The Teaching (or small) pool in Milton Road Baths has now not been used for quite a few years while it ‘awaits repairs’ although we understand these repairs are not actually scheduled to be done. It was originally the women and children's pool, the men being in the 'large' pool in the next room. Being relatively shallow at one end it suited children's swimming lessons and it is easy to imagine that going back a few years all Swindon children learnt to swim here!
The pool room was locked but we were able to take these few shots through a window in a door. At the far end wall is a mural 'Woman and Child' by Andy Rogers and Nick Drew which was created in 1987 and funded by Thamesdown Borough Council. The title and design is a nice nod to the pool's original users. These photographs were taken some thirty years after it was painted and it still looks in fairly good condition, especially considering what a humid atmosphere it has spent most of its time in.
A photograph taken by William Hooper in 1910 shows the small baths with a stained glass window panel:
1910 Photograph.
We learnt to swim here as kids in the 1960s and we remember earning 'colours' for swimming varying distances and we were pleased to hear this scheme was still going when our daughter attended after-school classes in the 1980s. If memory serves us correctly, the first one was red, then yellow, blue and green; there were other colours too but we cannot remember them.
Inside Pages:
ALL Inside Photographs
Committee Room
Gym Waiting Room
Large Pool
Mural - 'The Folly'
Mural - 'Mother and Child'
Original Main Entrance
Reception
Small (teaching) Pool
Windows
Photographs of the Outside of building
