Here is a scanned image of the long gone Hoylake outdoor swimming baths. I can only presume that photo was taken on a nice summer afternoon – as I type this, it’s cool, breezy, grey and raining and not really sunbathing weather in Hoylake 
There must be a good couple of hundred people in that photo so it demonstrates how popular the pool was on a nice day. What was that rock (?) feature in the foreground? Is that slide on the left the killer?
Feel free to comment!
Thanks to Jackie Hall for letting me borrow her scrapbook that contained various local press articles about Hoylake pool.
This looks like a a b&w copy of a post card, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a colour version somewhere.
It would have been taken a few years into the Hoylake Pool and Community Trust’s tenure which started in 1976 and shows the pool after being remodelled into an L shape with the help of “job creation” grants from the Manpower Services Commission. The area in the foreground was filled in to make extra sunbathing space and one of the 2 fountains relocated there. The fountains added visual interest but their main function was to oxygenate the water so helping water clarity I believe.
Yes, on the left is the ‘killer’ slide and on the far side the ‘curly’ slide.
Happy days!
Yes, it was a colour post card …I was having some technical issues with my scanner so it ended up becoming black and white.
The photo of Hoylake baths brought back a lot of happy memories of the times my friends and I spent there during our school holidays. It was a very popular place but we always seemed to have good summers all those years ago – but maybe I have a selective memory !! Have to say the water never seemed to get very warm even in the heat of the summer. I am pretty sure that the ‘rock’ in the foreground was a cascade of water. Don’t know if the slide on the left was ‘the killer’ but there was another slide lower down on the same side of the pool and also diving boards. There was a baby slide next to the slide at the top of the photo. We all had entry contracts for the summer and practically ‘lived’ there. They used to close for lunchtime and we would hang around until they opened again and go back in for the rest of the day. The changing rooms had half size wooden doors and wooden slatted floors inside. There was also a cafe for snacks and drinks. Great days !!
Regards from Sheila (Dubai)
The photo was taken in July 1976 on a very hot Sunday ,and is coloured, and was sent to a Postcard company in Leicester who produced I think 500. We then sold them at the cashdesk in aid of the Pool.
The Water cascade was removed in the winter of 1976-77 to increase the size of the area under a job creation scheme.
We have set up a display of old photos etc for the meeting tonight at 7-30 in Melrose Hall to save the Boating Lake.
Hello Did you say the Boating Lake is under threat now, why and in what sense? If so that is a disgrace, the heart and character of Hoylake has already been destroyed with the loss, mysteriously of the pool, where did all that money go that was raised to save it, the Cinema and all the lovely glass, wrought iron coverings on the shops on Market Street.
This is a wonderful picture and brings back many happy memories.
Hello Liz,
The boating lake needs repairing/renovating. Currently unusable as it loses so much water. There was a public meeting about it yesterday evening and residents are hoping to get the model boat lake restored …hopefully I’ll do a new news item today/tomorrow about it. Cinema is now an apartment block of course.
Hi. I spent many happy hours in that swimming pool. The water was always freezing! I remember the water fountains and the diving board. The changing rooms had horrid wooden slatted boards to stand on. Yuk. I also remember going swimming with the school in the winter. The teacher instructing us from the side wearing a fur coat while we were freezing. Happy days! A long time ago. Cynthia
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