People came along to share their memories of Stirchley Baths at the first Splash Back In Time event on Monday at the library. And to find out more about the Heritage Lottery Fund second-round bid and the plans to transform the building into a community hub.
We’ve already posted an interview with Ron Coley from the first Splash Back In Time event HERE where Ron shares his memories of using the public bathing facilities with his dad every Saturday in the 1960s.
We’ll post more interviews soon.
The second and final Splash Back In Time event is at Stirchley Community Centre on Tuesday 19th March between 12.30pm and 4pm. We’d love to see you there!
Please share the event with friends and family, especially those who aren’t online but who have memories and stories of Stirchley Baths they’d like to share. If they can’t make the event they can jot their memories down and drop them in to the district office, library or community centre.
Stirchley resident Ron Coley has some great memories of using the public bathing facilities at Stirchley Baths in the 1960s and early 70s.
As a child Ron – now 59 – used to visit the baths every Saturday with his dad. He remembers the attendants filling a bath with about 12 inches of hot water – you’d then top this up with cold water. However, as a nine-year-old Ron found a way of getting some extra hot water, using a tool he adapted specially!
Here’s a lovely interview with Ron, where he talks about his memories of public bathing at the Baths, including how a bit of the roll-top cast-iron baths made a great pea shooter! Thanks very much for sharing your wonderful stories Ron.
Ron came to the Splash Back In Time event at Stirchley library on Monday 11th March to share his memories of Stirchley Baths. There’s another event on Tuesday 19th March at Stirchley Community Centre between 12.30pm and 4pm. More details by clicking HERE
Did you use the public baths at Stirchley Baths? We’d love to hear your stories. Please email stirchleybaths@gmail.com – pop it on our Facebook page here or tell us on Twitter using @stirchleybaths or #stirchleybaths
During the winter months in the 1940s, the swimming pool at Stirchley Baths was boarded over to create a dance floor and bands used to play.
Huge thanks to Wendy Pearson for these photographs that show this in action! Here’s Den Jones and his orchestra who were performing that night…
Do you have any stories or memories about dancing or watching a band at Stirchley Baths – or about anything in the Baths’ history? Leave a comment here or come along to our upcoming Splash Back In Time events:
Monday 11th March, 11am to 12.30pm, Stirchley library
Tuesday 19th March, 12.30pm to 4pm, Stirchley Community Centre
You can see a potted history of Stirchley Baths by clicking HERE – can you help to fill in the gaps?
Mick at www.stirchley.co.uk pointed us in the direction of the galleries of images they shared after the open day In late 2011. If you want to have another look go here:
As many of you will know the Stirchley Baths Project is about reusing the building as a community hub – not returning it to swimming. But lots of people care about the old baths and find interesting bits of history. This popped up on twitter
Suburban Birmingham: Spaces & Places, 1880-1960 was a partnership project led by the University of Birmingham, and produced by Birmingham Archives & Heritage, Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery, and University of Birmingham Special Collections. Funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the project ran from 2009 to 2012.
..and this picture of the Ceremonial Key used to open the baths on July 25th 2011
Stirchley Swimming Baths Ceremonial Key July 25th July 1911. Image: Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery.
Go here to read the whole and fascinating text about Stirchley and the origin of our civic buildings – here’s a chunk…..
The inscription on this key records the official opening of Stirchley Swimming Baths by George Cadbury Junior on 25 July 1911, to whom the key was presented by the architect John Osborn. This illustrates the close relationship between the Cadbury family and Stirchley. Over a period of 30 years, they were involved in the provision of buildings with a communal purpose, whether as social amenities, public services or places of worship. Yet the Cadburys did not have a monopoly over communal buildings and the services they supported.
Large-scale industry began in Stirchley, not with the Cadburys, but with the arrival of James and Son in 1861 – a factory producing screws. This developed into an industrial complex (later part of the GKN combine) and facilities for workers included a recreation ground with tennis courts. The co-operative movement emerged in Stirchley in 1875 and, as well as providing a range of retail facilities in the area, the Ten Acres and Stirchley Co-operative Society (TASCoS) invested in educational and social facilities. Rooms were provided at many TASCoS premises for lectures and meetings and its Choral Society became a significant cultural asset to Stirchley.
Here’s a link to other Stirchley historical material on the site.
