Humford Baths

Learnt to swim there, 1964 or 5..

11 hours ago, Phil Reid said:

Learnt to swim there, 1964 or 5..

In the 1950's summer months Barrington CP School took all the pupils in Class 6, once a week, to the baths. My eldest brother used to swim like a fish but no matter what I stroke I tried I went under the water. I had to relax on an inner tube.

Having learned how to swim in the more buoyant sea I sank like a stone until I figured out fresh water was different!

I learned to swim/doggy paddle in the deep pool near the stepping stones copying the whippets that my father trained. We also went from Westridge to Humford a few times. I never needed an inner tube around the waist to be able to float and I still don't. I've grown my own!

I used to go to the Whitley memorial and then west ridge secondary school until the family migrated  to Australia in 1968. But I remember the Years I spent in Bedlington are some of the happiest.

I was in the same year as Billy Marlow who’s parents weee the caretakers at Humford mill. Great memories..