Widnes Baths!

A Memory of Widnes.

I too was dragged to Widnes Swimming Baths once a week when I attended Wade Deacon Grammar School, accompanied by Miss Lewis, a tiny, wiry lady in her grey skirted shorts, white tee shirt and a whistle permanently hanging around her neck on a blue tape.
To my shame I was, and still am terrified of water, and a non-swimmer. Miss Lewis pushed me into the deep end and kept bashing my fingers with her stick whenever I reached for the bar.
I truly believe she meant to simply make me learn to swim, and this seemed to her to be the best way to do it! She was not an unkind or harsh teacher, just fairly strict.
Anyhow It didn't work! They had to fish me out...and to her credit, she never did it again, I was left to splash about at the other end, and ignored!
I wonder what would happen if a teacher did that today!


Added 11 October 2014

#336795

Comments & Feedback

What height was the diving platform?
Good Heavens! Maybe that was the height of the diving platform, but I have no idea! This scary woman threw me in from the side, at the end of the pool that I believe was called 'the 6foot end' and that was enough of a platform for me to nearly die of fright. The water stank of something I didn't recognise, and the whole place echoed, so I am not sure if my cries were really heard above the cacophony of noise all around me. That stick left bruises over my hands but more importantly the experience left bruises on my desire to ever go into a pool again. To this day, I take a shower with my face away from the water, and I still don't swim
I remem
ber we used to go to Widnes baths (old ICI baths) around 1957 1958 'ish. When they closed and before Neville Player (architect) design and built the new Widnes baths we were bused from Farnworth CofE school to Runcorn baths over the Transporter bridge. Not sure of the years, but late 50's anyway.
Ah! that wonderful old Transporter! Gone now of course,

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