• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Swimming Lessons

G G Jean

G G Jean

Brummy Wench.
Would love to know your experiences. Did you look forward to your visit to the local baths or DREAD it? JEAN.
 
Definitely not! The teacher told all those who couldn't swim to stand up at the deep end, ( I think it was Woodcock street baths ) he then proceeded to push us all in to the water , I sank, swallowed half the baths and was so scared that I didn't learn how to swim until I was in my forties, I don't think they would get away with it nowadays.
 
I was a bit mixed as I loved swimming and still do. We had to go by coach to Tamworth Lido from Sutton. So half the lesson was travel and the water was freezing as it was outside! If I went swimming it was usually to Walsall baths which were great.
 
I loved it and swam like a fish from an early age. I obtained a free pass for Moseley Rd from the earliest age I was eligible. If remember correctly we had to swim three lengths of the baths.

I remember standing in for a swimmer at some Gala at woodcock street baths. What I remember was winning the race clear, but only being awarded second place because I failed to touch the end of the pool. I had turned around to watch the others finishing and before I realised everybody was screaming at me to "touch the rail" , I made a lunge at the rail but someone else completed the race and took first. I had completed the race at least five to ten seconds before him.

That was my first and last entry into competitive swimming.

Phil.
 
Astonite, the very same thing happened to me i was pushed in all non swimmers was told to stand in a line the next thing a hand came across our backs and pushed us all in i have never been by a swimming pool since
 
Hated it, went from schools in 1950's Weoley castle to Selly Oak baths, I was so small back then that even in the shallow end I couldn't stand with my head above the water, seem to recall always holding a cork float & kicking endlessly. Now 6ft I still can't swim altho I managed it on holiday in the pool of our rented villa as I used my kids armfloats ( yes really!) & it gave me a bit of confidence to try without
 
Hi all. Very interested to read your comments. I was the schools instructor for 18 years at Wyndley and loved the job. [Did have all the schools holidays off with full pay too]. Alf glad you enjoyed yours hope you did not duck anyone [I'd have had you out on the bench]. Astonite sorry you were pushed in the deep end. That happened to so many people years ago. Wendy believe it or not it is much easier to swim in cold water as it is denser than warm hence you float better. [Get goose pimples though]. Phyl I can see that you loved your swimming and it was a shame you forgot to finish [the watch never stops until you touch] only today it has to be the wall the rail means disqualification. I was finishing judge at the Sutton schools gala and had to disqualify a girl on backcrawl for turning off her back onto her front and not touching. She never did it again and went on to swim for England. A hard lesson at the time but a good one. Izzy I know the feeling being small myself. The first time I had a lesson[first visit to a swimming pool] I was told to hold the bar. Unfortunately I stood infront of one of those portholes that gushed out water and big bubbles. My instructors name was Olive Wood and she wore a skirt and harvest festival navy nickers. I could feel myself being pushed backwards [no ropes to stop you] and I thought this it. Self preservation took over and I swam back to the rail. Won't bore you with my swimming from then on. Jean.
 
Another one here who hated swimming lessons with the school (I'm almost certain it was Woodcock St baths).....this was in the late 60s & we too were shoved in the deep end!! With my surname (Dolphin) it was a difficult thing to deal with "ooh cant you swim!!".....err no!
I remember us all having to start at one side of the baths (so would be trying to swim across the width, not length) & one by one go across the water.....trying our best to 'swim'. One of the girls went off in front of me & as I started, she stopped......kicked me (by accident admittedly) full in the face & there was my blood gushing out of my nose onto the water. Said girl saw this, was sick & had to be hauled out....lots of sympathy for her but I remember being told off for 'bleeding' all over the place!! Injustice I felt!!
Never have been able to swim, hey ho.......I dont really feel I've missed out that much.
 
Oh Dolphie I could write a book after all those years. I have some fantastic Xmas end of term and my leaving cards off children I will never forget and have met since in the most unusual places. The water has turned most colours during my lessons from red yellow to brown. Please use your imagination folks. It was on the whole a most rewarding occpuation [my work with horses dthe most enjoyable]. I dread to think what in time to come my ex pupils will say about me. Does anyone remember their instructors name? Jean.
 
Lindev sorry I forgot to say that was awful but it happened to Pete's brother Brian and no matter how many times I have offered to go in with him he declines. Well he doesent exactly say that. Think we will have to get together sometime for a dip. Jean.
 
I didn't take swimming lessons at School - I was the child mascot of the Handsworth Ladies Swimming Club. Represented St Mary's School and won a certificate for swimming 9 lengths of the bath. Couldn't do it now LOL
 
Beryll our twins were in the club at Handsworth and swam in galas for them. I do remember reading about the ladies club. Did you ever swim for them against aston ladies in the Midlands league?. I am not sure of your age but a Kath Beauchamp ran the aston ladies swimming team. Jean.
 
How I came to hate any swimming bath!

My first two visits were my last, as on my first visit I drowned and had to be dragged from the bottom and resuscitated. My next visit I didn't dare go in the water and my cousin gave me a helping hand by pushing me in backwards, I fell with my head on the stone steps and sank unconscious to the bottom and had to be resuscitated again. That was two lives gone, 7 to go (which I have all used up today!).

When I started junior school wild horses couldn't get me to go to the swimming lessons and to this day I still can't swim.
 
