Forum Topic

Brentford Swimming Baths

We have a very interesting tour of the Old Brentford Baths yesterday.  There are some photographs on the Quilliam Property Services facebook page.  Two questions arose:1.  Can anyone remember if this pool was heated or not? 2.  Can anyone recall what was written above entrance doors on the plaques?  These have been covered up.Thanks to Jim for showing us around.Kind regards  Simon

Simon Groves ● 5569d18 Comments

You are funny I can't stop laughing, I really cannot, could you imagine the Duke's reaction with us all turning up with our soap,swimmer's and towels.

Dawn Hardy ● 5377d

Yes, it does look sumptuous. Maybe they could have an Open Day for locals.Mind you, we'd have to get everyone to shower first before jumping in!  We don't want the pool to become like the River Thames.

Jim Lawes ● 5377d

Could we afford it,not at all.Doesn't it look sumptuous though.

Dawn Hardy ● 5377d

So, is the only swimming pool in Brentford these days...the one at Syon Park?  Looks a treat? Are non residents allowed to join the Spa there?

Jim Lawes ● 5378d

Have some very fond memories of the old place. We used to have swimming lessons on a Thursdays with the school (Grove Park, Chiswick) Our swimming teacher was Mrs Clark, a lovely lady. My dad used it for his weekly bath in the 30's-50's. I was told it was covered with a false floor on occasions and dances were held there. Not sure if thats true???

sarah thomas ● 5558d

What a disgrace!!!

Dawn Hardy ● 5560d

Picture taken some 3 years ago. Indentations visable. Poor Mr Layton would be so sad to see what's happened to his plaque!

Jim Lawes ● 5560d

Thinking about it, of course it must have been, otherwise we couldn't have had our weekly bath there. I think all us children must have made those indentations whilst waiting our turn to go swimming.

Dawn Hardy ● 5560d

Pool was heated and one of the first heated swimming pools in London/Middlesex Acton and Ealing being amongst the others.Part of the building consists of the boiler and chimney block.If you posess an old penny, you will find it perfectly fits the many indentations in the soft face bricks at the entrance where decades of kids queued up to get in.

Michael Brandt ● 5560d

Mrs Stephens Bless her taught me how to swim after my brother threw me in the pool, she jumped in and saved me.

Dawn Hardy ● 5564d

Mr and Mrs Stephens ran the baths and lived in the house adjoining.  She wasn't someone to be messed with.  I seem to remember they had a son, Peter, who unsurprisingly was a very good swimmer.

Pat Kingham ● 5564d

When I was a child, we used to line up every Saturday afternoon to swim,look at the brickwork outside, those indentations were caused by us spinning our pennies whilst waiting for Mrs.Stephens to let us in, did she run a tight ship!. As far as I can recall no it wasn't heated however in the Winter it was so cold that the water alway's seemed warmer. It cost 2 old pennies to swim and a silver 6 pence to bathe, this got you a piece of soap, a towel and hot running water-heaven. In those day's it was either a swim or a bath couldn't have both, Winter Bath-Summer Swim.

Dawn Hardy ● 5566d

Ah, Ealing Road School long gone Audrey..but there are pictures around somewhere and lots of memories no doubt!. Is the School on Friends Reunited?Someone did tell me once the names of the family who used to run the Baths at one stage.. maybe it's been mentioned on a previous Forum thread. Yes, Galas..but I'm surprised I don't remember the hot chocolate.Wasn't there a turnstile just inside the entrance...where a penny was paid ..and directions to go straight on to the hot baths, stiff towel and mini bar of soap. Well some of us didn't have bathrooms did we..even in the 1960's!Simon's pictures are gratefully viewed..and I'd like to display this one of the local historians...who many people will know the names but not the faces perhaps.In red is Janet MacNamara the well known Brentonian and expert on Boston Manor House and lots more.The lady with the blue scarf is Carolyn Hammond with her husband Peter (holding camera) who have jointly published many local history books. Carolyn was Local Studies Librarian at Chiswick Library for many many years and after retirement continues as a volunteer…

Jim Lawes ● 5567d

Oh yes Jim and many galas too, up there on that funny gallery! It was a fun place that's for sure. We had swimming there Monday nights with boiling hot chocolate afterwards. We had to walk there 2x2 from Ealing Road school. Happy days.

Audrey Walton ● 5568d

A picture by "Slaterspeed" on flickr. Brings back some memories?

Jim Lawes ● 5568d

Was that Forum poster Jim Linwood, Simon, who toured the Baths with you..or another Jim?Like Audrey and others I visited the baths weekly in the late 1940's when we had lessons there. Some 20 of us must have piled onto the 665 trolleybus from near Kew Bridge with our teachers from Strand on the Green School. Don't recall it being heated..but neither was it freezing like the outdoor baths at Chiswick.There were hot water baths there for the public to use and so there was heat around.. somewhere!Audrey: do you remember seeing Water Polo teams playing there..whilst spectators were lining the gallery walkway above.Simon mentions plaques. Is he referring to the WW1 plaque commemorating members losing their lives 1914-18? Celia Cotton has been asking for information about the Clements family and so she might not have seen this.

Jim Lawes ● 5568d

HI AudreyMaureen Neivens said that it was heated - but how warm it was I cant say. x

Simon Groves ● 5568d

I don't know for a fact that the water wasn't heated but I do know that it certainly felt cold to get in to! Spent much time shivering on the steps..

Audrey Walton ● 5568d