to a cloak room but kept a numbered disc on a wrist bracelet. I think it cost 6d in old money in the late 50s /early 60s.Does the disc have a number on the reverse? Did the unfortunate who lost this disk have to go home in his or her swim kit, I wonder?I also remember it always being hot and sunny when we went to this pool, but the water in the pool was always teeth chatteringly cold. The grassy bank around the paddling pool was great for just sunbathing and watching girls in their teeny weeny polka dot bikinis.An earlier post mentions that treated lake water was used in the pool. This would fit in well with my memory of the lack of clarity of the water, it resembled the water in other lakes I have swum in northern climes. This pool would have closed on safety grounds alone nowadays. With what seemed like hundreds of people milling around in this pool on a nice summers day and the lack of water clarity no lifeguard could have seen anyone in difficulty who went under the surface. One peculiarity of this pool, I seem to remember, was that it had a ledge all the way round so that even children were not out of their depth at the edges but step in a foot or so and it was really deep except at the shallow end of course. I used to enjoy the springboard and the diving tower but never had the courage to use the highest board.

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Tue 19 May, 2009 7:26 pm

Brandy wrote: I found this whilst metal detecting in the bulls field(with permission)at roundhayand i thought id share it with you all.I remember going to the baths as a young child but i cannot remember these? they must have been some kind of locker key or token or something?? anyone enlighten me more? Whats on the reverse side Brandy?

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Tue 19 May, 2009 11:04 pm

Its just blank on the back blackprince.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Tue 19 May, 2009 11:48 pm

Are you sure it not just a council key fob, so they knew which keys were for where?