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Swimming Lessons

Was down the caravan a couple of weeks ago and we gave a lady a lift up the lane and she remembered me from teaching her son many many years ago. She said he still loves swimming. Must have been doing something right I guess?. Maggs Jim will be giving you two whacks of the cane!!!!..
 
We walked to Grove Lane baths from Rookery Road school for our swimming lessons once a week. Unfortunately, our teachers were not swimming instructors, so didn't really have much idea. I hated the water and learnt nothing in those lessons. It seemed that I was always last to get changed before walking back to school. I only learned to swim when I was about 30 with some proper adult lessons.
 
That is a shame not learning during your school swimming lessons. Mrs Olive Wood was brilliant. She was a true professional and was lucky to have had her. She was still swimming herself when in her early eighties. Glad you did learn later on though Crinkmeister as you can have so much when on holiday in the pool. Jean.
 
Crinkmaster - I also had swimming lessons once a week at Grove Lane - think it was on a Tuesday. I learned to swim there and really enjoyed my lessons, in fact swimming was my favourite of all the sports we did at school. The girls changing rooms were up on the balcony.

Judy
 
We had to go to Monument Road swimming baths to learn, but sadly I never did, although I enjoyed going and have always loved being in water. I learned to swim eventually at Monument Rd baths when I was 18. Like you Judy, it was also one of my favourite sports next to ice skating.
 
My Mom tried to teach me to swim at Sparkhill baths but I hated the place. The water was freezing and the edge of the pool consisted of blocks of a material that had the consistency of coke. I slipped getting out and got some horrible scratches.
When I started at Wheelers Lane school, swimming was on the curriculum and we used to go to Kings Heath baths. I loved it there, the water was warmer and non - swimmers had a small pool to splash about in. Before long I learned to tread water then dog paddle which progressed to the crawl.
Great days !
 
As with most experiences in the --Oh so important early years of our lives---A bad experience is so hard to shake off in adulthood. Through my very bad experience in the 'Swimming baths' as a 9year old, I have always disliked water/sea. I can/could--swim for a very short distance, but hated it and still do. Looking at rivers and the sea, is ok, but not in them. Golightly.
 
I went through junior and secondary school without any swimming lessons. At Handsworth Technical School we went once a week to Grove Lane baths for an half hour session but no lessons so I left school unable to swim. At the age of 21 and in the RAF still unable to swim, I went one sunny afternoon with the lads to an open air lido in a Wiltshire town. Standing up to my neck in the water I suddenly became able to swim, I was amazed and very happy. I'm in a photo posted in another thread, it was taken on that sunny day - if you want to see it click/here.
 
When the family moved permenantly to the South West, we stayed 'temporarily' in a little seaside town called Severn Beach. It was there that I learned to swim a little, (mostly just jumping in the shallows and splashing about)---It was a very rustic hotch potch of a place called optomistically--'The Blue Lagoon', because it was painted all over in that colour. It had a decent diving board system for it's size, but the water was right out of the Bristol Channel, cold, salty as hell, and poorly filted. BUT--1955 was a beautiful summer, so it was like we were on perpetual holiday, and loving it. Regrettably ( with hindsight) we didn't get any schooling for 6 months. My first (short) romance started in that pool. Her name was Isobel, we were both 13, she was on holiday with her family, from Wolverhampton. We both had problems understanding the local accents, and she told me--'Don't ever lose YOUR accent will you ! I had been trying my hardest to impress her in ---of all places, the swimming pool, but it ended in embarrassment when she shot past me like she was motorised. She later told me she was the area junior champion for the crawl, back in her home town. Life can be cruel.
 
Thanks Jayell, I'm glad you liked it. That's all so long ago now, and I sometimes wonder what became of Isobel. As for my Brummie accent, well, strangely, despite being subjected to nearly 60 yrs of 'local' influence, in these 'ere paarrts, they still pick up my 'none local' tones. And yet !--when I visit my relatives in Brum, they all start to mimick my (apparent) country bumkin voice. Life can be cruel--hehe.
 
maggs said:
We had to go to Monument Road swimming baths to learn, but sadly I never did, although I enjoyed going and have always loved being in water. I learned to swim eventually at Monument Rd baths when I was 18. Like you Judy, it was also one of my favourite sports next to ice skating.
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I got my free pass at Monument Rd for swimming 1 length.
We used to drink Cow & Gate or Horlicks after the session, I can't remember which!
Also having to step into some kind of disinfectant before going into the pool (must have had foot and mouth), and sometimes having to hire those trunks that had strings on presumably to fit all sizes, which came down when you dived in!
 
Loved your story too golightly. Bill my first bath working with schools was Monument road. Had thirty beginners in a small roped off area in the shallow end. That many in one lesson would not be allowed these days.
 
Hi Beryl I too went to Yew Tree Road Junior School and Mr Liggins was the first teacher to take us swimming. We had a Mrs Olive Woods teach us there. Very large classes in those days. Happy times eh?.
 
SueB58 said:
I loved my swimming lessons at Grove Lane Baths.
Mrs Jones the Swim (Handsworth Wood Girls School) - you paid attention with her. But she taught you well... Can't remember who taught us at junior school though.
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Sue you must have been there HWGS same time as me...miss Jones taught Science as well, and had won medals as a professional swimmer...she stood no messing but was fair. I was there from 1964 til 1971 ...I stayed on for 6th form when they did the new build for the common rooms. I remember Mrs Hinchcliffe the headmistress well...bit of a character and a women’s libber. I was in the play Brum Brum and Votes for women. Do your remember the Friday lunchtime dances with great reggae music ?
 
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