It's very interesting to read the amount of people who were pushed in and then hated water, my husband is one of them. He still can't swim and his biggest regret is he couldn't join the police because he couldn't swim. My parents made sure we could all swim, this was because my mother's brother drowned aged 11. I followed her rule and made sure my boys could swim before lessons at school. I went snorkeling a couple of years ago in Cuba with my son. I also swam with dolphins. I feel sad my husband could not share in this amazing experience because, of the bullying style of teaching children to swim in the 50's.
 
My first swimming lesson was at SJMO and along with many others, my memories were not happy ones!!

I did, however, learn to swim but it wasn't at SJMO, it was in Austria, in the Worthersee, a lake in Carinthia. It was in the late 1940's and although I am not a strong swimmer. I can just about swim. I was taught by 2 soldiers who were stationed out there.
 
I learnt to swim in The Staff Swimming pool at Cadbury's, like a fish to water I swam quite naturally and have enjoyed swimming all my life. I took my children to the lessons that were run in the school holidays that were advertised with The Birmingham Mail, we lived in Northfield when my eldest 3 were taught, they are all strong swimmers, when we moved over to Tardebigge my youngest went with Tardebigge First School where I also worked, I used to help with the swimming lessons at The Hewell Rd baths in Redditch.
 
Hi Mysterymaid [Jayne] I used to run the post and mail lessons in the school holidays some years ago. It was an intensive course over two weeks. Five week days for 1/2 an hour weekend off followed by five more days. At the end of the course I had to choose the most improved child in each group and they would be presented with a special certificat by the Lor Mayor of Birmingham. That was the hardest part of the ten days for me. I had two sisters nervous pupils who equally made the same progress and both did their 25 metre's. In the end I went by age and chose the younger of the two. It was so difficult. Still have newspaper cuttings from those days. Cad I will swim across the channel and give you private lessons. Bye. Jean.
 
Hi Jean,
My three eldest were quite close, just under 13 months between the first 2 and 22 months between 2nd and third so I get mixed up when I try to think back, one things for certain I enjoyed every minute! June xx
 
Rowan what a lovely place to learn. Sorry I meant to put June. Gotta go had an emergency phone call one of my twins has taken the top of his finger off [nail and all] and Pete's taken him to the hospital [end bit in ice]. Jean.
 
Hi i learnt to swim at Rolfe st baths, but the school lessons were at Grove lane were i nearly drowned jumping in the deep end, the teacher was completely indifferent and told me not to get so excited. After that i got my mom to write a note saying i had a cold almost every week, that episode put the wind up me i from then i was terrified of Grove lane baths. I never did go back there.
 
Kizzy I am so sorry that happened as it did to so many children. Was it the education instructor or your own school teacher?. Jean.
 
G G Jean said:
Cad I will swim across the channel and give you private lessons.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jean that would be good. Despite my bad experiences I'm not afraid of water.

Not too long ago I even rescued a real good swimmer from a raging mountain river. He had turned our boat over while rafting and I hit the bottom 6 metres deep but I pushed really hard down with my legs and came up just in time to grab him and pull him to safety.
 
Hi Jean,
I alwys enjoyed swimming except when there was too much chlorine in the water. It used to bugger my eyes up something rotten! I was never a great swimmer but I was good enough to represent the schools I went to. We never won anything, ever - not that I recall anyway. I have one vivid memory of swimming in a relay race for St Marys Aston, in a gala at Woodcock St Baths. We only had 3 swimmers, for some reason or other, and I had to swim the 1st AND the last legs. I finished to great applause, stone last! Probably 10 minutes behind the others and cream crackered at the end of it! Ah! The good old days........
I remember going swimming at Woodcock St on Saturday mornings and looking forward to a grated cheese sandwich and a cup of hot OXO in the cafeteria afterwards, especially in winter. Happy days!
 
Last edited:
G G Jean said:
Kizzy I am so sorry that happened as it did to so many children. Was it the education instructor or your own school teacher?. Jean.
Click to expand...
Hi Jean it was my school gym teacher, i was 11yrs old at the time and i have never forgot that terrible memory
 
Hi

I tried to Swim all over the place in those day's at School.
Never got on with it drank half of the Baths.
Green Lane Kent Street and grove Lane.
One year a group of from Kynochs went to Le Touget
on the French Coast. We pushed out into the deep water
and without any trouble I was off.
Its about density Salt water is more dense than Swimming
bath water so its virtually impossible to sink.
The answer is to fill our baths with Salt water and none
of us can fail. I later tried the Baths again but it was
hopeless, although I managed some sort of paddle stroke
that got me through the Police test.

Mike Jenks
 
Dave I used to go swimming at Woodcock street every Saturday morning and Bill Eggison was my teacher. I would have been about eleven then. In his younger days he swam for Upper Thomas street Aston SC and Birmingham. He later became my boss when I did just evening classes when my twins were quite young. OH THAT B....Y CLORINE. Don't remember goggles at that time. As I began to train more often my eyes were permanently bloodshot. I get a bit of that these days but it ain't clorine. I know I have put this on before of Bill but I think it is in the right place this time as he inspired me to give back to others what he had given to me. Jean. Cad that is three of your lives isn't it.
 
Mike better still icy cold salt water even denser. Don't fancy it though. Mind you us ladies are better floaters more fat and natural boyancy aids if you get my meaning. Jean.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top