Pre 1920's

Helen "Nellie" Ryder was born in 1904 and became a pupil at Ducie Avenue Central School. She was a Junior member of the Victoria Swimming Club. The centre photograph below shows her with a trophy which is now on loan to the Friends of Victoria Baths. Helen married Frederick McGrath and brought up 11 children. She continued to swim until the age of 90, although by this time she had become blind. Helen McGrath died in 1995. Many thanks to T.McGrath for this information and the two photographs (left and centre) below.

1920's

Phyllis Walters
We girls used to sneak thru' the adjoining doors to take a peek at the boys - those that could not afford swimming costumes were loaned very small slips, that was very exciting for us. The "tubs" were intended for washing feet before entering the plunge, but we stayed in the plunge until we were frozen then proceeded to the tubs, squeezed in so tightly so that we sat with our bottoms in the spreadeagled legs of the swimmers behind us until another person could not get in. In our very early teens we thought the members of the water polo team were gods.

Mrs. N Dudley
I was born in 1918 in one of the streets opposite the Baths. It was a terraced house, with no bathroom, and as I became older, in my teens, my sister used to take me to the wash baths for my "weekly bathe". I shall never forget my first bath! The cubicle seemed huge - and the bath was so big - I floated on top of the water!

Margaret Jump
My parents have both been involved in Victoria. My father Robert Henry Williams worked at Victoria possibly before the 1914 war and certainly after he came home from the war in 1918. He worked his way up to become foreman and later I understand to managerial position. My mother worked in various areas at the Baths, the wash baths, the Turkish Baths and later as office staff. They became an "item" as they say today and married on Saturday August 29th 1925. Later when my father died my mother returned to Victoria Baths to work at the laundry. It was hard work but the group of ladies she worked with were a jolly crowd.

1930's

D A Torrington
One could buy a cup of Oxo for one penny (old money) on the way out and we sang songs all the way back to St. Robert's School, Hamilton Rd, Longsight. Later on as I grew a little older, I plucked up the courage and went in mixed bathing. In those days that was quite an innovation and to me rather daring.

Alice Borking
I went to Plymouth Grove School. My sisters and I joined South Manchester Swimming Club. Our instructor was Nellie Laverty. I was Junior Captain and swam for Northern Counties in 1938.

1940's

Edward Gill
I remember Victoria Baths - High Street Baths very well from my school days at Ducie Avenue from 1943-1945. We used to go to the Baths every week for swimming lessons - walking in a long line from Ducie Avenue on Denmark Road.>

Arthur Goodwin
Won a wallet here swimming with the Boys Brigade in the Galas. Boys only was nude swimming - did our best to find out if girls only was the same!!

1950's

George Robert Kinder
>At around the age of 8-10 we sometimes used to swim in the pool without our trunks on. Occasionally a female attendant from the girls pool would come through the adjoining door to speak to the male attendants. All the naked swimmers would dive in the water and swim to the side in embarrassment.

D Thompson
I worked at the Baths from 1951 to 1954. The Botham family lived upstairs. Their father was the Superintendent of all the baths in Manchester so they got the living accommodation with the job. I used to swim with Jean Botham after the Baths had closed. With her living there we could swim all night sometimes, till her mum and dad came to make us get out of the pool. Jean Botham and Roy Botham were the first brother and sister to swim in the Olympics, in Helsinki in the 1950s.

1960's

1970's

Karen Shalders
I especially remember the swimming do's and don'ts sign and being in fits of giggles with my pals over the 'NO PETTING' order.

Ruth Ashton
Claremont Rd Junior School used to come here for its annual gala. In one of the two races a little girl - Valerie Pemberton, used to the shorter length of Broadfield Rd Pool, got into difficulties half way down the pool. Everybody stared in horror for what seemed like ages, but was probably seconds. Then, a member of staff - Bob Raw, dived in fully clothed as he realised the attendant life savers had no intention of going in and rescued her. To add to his "heroism", he was a sufferer of psoriasis, and wasn't supposed to get his head wet.

1980's and 1990's

Hilary Bichovsky
I used to go to shower and sauna - could spend hours there. It felt communal - a peaceful place for women to be together. And not functional and stripped down like the modern pools. Ornament, decoration, twiddles - a fitting environment for relaxation.

Ian N. McRae
I had been persuaded, by a relative, of the pleasurable benefit of using in my domestic bath water, a green substance known commercially as Badedas. The odour was certainly attractive and refreshing and it occurred to me that a small quantity of this substance could enhance the pleasure of aerotone bathing. I attended the aerotone suite at an appointed time equipped with a small bottle of the green substance. The attendant was fully prepared for with, temperature and flow pressure accurately adjusted and stabilised. As he had other work to deal with he asked if I was happy to be left for a few minutes. In my usual state of undress, I measured a small capful of the Badedas and emptied this into the gently foaming water. The foaming began gently at first and then became explosive. In a matter of minutes the whole room was a foot deep in perfumed white bubbles. Unfortunately the enterprise of seeking assistance is much reduced by nudity. But luckily, the aerotone operative returned and managed to switch off the pump before I had become submerged, possibly forever, in Badedas foam!