The Stirchley Youth Tuesday Club

Committee member Brenda Thomas set up a youth club in Stirchley in the 1970s with other mums and grandmothers called the ‘Stirchley Youth Tuesday Club’.

It was originally held at Stirchley Primary School – and 200 children turned up on the first night over the two sessions that were held: 6-8pm for primary children; 8-10pm for secondary school.

Brenda says: “I was surprised how many people turned up because it was thick, pea soup fog. You couldn’t see across the playground. And yet all these children were waiting for this youth club, which was amazing.”

Listen to Brenda’s account of the first night here, and the kinds of activities that were held (including south Birmingham youth club swimming galas at Stirchley Baths)…

As well as providing activities for generations of children, the Stirchley Youth Tuesday Club had another legacy for the town too.

A need to find a new premises in the early 1980s (due to extra caretakers being required for out-of-school activities) led to the creation of the Stirchley Community Group and, eventually, Stirchley’s existing community centre in Pershore Road.

Were you there on the first night of Stirchley Youth Tuesday Club? Did you go to the youth club and get involved in the sports competitions and swimming galas at Stirchley Baths? Share your memories and stories with us – please email stirchleybaths@gmail.com – pop it on our Facebook page here or tell us on Twitter using @stirchleybaths or #stirchleybaths

Dancing at the Baths – thanks to Wendy Pearson

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?

Pictures from the Stirchley Baths Open day 3rd September 2011

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:

Pictures from Liam Dillane  http://www.stirchley.co.uk/stirchley-baths2011.html

Peter Walker http://www.stirchley.co.uk/stirchley-baths.html

And one large one from Thorsten Schnier http://www.stirchley.co.uk/stirchley-baths2.html

 

 

The key to the old Stirchley baths – thank you nebolland.

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

a tweet from nebooland about strichley baths.
nebolland strichley baths tweet

Thanks Neil – he’d found the website Suburban Birmingham…

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

A large golden coloured and elaborate ceremonial key - used for opening the stirchley baths in 1911.
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.

Great work from Birmingham Archives & Heritage, Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery, and University of Birmingham Special Collections, and once again thanks Neil for spotting this. Anymore please email to stirchleybaths@gmail.com – pop it on our facebook page here or tell us on twitter using @stirchleybaths or #stirchleybaths.

 

WW2 bomb shrapnel in Stirchley loft

The piece of shrapnel that was found in Brenda Thomas’s loft in the early 1970s

Committee member Brenda Thomas brought along a piece of bomb shrapnel that was found in her loft in the 1970s to the community hub meeting on Monday.

The bomb landed near the junction of Elm Tree Road and Charlotte Road during the Second World War and destroyed a number of properties.

Brenda’s property was about 50 feet away – and a piece of the bomb remained in her loft for three decades before it was discovered.

Have a listen to Brenda explaining all here:

Thank you to Wendy Pearson for this map that shows where the bombs fell in and around Stirchley during the Second World War. The red dots indicate the bomb sites.

Do you have any information about bomb sites in Stirchley or any stories to share?