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?

Key dates in the history of Stirchley Baths – can you fill in the gaps?

Paul Raymond Jones wrote a paper on the History of Bournville Lane Baths in 1981. This is a really useful snapshot of history taken from archival records. Can you tell us anything else that went on?

1903 Cadbury’s offered the Urban District Council a piece of land to build a ‘public swimming baths, slipper or spray baths and washhouse’.

1910 Stirchley Baths was opened. At this time Stirchley was a small village and many homes did not have a bathroom, but a tin bath in front of the fire. People would come straight from work to use the slipper baths and get clean before going home.

When the Baths were built there were laws which segregated swimmers and washhouse users by class and by gender. You were either considered to be First Class or Second Class (poorer, working class). Mixed bathing was not allowed until 1927, and then you had to enter and exit the pool by the male or female side.

In August 1911 there were 3,428 second class male ticket sales compared with 39 first class male ticket sales or uses of the swimming pool which shows their importance for ordinary people from the area.

1914-1918 The baths were kept open during the First World War, although with reduced opening hours. Soldiers and refugees could use the baths free of charge.

1922 The baths were closed for seven weeks due to a coal dispute which became a national crisis.

1927 Mixed bathing was introduced and bye laws were changed to ensure that proper bathing costumes of a thick material were worn (to prevent indecent exposure!)

1933 The Assembly Room at the baths was used as a rest room for the unemployed during the winter months.

1939-1940 The baths were closed for swimming during the first two years of World War II and used as a first aid post. They reopened in 1941. People rendered homeless by local bombings were allowed to use the baths free of charge.

Two hot showers were installed during this time due to the number of people during wartime using the baths.

In the 1940s, during the winter months the swimming pool was boarded over to create a dance floor. Bands used to play.

 

1964 The Finnish government presented Stirchley with a sauna suite to promote Finland.

1973 a privately-run Jewish Mikvah opened at Stirchley Baths. A Mikvah consists of a sunken bath which was filled with natural and heated water, in this case rainwater. It allowed for ritual immersion which is part of the Jewish religion.

1977 The washing baths were closed and the sauna suite was expanded to include 6 beds and a TV lounge!

1978 multi-gym was installed in place of the original Finnish sauna.

1988 Closure of baths due to lack of funds to repair the building at a cost of £1m. The ceiling in the ladies’ changing area collapsed.

1998 concerns over the deterioration of the building led to it being listed as Grade II by English Heritage.

2013 Where we are today – applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £1.3m to bring the building back into use, not as a baths, but as a fit-for-purpose community hub.

Final Planning Submission

Displayed above is a copy of the Final Planning Submission of the proposed Site Plan for the Stirchley Baths Project, this along with the proposed Ground Plan pictured below is scheduled to go to Planning Committee on March 7th March 21st.

You can download and view PDFs of the plans below.

Proposed Site Plan (PDF)
Proposed Ground Floor Plan (PDF)