Humford Baths

[alanc]

I will always have happy memories of the summer months spent at the baths, every chance I got rain or shine I was at the baths.

There used to be an unofficials record of who could swim the most lengths of the baths can anyone remember this ?

[esme]

I will always have happy memories of the summer months spent at the baths, every chance I got rain or shine I was at the baths.

There used to be an unofficials record of who could swim the most lengths of the baths can anyone remember this ?

I can just about remember the baths at Humford. I was really small when they shut. My burning memory is of the changing cubicles at the side of the pool - it was always freezing especially when you came out!

[Brian Cross]

I remember the baths at Humford well, the baths were cold and uninviting but it was where most kids from Bedlington learned to swim, I think i was five when my dear father threw me in to learn to swim. ( R.N. style)

[Symptoms]

alan - if you use the Search function in the Menu Bar above, and type in Humford and/or Humford Baths you'll get previous postings about that much loved place. Ah, fond memories: peep holes in the wooden walls of the changing cubicles, frogs in the filter pool and being chucked in there by the 'big lads', the cold water ... something not really noticed/ignored because we pretended to be tough, happy days out with mates. I can't remember the entrance fee ... was it a tanner?

[kasyx]

my mam tells me they were quite popular lol

[alanc]

alan - if you use the Search function in the Menu Bar above, and type in Humford and/or Humford Baths you'll get previous postings about that much loved place. Ah, fond memories: peep holes in the wooden walls of the changing cubicles, frogs in the filter pool and being chucked in there by the 'big lads', the cold water ... something not really noticed/ignored because we pretended to be tough, happy days out with mates. I can't remember the entrance fee ... was it a tanner?

I can'nt remember how much it was to get in ? I can remember Ralph Marley he used to look after the baths! We used to dive off the girls changing cubicles into the deep end as a dare. Ralph would shout at us. Another dare was to swim the filter bed all good stuff.

[Mr Darn]

not sure if its who you mean, but the Marley's still own the house at the bottom of the bank i believe.

is he a schoolteacher? or was he once?

[alanc]

not sure if its who you mean, but the Marley's still own the house at the bottom of the bank i believe.

is he a schoolteacher? or was he once?

Just remembered it was Wilf Marley, Wilf worked for the council and yes I believe you are right they still live in that house. I visited about 4/5 years ago.

Mr Marley the school teacher was at St Cuthberts infants school (I think ?) I remember the name I was there in 1956 -58 before going to Whitley Memorial.

Going back the swimming baths I believe it was 5/- (shillings) for a season ticket

Anyone remember the big building at the front of the baths what was that used for??????

[charlie]

Just remembered it was Wilf Marley, Wilf worked for the council and yes I believe you are right they still live in that house. I visited about 4/5 years ago.

Mr Marley the school teacher was at St Cuthberts infants school (I think ?) I remember the name I was there in 1956 -58 before going to Whitley Memorial.

Going back the swimming baths I believe it was 5/- (shillings) for a season ticket

Anyone remember the big building at the front of the baths what was that used for??????

Bill Marley is the son and he also taught English i think at Bedlington High School.

not sure what the building was but we just called it the "hot house" and used it to get changed into swimming costumes.

I also cannot remember paying to use the swimming baths, either i must have sneaked in or the charge was not in place when i went in 1970's

[Symptoms]

Wasn't there a Tuck Shop in the big building - I'm sure you could get tea and sweets but maybe that's my memory playing tricks. We also swam in the River, probably ¼ of a mile up-stream from the baths/steppy stones, at the dam - deep on one side, a slime slide on the other and a rope swing for Tarzan plops into the water.

[alanc]

Wasn't there a Tuck Shop in the big building - I'm sure you could get tea and sweets but maybe that's my memory playing tricks. We also swam in the River, probably ¼ of a mile up-stream from the baths/steppy stones, at the dam - deep on one side, a slime slide on the other and a rope swing for Tarzan plops into the water.

Cann't remember it being a tuck shop, it was like a hot house we used to chat up the lasses in there.

Sure I can remember the dam and swimming in there brilliant!!

It was 1964 - 66 when I used to go it was always packed even if it was raining the baths was a great place to hang round.

