Well I’ve no idea of the date of the above image (original source) but it’s obviously many years ago. It’s been taken from inside (presumably) the Community Centre and shows the old Hoylake Pool of course. Note the boats moored out on the beach. You don’t see that nowadays. Fancy having a guess at putting a date on that photo?
Below is a fairly similar view, also taken from inside the Community Centre but from a different window back in April, 2008 by me. Shame I managed to get some of the roof in shot …even being 6 foot 3 isn’t tall enough sometimes!
Thats a great photo, the cars are wonderful! I only remember the New Brighton baths, but the whole concept gives a good feeling. The lifeboat house is errr modern!
I used to visit Hoylake baths as often as I could during the Summer and for as long through the season as it stayed open for. My last visit was in 1969 when I was 14. It is wonderful to see such a photo and it has brought back many happy memories.
Well, it looks to pre-date the drinking fountain if that helps!
Or is it just out of the picture?
Well, looks like the base/plinth is there. Hard to say.
I notice the verandah is still intact near the entrance, yet the turnstile gate that was to the right of the ice cream kiosk isn`t visible, anyone know when that was installed?
There were boats up in the gutter when i was a small child late 50`s early 60`s, my grandad used to take us paddling at Sandhey slipway and the shrimps would swim around our toes.
I never saw the verandah, it looks rather splendid. Just to its right is an exit (?)doorway under the dome and right at the end of the main building is a window neither of which were there when I was young in the 60s. There also looks to be a clock above the gents changing rooms which I think I do remember. The ice cream kiosk which was not originally there is present and the left hand of the 2 slides (Killers) at the back is still there – anyone know when any of these changes were made? It certainly all looks beautifully kept. What a desperately sad loss.
Looks to me as if there is a crowd of people round the fountain drinking from the tap and bowl. Health and safety would not allow this in the refurbishment!!!
It is certainly there.
Yes, Jackie, on further examination you are right the fountain is definitely there after all!! Hope you are keeping well. Peter
Strange isnt it, the more you look the more you see! I squinted a lot (“,)
Can’t think how I missed it, once you see it then it’s as clear as day!
Never seen the pool, but judging by the cars and panel truck (van) and the way people are dressed I would guess 1951.
Richard McIntyre Canada
The ‘new’ car in the middle is similar to a 1955 Hillman Minx and a ‘shooting brake’ similar to the car behind it was often seen around Hoylake in the 1950s . There seems to be very few people sunbathing on the balcony ! PS : enlarging the picture to 500% helps a lot .
(P)PS : can anyone recognize the lettering on the van ?
I would suggest the date of this pic would be 1950/51 I can almost hear the music blaring out from the loudspeakers “PUT ANOTHER NICKEL IN etc” to the right of the “exit” turnstile and to the right of the doorway a cased notice board displayed the low and high water times and depths at the bar. To the extreme right of the pic with a flat roof is the building that housed the canoes. The flat roof could probably tell some tales of goings on late at night in the pool (summer of course)———memories
You will notice one structure thats missing….no diving boards.
They are there, between the 2 slides! Have another look! A big diving stack and a sigle diving board to its left. This picture plays tricks with the eyes…!
I remember jumping off the top board but only a couple of times, it was very scary!
Your right Peter, first look, they looked like another slide. My Mom worked in the snack bar, Ivy Rochford worked at the main ticket office.
There was another lady who worked at the ticket office, she lived in Rudd St and was the lollipop lady on the zebra crossing on Market St. Don’t remember her name
Sue (Suzannah) Lawrence lived in Rudd Street and was a lollipop lady for Minto House school. She got a BEM in the early 1970s. She also worked at the Winter Gardens but I didn’t know she worked at the baths. Maybe it was a different lollipop lady who also lived in Rudd Street !
Edna Williamson worked at the baths; she lived in Groveland Avenue and was the sister of Anne Moore and Albert Marchbank.
Hi Kevin.
Just found these photo’s…..you are right, there used to be a ground level diving/springboard on the outside of the two big chutes, they were there when we joined HASC in 1953, so this photo has to be late 40’s, very early 50’s
Classic FM just advertised a Mantovani album, and it reminded me of the PA system at the Baths which invariably played Mantovani’s Charmaine Walt!The drinking fountain on the prom commemorated Queen Victoria, so I guess it was put up soon after her death at the start of the Century.
If you look on the wall panel facing the street between where the bikes are parked, you will see the glass frame which contained clocks showing the times and heights of the tides.
Talking of the diving boards, I remember guys getting told off for jumping off the top (5m fixed?) board onto the 3m springboard. I am surprised the board didn’t break, but they certainly got some elevation from the trick!
I was one of those crazy people who actually was banned from the pool for one week!!!!!!!!!! just for having fun
.