Southend On Sea, Westcliff Pool c.1955

Photo ref: S155047

As a student at Southend High School for Girls in the 1960's, I remember our swimming lessons at the Westcliffe Swimming Pool - and I hated them! Unlike today, the water was cold and our instructors showed little empathy to those of us who were frightened of the water. Luckily, I learned to swim as an adult which has stood me in good stead for my life in Australia!

I spent most of my childhood here, taught myself to swim and then to dive as I stood on the steps and gradually got higher and higher until I was able to stand on the side to dive , then onto the springboard. I had a season ticket which used to run from May to September and you were able to go twice a day on this and sometimes I used to go in the evening too which cost 1/-, the only problem was I only ...see more

I spent almost every day here during the school summer holidays. My greatest achievements were jumping off of the top board and learning to dive in from the springboard. In the first year at school we had a bus take us to the pool for swimming lessons, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Those were the days.......................

I learned to swim here in the 1950s. The water was freezing, every day there was a notice showing the supposed water temperature, taken with a warmed thermometer I think! We used to queue up at the beginning of the swimming season to aquire a season ticket. My brothers always managed to have enough swims to get their money back by July. There was a Water Ballet show in the summer, every time I hear the music 'Sleepy Lagoon' I think of the Westcliff Baths.