[Symptoms]

alan - I'm intrigued by the 'c' in alanc. Was your nickname 'Cowt' at school, did you have an older brother in the cops, did you know a lad whose nickname was 'Talc' (not me), are you about 56? If yes to these questions, say so and I'll send you a private message via the Forum. You could be an old pal of mine.

[alanc]

alan - I'm intrigued by the 'c' in alanc. Was your nickname 'Cowt' at school, did you have an older brother in the cops, did you know a lad whose nickname was 'Talc' (not me), are you about 56? If yes to these questions, say so and I'll send you a private message via the Forum. You could be an old pal of mine.

Sorry Symptoms,

wrong surname, I did know a lad called talc he lived on meadowdale crescent. Me brother is younger than me and not one of the feds

[Cympil]

Humford Baths

[Mr Darn]

bliddy hell! i never realised it was an actual swiming pool...

looks good does that!

[alanc]

bliddy hell! i never realised it was an actual swiming pool...

looks good does that!

Behind the high dive was a filter bed, and it looks like who ever took the photo was standing on top of the lads changing rooms. That place used to be heaving during the summer.

If I remember right the record for the most lengths was about a hundred, a lad called Stash, big lad right muscelly.

Week ends we would go up the river swimming to the wear, the fishin was good n'all

[Denzel]

bliddy hell! i never realised it was an actual swiming pool...

looks good does that!

What did you think it was? A bathroom shop conveniently sited down the woods?

[Mr Darn]

What did you think it was? A bathroom shop conveniently sited down the woods?

all i ever saw was a paddling pool down there. i was thinking is was bigger than that, but not to the extremes that pic shows.

that place has better facility than most of the main pools round here now!

instead of closing it, they should have covered it. I'd love a pool within walking distance of me... it might get some of this belly away! (perhaps not!)

[Denzel]

I can exclusively reveal that the former site of said Baths is now a regular haunt for none other than Hamburger Pimp, in his new role as a doting parent.

Christmas Day will never be the same again.

[Dr Pit]

What did you think it was? A bathroom shop conveniently sited down the woods?

Funny!

[Pete]

What did you think it was? A bathroom shop conveniently sited down the woods?

[Frank Dott]

I remember the sludge pool well, I ended up in it a couple of times, if you thought that was cold , and it was , then why the heck would we run straight from the hot house and jump into the pool at 3d a day or 2s / 6d for the summer the best value for money I can ever remember, are the Marley's still in Bedlington , I left In 68 (I was 11 then) for the smoke and now reside in Matawan, NJ USA. I posted a class pic , from the Whitley , curious how many are still around?

Frank Dott

[Merlin]

I can exclusively reveal that the former site of said Baths is now a regular haunt for none other than Hamburger Pimp, in his new role as a doting parent.

Christmas Day will never be the same again.

Denzil,unwittingly you have revealed the identity of the preacher of white hatred and his venue for extemist proclamations.I thought it a bit strange that a load of heavily bearded men were heading down Church Lane,but you know how it is these days you can't say how it is,because you one might upset the ethnic minority,!*!@# shovers or cooncilors,who,I might say,have the right to do anything they bloody well like,cos if we say anything then vast amounts of compo will be paid out! UP THE REVOLUTION!

[Denzel]

Denzil,unwittingly you have revealed the identity of the preacher of white hatred and his venue for extemist proclamations.I thought it a bit strange that a load of heavily bearded men were heading down Church Lane,but you know how it is these days you can't say how it is,because you one might upset the ethnic minority,!*!@# shovers or cooncilors,who,I might say,have the right to do anything they bloody well like,cos if we say anything then vast amounts of compo will be paid out! UP THE REVOLUTION!

Hamburger Pimp is class, leave him alone.

[norman]

I remember the baths with fond memories, many happy summers spent there, I also remember we used to go with the school, no transport so we walked from the Whitley Mem. Wilf Marley was the man in charge, he was married to Joan Reed, who was a great friend of my sister Joan, My sister used to often tell us of her and Joanie swimming at the baths during the war and refusing to get out of the water when the sirens sounded. I also remember the annual swimming gala which was a great family day out. Admision to the baths was 3 pence, old money, and the baths were open from 8 am to 8 pm.