As a kid I disliked the public swimming baths in my home town of Preston, especially when pressed to go with school. It was a huge smelly, echoey brick box filled with chemically dead water, the chlorine gas rising from the pool like fog, through which screaming grubby boys somersaulted into the deep end like depth charges as we gawped at a sign that said No Heavy Petting, wondering on the school bus back what on earth it could be!
Even worse were the changing rooms. Stinking steaming cubicles with clothes baskets and a tiny bench. The very worst thing was the sodden floor, awash with chlorinated trunks bilge, snot, piss and Christ knows what!
The only good features of those God-forsaken baths were the medallions you got for surviving the ordeal - I got to Intermediate - and the mug of hot sweet tea in the cafe afterwards, slowly dissolving an everlasting chew strip in your mouth whilst drinking cha.
All in all it put me off public baths for life.
Well this week in Germany we took the Grandkids to the very opposite of those rank depths, the very mirror of their crud. A modern multi-bath emporium of liquid fun: clean, family friendly, quiet, calm and simply wunderbar.
Fun pools, baby shallows, salt baths, warm outdoor pools, hot tubs, curving slides, tipping buckets, loungers, cafes, saunas and best if all a circular flume.
Yes, sports swimming pools were there too for keen crawlers but who wants them!
The kids adored the place and we've been twice in three days.
What was and what is your public baths experience readers?
well as far as heavy petting, id never take my overweight labrador to the baths! Bill
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Where was your public baths Bill? In Liverpool?
DeleteIf we're talking municipal swimming pools, I am not a fan for the same reasons. Fortunately we usually had a pool at our apartment complex. Just take a dip and go back to your own bathroom. My current situation is not so good. They've only changed the water once in fifteen years, and that was to paint. Also, no heating.
ReplyDeleteSo what is the water like Baron? Scummy,?
DeleteYes, it looks dirty. They scrape sometimes, and sometimes add chemicals. But almost no one uses it more than once.
DeleteWhat a shame!
DeleteI now understand where your skill as a horror writer began, Woodsie!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! A formative experience for sure Looey! And thanks for the compliment!
DeleteI hate to say it, but the baths in my home town, Shipley in West Yorkshire, were great.
ReplyDeleteThey were classic old Victorian baths, all white and green tiles, and iron railings.
But apart from the chlorine smell, which I felt helped them feel safe and hospital like anyway, they were clean, well staffed and welcoming. I used to love going.
I think you were just unlucky in Preston Woodsy. You should have got your parents to complain to the council.
We too had the mysterious 'no heavy petting' sign.
Shipley eh Mish! I will have to tell my daughter who resides nearby. You make it sound like great back then. Did you get any badges? I forgot to say we were gassed one day as a school class. Gassed with chlorine and all taken to hospital!
DeleteOur local Swimming Pool was constructed in 1974, and was next to my local Comprehensive School.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very nice place to go, all new and at the time, state of the art, very similar to the German setup. Ynysawre Swimming Pool even had a Sauna. I learnt to swim in that pool. It was nothing like the local horror story Paul described above.
About ten years ago, the whole complex was gutted, completely rebuilt, and enlarged. Again, a very nice place to go. It now has a weight training suite, and is about 30% bigger than the old complex.
Gassed with chlorine !
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you weren't at the Somme baths ?
These days your parents would be able to claim thousands in compensation - and rightly so.
Didn't get any badges, but did get a couple of certificates.